HealthRider H200T Treadmill Review

HealthRider has been around in the UK for a few years now steadily building its reputation as a solid provider of mid-point home fitness equipment. From the same team behind NordicTrack and Proform, HealthRider products tend to come loaded with many of the features their more illustrious and well-known cousins boast and with the same build quality too. As such we were really looking forward to getting our hands on the H200T and taking it for a spin. Here’s what we found……

Weighing in at 104kg (229.3lbs) and with a footprint of 207 x 91 x 162 cm (81.5″ x 35.8 x 63.7″) the H200T is not a small machine. No, definitely not small, so you do need space for it. But the thing is that big weight and a large deck on a treadmill is no bad thing. It’s a very good thing so on paper before the box has even been opened the stats look good.

Building the H200T is absolutely typical of an Icon machine. It takes two people and about an hour and a quarter. If you don’t follow the instructions because you think it all looks oh so simple, you should probably allow at least a couple of hours! It’s easy to make this mistake simply because there just aren’t that many parts that need putting together. So our advice is that while it may look simple enough, just make sure you read, and follow the instructions – unless, of course, you get bored doing things the easy way 🙂 Anyone who can put together Ikea furniture can put this machine together but if you’re not comfortable with flat packed products then it’s probably best you ask about assembly services from the retailer.

Once built it does look like a machine that’s going to serve well. This is in no small part down to the sheer size of it but once you get on it, it also feels solid. Lots of space on the full sized 51 x 152cm (20″ x 60″) running deck reinforces the impression that this is proper treadmill that’s designed to be properly used. That large running deck also provides a feeling of security. There’s plenty of deck behind you and to either side, so you know that when you start to tire and naturally start moving around a bit there’s always going to be plenty of track around you. A user’s height here is simply very unlikely to be any kind of issue. Not only is the deck nice and large, it also physically feels good to run on. Not everybody loves a soft treadmill deck but plenty more don’t like stiff decks that feel similar to tarmac. The H200T can best be described as medium to soft meaning you can really feel the cushioning at work every time you land but it’s still stiff enough to get a good launch on your next stride. Overall HealthRider have struck a very good balance and the H200T should appeal to all but those with severe joint issues or fanatical road runners that love to feel the pounding of the pavement on impact (yes they are out there, we have one in the office!)

Powered by a 3HP (4.25HP peak output) motor this substantial machine can propel the belt up to 22kph (13.7mph) with ease. Even with some of the larger members of the team putting it through its paces it simply just laughs at anything you can throw at it. It’s really no surprise that the stated maximum user weight on this model is a very respectable 135kg (298lbs). We’re sure that if it had to take more weight, deck notwithstanding, the motor would happily drive it without breaking a sweat.

The console is a 6″ dual colour LCD display that provides multiple bits of information during your workout including speed, distance, time, calories, pulse, incline. All nice and easy to see while you’re in motion. In addition to the quick start manual mode there are whopping 32 preset workouts split into broad categories of Calorie, Intensity, Cardio, Incline and Speed. No, you’re not likely to use them all but the fact there are so many increases the likelihood of finding one or two that you really like and enjoy. It does also mean that you’re highly unlikely to get bored. If you do get tired of a workout, there’ll be another one you can try. You can also set goals for calorie, time, or distance and create your own workouts for this. With iFit Live compatiblity also featuring, you can compete against other runners over the same course (iFit feature) and upload your training session results to the cloud. iFit Live has far too many features to dip into in any real detail here but it’s worth visiting their web site if you want to know more.

The H200T also comes with mp3 player input jack, stereo speakers, cooling fan and a Bluetooth wireless heart rate receiver complete with a Bluetooth chest belt. Under testing we found the heart rate receiver performed superbly, literally not missing a beat. The fan is a little weak but does certainly make a difference and the speakers, like most treadmill speakers were ok and will do a job but are most certainly not aimed at audiophiles. In fairness nor should they be. The focus of this machine is running, not relaxing! Oh and last but not least, speaking of not relaxing this beast of a treadmill comes with a beast of an incline motor taking you all the way up to 15%, which is more than enough for anyone that would consider buying this machine.

We think that for the price being asked the HealthRider H200T offers a heck of a spec and lot of functions and features. It also comes with a lifetime frame, 5 years motor, 2 years parts and labour warranty. So long as you’ve got the space for it and are considering a model that the whole family can use then this really is one you should be seriously thinking about.