The Life Fitness F3 Advanced treadmill is probably one of the sturdiest folding treadmills you'll find on the market. With most folding models whilst you get the convenience of easy storage there is always just a slight sway at the top speed.
With the F3 you get an absolutely solid deck that feels cemented to the floor. Life Fitness don't generally do folding machines - but when they do they certainly get it right.
For about the same price you can get the non-folding Life Fitness T3-5. They are quite similar in basic specification but we feel the F3 offers the convenience of folding model plus has a better display and console - see below.
Although it has slightly fewer pre-set programmes than the T3-5 they include the classic workouts such as hill and interval training plus four heart rate controlled workouts to get you into the fat-burning zone. Heart rate programmes alter the speed and incline depending on your pulse and are the best way to maximize the benefits of your session.
The Advanced model reviewed here has more functions than the Basic console for about £200 extra and in our view is well worth it as you get more variation in your sessions - a vital factor in achieving your goals.
The F3 Advanced also comes with a chest strap for more accurate heart rate monitoring than compared to the grips, plus you can keep track of your heart without breaking your running stride to hold the grips. If more than one person will be using the treadmill you can store two user profiles to keep track of your training and progress.
The 3.0 HP MagnaDrive motor is a peach and operates with silky smoothness right up through the speed range of 0.5 to 10 mph and only starts to get a little noisy when at the top 12% incline - although you may find it quite a challenge to stay with 10 mph for long at that level of incline! Our legs tired long before the noise of the motor became an issue :0)
The deck is very comfortable as you would expect from a Life Fitness machine. The Flexdeck shock absorption system reduces the impact on your joints by just about 30% compared to road running. This can be very useful if overweight, recovering from injury or if you want to run for longer periods without stressing your joints.
As mentioned earlier the console is well laid out and has the convenience of a lower control pad with the buttons you'll need to use most when running.
It's a feature on many lower priced machines but for some reason neither Life Fitness or Nautilus at the top end of the market seem to feel they're necessary. It isn't a problem if you're happy with the pre-set programmes but if you like to tinker about with the workout it can be a little annoying at times. However, this is a minor point when compared the quality feel of this machine and its features and we loved it!
The warranty include lifetime on the frame, 5 years on electrical and mechanical parts and 1 year on site labour.
Available in UK for £1,852 from GymCompany (includes 5% discount offered to you as a visitor to this site - enter 'review5off' in voucher box at time of purchase.)
Best UK Price Specification
Pros and Cons Reviewers Ratings
In brief:
Life Fitness bring the durability and quality of commercial machines into the home market and the F3 is no exception. For well under £2,000 you get a machine crammed with cutting edge technology that wouldn't look out of place at a top gym. The variation in its programmes will keep you motivated for years and take you a long way towards achieving your fitness goals. A top machine that you can't go wrong with in our view!
|
Life Fitness F3 Advanced Treadmill - Technical Bits
User reviews will follow after the technical information.
Specifications:
- 3.0 horsepower (HP) continuous duty MagnaDriveTM motor
- 0 - 18 km/H speed range (0 - 10 mph)
- Advanced Console Display with custom design programmes and user profiles for two people - see below
- 14 programmes including HeartSyncTM
- Wireless heart rate monitor strap included
- Good-sized 51 x 140 cm walking/running surface
- Flex DeckTM cushioned deck to reduce impact on your joints and promote a comfortable running experience
- Grip and telemetric heart rate monitor
- Maximum user weight 160kg (over 25 stone)
Dimensions:
- 198 (L) x 87 (W) x 148 (H) cm floor dimension
- 87 (L) x 87 (W) x 190 (H) cm floor dimension
Life Fitness F3 Advanced treadmill Console
Life Fitness F3 Advanced Treadmill - User Reviews
The Pros:
The features most users liked about this treadmill were:-
The folding mechanism was light and easy to use.
The variation in programmes, especially the heart rate controlled workouts.
Extremely accurate heart rate monitoring - probably the most accurate on the market.
The deck is very comfortable.
Its stylish looks.
The addition of a lower control pad for ease of use.
The motor is superb and very quiet.
The smoothness of the powered incline.
The Cons:
Very few.
As with all models in this price range it's a but complicated to install - we recommend you get the retailer to install it for you.
Life Fitness F3 Advanced Ratings
Power
Appearance
Running Area
Comfort
Reliability
Noise
Ease of use
Controls
Warranty
Value for Money
OVERALL RATING
|
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9
- 9.5
- 9
- 8.5
- 8.5
- 9
- 9
= 89.5%
|
|
Best Price:
Available for £1,852 with free delivery from GymCompany (includes 5% discount offered to you as a visitor to this site - enter 'review5off' in voucher box at time of purchase.)
|
Also see our Treadmill Comparison Table
|
