Reebok I-Run 4.0 Treadmill Review

The Reebok I Run is one of best known compact treadmills on the market. The first I Run to hit the market was incredibly popular thanks to its small dimensions that would allow owners to put them into rooms that a full size treadmill simply wouldn’t fit into. They weren’t without their faults however and subsequent versions have been trying to improve on the original with varying degrees of success. We took a look at the Reebok I Run 4.0 to see what changes/improvements Reebok has made. Here’s what we found.

First there’s good news for the less-than-handy’s and can’t be bothered’s out there. Assembly – there isn’t any. The I Run 4.0 is pre-built in the box. Simply unfold it and lock it into position, plug it in and you’re ready to go. There is a tablet holder attachment which most buyers will want to attach but the treadmill will work fine without this so we’re treating that as an optional extra. Standing back to take a look at it, the I Run really does look small. It’s not just the 156cm x 75cm footprint, which is small to be sure, but its small size is further emphasised by the lack of what we’d normally see on any treadmill – a console. Well, not exactly, but at first glance you’d be forgiven for thinking it doesn’t have one as instead of a separate console unit a series of 4 small display windows and control buttons are built directly into the frame of this treadmill. Feedback for speed, distance, time, pulse, calories, body fat and steps is displayed across these 4 windows and the upside is clear; it helps reduce the size of this machine. The downside is that the characters aren’t all that large and while there’s no denying that they’re nice and bright, their diminutive size means that if you’re eyesight isn’t the best it may be a bit difficult to see them. That being said the team didn’t struggle to see the display during testing so perhaps we’re being a bit harsh here. The fact that, because of the small overall size, this machine shakes more than a larger, heavier set model would when you run on it could potentially make this unsuitable if you’ve got less than good eyesight. This quirk is not necessarily a deal breaker but it’s something worth being aware of especially if your eyesight isn’t the strongest to begin with.

The control buttons are quite small too but are well spaced out and few in number making it easy to press the button you want without accidently pressing another button. Navigation to get to the program you want is rudimentary but easy enough and there are 16 training options to choose from with 12 preset workouts, 3 target based (distance, time, calories) workouts, and a body fat test.

But, being a treadmill without an incline system, the preset workouts are limited to controlling only the speed of the belt. In terms of speed, the stated 16kph (10 mph) maximum puts it on a par with many similarly priced models however the set 4 degree incline used here is not the most impressive. It’s a little disappointing not just because it can’t be changed, but because the actual level of incline is so very low. At just 4 degrees it’s barely an incline at all and can’t be changed to flat. If you already train on an incline it’s likely that the I Run 4.0 won’t provide you with enough of a challenge, though if you’re planning on using it for some gentle exercise and would like to walk uphill on a gentle slope, or if you don’t care about incline, then it’ll certainly do a job.

The a 1.25 horsepower motor used here does enough to ensure that the I Run 4.0 doesn’t sound whiney and the cushioning system employed here also works pretty well and absorbs a noticeable amount of shock making for a comfortable enough run in terms of looking after your joints. The 125cm x 46cm running area is similar in length to many compact machines but is a good few centimetres wider than we’re used to seeing. This makes the I Run 4.0 feel relatively spacious though it is still a compact running area that’s definitely more suited to jogging than sprinting.

The main selling point of the I Run 4.0 is, of course, it’s compact size. With a folded footprint of 153cm x 75cm it doesn’t take up much room but with a height of 31.5cm it’s unlikely to fit under your sofa (unless you happen to have a similar sofa to the one used in the marketing pictures of course) or your bed so folding it in the vertical rather than horizontal position is likely to be the preferred option for most users. In the vertical position the footprint is just 75cm x approx 31.5cm so it terms of being able to store it out of the way when it’s not being used there’s no doubting that it’s up there with the best compact machines available at the moment.

Other features include hand grip pulse sensors for heart rate measurement, tablet holder and transportation wheels and the I Run 4.0 comes with Reebok’s 2 year on-site parts and labour warranty.