York Perform 220 Treadmill Review

The York Perform 220 is a treadmill with impressive looks, with a spec sheet that suggests it’s charm isn’t just paintwork deep! We check out the 220 to see if it really does live up to the label ‘Perform’!

Firstly, we were delighted to see an incline capability of a whopping 15%! That level of gradient is especially impressive when you consider the price point of this machine. We are pleased to report that the incline motor is very responsive too – there’s minimal delay when you press the controls.

The main motor is equally impressive. The Perform 220 is equipped with a 1.75 continuous duty motor that delivers a top speed of 18kph (11mph). Even belting along at top whack, we were impressed by the low levels of noise and vibration.

The build quality of the Perform 220 is very good and the size of the 18.5″ wide belt by 55″ makes for a decent running area. The underside of the machine has plenty of thick, welded box section spanning across the width to give great rigidity. It feels wonderfully stable to run on, plus there is just enough cushioning to absorb shock without feeling springy. The cushioning system is nothing more than a basic arrangement of 4 pairs of rubber elastomers spaced along the underside of each edge of the deck – but it works, and it works well!

The treadmill has a large, feature-packed console. Part of which is devoted to a 12cm x 6cm Dot Matrix display which illuminates in red dots to show the profiles during the pre-set programs or your lap during a manual session. The detailed feedback on all the important workout statistics is located further down the console. There are 3 dedicated display windows on the left for Time, Distance and Incline, and the layout is mirrored on the right showing Calories, Pulse and Speed. These dedicated windows, are certainly clear in themselves, but being rather spread around the console, takes greater concentration to navigate around at a glance than is typical with most machines with a simple, single display screen.

For such an important safety feature, the ‘stop’ button seems rather small at only 10 mm in diameter and it’s tucked down discretely at the bottom left side of the console, but these are minor niggles and soon get forgiven once you get familiar with the layout.

Overall, the console space integrates some nice designs and features. The central 4″ fan is rather noisy but the airflow will be welcomed by many users. Understandably, the speaker system is also rather limited by its size, yet it still does a decent job at delivering tight sound quality at medium volume.

For one-touch adjustment of incline and/or speed there are 6 ‘quick key’ buttons for incline on the left and speed on the right.

In addition, just below the central display screen, there is a course profile menu. This simple selection tool is always good to see, as is the variety of programs offered.

Each of the 12 pre-set courses is set at a default time of 30 minutes but this can be adjusted from anywhere between 5 – 99 minutes before you set off. Regardless of what time is set, your program will be made up of 10 segments. You can obviously adjust the speed or incline on the fly but when each segment ends you’ll hear a short beep alarm and the intensity will return to the default setting. When your workout reaches it’s conclusion there’s another series of beeps and the word ‘END’ appears on the dot matrix display. It’s not particularly engaging or motivating in terms of a finale but as we’ve established, where the 220 Perform excels is DURING your workout, being such a nice machine to run on!

During the action, there are a variety of ways to keep control of the intensity. As well as the arrows and quick keys on the console, there are neat Thumb controls on the side handlebars for easy adjustment of speed or incline levels while holding on. Also integrated into the handlebars are pulse grip sensors for monitoring your heart rate. Better yet in terms of accuracy, you can use the free chest strap that comes supplied with the Perform 220. This measures your heart rate and transmits straight to the inbuilt receiver so you can enjoy hands-free, wireless workouts as well as ensuring the feedback is super-accurate!

The Perform 220 has a Body Fat Program feature that should appeal to anyone focused on weight loss results. Once you select the program you enter your gender, age, height and weight data, hold the handlebar sensors and the computer will calculate your body fat ratio (results will not be very accurate, but they should certainly be motivational – and perhaps that’s the main thing!)

To save on space, the deck can be lifted with a hydraulically-assisted gas strut. When folded the machine smoothly rolls along on front and back transport wheels, so unlike the typical 2 wheeled machines, there’s no need to pivot the heavy unit up to manoeuvre it. To unfold the machine, there is a foot pedal conveniently positioned 6″ from the floor and when pressed the deck smoothly and safely lowers.

 

Best Price

The York Perform 220 is not currently available from any retailers we're aware of in the UK.
It may be worth looking for a used machine on ebay

Review Summary - In Brief

So what do we think overall? The Perform 220 is well built, remarkably stable, great to run on and it offers a nice array of programs and inbuilt features. Perhaps best of all, it's all wrapped up in a very nice looking machine that'll look great in the home, with a folding design that'll fold up easily to fit in it.

York Perform 220 Specifications

  • 1.75hp motor
  • 1-18kph (0.6-11mph) speed range
  • 0-15% power incline
  • 46cm (18″) x 140cm (55″) running deck
  • Dimensions in use (L x W x H): 185cm (72.8″) x 80cm (31.5″) x 135cm (53″)
  • Dimensions folded (L x W x H): 105cm (41.3″) x 50cm (31.5″) x 160cm (63″)
  • Console with a Large LED Display
  • Feedback: Time, distance, incline, calories, pulse, speed
  • 14 workout programmes (1 manual, 12 pre-set, 1 HRC)
  • Heart rate measurement via hand pulse sensors and wireless receiver (chest strap included)
  • Conveniences: cooling fan, foldable, transportation wheels
  • 120kg (264lbs) maximum user weight
  • Warranty: 2 years

York Perform 220 Treadmill - Console / Display Unit

York Perform 220 Treadmill - User Reviews

The Pros

  • 15% Incline
  • Quiet in use
  • Great to run/jog on!
  • Fairly easy to fold/unfold/manoeuvre
  • A good selection of features (Speakers, fan, quick keys etc)
  • Chest strap included!

The Cons

  • Layout of the display/buttons takes time to get familiar with.
  • The Central dot matrix display is rather uninspiring.
York Perform 220 Treadmill Reviewer Ratings

Power - 8
Appearance - 9
Running Area - 8
Comfort - 8
Reliability - 7.5
Noise - 8.5
Ease Of Use - 8
Controls - 9
Warranty - 8
Value for Money - 8.5
Best Price

The York Perform 220 is not currently available from any retailers we're aware of in the UK.
It may be worth looking for a used machine on ebay

Also see our Treadmill Comparison Table

Whilst every effort is made to give you accurate information we cannot guarantee the technical specification. Models change on a regular basis and may differ slightly from the above review. We recommend you contact the retailer if you have a question regarding technical data. Please read our Legal Disclaimer

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