NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Treadmill (2021) Review

If you’ve been searching for a treadmill, NordicTrack is a name that you will have become familiar if you weren’t already. The world’s largest manufacturer of home fitness equipment has been making high-quality treadmills for decades. All the treadmills in the current range are loaded with goodies and feature iFit capability (more on that later). There have been a few versions of the C1750 and this one (NTL14221-INT) is one of the higher-end models in the range that’s part of the last generation before the most recent version. Here’s what we found…..

Assembly, like with all treadmills, is a two-person job but thankfully it’s not a particularly difficult one. Once unpacked, it took us about 45min to complete the build which went smoothly with all the parts fitting neatly into their respective places. All a good sign that the manufacturing process and the quality controls in operation work and while it’s easy to say that this should always be the case, it’s really, really not always so.

Once assembled the C1750, like versions before it, looks the part. The steel used in construction is heavy-duty from start to finish, while the spacious running deck, the stabilising crossbar and the general heavy-set appearance give it an air of being just like something straight out of a commercial gym, making the reality of the actual machine a good fit for its name. It doesn’t look as modern and slick as the latest generation of this model but the specs on this machine impress. There’s a large 4.25 horsepower motor and the oversized 55cm x 152cm (22” x 60”) running deck provides plenty of space to run on. There’s a 10-inch touch-screen display to access interactive training services directly rather than using a tablet and other elements such as the rollers, the cushioning, the top speed and the incline system are all top-spec to the point that you’ll struggle to find better on just about any domestic treadmill, at least keeping within this price range.

Before stepping aboard, giving this C1750 the ‘shake test’ simply confirms that this unit is as solid as it looks. This treadmill feels substantial and that expansive running area really allows you to move around during a run without ever drawing too close to the boundaries. At 152cm in length, the deck is long enough to accommodate even the tallest of runners and at 55cm wide it feels nice and safe with plenty of room to move around on, a very nice thing to have when you’re running out of steam.

In terms of power, the 4.25 horsepower continuous-duty drive motor really does a great job of keeping the noise level down. Small motors can sometimes be noisy as they work hard to propel the running belt but here there are no such issues. The motor that the manufacturer has decided to use here seems to not even notice that it’s being asked to work. Driving the belt and runner up to a maximum speed of 22km (13.7mph) which is more speed than 98% of users of this treadmill will ever need and even seasoned competitors won’t find this model lacking for pace. Once again NordicTrack has opted to use nice large rollers which as well as keeping noise levels low also contribute to an increased treadmill lifespan. The incline system also sticks out here and the fact that this is now a tried and tested system only serves to underline the credentials here. With a 15% incline that will challenge anyone no matter how fit (most common treadmills incline up to about 10%) the C1750 also features a -3% decline simulating downhill running which is particularly useful if you’re training for real-world events but even if you’re not it adds an extra dimension that almost all other domestic models are missing.  The fact that there’s a decline, as well as a challenging steep incline, makes this model a decidedly good choice for both general fitness and no-nonsense competition training.

In keeping with recent NordicTrack offerings, the C1750 has no workouts stored within the memory of the console. Rather, the workouts require a WiFi-based internet connection. Without this, you can still use this model but only in manual mode. In practice, for most users, this means that it’s absolutely necessary to have a wireless internet connection to use this treadmill and a good one too as slower connections will tend to result in less than smooth delivery of the workouts. That being said most broadband connections these days will be up to the task though it is worth bearing this in mind if your internet connection happens to be a slower one. Access to all of the workouts is via a 10″ Android-powered touch-screen which makes selecting your chosen routine that much easier. The responsiveness of the controls on the touchscreen is faster than on the preceding version making the experience feel smoother and slicker, it’s a nice upgrade. The basic keys of start/stop and speed and incline are still, very sensibly physical buttons on the treadmill console while all other functions are accessed via the sort of interface that just about anyone with a smart device will already be familiar with making navigating through the various menus intuitive. As with all modern NordicTrack cardio machines the C1750 is based around the iFit interactive training platform which provides access to a multitude of training modes such as racing against other iFit live members, mapping out and running your own running routes using Google Maps, and high-definition videos featuring elite personal trainers that will guide you and motivate you through the whole workout. There are other aspects too such as uploading your training data into iFit so that you can track and monitor your performance and improvement, and also get dietary and sleep advice. For more information on iFit and what it offers check out the iFit.com website. A free 30-day family membership is included so you can dive in deep to see what’s there before making a commitment to subscribe.

Other features include a Bluetooth™ Smart wireless receiver for monitoring your heart rate, integrated device shelf, accessory tray, dual water bottle holder, a pair of 3″ stereo speakers and dual workout fans to help keep you cool during your run. The C1750 is also covered by NordicTrack’s lifetime frame, 10-year motor and 2-year on-site parts and labour warranty.