ProForm 730 ZLT Folding Treadmill Review

Produced by the world’s largest fitness fitness equipment manufacturer, Proform treadmills have been a popular choice in the sub £1,000 segment of the market. The specifications and the offer price point of the 730 treadmill caught our eye, so we decided to give it a full review.

As with all Proform treadmills, the first workout is assembling the machine! Make sure you set aside a couple of hours to do this and have someone that can help hold various bits as you put the machine together . It’s not actually complicated, but there are a good few little steps to go through to arrive at the final result.

First impressions of the assembled machine was very pleasant surprise! This is a full sized, substantial treadmill, rather than the typical small, lightweight treadmills we’ve come to expect in the budget category!

So, does it work as well as it looks?

First things first: the Motor! It’s rated as 2.25 horse power continuous duty and whilst it’s not the quietest one we’ve ever come across, it makes light work of speeding up the belt as needed without any problems.

With a top speed of a 18 kph (11.2 mph), we’re delighted to see that there is a good, decent size running deck on this machine. It’s 140cm (55 inches) long and 50 cm (20 inches) wide which means that all but the very tallest of users will be able to run safely on the machine. The size of the running  on budget priced treadmills are particularly important: Most are fitted with 120 cm by 40 cm running belts making them suitable for fast walking or slow jogging, but to run comfortably without having to constantly look down to check the position of the feet on the running belt, a larger sized deck is needed and this is exactly what the 730 ZLT provides!

One of the reasons many runners prefer to train on a treadmill, rather than the road (ignoring the obvious weather reasons!) is that treadmill running is typically kinder on the joints. On this front, Proform has fitted the 730 ZLT with its proprietary “ProShox” cushioning. Ignoring the science of how this actually works, we can confirm that the deck does feel nice and responsive and provides a nice level of impact absorption.

The console on the 730 ZLT is a nice, big club style console allowing for easy controls with 10 speed and incline quick keys either side of the console. At the centre of the console is a nice, large backlit 6″ LCD that provides all the essential feedback such as time, distance, calories and heart rate and also has a quarter mile (400 m) track display to provide a visual cue to indicate the number of laps being done while running. The track display is a common feature on gym treadmills and we’re pleased to be seeing it on a machine at this sort of price point.

In terms of programmes, there is a nice and wide selection! There are 20 pre-set programmes in total and they’re organised into sets of 5 covering calorie burn, speed training, incline training an intensity training. But the console carriers a real surprise on the programmes front: a built in 8-week weight loss training function. This programme was designed by the well known US trainer Jillian Michaels with a goal of achieving weight loss over a couple of months of usage. Previously, we’ve seen these programmes sold as optional extras on older Proform machines that featured iFit SD slot, so it’s a nice surprise to see the most popular one (weight loss!) being built right into the console. Just select the week and the day you’re on, enter your weight and let the treadmill run you to a thinner version of yourself! Clearly, the science behind a weight loss programme such as this will be limited, but if weight loss is your goal, then this feature should at least provide some good motivation.

It’s also worth mentioning that the 730 ZLT is fitted with standard pulse grip sensors, which like all pulse grip sensors on treadmills won’t provide a particular accurate heart rate measurement and would also be a bit of a pain to use whilst running. Luckily, the 730 ZLT has a built in wireless heart rate receiver in the console. The chest strap is an optional extra, but it’s always nice to see budget priced treadmills with a receiver!

The last point worth noting on the console is that it’s fitted with a cooling fan and a pair of speakers. Whilst we’d never recommend choosing a treadmill by the quality of the speakers or the power of the fan, we can say that the audio quality was actually surprisingly good!

In terms of warranty should anything go wrong, there is a lifetime frame warranty, 5 years motor warranty and 2 years for other parts and labour. Do remember though, as with all Proform treadmills, you’ll need to register your machine within 4 weeks of purchase to get yourself the 2nd year.

Best Price

The Proform 730 ZLT 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

The Proform 730 ZLT is a real winner! A well designed machine, set up for real running with a full deck size and a strong motor. At its current offer price of under £600, this treadmill is an absolute steal and we strongly recommend it!

Proform 730 ZLT Specifications

  • 2.25 HP continuous duty
  • 0 – 18 km/h (0 – 11.2 mph) speed range with Quick Speed™ controls
  • 0-10% incline range Quick Incline™ controls
  • Console: 6″ LCD display
  • 20 Programmes: 5 speed, 5 intensity, 5 incline 5 calorie goal
  • Space Saver™ folding system
  • ProShox™ cushioning
  • Heart Rate Measurement: Dual-Grip EKG™ hand pulse sensors and wireless receiver
  • 51cm (20″) x 140cm (55″) running surface
  • Product weight: 95kg (209lbs)
  • Maximum user weight 135kg (297 lbs)
  • Dimensions in use:  Length=183cm (72″), Width=89cm (35″), Height=149cm (58.6″)
  • Dimensions folded: Length=102cm (40″), Width=89cm (35″), Height=174cm (68.5″)
  • Extras: CoolAire™ workout fan, Intermix Acoustics 2.0 speakers, audio jack
  • Warranty: Lifetime frame, 5 years motor, 2 years parts and labour

Proform 730 ZLT Treadmill - Console / Display Unit

Proform 730 ZLT Treadmill - User Reviews

The Pros

  • Roomy running deck
  • Nice cushioning
  • Wide selection of programmes

The Cons

  • No heart rate control programmes, (but with receiver for accurate feedback)
Proform 730 ZLT Treadmill Reviewer Ratings

Power - 9
Appearance - 9
Running Area - 10
Comfort - 9.5
Reliability - 9.5
Noise - 8
Ease Of Use - 9
Controls - 9
Warranty - 8
Value for Money - 9
Best Price

The Proform 730 ZLT 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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