ProForm Pro 9000 Folding Treadmill Review

Proform has been designing and manufacturing treadmills and other cardio fitness equipment for a long time. A very long time, in fact. And, you don’t get to do that, unless you’re doing things right. Anyone looking for a treadmill online will have come across the Proform brand almost instantly, this is a brand that’s hard to miss. Having spent decades ensuring that the machines it produces are reliable, feature-packed, and good value for money, Proform has built up a formidable knowledge of what makes a good running machine. Its latest catalogue contains a range of treadmills suited to just about every type of runner you can think of from total beginners to experience competition runners, from single users to machines built to withstand the strain of life in a family environment. We took a look at the new flagship model in the range, the Proform Pro 9000, to see what’s on offer when shopping at the top end of the current catalogue.

As usual, this treadmill needs to be assembled before you can start using it. Assembly is definitely a 2-person job that takes about an hour but there’s nothing difficult or hard to understand. The build is straightforward enough and the instruction manual is well written with clear diagrams and sensible language. There’s nothing here to scare anyone, even those of us that aren’t very handy and the end result will probably have you standing back admiring your handiwork with a certain sense of satisfaction.

The Pro 9000, once built, looks the part of a modern running machine. This is a chunky treadmill that’s got a bit of style to it, making it look like a cross between a gym machine and some sort of device that’s often seen in a sci-fi movie. Just sitting there, it’s pretty impressive it has to be said.

At 110kg (176lbs) in weight and with a max user weight of 135kg (298 lbs), this is a serious bit of kit. One that with a footprint of 196cm x 90cm (77” x 35”) and an oversized 51cm x 152cm (20” x 60”) running surface makes you feel confident in its capabilities before you’ve even stepped up onto it. This treadmill definitely makes a good first impression.

Underneath the elements that are visible, there’s a whole lot going on here that backs up that initial first impression. There’s a hefty 3.6 continuous duty horsepower motor that has more power than you’re ever going to need. Are there bigger motors? Yes, absolutely. Do any of them actually offer in reality any kind of practical advantage over the motor that Proform has fitted here? Not really, is the answer. Not in a regular domestic setting at any event. There are large 1.9″ diameter front and rear rollers which ensure smooth operation at all speeds without any of the treadmill ‘whine’ that you can often get on lesser machines, and the ‘ReBound Pro’ cushioning system also works an absolute treat providing a surface soft enough to really help reduce the impact of landing yet firm enough not to sap your energy as you push off for your next stride. To make sure that regardless of how strong or fast you are, you’re still going to remain challenged, the Pro 9000 has a top speed of 13.7mph (22km/h) and a minus -3% decline to +12% incline function which does a good job of making runs feel more realistic. Put this machine on maximum incline and top speed and you won’t be running for very long if you’re a human! It’s a lung-busting combination making the Pro 9000 a suitable choice even if you’re already fit.

The specifications for the motor, cushioning, running area, incline/decline, rollers and build quality are all excellent and provide a high quality running platform on which to base the iFit experience that this treadmill is designed to deliver. Rather than being a model that has built-in programs with the option of connecting to iFit via a tablet or smartphone, the Pro 9000 is an iFit-centric model. There are no onboard workouts apart from manual mode (that can be used at any time without an internet connection), rather all the available workouts are streamed directly to the console in the form of high definition videos. The videos are delivered via a sumptuous, 22” HD touchscreen display that does a fantastic job. Everything is large, easy to see and read, the colours are vibrant and the interactions on the touch-screen are slick. The effect of having such a large screen 3 feet in front of you shouldn’t be underestimated, it really brings the videos to life and makes it feel like you’re a part of what’s going on.

All the videos are training sessions led by elite personal trainers and consist of two basic types which are runs and classes. The runs allow you to select the location you want to run in from a frankly silly amount of different places all around the world, and the personal trainer runs with you along the course offering guidance and support. The on-demand classes are widely varied and many of them aren’t just about running but also involve stepping off the treadmill to perform various exercises including strength training workouts during the workout, while there are also Yoga classes, and even meditation classes, so this goes well above and beyond anything a traditional classic treadmill can offer. Indeed while there are lots of different interactive training services out there at the moment, the only truly comparable service to iFit is Peleton. It has to be said that the videos are very well produced and the sheer number of them is incredible. There are currently more than twelve thousand to choose from and the library is growing. The biggest benefit of having quite as many workouts as this to choose from is that you can choose the personal trainers you like the best and still do the workouts enjoy the most. In addition, iFit has added AI powered automatic adaptive training. While this AI function can be turned off or overridden, we found that it learns fast and it only takes 4-5 workouts before it’s worked out how fit you are. Then it matches the difficulty of the run/class to your fitness levels, and after that, it starts to gradually push you harder over subsequent sessions. If you find it’s making life too hard for you, you can override it or reduce the difficulty manually and it learns from that too. This AI auto-adjustment works across all the videos, not just one that you’ve been using regularly and is applied to all classes and videos. There’s clearly some good science going on here and we have to say it’s impressive.

There are lots of other iFit functions too and you can also race against other iFit members’ times on particular courses, get access to nutritional and sleep information and so on. The first 30 days iFit membership are included free of charge so you get to try it before you start paying for a subscription (currently starting from around £12 per month) and, if you decide not to take out a subscription you do still get access to a selection of videos, classes and map-based workouts that change periodically so you still get the video experience though with some limits on the adaptive side.

Other features include a cooling fan, dual speakers, wireless Bluetooth heart rate receiver, and dual water bottle holder. The Proform Pro 9000 is covered by Proform’s lifetime frame, 5 year motor, and 2 year parts and labour warranty (you must register within 28 days of purchase to get the 2nd year of coverage)