About Our Treadmill Ratings
Thank you for checking out our treadmill ratings! Here you can learn how we come up with our ratings system, what the ratings mean and how you can use them. Before anything though, it is important to mention one thing- these are completely subjective ratings and based entirely on our opinions and impressions of each machine. These ratings are in no way scientific and every claim we make should always be verified with the manufacturer. We are as accurate as we can possibly be, but we realize people will disagree with us.
At the end of the day, most treadmills aren’t that different, it really is all about preference. We, like all of you, have our own preferences for the types of machines and types of features we like. You will quickly see after reading our treadmill ratings what types of treadmills we like the best. We always appreciate a powerful motor, big walking surface and fun features. You may or may not agree with us. We only present our opinions in the form of treadmill ratings to help guide you through our thoughts on each treadmill.
Here are the different treadmill ratings we present and a key to understanding what they mean. All of these ratings are given as a letter grade as we feel that is the easiest rating method to understand. The rating range is A+ to F. That gives 13 possible ratings, so if it is easier for you to think of it as a score out of 13, a B+ for example would be a 10 out of 13.
Motor
All treadmill motors measure their power in horse power. Really cheap treadmills can have as little as 1 HP and heavy duty ones can get up to 4 HP and beyond. When we rate the power of the machine, we aren’t just rating it’s horsepower. A 3 HP motor on a heavy machine will not feel as powerful as a 3 HP motor on a lighter machine. Incline and declines also affect the feeling of power you are getting on your treadmill. Some motors also seem to last longer, are less noisy and don’t ever smell like burning. When we rate the motor, we take all of this into account. So if you are wondering why a 3.5 HP motor is rated lower than a 3 HP motor, it’s because of these other factors. We really rate the quality of motor and how well it works with that particular model.
Walking Area
Walking area is a pretty straight forward thing. Some treadmills have more or less space than others for you to walk on. We also figure in if the treadmill has incline and decline features, as this affects the walking area. We also figure in the quality of the treadbelt. We really rate the space as a whole, since some treadmills have bulky handlebars that can get in the way.
Comfort
This also takes into account walking area a little bit, as more space makes more comfort. This rating primarily focuses on the deck cushioning. Some are adjustable and some are fixed. Some feel non-existent and some are very noticeable. This also rates how much weight the treadmill can support. We also take into account comfort around the treadmill, as in how much space it occupies and if it can fold up or not.
Functionality
This is where we rate the features. There are some pretty cool features out there from a normal fan, to web browsers to motion sensors for speed control. We also rate the console in this rating. Some are straight forward and easy to figure out. Some seem complicated. We also are rating the built in workouts and all of that.
Durability
This is just a way of telling you how long your treadmill will last for the money. If you spend $3,000 on a treadmill that lasts 24 months and $1,000 on a treadmill that lasts 22 months, then the cheaper treadmill will have a higher durability rating, even though it didn’t last as long. We look at what you’re getting for the money. A lot of things can also impact durability, like how you use the machine, how heavy the users are, etc.
Warranty
Rating a warranty is pretty tricky. We decided to compare warranties on similarly priced models. So treadmills around $1,000 will have their warranties compared to each other. Again, a very expensive treadmill may have a better warranty than a cheaper treadmill, but it may not compare favorable to the warranties of other similarly priced machines.
Value
The value rating is simply a measure of what we think you are getting for the money. A treadmill may be absolutely terrible, but if you got it for $10, it still has high value. Likewise, just because you pay a lot for a treadmill, doesn’t mean you always get a lot. If you could get similar specs and features for half the price, then you didn’t get a lot of value.
Overall
The overall rating is a 5 star system. You can get full, half and quarter stars. This is a purely subjective opinion on our part. We give an overall rating based on our thoughts and opinions as well as the ratings for each category.