MEMPHIS, TN — Each year fitness equipment manufacturers produce a dizzying array of treadmills for use in clubs, apartments, hotels, personal training clinics, etc., and up until now buyers of commercial treadmills had little to go on when it came to finding reviews and recommendations about the models they were considering.
TreadmillDoctor.com has developed a system whereby prospective buyers can find listings of almost all of the most popular models on the market.
“We have done consumer treadmill ratings in the past and each year received a lot of e-mails from facilities, especially the smaller ones, looking for information on treadmills,” said Clark Stevenson, co-owner of TreadmillDoctor.com. “So we figured why not get out there and give them the information they were looking for. Without any other source of readily available commercial treadmill reviews for commercial facility owners, operators, and management, we know that TreadmillDoctor.com will provide a valuable resource for those who are caught in the seemingly endless maze of treadmill choices.”
The 40 full-commercial models tested for the inaugural rating were evaluated by a number of standards, according to Stevenson, mostly based on trend data although some models were tested specifically for the rankings. Some of the standards included ease of use, drive system, reliability (takes into account the manufacturer's track record) and repair expense.
“We rated models and companies we have seen most often in our travels and tackled about 40 commercial models this year,” Stevenson said. “We hope to expand to 60 or 70 models for next year's report.
Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Treadmills
Best Overall Treadmills
- Woodway Mercury S
- Stairmaster 2100 LC
- Lifefitness 95 TI
Best AC Drive Treadmills
- Stairmaster 2100 LC
- Lifefitness 95 TI
- NordicTrack 9600
Best DC Drive Treadmills
- Cybex Pro Sport
- SportsArt 6310
- StarTrac TR 4500
Source: Treadmilldoctor.com