Price: £4,395
Buy From: Fitness Superstore

Overall Rating: 5
Build Quality: 5
Ease of use: 5
Console Features: 5
Comfort: 5
Value for Money:5

For those who are looking for the health club experience at home and  for whom budget and space are not limited, the Life Fitness CST treadmill is the ultimate home use treadmill. Based on the commercial model, the CST provides a genuine health club quality workout.

The patented flexdeck absorption system works very efficiently as you would expect, reducing impact levels on the joints and muscles by up to 30% when compared with running outdoors.

The 4-HP AC Continuous Duty Motor with MagnaDrive™ propels users quietly and easily to the top speed of 12mph and it also feels responsive when required for some of the more vigorous interval training programs.

A 15% motorised incline is included and the overall product weight of 195kg ensures there is complete rigidity in the frame for even the heaviest runners as the maximum user capacity of 180kg would suggest.

The control layout is the same as the health club model and incorporates the GoSystem Quick Start feature which remembers your preferred walk, jog and run speeds so you can launch your training sessions at the touch of a button.

The integrity display is a smart yellow on black LED readout advising program profiles coupled with separate display windows for times, speed, distance, calories and heart rate.  They have also incorporated an ipod connectivity system which allows your ipod to sit in a purpose built in dock on the console allowing you to control track changes and volume levels with the integrated controls.

PROS

• Amazing stability, particularly when compared with folding treadmills but even when compared to other brands of non folding machines.
• Incredibly comfortable to run on
• Quiet, smooth and responsive motor performance regardless of speed and incline levels.
• Easy to read display with good variation of programs and the inclusion of ipod connectivity and controls is a real bonus.

CONS

• A little disappointing that no wireless chest strap is included considering the price of the treadmill however this is a small concern on an otherwise pretty faultless performance.

Summary

In summary then, if space and budget are no object then this is the treadmill to purchase. It performed brilliantly in testing and finding fault was nigh on impossible. The only trouble is that a price tag of over £4,000 and the fact that it is non-folding means it has a limited market place for UK customers.

The programs are varied, all the usual suspects are there with Fat Burn, Heart Rate Hill, Heart Rate Interval, Extreme Heart Rate, Random, Hill, 5K, 10K and speed interval training.  The Lifepulse™ digital heart rate monitoring hand sensors are conveniently placed on the easy-to-grip Ergo™ bar to provide walkers with precise heart rate monitoring, and Polar® telemetry provides runners with accurate, hands free heart rate monitoring although this method does require an optional chest strap.

Having used the full commercial model club series treadmill in various gyms on many occasions I have to say that I couldn’t find a difference in the running experience when testing the Life Fitness CST. The cushioning and stability felt identical and the console has a familiar feel to it. In essence, the only differences between this model and its commercial sibling are the unseen parts, the components used in construction due to the greatly increased usage a commercial model would have to endure.

Best Price: £4,395
Buy From: Fitness Superstore

Price: £2,795
Buy From: Fitness Superstore

Overall Rating: 4
Build Quality: 5
Ease of use: 5
Console Features: 3
Comfort: 5
Value for Money: 4

Ok, so in the UK most people will need a folding treadmill due to space restrictions. Manufacturers recognise this and subsequently there are many more folding machines available than there are non folding. In fact it is really only the prestige brands that cater for this smaller niche market which means consequently you are unlikely to find a non folding treadmill unless you have a pretty substantial budget.

The T5-5 treadmill then, is a pretty serious piece of fitness equipment, packed full of the specification and features you would expect to find on a model costing over £3,000. With an oversized running belt (56cm x 152cm) you can run in complete comfort via the flex deck cushioning system no matter how tall you are.

It has a maximum user weight capacity of 180kg which tells you that this is an incredibly stable machine. The 3.0HP Magna drive motor will propel users to 20kph and a 15% motorised incline gives you the same level of options available on many full blown commercial treadmills.

The display has an extremely easy to use navigation system where the keys are touch sensitive and back lit.  The individual information windows present all the feedback detail in a coherent very user friendly manner.

There are 15 pre programmed workouts including classic, daily and sports training with 4 user profiles to store personal fitness data and to preset your workouts specifically to your own profile. For those technically minded you can even custom design your own programmes.

Heart rate control programmes using the trade marked Heart Sync (the most accurate heart rate monitoring system on the market) are also available complete with the included wireless chest strap as standard.

Life Fitness also provide all their products with a 3 year onsite, parts and labour warranty so you can feel confident in the level of build quality.

PROS

• Oversized large running deck
• Very solid, stable machine
• Complete running surface, workouts are smooth, impact free and effective
• Masses of variable programming options for all fitness levels.

CONS

• This treadmill is a very large heavy product and therefore difficult to move around. You really need a purpose built room to accommodate it.
• No folding capability.
• No entertainment features.

In summary then, the T5-5 is an expensive treadmill but it really delivers on all fronts and if you have the money this is definitely the treadmill to go for.  The lack of entertainment features like an ipod dock may put some off but frankly this performs so well as a treadmill I don’t think it is an issue. Whatever your fitness level, there aren’t many better machines out there.

Best Price: £2,795
Buy From: Fitness Superstore

Price: £1,695
Buy From: Fitness Superstore

Overall Rating: 4
Build Quality:4
Ease of use: 4
Console Features: 4
Comfort: 5
Value for Money: 4

The Life Fitness F3 advanced treadmill is one of the most robust and sturdy folding treadmills on the market. Life Fitness are well known in the industry for producing market leading, quality equipment and although they don’t make many folding treadmills, the F3 is as good an example as you are likely to find.

It’s a heavy machine, weighing in at 125kg but this reinforces stability and guarantees no movement and minimal frame vibration when running at speed, even with heavy users. (The maximum user weight is 160kg) Supplied as standard, the patented flex deck shock absorption system reduces impact on the joints by up to 30% over road running and is one of the main reasons why Life Fitness treadmills are very often the automatic choice for buyers looking for a high end product with a feel similar to that which they have experienced in a health club.

The 3.0HP Magna drive motor is very responsive and stays pretty quiet up to the 10mph top speed, things really only start getting noisy when the incline levels are put to the maximum 12% but then the likelihood of most people running flat out at maximum incline is rare.

The advance console includes a bright, well lit blue LCD display with easy to read feedback and is well equipped with 14 programmes including Heart Sync, custom design and user profile options for 2 people. A wireless chest strap is supplied as standard for accurate monitoring although pulse grips are also present.

The running belt is gym standard size (140cm x 51cm) and will easily cope with the majority of users.  Life Fitness confirm their credentials when it comes to build quality too by providing a 3 year parts and labour warranty for all their treadmills. The F3 also looks great, modern and contemporary with a reassuringly expensive feel to it.

PROS

• An easy to use assisted folding mechanism.
• Very Stylish looks.
• Fantastic deck comfort.
• Smooth, quiet motor.
• Great variation in programmes.

CONS

• I am nitpicking really but perhaps users who are really into their fitness training might reasonably expect a higher top speed from a treadmill in this price bracket as most of the competition offer 12mph rather than 10mph.
• In summary then, if you are looking for a high end, prestige folding treadmill, offering a gym level running experience but have limited space requirements then look no further. The F3 treadmill is up there with the best. There is even a basic console option available for £200 less if all you want is general feedback and less programmes.

Best Price: £1,695
Buy From: Fitness Superstore