Best Buy Picks
HealthRider Treadmills are manufactured by ICON Health and Fitness, the world leader in fitness equipment production. The Utah-based company holds more than 200 patents, and new innovations such as iFit technology have been incorporated into its latest line of treadmills.
What We Like
- iFit: ICON’s iFit technology provides exercisers with a wide selection of 8-week workout programs. HealthRider owners simply insert iFit cards into their treadmills in order to hear a personal trainer and get personally tailored workouts.
- Portability: All HealthRider treadmills can be folded and stored.
- Motors: HealthRider motors are sufficient for most users. The Club Series H120t treadmill, for instance, has a 2.25 HP motor that’s sold with a lifetime guarantee.
- Tracks: Newer HealthRider tracks are fit with SoftStrider™ Cushion Decks to help protect runners’ joints.
- Capacity: Some HealthRider models can support users weighing up to 325 pounds. This is better than the industry standard.
What We Don’t Like
- Price: HealthRider’s latest line of treadmills, the Club Series, has units priced between $1500 and $2500. At those prices, treadmills with similar or better features might be available.
- Safety: Customers with small children have advised that older HealthRider machines are not necessarily child-friendly; small fingers can be pinched.
Our Verdict
HealthRider had a less-than-impressive reputation in the past, but it is now a more respectable treadmill brand. Exercisers enjoy the HealthRiders’ new built-in TVs, long tracks, and iFit systems. Even so, customers might find machines with more features and better warranties for the cost of a HealthRider. The Nordic Track brand, for instance, is also manufactured by ICON and uses many of the same components, but it is more often put on sale.
