The more you know about the Fitness Equipment industry, the more you recognize that nearly anything you read or anyone online selling you anything is just after a quick buck.
We've written a few blogs that touch on the problems of affiliate websites. And that pretty much every single fitness equipment review website is taking affiliate money from manufacturers. And that's the reason when you look at 99% of these treadmill ratings, you see a bunch of brands you've never heard of and none of the brands that you've ever seen in a gym before.
We've written a few blogs that touch on the problems of affiliate websites. And that pretty much every single fitness equipment review website is taking affiliate money from manufacturers. And that's the reason when you look at 99% of these treadmill ratings, you see a bunch of brands you've never heard of and none of the brands that you've ever seen in a gym before.
And that's just because those are the lower-end brands that are paying them commission. None of these websites are real, they are just false advertising.
But the reason there are so many fake sites is simply because the questions are real. People want real information.
But the reason there are so many fake sites is simply because the questions are real. People want real information.
What is the very best brand of treadmill? What brand of treadmill has the legacy, the history, the repair record, the biomechanical understanding, to claim the crown as the best treadmill brand?
All of this goes back to what I said a few years ago, that it first depends on what you mean by "best". Because the brand with the best electronics and best content will probably not be the brand with the best warranty or parts support, and neither of these may be the same brand as the brand with the best cushioning system.
So sometimes you have to figure out what it is that makes a brand the best. That can change the outcome. In other words, the best treadmill brand for you might be a bit different.
After 25 years in the industry selling commercial retail equipment, working on the design side and helping design equipment with over a dozen manufacturers, and after seeing the actual support cycle of these products for decades, I've got at least one good answer as to which brand, which manufacturer of treadmills, is "THE BEST".
There are actually two companies that have been fighting over the title of number one treadmill brand for a few decades. There are a few other good brands. I don't mean to say if you're not buying one of these two brands that you are buying a bad treadmill. However, these two brands are the only two that can really make the case for being the best treadmill brand.
True Fitness and Landice. Both brands have:
True Fitness and Landice. Both brands have:
- Long warranties
- Ten years on parts or lifetime on parts
- An orthopedic belt available
- A long history and started out specializing in treadmills
And both brands are primarily sold by a dealer network that has service and supports what they sell, not fly-by-night internet sites that get paid for fake reviews.
Landice
Landice was one of the very first treadmill brands. They've been around since 1967, making their own treadmills in their own factory in New Jersey. They're still made in New Jersey decades later and source 95% of their parts from the US.
With the recent trend of return to US manufacturing, that says a lot.
They don't make a ton of different models, but the models they do make have been extremely well-designed. They're the only brand that crafts an aluminum-framed machine, which is denser than steel in the same space. They use commercial-grade components like a digital speed sensor that gives them the fastest acceleration/deceleration in the entire industry...
Which is a favorite for runners...
Their orthopedic belt and cushioning system are biomechanically correct to give primarily in the front and to be completely stable while giving, and then moving to a more stable deck in the back.
They are the only treadmill in the entire industry that, because of this legacy, gives a lifetime warranty on all the parts except for electronics. We've had clients come in here with machines that are a few decades old that are still getting parts.
Fifty-Five years of excellence. That says it all.
TRUE Fitness
True Fitness is the other treadmill specialist that can lay claim to the crown of the best treadmill.
Since 1981, they've been making treadmills. And boy, have they innovated and made a lot of different models.
Their residential lineup alone includes the M series, the Z series, and the PS series. That's 8 models just on the residential side.
When it comes to innovation, they are also the brand that everybody follows.
They were the first brand
- With an orthopedic belt
- To use forward cushioning
- To have a 20-inch wide residential deck
- To have a 22-inch wide residential deck
- To use a safety lanyard,
- To have adjustable cushioning
- To have longitudinal programming that would last weeks
They were also the first treadmill company to do heart rate programming.
Recently, they developed the first Slatted treadmill with proper forward cushioning. For treadmills, they are the innovator.
And they are one of the few brands that are smart enough to focus equally on residential and commercial products, so they always are in a position to take advantage of market fluctuations.
True treadmills have a 10-year warranty on the parts for their premium models, they individually balance each flywheel to the motor it is on, and they have adjustable cushioning that allows users to match the deck to their usage needs.
Simply put, True is by far the major innovator in treadmills.
So, I feel pretty good that I've gotten it down to two brands. That is why we carry both True and Landice - my 25+ years in the industry taught me to carry the best.
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