(Image credit: Bowflex)
When I first started testing the best treadmills, all I cared about were the biggest specs on the sheet. Things like top speed, max incline, and motor horsepower.These are all very important, for sure, but having used a variety of home treadmills for long periods over the past decade or so, they’re not the features that have made the biggest impact on my enjoyment of a machine.When you’re running on a treadmill regularly, it’s all about ease-of-use, and I’ve tested machines that excel on this front, and some that don’t, instead putting barriers up to make it harder to run.So if I were looking to buy a home treadmill today, there are a few features I’d now consider dealbreakers that wouldn’t have occurred to me before using one regularly for several years.Here are six questions I’d ask when looking for a treadmill.How fast does the treadmill start?
(Image credit: Future)If I’ve carved out some time to run, I want to spend that time running, not navigating my way through a series of increasingly annoying sub-menus on a treadmill console or, even worse, having to wait for a software update.Ideally, a treadmill will have some kind of quick-start option with manual buttons, but if I do have to fire up an app or use the console, it should still take less than 30 seconds to get the belt moving so I can start running.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.As someone who often uses a treadmill to fit in a run while my toddler has a nap, time is precious, and too many expensive treadmills in particular throw way too many options and menus at you before you can actually start running.The Bowflex Treadmill 10 I’ve used for many years is brilliant in many respects, but not this one, and I’ve often started my runs on it in a mild fury at how long it’s taken to get going.Is it easy to use without an app subscription?
