XTERRA Fitness Sport Series Premium Folding Smart Treadmill, Handlebar Speed and Incline Controls, Large XTRASoft Cushioned Running Deck, Built-in FTMS-Enabled Bluetooth with XTERRA+ Fitness App

My previous treadmill, purchased around 15 years ago, after losing a number of teeth on the incline bolt last year, finally gave up, threw its hands up in the air and went off to spend its golden years in the great treadmill farm in the sky. To be fair, it probably only lasted as long as it had because for the first five years or so it lived the cushy life as clothes rack. But, eventually, we started to make it work for its room and board and used it regularly for its intended purpose. But all good things come to an end and so it was with our treadmill. Because we are creatures of habit, and can’t envision a life running in the “outside world”, visible to all, it was time to start looking for a replacement.I had initially been leaning towards another treadmill prior to making this purchase and had almost pulled the trigger several times, before I stumbled across an Amazon purchasing guide in which they had performed reviews and rankings of some of their best sellers (though I’ll be damned if I can find that page again to link here; I’m beginning to wonder if I hallucinated it after a particularly long peyote and Doritos binge). After reading over their recommendations, I spent some time further investigation the options in my price range, and eventually decided to go with this unit, as it seems to have the most features that I wanted and the company actually got some pretty positives regarding customer service (that’s what’s called foreshadowing, kids), which can’t be said for a lot of the other companies I was looking at.Ordering was smooth and the very next day, a Sunday no less, an Amazon delivery truck showed up at my house with my brand new treadmill. The box is large. Almost as tall as the door itself when standing upright. And it’s heavy. Once we had it inside the house, we had to unbox it and move it in pieces to get it upstairs where the unit is to be used. Even unboxed, it still took three of us to get the deck upstairs without banging it into walls all the way up.Once up the stairs, it was fairly easy to put together. The included instructions were clear and simple to follow. It can be easier if you have a second person there when putting the uprights on, but I’m stubborn and, with a bit of cursing and some awkward twisting, managed to get them on myself. I did need another person to help with putting the control board on as it’s hard to get the holes to line up otherwise.Based on the instructions, I needed to lubricate the deck as I couldn’t feel any oil under the tread. That process was pretty simple, although lifting the tread to get the included oil bottle the recommended six inches under is…something. The track is fairly tight around the deck, as you would expect it to be since it, you know, needs to not slip around while you are running on it. But I was able to get it at least far enough that I felt I had done a good job.After that, I started to test the unit out. Note that, as of this writing, I still haven’t actually run any of the preset workouts, so I can’t speak to any of the features regarding those. I did run through the basics though, checking that all the buttons operated properly, ensuring the incline and speeds operated as expected, checking the heartrate monitor, etc. Everything seems to work great so far.The switch between speeds and incline levels is smooth as silk too. Unlike my old unit, there’s no noticeable lag between speeds or levels. The incline adjustment is so seamless that I wasn’t even initially sure it was working; I had to step off the unit, adjust the incline, and step back on to be sure it had actually moved. Be aware that it does get fairly high at its apex, so, if you’re a tall person, you’ll likely want to put it where there are taller ceilings if possible.I was also really shocked at how quiet it is. Not that its noise is unnoticeable or anything, but, when using my old treadmill, I couldn’t listen to TV without turning it up so load as to possibly induce inner ear bleeding. But the RTX3500 is quiet enough that I can hear the TV with only a small increase over normal volume.I love, love, LOVE the speed and incline buttons on the uprights. They make mid workout changes so much easier than stabbing your pumping hands at the control board.The ability to pause your workout is nice. The treadmill keeps your current settings stored so that, when you start back up, you don’t have to adjust everything back to where it was. Also, in relation to the pause feature, it’s a controlled slow down and decline of the deck, so that you aren’t jogging one second and at a dead stop the next.Additionally, unlike my previous treadmill, you need to turn it off at the power switch to completely shut the unit down. My old unit shut off by removing the key. It’s a pretty minor thing, but I didn’t expect it.Also, take note that it’s big. With a 60” deck, it’s a larger unit than my old one, which was only 55”, but even folded up, it takes up quite a bit more sideways space. On my old unit, the deck folded up to almost perpendicular to the floor. This one, folds to an off 90-degree angle, maybe closer 65 or 70, which means it takes up more real estate even when not in use. I have mine set up with its side to a shelving system. Most of the stuff on it I is just there for storage, but if I needed any of it, I would have to lower the deck to get at it, which I didn’t need to do with the old one. It’s also wider than my old unit, which means if you are replacing an older model, you’ll probably need more width as well. Luckily, I knew all this going in and had plenty of space prepared for it.It has a fan, but I don’t know why. It’s buried far enough back in the control panel, and small enough, that you don’t feel it at all unless you are inches away from the grill. Of course, a fan on a treadmill is a pretty inconsequential extravagance anyway.And the speakers are..well…they’re speakers. They’re small, by necessity more than anything else. I mean, they kind of have to be given how limited the real estate is on the control panel. They’re tinny and don’t produce much base to speak of. They certainly aren’t made for rocking the block, but they do in a pinch when you want to listen to a podcast or something while working out.I did notice as I was putting it together that the plastic motor cover was cracked and broken in several places, so I called the included troubleshooting number on the following Monday and spoke with their customer service representative (remember that foreshadowing I was talking about earlier?), Shelly L., and, after explaining the situation, she was incredibly sympathetic and quick to help and get me a replacement in the mail. She even spent extra time to help me get my treadmill registration set up. I’ll be honest here. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had seen a lot of negative reviews of various companies specifically in regards to their customer service, but I couldn’t have been happier and more reassured with my interactions with Shelly. She was professional, patient and friendly and I thank her for all of that.At this point, I'm very happy to have chosen this particular unit. So far, it’s well worth the money. I’ll be over the moon if it lasts nearly as long as my previous unit.TL/DR:Pros: Quiet operation, smooth incline and speed adjustments, buttons for speed and incline on the uprights, friendly customer service.Cons: None so far. Will update if I find anything to address.Things to be aware of: It’s size (make sure you have plenty of space), if you are used to a unit with power that shuts off with key removal, you’ll need to start getting used to also turning off the actual power button.

I’m a “runner” (in comparison to a jogger or ‘recreational’ runner) & conducted weeks of in-depth product reviews on Amazon & YouTube of various treadmills. The point of this review is to share what I learned along with why I chose the XTERRA TRX4500.1st of all, my budget was up to $1,000 and looking for the best treadmill I can find with the needed features and preferences to meet my need as a runner. If I could have found that at $500 then even better...but coincidentally various treadmill options fell in the $1k+ range.My Required Features:*Horsepower - & Why It Matters:You will see models with an HP from 2.0 - 4.5. The TRX4500 HP is 3.25 & the next lower model (XTERRA3500) has a 3.0 HP.If you are a runner, I recommend not buying a treadmill with less than 3.0 HP. You don’t want to be maxing out the motor speed on a regular basis and believe 3.0 & higher will reduce the wear & tear and strain on your motor as a runner.*Overall Size:The TRX4500 has a length of 60 & width of 20 (60x20). After HP, this was the second most important factor as a runner because I reviewed so many models that many looked very small and limited actual running space.As a runner I don’t want to feel constricted with a small physical platform and the 60x20 is perfect.I could perhaps live with a 55x20 but when I’m sprinting and have to slow the machine down to catch my breath, I find myself using every bit of the 60 length. If ur a walker or jogger then a smaller physical platform is fine. As a runner, I could not buy a treadmill with less than 20 inches in width.*Handle Bar ControlsAs a runner, having speed controls on the side panel (i.e. handlebars) is not just a nice feature but a needed feature. When I’m pushing myself, it’s difficult to rely on reaching the controls on the main panel. It was interesting that other comparative models did not include this feature.*Pace MonitorAs a runner, being able to monitor my pace is very important to me and the vast majority of comparative models did not have a “Pace” feature in their metrics. Speed, time, calories & distance are universal but pace is just as important.*Panel Size & LayoutIn most treadmills, the panel size & quality is actually a significant amount of the cost. The 7.5 Panel size was larger than many comparative models and very pleased with the overall quality (look and feel) of the panel layout.*Speed & InclineThe TRX4500 goes up to 12 mph & an incline of 15 degrees. Getting myself back in running shape but I haven’t been able to even touch the 12 mph or 15 incline yet. I’m running at a comfortable 6.5 & sprinting at 8 right now starting out so plenty of ability to improve.Bonus Features:*Quiet MotorI’m a bit of a skeptic when I hear marketing pitches - especially when it’s on just about every comparative model but when XTERRA said the TRX4500 has a quiet motor - it has a very quiet motor.*Easy To AssembleI’m not a handy man kinda guy and if I had my choice, I would have paid for the assembly just for the convenience but with that said, from the unboxing to be able to use - it took about 40 minutes to put together - and it was fairly simple & straightforward.The directions seemed to misname the type of screws but pretty logical which screw fit in what hole so not really a big deal. It was pretty simple and was skeptical something may go wrong but when we turned it on, it powered right up.*Chest Strap Heart Rate SensorIt actually took me longer to figure out how to snap together the heart rate sensor than the TRX4500. :p.Needless to say the heart rate strap is much more accurate than the heart rate sensors on the handle bar panel and an overall nice feature to monitor. I literally just put it on and it began registering automatically on the TRX4500.*Warranty:Unlike most comparative models, XTERRA offers a lifetime warranty on the frame & motor. Having a lifetime warranty on the frame is one thing but a lifetime on the motor gave me a lot of confidence in buying the TRX4500.Combine that with a 2 year warranty on parts when just about every comparative model only gives a 90 day warranty says a lot on the overall quality of the product.*Machine Weight & Weight CapacityThe TRX4500 listed weight is 220 pounds. It’s a nice solid & stable machine weight so it’s not sliding all over the floor when using. The usage capacity is 350 pounds which was on the higher end of comparative models. When u understand that impact weight is much more than ones physical weight grinding and pounding on the machine so having a capacity of 350 pounds reflects the sturdiness of the TRX4500.*Bluetooth Feature:The TRX4500 will connect with your iPhone or iPad. It comes with a connection cable that may be compatible with an iPod or android so bought an adapter for $7 to fit my iPhone.*Lift Safety FeatureThe lift feature is nice not just for space when not using but also for moving & cleaning under the machine. However, where I believe XTERRA didn’t capitalize on a marketing opportunity is that when you release from the lifted position, the TRX4500 will slowly decline so it doesn’t accidentally come crashing down on a small pet or child. Many comparative models do not have this safety feature.Additional Features (Not Worth Mentioning):Speakers:The speakers on the TRX4500 are adequate if you are plugging in an app from your phone. I read criticism in other reviews of the speakers but let’s be honest...you don’t buy a car for the stereo and u don’t buy a treadmill for the speakers. The speakers work fine but if you want higher-end quality sound then plug in a nice headset from your phone and you’re all set.The Fan:I read criticism the fan is a joke - and it really is. I don’t use it anyways as I’d rather keep a nice sweat going and if I really needed a fan I’d adjust the temp in my house or get a fan in my gym but I don’t see a fan on any comparative model being much different.The XTERRA APP:You can download the XTERRA app on your phone and there is much criticism on its simplicity but this is not a reflection of the TRX4500 treadmill. Don’t like their app then use a different app (simple as that). For me, the panel has all the info I need.OVERALL BOTTOM LINE:Before buying, I was never aware of XTERRA. I compared the TRX4500 to comparative models of MaxKare, Sunny, OMA, Horizon, Asuna, Nautilus & NordicTrack. And even to the next lower & higher XTERRA models (TRX3500 & TRX5500) & my results have found the TRX4500 is the BEST TREADMILL with the BEST FEATURES and BEST PRICE based on competitor models.As an additional testament, the XTERRA TR150 is an Amazon #1 Best Seller which adds confidence that XTERRA’s lower end products are well received and good quality, it should transfer over to their higher-end products like the TRX4500.And after using it, I’m very pleased with the TRX4500. In fact, I find it a better treadmill than the ones I used at the gym where I could feel the roller pins when running. In the TRX4500, the cushion & support are very nice and I know my knees and joints are much better for it.Because I put in so much time researching a treadmill, I went above and beyond in this review hoping it helps the next person who has no idea where to start (like me) when purchasing a quality treadmill.And as a final statement, I have to say I was not paid or a sponsor in any way by or for XTERRA (although they should pay me for this review). :p