Vision Fitness Treadmill Review

Vision Fitness is an American home fitness brand that has won numerous industry accolades for its range of treadmills, elliptical trainers, and workout bikes. Their high-end Vision Fitness Treadmill is a hefty, sturdy piece of equipment that can withstand years of daily use, but does it pack enough features and quality-of-life additions to make it worth its steep asking price? In this article, we will inspect the Vision Fitness Treadmill and compare it with three other treadmills on the market.  

What Is the Vision Fitness Treadmill?

The Vision Fitness Treadmill is a premium piece of home exercise equipment, known as the T80 model. Originally designed for commercial use, it is now sold direct-to-consumer on Vision Fitness’s website and through other e-commerce retailers. It’s a large, heavy machine that’s built to stand up to hours of daily use in a gym or a hotel, so it may be more treadmill than the average household needs. For true workout warriors, the Vision Fitness Treadmill’s high-quality, low-maintenance build will be very attractive.     It comes with three options for its display, which go up in price depending upon the display you select. Choose from the Classic console which features a simple LED screen with five pre-set programs, the Elegant console with a full-color screen and 19 pre-set programs, or the Touch console which also offers 19 programs alongside a touchscreen. While the latter two consoles are great, for this review we will focus on the least expensive option—the Classic console.

Product Specs  

While the five pre-set programs on the Classic edition of the Vision Fitness Treadmill is a low number for a premium piece of fitness equipment, it’s made up for elsewhere. Its 3-horsepower motor can handle speeds of up to 12 mph, for example, and its automatic incline goes up to 15% with the touch of a single button.    The company has also designed an excellent track for the Vision Fitness Treadmill. It’s roomy at 60 inches by 20 inches, and their Ultra Zone cushioning design serves to absorb the shock of users’ footsteps to help lower the impact of a treadmill workout. The track itself is also pre-lubricated, which results in little to no maintenance.

The Vision Fitness Treadmill also supports Polar’s high-quality wireless heart rate monitoring, but the Classic edition does not come with an included chest strap. The machine itself weighs a whopping 350 pounds and can support a user weight of up to 400 pounds. It’s a large, heavy piece of equipment, which means you’ll need plenty of space to put it and moving it will be a daunting task.

Pricing  

Vision sells the Vision Fitness Treadmill’s Classic version for around $3,800, but it is inconsistently available on Amazon. It may be available for less if you’re willing to buy a refurbished model from a third-party seller.

How It Compares

We picked a few other treadmills on the market to see how they compare to the Vision Fitness Treadmill.     

Confidence Power Plus Motorized Electric Treadmill

Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill

LifeSpan TR1200i Folding Treadmill

Vision Fitness Treadmill

Price $$$

As mentioned above, the Vision Fitness Treadmill is currently available for around $3,800 on the Vision Fitness website.

Ease of Use (4/5 Stars)

The Vision Fitness Treadmill’s LED display is simple to navigate, and it’s a breeze to adjust speed and incline to your liking. The high-quality track makes running on it a pleasure thanks to its shock-absorbing technology, and the track itself requires little to no maintenance. The biggest drawback to the Classic version of the Vision Fitness Treadmill in this department is the lack of an included heart-rate chest strap, especially for a machine at this price point. Unless users spring for one separately, they must cling to the machine’s stationary handles while they run to get their heart rate measured.

Size (2/5 Stars)

The Vision Fitness Treadmill was initially designed for commercial use, and gyms don’t tend to shift their equipment around very often. That means it’s not built to be easily transportable; it’s a heavy, bulky machine that will require a minimum of two strong movers to lift. Consumers looking for home fitness equipment will need a large space to fit the Vision Fitness Treadmill in comfortably. 

Design Quality (4/5 Stars)

The Vision Fitness Treadmill shines the brightest on the overall-quality front. Its 350-pound weight means it’s sturdy and durable, and its motor can reach speeds of up to 12 mph, which should be enough for most users. The track itself is excellent and very comfortable to run on. It would be nice if Vision included the touch screen, chest strap, and over five pre-set programs in their $3,800 machine, but if you want a top-notch workout over bells and whistles, you’ll love what the Vision Fitness Treadmill offers.

Warranty (5/5 Stars)

Vision offers a lifetime of warranty coverage on this treadmill’s frame, seven years on other parts, and two years of coverage for labor. This is far above the average industry warranty.

Pros

• High-quality track
• 15% incline
• Sturdy with a high maximum user weight

Cons

• No included chest strap
• Only five pre-set programs

https://www.visionfitness.com/t80-treadmill

Confidence Power Plus Motorized Electric Treadmill

The Confidence Power Plus Motorized Electric Treadmill is an entry-level treadmill at a rock-bottom price. It comes with a barebones display and no pre-set programs, and its motor tops out at just 6.2 mph. It’s small, lightweight, and folds up, making it a convenient piece of equipment for anyone who’d like to do walking or light jogging at home without spending a bundle. If you want more, you must look elsewhere and likely spend more money.

Price $

The Confidence Power Plus sells for around $200 on Amazon.

Ease of Use (5/5 Stars)

With so few options, this treadmill is extremely easy to use. It’s also easy to put together on your own, which is great because Amazon’s fee-based expert assembly would increase the price by nearly 50%. You won’t get pre-programmed workouts or even much speed out of this machine, but if all you want is something to keep you moving every once in a while when at home, this treadmill will do the trick.

Size (4/5 Stars)

The Confidence Power Plus weighs just 49 pounds and folds up for easy storage, which is great, but its track is only 14 inches wide. This may be too small for some runners to use comfortably.

Design Quality (3/5 Stars)

It’s not nearly as sturdy as the Vision Fitness Treadmill, and its 250-pound user weight limit is extremely low, but for the price, it’s a good piece of equipment that will get your blood flowing and your legs moving at home. Everything about it is barebones so don’t expect any bells and whistles, but it will help you get more steps in as long as you can handle the 14-inch track width.

Warranty (1/5 Stars)

No warranty is offered from the manufacturer on this product, so we recommend purchasing it from Amazon or another reputable retailer that allows returns for equipment that’s defective or otherwise doesn’t live up to standards.

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Easy assembly
• Motorized treadmill track at a budget price

Cons

• No warranty
• No extra features beyond a simple LED display
• No incline settings

Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill

The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 is another entry-level treadmill, albeit a step up in price and quality from Confidence’s machine. It features six pre-set programs, heart-rate monitoring, two-position manually adjusted incline, and an ergonomically designed track that reduces the impact on users’ joints. At 117 pounds, it’s a sturdy machine that can reach a speed of up to 10 mph, which is enough to work up a good sweat.

Price $

The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill costs about $330 on Amazon.

Ease of Use (4/5 Stars)

This treadmill’s display is simple, making it easy to select one of six workout programs and follow your key workout data as you run. Its running surface is 16 inches wide, which is a little narrow but should be serviceable for most. Weslo’s Comfort Cell Cushioning ensures a comfortable run with minimal shock to the joints. The incline can only be adjusted manually, which isn’t ideal, but at this price point, it is forgivable.

Size (4/5 Stars)

The Cadence G 5.9 is large enough for comfortable use and small enough for easy home use. It also folds up for easy storage, and because it weighs just 117 pounds, it can be transported.

Design Quality (4/5 Stars)

This is a sturdy machine with some great features, like pre-loaded workout programs, that aren’t normally available on entry-level treadmills. The Comfort Cell Cushioning is another great feature on this treadmill. Its manually adjusted incline isn’t ideal and the motor can be a little noisy, but these flaws are minor when the many great features of this machine are considered.

Warranty (2/5 Stars)

Weslo offers a warranty of one year for the motor on this treadmill and 90 days of coverage for other parts and labor.

Pros

• Great low price
• Six pre-loaded workout programs
• Comfort Cell Cushioning on track

Cons

• Louder than average motor
• No automatic incline

LifeSpan TR1200i Folding Treadmill

The LifeSpan TR1200i Folding Treadmill is a mid-range treadmill perfect for those who are looking for a high-quality machine with a few great features at a price that won’t break the bank. It has a whopping 15 levels of incline and 22 pre-programmed workouts, ensuring anyone can get the level of challenge they’re looking for out of their workout.

Its 11-mph top speed is above average. The multi-color LCD includes a quick-start function and provides access to the many pre-programmed workouts, as well as views of key workout data. It also has a couple of features you would only expect on a high-end machine such as Intelli-Guard, which stops the track if the user steps off, and Intelli-Step which counts each footfall and syncs that information with the included fitness tracking service, LifeSpan Club.

Price $$

The LifeSpan TR1200i Folding Treadmill is available on Amazon for around $960.

Ease of Use (4/5 Stars)

While this treadmill’s LCD screen might look simple, it’s full-featured and offers a lot of functionality that’s easy to unlock. Included access to the LifeSpan Club makes it easy to track and store your workout data, and Intelli-Guard keeps users safe. The running surface itself is 20 inches wide, providing plenty of space for a workout while still being compact enough for easy home use.

Size (5/5 Stars)

This treadmill hits the sweet spot between big enough for a comfortable workout and small enough for home use and storage. It weighs 186 pounds, but also folds up and has built-in wheels that allow it to be easily rolled into a closet for safekeeping.

Design Quality (4/5 Stars)

This is a sturdy treadmill with a great motor that maintains a consistent speed. The real upside to this machine is the many added features that give users a premium experience at a mid-range price. With a wealth of pre-programmed workouts, 15 levels of incline, a wide track, and even an MP3-compatible sound system, it rivals the much more expensive Vision Fitness Treadmill for bells and whistles. Some users complain that it runs noisy, but that’s a small problem when stacked against the machine’s many benefits.

Warranty (4/5 Stars)

LifeSpan lives up to its brand name with a lifetime warranty on the motor and frame of this treadmill, three years of coverage on the parts, and one year for labor.

Pros

• 22 workouts and 15 levels of incline
• Lifetime access to LifeSpan Club fitness tracking
• Intelli-Guard and Intelli-Step

Cons

• Some users complain that it is noisy

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line treadmill that will last you a literal lifetime, the Vision Fitness Treadmill is the product for you. Its commercial-grade construction renders it sturdy and durable, but also bulky, heavy, and expensive. It gives users a gym-grade workout but lacks some bells and whistles like an included chest strap, and a touchscreen will raise the already-high price even higher.

If, however, you’d rather get an entry-level machine for light home use, the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 is a great bet, with the more expensive but much higher-quality LifeSpan TR1200i Folding Treadmill also being a can’t-miss option. That doesn’t mean the Vision Fitness Treadmill isn’t a great machine; it is, but most home users don’t need to spend that much money to get the quality they’re looking for. Overall, we give the Vision Fitness Treadmill three stars out of five.