Treadmill Reviews, Elliptical Trainer Reviews, Home Gym Reviews, and other fitness equipment reviews from an industry insider.

Monday, July 27, 2009

NordicTrack T9 CI Treadmill Review

The NordicTrack was released by Icon Fitness, parent company of the Proform, Weider, and Weslo fitness equipment brands. The NordicTrack T9 CI Treadmill is NordicTrack’s entry in the $1000 price range. There’s some stiff compeititon in this price range and I’ll cover all the pros and cons of owning this treadmill in my NordicTrack T9 CI Treadmill Review.

20” x 60” Running Area
I’m really impressed with the 20” x 60” running area. More often than not, treadmills with a 20” x 60” running area cost several hundred dollars more than the NordicTrack T9 CI Treadmill. When it comes to size, the NordicTrack T9 CI is just about as big as it gets. In fact, you’ll have to spend several thousand dollars to get a treadmill with a larger running area.


2.5 Continuous Duty Motor
Buying a motor with a good amount of horserpower is incredibly important. The motor is what drives the treadmill belt and a weak treadmill motor is subject to slipping which in turn can make the user slip. Second, a weak motor is probably not going to last a long time. A weaker motor has to work harder to achieve the same speed as stronger motor which means the weaker motor is going to give out sooner. The NordicTrack T9 CI’s is built with a 2.5 continuous duty horsepower motor, strong enough for just about anyone doing any type of workout imaginable.

12 MPH Top Speed
Most treadmills in this price range have a top speed of 10 MPH, and that’s great for most people. However, if you require a bit more zest during a workout the extra two miles of speed can prove challenging and enjoyable. I think I can do about 2 minute long sprints at 12 MPH before my body says “no more!” I couldn’t even begin to imagine running 12 MPH for an extended period of time.

Adjustable Treadmill Deck Cushioning
Adjustable deck cushioning is a revolutionary idea in the treadmill world. Users can adjust the firmness of a treadmill’s shock absorption system to customize the feel of a treadmill. It’s a very handy and useful feature, especially if you’re using this treadmill to train for an event. Users can adjust the firmness to mimic the feel of a race course.

Fitness Programs
The NordicTrack’s fitness programs are its strongest point. Fitness programs are important because they can mix up fitness routines, preventing the body from becoming too accustomed to a workout, reducing the efficiency of a workout. There are 12 fitness programs in all and the best part is users can purchase memory cards with fitness programs created by Jillian Michaels of Biggest Loser fame. I’m a huge fan of the ifit feature and wish a similar feature would be made available on more treadmills and elliptical machines.

Warranty
NordicTrack offers a 1 year parts and labor guarantee. 1 year parts and labor is standard for just about every treadmill under a $1000. The only other treadmill with a better treadmill is the Smooth Fitness 5.45 Treadmill

Final Analysis 3.5 / 5
NordicTrack is definitely one of Icon Fitness’ more ambitious brands. The NordicTrack Treadmill brand is perhaps Icon’s best treadmill brand; the NordicTrack T9 CI Treadmill definitely reinforces that notion. The motor is very powerful considering the cost, the running area is extremely large, and the adjustable cushioning system enables users to customize the firmness of the treadmill deck. Overall, this is a great showing from NordicTrack.

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