Proform and Bowflex are two of the biggest names in the home fitness market today. Bowflex used to be known primarily for designing high quality home gyms and dumbbells for strength training, but is now getting tons of attention for the Bowflex Treadclimber. Proform treadmills have been major competitors in the home treadmill market for many years.
Both of these brands offer high quality fitness equipment that can be used for weight loss and improved overall health and well being. The question is whether you are better suited to Proform treadmills or the Bowflex Treadclimber.
Proform Treadmills
Whether you purchase lower priced Proform treadmills selling for less than a thousand dollars or high priced models selling for a few thousand dollars, you can count on very durable commercial quality motors and wide ranges of incline and speed. This is notable because the motor and incline/speed are areas that typically get the shaft when manufacturers want to file down the price of a treadmill.
Lower priced treadmills from Proform will have high quality belts, powerful motors, and a nice selection of built-in workout options. What they might not have is extra entertainment features such as built-in iFit Live technology. iFIt Live allows you to sync your treadmill console to your computer to access an endless variety of workout options pulled from real geographical locations around the world. You can even race against your Facebook friends in real time with this technology!
The downside comes with the lower priced Proform treadmills. Even with their powerful motors, not all are the best for running. They are great for long walking workouts, but some runners find them unstable and too wobbly for comfort.
Bowflex Treadclimber
The Treadclimber is a unique hybrid of a treadmill, elliptical and stair climber. The treads reflect a basic treadmill, but are split over two separate pedals that move up and down in stair climber fashion. The pedals can also move much like an elliptical machine. The result is a machine that gives you the benefit of a much wider range of motion.
Most users agree that you get a much better workout on the Bowflex Treadclimber than on Proform treadmills. This is because the motion is not just a basic walk. The walk has some bounce and push to it, so more effort is exerted with each step. This is definitely a harder workout, even when operated on the slowest settings without a lot of incline or resistance.
The downside is that the Treadclimber is known for wearing out much faster than a standard treadmill or elliptical trainer. It might have something to do with the basic design of the machine, but most models are still getting negative feedback regarding the lifetime of the machine. Users tend to love the way the Treadclimber works their body, while hating how often they have to find replacement parts or purchase a new machine.
What is Right for You?
Which of these machines are best suited to your home depends on your workout needs. If you will be doing basic walking without any jogging, then you can go with a lower priced Proform treadmill. If you want to run on a flat surface or at low inclines, then a higher priced Proform treadmill is probably your best bet. If you want to burn as many calories as possible in a short period of time, the Treadclimber may be your ideal selection.