“Are NordicTrack Treadmills Any Good?”

If you’re thinking of buying a treadmill, chances are you’ve come across the Nordictrack treadmill brand.

You may have thought to yourself:

“Are Nordictrack Treadmills Any Good?”

Good question.

About fifteen years ago, Nordictrack was more known for their famous ski machine than their treadmills. However these days they produce some of the most popular, top-rated treadmills in the world.

But in order to answer your question about whether Nordictrack treadmills are any good (and if they’re any good FOR YOU), let’s backtrack a little and give you some history first:

Nordictrack Treadmills – Background History

Nordictrack has been around as a fitness equipment brand for over 20 years. They have a long track record in the industry.

They are actually owned and manufactured by ICON Health and Fitness – one of the largest names in the fitness equipment business.

ICON also owns names like Proform, Healthrider, Freemotion, Smooth and Gold’s Gym.

What does that mean for you?

Well, first of all, it means that ICON has the money, means and engineering talent to build a better treadmill for less.

It also means that if we go into a recession or hard economic times, this company will be around to actually service your treadmill and back up the warranty. You can’t say that about a lot of other treadmill brands today.

Nordictrack is pretty much the jewel in the ICON crown.

ICON puts a lot of their focus on Nordictrack – which you can see in the fact they these treadmills tend to carry the latest tech first before it filters down to ICON’s other brands (they were the first ICON brand with iPod docks, adjustable cushioning, full-color consoles and iFit).

You can also see this in the fact that Nordictrack has a few unique types of treadmills you can’t find anywhere else – like the Nordictrack Incline trainers or the desk treadmill.

Nordictrack Incline Trainers:

Nordictrack Incline trainers are a unique and popular type of home treadmill – with a twist.

You get up to 40% incline (instead of a standard 10-15% incline on a regular treadmill).

What’s the big deal about a high-incline?

The main benefit of high incline walking is that you can burn MEGA-calories. Walking on a 40% incline can burn up to 5 TIMES more calories than walking on a flat-plane surface.

So if you want to see results super fast, these are great treadmills to look consider.

And they also carry something else you don’t find on other treadmill brands as well – up to 6% decline. So they’re great for crosstraining as well as calorie-burning.

Click Here for More on Nordictrack Incline Trainers

Nordictrack Treadmill Desks:

Nordictrack desk treadmills give you a flat desk surface to work on (instead of the raise console as on a standard treadmill).

They’re also made with special Reflex Deck cushioning which helps return energy to your stride and give you the extra protection you need when walking for long periods of time.

So if you’re looking for more of a walking workstation – or you just like to get more done while you’re walking on your treadmill (like working on a laptop or doing paperwork for example) these are a great option you don’t get with other brands.

The Nordictrack treadmill desks aren’t as popular as Nordictrack’s home or commercial treadmills, but they are a unique type of treadmill you don’t often find offered with other brands.

Click Here for More on Nordictrack Desk Treadmills

Nordictrack Home and Commercial Treadmills:

Of course Nordictrack also makes some regular home treadmills and even commercial-grade treadmills that have rated highly with experts and consumer magazines as well.

The top-rated Nordictrack treadmill of all time has to be the Nordictrack Commercial 1750.

It’s been around for over 6 years now and usually pulls in a few Best Buy ratings ever year. (Nordictrack updates it every year).

Why is it so popular?

Well, it was one of the first treadmills to come out with a full-color, HD, touch-screen console:

You can easily see your workout stats with a swipe of your finger. You can also connect to iFit Coach and run trails all over the world, watching the scenery pass you by in the console screen for added virtual reality fun.

At the time this came out, you could only get this kind of a console on $4000+ treadmills. So to get it on a mid-range treadmill for under $1700 was an amazing deal.

The Nordictrack 1750 treadmill was also one of the first home treadmills to come out with incline AND DECLINE. You can get up to 3% decline (and 15% incline) on this treadmill.

The decline adds more crosstraining options to your workouts and can be a great way to rest after long intervals.

While other Nordictrack treadmills now carry full-color, HD consoles and decline as well, the Nordictrack 1750 was one of the first – which got people’s attention.

Another reason it rates so highly is that it’s a great balance of premium features for an affordable price.

Coming in around $1799 with Free Shipping here, it gives you a ton of features (strong 3.6 HP motor, extra-long belt, full-color console, iPod dock with speakers and even a pivoting tablet holder) – at a price that won’t break the bank.

So overall it offers great value.

Other Highly-Rated Nordictrack Treadmills:

The Nordictrack Commercial 2950 Treadmill has also rated highly with several consumer magazines and treadmill review websites. It’s Nordictrack’s premium runners treadmill with all the bells and whistles.

One of the best things about this treadmill? The monster 22-inch, HD, full-color, touch-screen console:

This is a like having a built-in interactive-TV in your treadmill and it’s pretty much not seen on any other brand.

You can use the console to watch iFit Coach scenery and run famous world trails as you run. Here’s a brief video showing you a few of the iFit Coach workouts you can try on this treadmill:

You also get a tough-as-nails 4.25 HP motor and an extra-wide, extra-long running deck on this treadmill, making it great for runners or multiple user families.

And the extra-long warranty (including Lifetime on the frame and motor with 2 years on service!) gives you an idea of the kind of construction quality Nordictrack put into this machine.

While it may be overkill for the occasional walker, if you’re looking for a commercial-grade treadmill built to last years – with the entertainment features of a health club treadmill, this is one to consider.

Click Here for More on the Nordictrack 2950

Are Nordictrack Treadmills Any Good? The Downside of Nordictrack Treadmills

Of course, it’s not all unicorns and rainbows with Nordictrack. There are some downsides with these treadmills that you should know.

For example, a lot of discount stores tend to sell older Nordictrack models that they get from ICON – and these are not great value. These have smaller, hard-to-read consoles, shorter decks and no iFit compatibility.

People think they’re getting a “quality” Nordictrack treadmill for cheap. But in reality they’re just getting an older, out-of-date, starter treadmill with a slightly jacked-up price.

One clue?

Check the treadmill warranty. If it’s less than one year (especially on parts or labor), then you’re NOT buying a quality treadmill – no matter what brand name they slap on the side of the treadmill.

Another thing you should know is that Nordictrack updates their most popular treadmill models every year or two.

While this can be great if you’re looking for the latest treadmill tech – it also makes things confusing from a research standpoint.

For example, you might read one review that says the Nordictrack 1750 treadmill has adjustable cushioning while another one says it does NOT have adjustable cushioning.

The reason behind this?

The reviews are for different models of the Nordictrack 1750 treadmill (which did not have adjustable cushioning one year – and did have it the next year).

So this can be really confusing for potential buyers. This is why I always tell buyers to check the Manufacturer’s website here for the latest information on their chosen treadmill.

Don’t trust this blog – or any other third-party blog or website – to make your final buying decision.

As much as we bloggers try to keep up with all the updated Nordictrack models, sales and features – we’re human and inevitably we end up sometimes falling behind (I do have a day job after all).

So in answer to the question – are Nordictrack Treadmills any good?

Overall, I think they’re one of the best brands out there right now. Here’s why:

They have a multiple-years-long track record of consistently putting out top-selling treadmills. They also continue to rack up Best Buy awards from review websites and consumer magazines alike year after year.

They’re also backed by one of the largest companies in the business – ICON – who can afford to build a better treadmill for less.

Another thing I like is that they’re always pushing the envelope with new tech like iFit Coach, which can turn a boring old treadmill into your own personal trainer fitness studio. (Click here to read more about iFit coach)

While not every treadmill is a home run, for the most part, these treadmills give you great value for the money and are covered by some of the longest warranties in the business.

So take your time, browse this site (or other sites), read some reviews and get an idea of which treadmill is best for you.

Or Click Here to Compare All Current Nordictrack Treadmills