Can a Nordictrack Treadmill Be Used Without iFit?
Thinking about a Nordictrack treadmill?
Wondering to yourself “Can a Nordictrack treadmill be used without iFit?”
You’ve come to the right place!
While iFit used to be the new “cool” thing on Nordictrack treadmills, these days most people have heard about iFit.
iFit is basically Nordictrack’s way to enhance your fitness experience – whether you want to run famous world trails, get customized workouts or take a fitness class from the comfort of your own home.
You can do a lot with iFit and you can use it to add a new dimension to your training.
However – what if you don’t want it?
So the question always comes up:
Can a Nordictrack Treadmill be Used Without iFit?
Answer? Yes it can.
There are always ways around it.
First of all, let’s go over a few simple things you need to know – so you can make the decision that suits you best.
As of this writing, almost all (new) Nordictrack treadmills are iFit compatible. That means they will work with the current version of iFit. Almost all of them have some sort of HD, full-color, touch screen where you can “sign in” to iFit when you go to start your treadmill.
The treadmill uses the Wifi in your home to take your treadmill online and start the iFit features.
Then, depending on what you want to do with your workout, you’ll see iFit options on the treadmill screen that you can choose. Then start your workout from there.
What most people don’t realize is that there are 2 versions of iFit – paid (subscription) and free.
(The paid version also has 2 options – a family subscription or a single person subscription, which vary in price. But for this post we’ll just combine them into one and call them the subscription version)
The subscription version of iFit gives you all the perks – thousands of world trail runs, virtual training, live fitness classes etc.
The free version gives you a few workouts, shows your stats and tracks your workouts. But that’s about it. You can use the free version to sign onto your treadmill at any time and just do a regular, self-directed treadmill workout whenever you want.
The treadmill will incline or decline (if the treadmill allows this), slow down, speed up, show your workout stats – just like a regular treadmill. You can also use the treadmill in manual mode and again, just create your own workout from there.
If you want to read more on this, see my post titled “Do Nordictrack Treadmills Require iFit?”
What if you want something to do besides use iFit?
Can you surf the web or watch Netflix or Youtube through the treadmill screen?
Sadly, as of this writing you can’t (but keep reading for another option!)
The good news?
Nordictrack has recently made a few changes to their EXP treadmill series – the EXP7i, EXP10i and EXP14i treadmills.
They’ve added a media shelf:
This sounds simple – but stay with me. They’ve put a media shelf on the treadmill console.
So you can easily use your phone or tablet – put it on the shelf, go online and watch Netflix, Youtube, Disney plus, etc. as you run.
Interestingly they haven’t added a media shelf to the Commercial treadmills or the Incline treadmill series – perhaps because the screens are too big to do this.
However if you’re looking to get around iFit – and just use your treadmill while watching Youtube videos, Netflix etc, this is a great way to do it. Use the free version of iFit – or manual mode. Then set up your tablet/phone with your favorite shows and go.
Which treadmills have this option? You’ll find 3 models which all include the media shelf below:
Nordictrack EXP14i Treadmill
This is the top model in the EXP series. It carries a larger screen than the other models – 14 inches across, which makes it more fun to see the iFit workouts.
It’s also easier to read your workout stats. It also carries a stronger motor than the other models below and a higher speed limit – making it a great choice for runners.
Click for More on the EXP14i Treadmill
Nordictrack EXP10i Treadmill
This is the mid-range model in the EXP series with a nice blend of affordability and fun features.
It has a 10-inch screen, which is still pretty good. It also gives you up to 12% incline and folds up for easy storage.
Click for More on the EXP10i Treadmill
Nordictrack EXP7i Treadmill
This is the most affordable treadmill in the series, coming in around $1200 as of this writing.
It has a smaller screen and motor than the other two treadmills above. But if you don’t care about using iFit at all, you might not care too much about this – and just choose to use the media shelf instead.
Click for More on the EXP7i Treadmill
So those are the 3 Nordictrack treadmills that currently have the media shelf included. Not sure which is best for you?
Click Here to Compare all EXP Treadmills
So hopefully that helps answer the question if you’re wondering: Can a Nordictrack treadmill be used without iFit?
Yes, it can. But you have to know your options to do this (Nordictrack doesn’t exactly spell it out for you).
Not only that – but now you can also use the media shelf to build in some of your own entertainment options as well. So you get the best of both worlds!
Want to learn more? Check out the following references:
Nordictrack Treadmill – iFit FAQs
