Incline Trainer vs Treadclimber – Which is Best For? (Updated)

December 12, 2019December 10, 2019 FitnessEquipmentGuide calorie-burning, incline trainer, this vs that

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Trying to choose between the Nordictrack incline trainer vs Treadclimber?

These are two popular fitness machines that help you burn more calories than a standard treadmill.

So you see faster weight loss and toning results on these machines – which makes them very popular.

But what about when you pit them against one another? How do they measure up?

And which one is best for you?

There’s actually some very interesting differences between them.

Here’s a rundown of a few things you should know before you decide:

Incline Trainer vs Treadclimber – Price

This really depends on which model you choose.

There are 3 different incline trainer models – the X11i, X22i and the X32i. The X11i starts around $1999 with Free Shipping here. The X22i runs around $2999 and the X32i is the premium commercial model, coming in around $3999.

are incline trainers better than treadmills — Nordictrack X11i Trainer

The prices of the Treadclimber have come down quite a bit over the years as their popularity has waned.

There are two Bowflex Treadclimber models. The TC100 is the most affordable and starts around $1999 with Free Shipping here. The TC200 is the premium model coming in around $2499.

So as far as price goes, they’re very similar.

Incline Trainer vs Treadclimber – Design

The incline trainer is very similar to the treadmill in that it works just like a treadmill with one large treadbelt.

The difference is that instead of a regular incline of 0 – 15% like a normal treadmill, you get from 0 – 40%. This gives you a lot of room to grow and challenge yourself.

You also get decline as well from 0 – 6%. This is a great way to add in some extra crosstraining to your workout.

The Treadclimber is a bit different. Instead of one main belt, you get two smaller belts that rise to meet your feet as you walk. This definitely ups the “cool” factor and makes the Treadclimber a very sleek, memorable machine.

However Bowflex doesn’t actually tell you how much of an incline you get with the rising treadles. And there is no decline offered on these machines at this time.

Incline Trainer vs Treadclimber – Console

You get different consoles depending on the model. However there are some general differences. The Incline trainer consoles tend to give you a bit more in terms of entertainment and toys.

For example, all the incline trainers come with full-color, HD, touch-screen consoles. You can watch your workout stats in full color – or connect directly with iFit Coach online and run trails all over the world or take a streaming fitness class.

do nordictrack treadmill require ifit — Nordictrack X22i Incline Trainer

You also get an auxiliary music port with speakers and a built-in fan to stay cool.

The Bowflex Treadclimber has a bit more of a simplified console. You can see the TC200 console below. It does give you all the feedback information that you need. However there’s no built-in full-color console or streaming classes. There is a media shelf to hold your tablet however.

Incline Trainer vs Treadclimber – Calories Burned

Ok, this is the big one most people are concerned about – which machine burns more calories? I first want to preface this by saying it can depend a lot on you and how you use the machine. However in theory anyways the incline trainer CAN burn more.

According to Bowflex (and an independent study they quote), you can burn 2.5 times more calories on a Bowflex Treadclimber vs a regular treadmill.

However according to Nordictrack you can burn almost 5 times more calories on an incline trainer than on a treadmill.

If you look at the two pics above however you’ll notice that the calorie counts are different – this is because Nordictrack based theirs on walking 2.0 MPH for 20 minutes. Bowflex based theirs on walking at 3.0 MPH for 30 minutes (which is why you’ll see that walking on a 0% incline burns a lot less according to Nordictrack than according to Bowflex).

So if you account for this and just look at how much you burn relative to walking at the 0% incline then technically the Treadclimber burns a little over 2.5 times more calories. And the incline trainer burns about 4.4 times more calories – so the incline trainer comes out ahead here.

However keep in mind that this means walking at a 40% incline for 20 or 30 minutes straight – which is very hard to do, especially for new exercisers. You may have to work up to it with time.

nordictrack X22i vs x32i comparison — Nordictrack X32i Trainer

Nordictrack Incline Trainer vs Treadclimber – Walking Vs Running

This is something most people don’t realize: You can’t RUN on a Treadclimber. The machine was only built for walking.

You only get speed limits of up to 4.0 or 4.5 MPH and the moving belts can make it quite dangerous to try and run on these machines.

However you can run on an incline trainer – you get speed limits of up to 12 MPH and extra long 60 inch belts. So you can walk and run on these machines.

So if you want to incorporate running into your workouts an incline trainer is the better option.

Bottom Line?

So what’s the final word when comparing the incline trainer vs Treadclimber?

Well, both have their own unique benefits. The Treadclimber has the “cool” factor with the dual belts. It’s also lower impact on your joints and you only need to walk on it to get a good workout.

The incline trainer gives you higher speed limits – so you can run as well as walk. The consoles tend to be a bit better. And you can also burn the most calories on this machine.

Plus you can use iFit to run world trails for some virtual reality training – or take fitness classes from your console.

So at the end of the day, it really depends on your goals, budget and preferences.

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