Bowflex makes some great choices for treadmill buys. But they don’t make those choices easy.
The fitness equipment leader recently launched not one but two great treadmills – the Bowflex Treadmill 7 and the Bowflex Treadmill 10. Both of these fused the outstanding features and functionality of previous Bowflex treadmills with the revolutionary new Bowflex JRNY platform – a personalized, intuitive, and diverse system designed to help any user break through the usual exercise plateaus to achieve desired results. Then a short while later, the company released a third treadmill, the Bowflex 22.
So which one is best for you? Let’s break the three choices down by two primary criteria - what's the same and what's different.
1. What These Three New Treadmills Have in Common
Some things are too good not to share. So Bowflex has made the features everyone wants available on all three of their new treadmills.
Functionality
All three treadmills are designed to make your walk, jog or run as comfortable as possible, with a wide 20” x 60” running path rolling under you at speeds up to a challenging 12 miles per hour. Underneath that running belt, Comfort Tech deck cushioning reduces the impact on your joints by 25%, thanks to a variable array of marshmallow-like rubber grommets. It looks different and feels different, providing your feet not only a softer landing coming down but a springboard-like boost when they come up again.
The treadmill deck is just one of several features offering comfort, ergonomics, safety and convenience, including:
- A solid handrail offers the extra benefit of easy-to-reach controls for speed and incline.
- You can incorporate your phone or tablet into your workout via a media rack and a nearby, built-in USB port to keep your smart devices charged.
- Accessory tray
- Water Bottle holders
- Storage features
- Transport wheels
- Soft Drop folding technology – this hydraulic technology makes folding and unfolding your Bowflex treadmill safe and easy. A red button just under the deck (to the rear and the right) provides one-touch convenience. When you’re ready to exercise, your deck lowers gently to protect your deck, your floor and yourself, and it rises to a fully folded position when the workout's done.
Connectivity
- Bluetooth® enabled for smart devices and heart rate monitors: All three Bowflex treadmills feature Bluetooth Connectivity for your smart devices.
- Bluetooth speakers - surrounding you with sound.
- Bluetooth-enabled heart rate armband - slim and comfortable, it continuously monitors your pulse.
- B Display console – offering touch screen convenience and easy navigations.
These features compose the bridge between the operating treadmill and the nerve centre that elevates it from a machine to an experience.
The JRNY™ Experience
If you’re not familiar with JRNY yet, it’s Bowflex’s exciting new interactive platform designed to create an intuitively adaptive exercise schedule tailored exclusively to YOU. It does require a membership subscription. You can still use your treadmill without one, but the features it brings to the table and the easy-to-follow path it establishes to your fitness goals make it hard to do without. JRNY includes:
- Fitness Assessment
- Personalized Daily Adaptive Workouts
- Real-time Coaching
- Explore the World™ Virtual App
- Rewards and Tracking
- Bowflex Radio
- Streaming Entertainment Integrations
- And much more!
Read more about all JRNY has to offer here.
Warranty
All three Bowflex treadmills come with a warranty worthy of a machine with years of new and always-challenging exercise options:
- Frame/Motor: 15 years
- Parts: 5 years
- Labour: 2 years
2. What's Different
With so many great qualities in common, it’s hard to imagine one treadmill being much different from another. But specific attributes set them apart. If one option were clearly the superior value of the three, there would be no point in making the other two. The question is never, “Which treadmill is the hands-down best?” but rather, “Which is the best for me?” Take a look at these comparative attributes and think about which treadmill fits best into your home, lifestyle, budget and fitness goals:
Screen Size. If you’re wondering where these three treadmills get their individual number designations, you’ll be looking at the answer the second you step aboard. Each touchscreen is designated by its diagonal measurement in inches, not including the frame. So 7”, 10” and 22” (approximately) from biggest touchscreen to smallest. Of course, there are more differences than that.
Incline. As those screen sizes go up, so does their range of incline. The Treadmill 7 starts at a flat 0% and rises to an incline of 15%. The 10 also offers a 15% incline but begins with a -5% decline – giving you that downhill-running feeling and allowing you to target a larger group of leg muscles. If you really want a challenge, the -5% decline to 20% of the Treadmill 22 should work up all the sweat you desire.
Handlebars. Here’s where one difference begets another. While the 7 and 10 treadmills offer standard-grip handlebars, the 22 offers extended handlebar grips, specifically designed for those higher-incline workouts.
Space Requirements
Will your purchase fit in your workout area? Don’t forget about leaving room all around your treadmill, including overhead room (with those springy steps and all). Here’s what you’ll be looking at for dimensions of both the machine and the clear area around it – plus the folded dimensions for storage:
- Bowflex Treadmill 7
- Machine dimensions: 84.6” L x 36.3” W 55.2” H / 214.8 x 92.2 x 140.2 cm
- Required floor area: 163.6” L x 84.3” W /415.5 cm x 214 cm
- Minimum Safe Ceiling Height: Tallest user height +21” (53.3 cm)
- Folded Dimensions: 52.5” L x 36.3” W x 67” H/ 133.4 x 92.2 x 170.2 cm
- Bowflex Treadmill 10
- Machine dimensions: 85" L x 39.6" W x 65.3" H/ 215.8 x 100.5 x 165.9 cm
- Required floor area: 164” L x 87.6” W /416.6 x 222.5 cm
- Minimum Safe Ceiling Height: Tallest user height +21” (53.3 cm)
- Folded Dimensions: 44.5” L x 39.6” W x 70” H/ 113 x 100.6 x 177.8 cm
- Bowflex Treadmill 22
- Machine dimensions: 85" L x 39.6" W x 70" H/ 215.8 x 100.5 x 177.7 cm
- Required floor area: 164” L x 87.6” W /416.6 cm x 222.5 cm
- Minimum Safe Ceiling Height: Tallest user height +21” (53.3 cm)
- Folded Dimensions: 44.5” L x 39.6” W x 70” H/ 113 x 100.6 x 177.8 cm
Weight
Another consideration is whether your floors can support your treadmill – and if your treadmill can support you. More weight can also mean greater stability, so the maximum user weight tends to go up with treadmill weight. Here are the stats on these three treadmills:
- Bowflex Treadmill 7
- Assembled product weight: 280 lb/127 kg
- Maximum user weight: 350 lb/158 kg
- Bowflex Treadmill 10
- Assembled product weight: 323 lb/146.5 kg
- Maximum user weight: 400 lb/181 kg
- Bowflex Treadmill 22
- Assembled product weight: 336 lb/152.4 kg
- Maximum user weight: 400 lb/181 kg
Why the Differences?
In a word, variety. In another word, inclusiveness. Just as the JRNY platform opens the door to fitness to a wider spectrum of potential users, so do the differences in these three Bowflex Treadmills. Those who want to pay extra for more and bigger features can do so, while those on a budget will still be able to enjoy a robust Bowflex user experience. In the end, it’s about giving all exercisers their best shot at better health.
Meet Your Bowflex Treadmill Match at Flaman Fitness
Flaman Fitness offers Canada’s most extensive Bowflex showroom, so our experts are steeped in everything these great treadmills can do. They’ll be glad to listen to your goals and needs then guide you to your ideal machine. Get your perfect treadmill search on track by calling or visiting your nearest Flaman Fitness location.