Our HealthRider R60 treadmill review looks at a mid-price treadmill with some decent features – enough to make it a good buy, though?
I’m used to sitting on the fence with many low to mid-price tredmills we review, particulary those from the Icon Health and Fitness group of companies, which includes HealthRider.
There are often some positive aspects about their machines, but these are often outweighed by a number of negative features.
Things like the motor, the deck and belt size, the build quality…
On the surface though, HealthRider seems to have tipped the balance somewhat with the R60.
But retailing at Ât 1,499, is it enough to make it a good choice in this intensely competitive sector of the market?
HealthRider R60 Treadmill Review – Features…
As such, I can’t say that I was that familiar with the company’s treadmills prior to carrying out this HealthRider R60 treadmill review – despite them being carried by many general and specialist retailers.As a brand, HealthRider tends to get overshadowed somewhat by Icon’s better known and bigger-selling brands, like ProForm and NordicTrack.
However, I must confess to being pleasantly surprised by what I’ve found.
First off there’s the motor. A 2.0 HP continuous duty motor is nothing to shout about, but you often find treadmills at this price with smaller motors compensated for by a mass of electronic gadgets, or a built in TV or sound system.
The motor gets a little noisy at higher speeds and strains a bit near the max speed but all in all performs ok.
It’s good to see that HealthRider is getting the fundamentals right and investing in the important elements of their treadmills.
Then there’s the belt, which measures a generous 60″ x 20″.
Running on a relatively long, wide belt like this enables you to stretch out and makes the treadmill a viable option for taller users and those with a longer stride.
55″-58″ is much more common at this price.
The deck itself is well-cushioned, with HealthRider’s ‘SoftTrac’ cushioning system offering a decent running surface with a firm take off and comfortable landing.
Ok, it’s not the absolute best running surface I’ve ever experienced, but it’s a long way from being the worse.
Overall the build quality is not bad and about what you’d expect from a treadmill pitched at around $1,500 and aimed at the home market.
The treadmill folds up and utilizes the Space Saver design found on other Icon brands.
It does the job and folding up the treadmill is no fuss, enabling it to store away in any corner when not in use.
The HealthRider R60 comes equipped with a nice four window LED console and 10 workout programs. It’s iFit.com compatible if you need to download any additional programs.
There’s a power incline feature, which enables you to incline the deck up to 10% whilst working out as well as a one touch speed control.
The treadmill will get up to 12mph, but is straining a bit near the max.
You also get heart rate monitoring through grip sensors and cooling fans as standard.
HealthRider R60 Treadmill Review – The Bottom Line…
Overall, our HealthRider R60 treadmill review would conclude that this is not a bad attempt. Whether that will be enough against the likes of similarly priced treadmills from market leaders like NordicTrack remains to be seen.
If you are looking to buy a HealthRider, check out our review of the H550i, which is a much better buy and is currently reduced down to $750.