This Epic Treadmill Review has information and history on Icon Health and Fitness, the manufacturer of Epic Treadmills. Also, find a detailed review of the Epic View 550 treadmill with a list of features and compare the features, warranties, and pricing of Epic Treadmills.

Icon Health and Fitness manufactures the moderately priced Epic brand of treadmills. Epic treadmills are distributed through a number of retail chains, the biggest being Costco. In fact, Icon Health and Fitness uses the Epic brand name on treadmills that are exclusively sold by large retailers like Costco. Epic treadmills can also be purchased directly from Epic online and many models come with free shipping.

Icon Health and Fitness was started in 1977 by two college students looking to finance their education. They began an importing business which they called Weslo and sold many products including wood burning stoves. When the fitness craze of the 1980s was kicked off, the founders entered the market with a trampoline. From that modest beginning, Weslo expanded to include treadmills, home gyms, exercise bikes, and rowing machines. Following a merger with Weider in 1988, the company was eventually renamed Icon Health and Fitness, with Welso becoming just a product line within the larger company. Now Icon Health and Fitness is the world's largest manufacturer of fitness equipment. In addition to Epic, Icon owns the brands NordicTrack, FreeMotion, Proform, Weider, HealthRider, Image, iFit and Weslo. All of Icon's brands are recognizable for their high quality and great reputation. Icon's products have been featured in magazines such as Men's Health, Runner's World, Vogue, and Shape.

Icon isn't only the largest fitness equipment manufacturer, however. The company also is an industry leader in technology and innovation. Icon performs all of it's own marketing, research and development, and industrial design. Icon has patents on almost 200 fitness related innovations and technologies. Icon also has a presence overseas with sales and manufacturing centers located in China, Canada, and Europe.

One example of an Epic treadmill is the Epic View 550 which is usually priced around $1,299. With the Epic View 550 you get the following premium features:

• 7" Flat Screen TV
• Intermix Acoustics Sound System 
• 20" x 60" Extra Long Treadbelt 
• 3.0 HP Commercial Grade Continuous Duty Motor 
• Extra Large 2.5" Rollers

The extras that the Epic View 550 comes with, the flat screen TV for example, might normally come on a machine that costs upwards of $2,000. Considering this, the Epic View 550 is quite a deal at $1,299. Plus, with the Epic View 550, you get the premium features as well as the quality that comes with the Epic brand name.

Overall, there are some fantastic bargains in the Epic treadmill line. However, anytime you're considering an Epic treadmill, you would do well to consider other Icon Health and Fitness brands such as NordicTrack and Proform as there is a great deal of variation among these brands at each price point. As far as quality and reliability, these brands are all comparable, but you may be able to get a feature that's more important to you with one brand versus another. As these brands are all manufactured by Icon Health and Fitness, usually they are all made with the same or similar components and are even manufactured at the same plant. By comparing the features and warranties of the models in your price range, you can ensure you get the best value and the machine that will be the best for you.

Related Article: Weslo Treadmill Review >>