HealthRider Treadmills are also produced by Icon Health and Fitness. This HealthRider Treadmill Review offers some history on Icon, information on HealthRider products, and specifics on the HealthRider H150i treadmill. Keep reading for pros and cons of HealthRider treadmills.

Another brand manufactured by fitness giant Icon Health and Fitness, HealthRider lives up to their usual standard of quality, often at a much lower price. With most things however, you usually get what you pay for and other Icon brands seem to deliver more often than HealthRider. Also, there have been complaints in the past that Icon doesn't offer the same level of customer service and support for their lower priced machines, such as those sold under the HealthRider brand. The HealthRider treadmills also don't seem to benefit as much from Icon's investments in research and new technologies.

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 HealthRider, Icon owns the brands NordicTrack, FreeMotion, Proform, Weider, Epic, 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; 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.

Despite backed by such a powerhouse as Icon Health and Fitness, HealthRider often lags behind the other brands owned by the company. The HealthRider brand is sold at such a low price because the models are often made with lower quality components, for example a lower power motor. As a result of this lower power motor, one of the best features of HealthRider treadmills, the Soft Track treadbelt, tends to cause the motor to burn out rather quickly. Another example of lower quality components is the number of plastic parts used. On the plus side, most HealthRider models do come with iFit compatibility.

As an example of a HealthRider treadmill, consider the H150i. The HealthRider H150i is a very inexpensive beginners machine, usually selling around $400. Even at that low price, the H150i comes with many exceptional features, such as:

• 2.25 THP motor
• 18" x 50" running surface
• 0-10% power incline
• 0-10 mph max. speed
• 4 workout programs
• Grip pulse sensors
• Impact reduction
• 3 year motor warranty
• 90 day warranty on parts and labor

Be aware, however, that the motor on the H150i is rated in total horsepower (THP) rather than continuous horsepower (CHP) as most treadmills are rated. Basically, this means that the motor on the HealthRider H150i is less powerful than it appears and this is why Icon is able to sell it with such a long warranty. In spite of this, the HealthRider H150i is still a good buy for a beginner as you should be able to get your money's worth out of it even if it only lasts a few years.

In sum, HealthRider treadmills are in general a good buy for those who aren't looking for a lot of premium features and don't plan on extensive, everyday use. They are also good for those beginning users who plan to use their machine lightly. For long term and heavier use, we suggest you take a look at the other Icon brands and compare features and warranties. The bottom line is that HealthRider uses a lot of plastic parts that keep prices low, but that you shouldn't expect to last long or take a lot of heavy use.

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