Commercial Grade Treamills Vs. Non-Commercial Grade
An interesting phenomenon is happening in the fitness equipment world these days: a lot of home treadmills are being called ‘commercial grade treadmills’, and this can be very confusing for the buyer.
What’s the difference between a commercial grade treadmill a home treadmill, and an actual commercial treadmill?
First of all there are 2 main categories: commercial and home treadmills, and commercial machines differ from home units in that they are made for harsher environments, like the gym or health club, and they are built to withstand frequent use. Because, of this they are built with a much higher grade of components and subsequently cost more.
For example, most commercial units come with a 4 ply treadbelt instead of the 2 ply treadbelt standard to most home treadmill, while they also usually come with a much higher powered motor, built with heavier duty commercial parts. Commercial tread mill prices are much higher and many of them start at $4000+ whereas home prices can range from $400 to $3000.
Here’s where it can get confusing: Although there used to be more of a difference between commercial and home machines, the line is blurring as more and more people buy ‘commercial grade’ treadmills for their homes and because of this, brands like Landice put out 2 versions of their treadmill lines: the Limited series – built for high end home or light commercial use, and the Club series- built for heavy club or gym environments, and former commercial brands like Sole which have been supplying treadmills to hotels like Hilton for years are now making their treadmills available to the home market, and these treadmills can truly be called ‘commercial grade’ meaning they could be used as a commercial machine but are mainly suited for the high end home gym.
However I’ve noticed that even the cheaper brands of home treadmills are now starting to call their higher end models ‘commercial grade’, this doesn’t necessarily mean it is suitable for a health club or even a high end home gym. In my opinion, it simply means that the treadmill was built with heavier grade components than other models in that brand’s line up. It may still be a great buy if you like that brand name, although if I wanted to buy a commercial grade treadmill for my home I would not choose these cheaper brand names – but that’s just my preference.
Bottom line – When looking at commercial treadmills for a health club or gym, consider the brand make sure it is a well known commercial brand with a solid reputation, some popular examples are Landice, LifeFitness and Star Trac.
When looking for a higher end ‘commercial grade’ treadmill for your home gym, consider a ‘lighter’ version of a commercial treadmill model or a home fitness equipment brand that is known for higher end machines, and it will serve you just as well and cost you thousands less. One final note here is to keep in mind that commercial treadmills take up a lot more space than home units and they’re also much heavier, and they may not fold so make sure you have several strong lifters when you have it delivered..
