Purchasing a treadmill is a long-term investment in your cardio workouts and overall fitness goals. If all goes to plan, you’ll find yourself interacting with that trusted piece of hardware several times each week, or maybe even daily. Of course, that’s assuming that everything goes to plan. But life is seldom so simple — the same holds true for building your dream home gym.
The last thing you want a treadmill belt to do is putter out on you. If you’ve ever taken a spill off a treadmill, you know it’s not a good look (or feeling). You also don’t want the display flickering out — how else will you know how far and fast you’re running on those treadmill workouts? Fortunately, these glitches may not be inevitable if you snatch up some used gym equipment.
As you open up your wallet, you must answer one question: should you buy a used versus a new treadmill? Here, we’ll lay out everything you’ll need to consider before making your purchase fresh off the rack or from a previous owner.
- Used Vs. Old Treadmill — Which Is Better?
- Benefits of a Used Treadmill
- Cons of a Used Treadmill
- Benefits of a New Treadmill
- Cons of a New Treadmill
- What To Consider Before Buying a New Treadmill
- Treadmill Buying Tips
Used Vs. Old Treadmill — Which Is Better?
Buying a new treadmill as opposed to a second-hand version is attractive. After all, new fitness equipment is unused, unblemished, and has probably never even been touched outside of the factory.
Still, it would be unwise to dismiss used exercise equipment entirely. High-end treadmills aren’t the sole tools that can get you closer to your cardio fitness goals.
Benefits of a Used Treadmill
Just because you weren’t the first person to crack open the treadmill’s packaging and take it for a spin doesn’t mean your very own gains aren’t on the horizon.
[Related: The 7 Best Treadmills for Running]
A used treadmill that functions well can still deliver all of the essential features that will help you burn calories, strengthen your heart, and push your cardiovascular capacity.
It’s Less Expensive
A used treadmill is almost invariably going to be cheaper than a newer model that’s fresh off the proverbial rack. Generally speaking, the value of workout machines depreciates with use, and treadmills are no exception. You should expect to pay significantly less money for a used treadmill than you would for an old one.
It May Only Be “Used” In a Technical Sense
There is a huge difference between a treadmill that was jogged on for two hours a day and another treadmill that was walked on for 15-minute workouts a week. The treadmill you secure from a prior owner may have seen less use in years than other treadmills experience in months. This means it may have endured less wear and tear despite being owned for a longer period of time.
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Just like when you’re buying a used car, do your due diligence to figure out the total mileage on the machine. Different treadmill models may have options to view the total mile history of the machine so that you can see for yourself just how beaten up your potential purchase is.
It May Actually Be A Better Model
While many treadmills in home gyms and health clubs retail for around $1,500, commercial gyms and health clubs are often stocked with larger, more durable models priced at $4,000 or more.
This is where buying used can come in handy. If you can’t afford a $4,000 model right from the manufacturer, see if you can find the same model, used, and in good condition. It’ll be much cheaper.
[Read More: The 7 Best Smart Home Gyms]
So if your favorite treadmill brands are out of your price range, a second-hand treadmill might actually be the best bet. You can potentially wind up with the same, newer model you use in your favorite fitness center for a fraction of the cost — and you can land it in your own home.
Cons of a Used Treadmill
While a previously owned treadmill might function as well as a new treadmill during your first jog, your first higher-intensity sprint workouts might leave you rethinking the wisdom of your purchase.
Uncertain Future
While a new treadmill will often come with a warranty for its durability and lifespan, all bets are off when it comes to a used treadmill. Even if you think you’ve accounted for every factor of a treadmill’s prior use, you generally won’t have any access to recourse (or refunds) if your purchase conks out much sooner than a new model would have.
Hidden Wear
If you’re turning to sites like Craigslist or eBay to get your new-to-you treadmill, there’s not always a reliable way to know if you’re getting a high-quality gym machine. Just because the brand is good doesn’t mean the product you’re getting has the same horsepower it once did.
A used treadmill may be superficially functional, but certain settings might have been utilized more than others. If the original owner loved running at inclines, that feature may have endured significant stress. Similarly, if the buttons on the touchscreens were incessantly pressed during HIIT workouts, those buttons may also peter out more quickly than you might otherwise suspect.
Benefits of a New Treadmill
You’ve read all the treadmill reviews and treadmill buying guides out there and you’ve got your heart set on that one elite brand instead of a used machine. A new machine is the only way to go, you’ve decided.
[Read More: The Best Home Gym Essentials]
The purchase of new fitness products certainly can come with a rush of excitement and possibility. There are reasons why the sales of treadmills and other fitness products remain strong year after year, and that’s because most of the advantages of new ownership are glaringly obvious.
Less Stress and Uncertainty
Acquiring a treadmill fresh out of its box means that you needn’t be preoccupied with nightmares about your newest fitness toy falling apart during your first brisk jog. You also don’t need to be concerned about whether or not a prior owner’s penchant for performing aggressive frog hops has worn out the treadmill’s shock absorption.
[Read More: The 5 Best Fitness Trackers]
Everything about your new machine should be pristine, from its heart rate monitor to its belt. When you’re buying from a reputable brand, it takes a whole bunch of worry out of the equation.
All Systems Go
Part and parcel with owning a brand new treadmill is the security of knowing that none of the treadmill’s individual components are hiding some secret history of misuse.
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No one has spilled a pre-workout all over the console, nor has debris from a protein bar melted beneath the tread and gummed up one side of it. As such, you can train free of worry over some imminent catastrophe. And if catastrophe does strike, companies with good service records will likely help you sort it out.
Easy Warranty
If your brand-new treadmill is hiding some undetected defect that slid through the manufacturing process, you will likely have the option of exchanging it for an operable model. Similarly, if the treadmill you’re purchasing is newly released, the manufacturer may even be able to provide you with individual replacement parts or repair services relatively easily.
Cons of a New Treadmill
Not every element of buying a new product is pleasant. There are drawbacks to buying new treadmills, some of which are immediately obvious. Other issues won’t manifest themselves until later. Account for them now before you find yourself paying a premium for your own gym equipment mishap.
It’s Expensive
Unless you’re comparing two treadmills of drastically different calibers, a new treadmill will usually cost you substantially more than a used treadmill. On one of the lower tiers, the best budget treadmills may only cost you a few hundred dollars to a little over $1,000. However, more moderately priced treadmills with more features will far exceed these costs.
It’s Very Valuable
While value seems like a good thing on the surface, it may give you some pause if your garage gym tends to run on the more gritty side of the spectrum.
If your treadmill is brand new, you may be somewhat reluctant to get rough with a perceived luxury item. By contrast, used treadmills have already been put through the wringer, so your own at-home workouts will add negligible battle scars that sit astride the others.
It’s a Commitment
A new treadmill can be a point of pride. If it fails to live up to your initial expectations, you may still be reluctant to part with it. Its steep price might make you reluctant to cut your losses, so you may cling to it in the hope that you’ll reconsider its use. By contrast, if you’d spent less on a similar item, you might be quicker to cut your losses and swap it out for a viable alternative.
What To Consider Before Buying a New Treadmill
If you’ve decided to reach for your wallet and fork over top dollar for a brand-new treadmill, you’ve probably thought things through and made the wisest decision. Nevertheless, if you’re still mulling over your options, you may want to ask yourself a few of these questions before you pay for what amounts to a personal indoor running track.
Is a New Treadmill Worth It?
If you can’t stomach the thought of a pre-owned treadmill failing on you shortly after its purchase, that’s certainly understandable. Then again, you stand to save hundreds or even upwards of a thousand dollars by buying used. If your fitness budget is limited, you may want to reconsider the necessity of a new treadmill if a used one would suffice.
Am I in It for the Long Haul?
Do you tend to buy new fitness equipment and then let it rust after a few weeks of use? The cost of a treadmill in the thousand-dollar-plus range can be justified as a one-dollar-per-day expense by the time you’ve been using it for three years. If it’s going to collect dust after one week, it becomes more akin to a $1,000 fitness decoration.
Is This Necessary?
One of the strongest arguments for justifying the price points of new treadmills is the presence of modern features offered by the latest models. If these features strongly appeal to you, and you intend to make regular use of them, that’s an excellent reason to purchase a new treadmill. If not, you may be spending a lot of money on luxuries that you don’t intend to use.
[Related: How to Lubricate a Treadmill]
When you’re just looking for a reliable conveyor belt to run on without the frills, a used machine might be a wiser choice for you.
Treadmill Buying Tips
If your heart is set on running on a treadmill, you’ll consider a host of factors before you choose your own treadmill. To find the right one for you, it’s helpful to follow a few systematic steps.
Test It Out
Whether you’re inquiring about a used treadmill or a new one, it never hurts to test the device prior to making your final purchase. The feel and operation of your preferred treadmill are important to consider. You don’t want to spend money on a treadmill and bring it home only to discover afterward that it doesn’t run like you want it to or doesn’t accommodate your body well.
Consider It in Your Living Space
Features like a high incline and HD monitors sound nice in a vacuum. However, if those features support a bulky treadmill incapable of folding against the wall of your tiny studio apartment, the treadmill won’t be worth the calamity it causes.
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Make sure you measure your space and consider how the model fits (or doesn’t) into your gym, garage, or living room. Even the best folding treadmill won’t help you if it doesn’t fit in your specific space.
Decide if the Features Are Sufficient, Or Too Much
Don’t feel the need to pay for treadmill features that you never intend to use. On the other hand, make sure the treadmill you’re buying has everything you’re looking for. Need to watch TV during your LISS cardio (low-intensity steady state) workouts? Make sure you’re searching for treadmills with screens or at least tablet stands.
Decide which features you can’t live without — and which you don’t need. Shop accordingly.
Your Takeaways
Purchasing home gym equipment is all about making tradeoffs with respect to price, performance, and product features. Whenever you’re able to purchase a treadmill, assess what it’s worth to you in terms of real dollars.
- Whether they’re new or used, treadmills are often very expensive fitness purchases that should be thought through carefully.
- A well-researched used treadmill may be more valuable than a more expensive new treadmill. That’s especially true if the used treadmill is a lightly used superior design.
- The complex features of modern treadmills may be attractive, but if you don’t need them, a new treadmill may cost more for features you don’t intend to use.
- Testing the treadmill you intend to purchase — whether new or used — is always a wise way to determine if you are compatible with it.
- Operability isn’t everything; consider other factors like the size and storability of the treadmill, particularly if you have cramped living or gym conditions.
Eventually, It Will Be Used
Don’t allow a treadmill “used” status to frighten you out of a prudent purchasing decision. If all goes well, that treadmill will certainly be used quite heavily and successfully once it reaches your home. The treadmill’s compatibility and dependability are far more important than its prior ownership — unless, of course, it winds up not being dependable after all.
Assess whether you’re willing and able to pay top dollar for a warranty and shiny exterior or if you’d prefer to risk the lack of guarantees with a hearty used model. Ultimately, only you can settle the debate between a used versus a new treadmill once and for all. Lace up your running shoes and get going.
FAQs
Can’t decide on whether to buy a new or used treadmill? Here are some easy answers to your most pressing questions.
The answer here is dependent upon your personal needs. Factors behind your decision might include your budget, how much risk you’re willing to take on, whether the features of the treadmill you’re considering are sufficient, and how well you need the treadmill to perform.
A used treadmill should be evaluated primarily on the basis of its age, its estimated number of hours in use, the physical condition of its tread, and the functionality of its components. This includes its ability to incline, its performance at its highest speeds, and the functionality of its controls.
The benefits of buying a used treadmill include a significantly cheaper purchase point and the potential to buy a fancier brand for a less fancy price. It’s all the better if the treadmill is lightly used, without too much wear and tear on the belt.
Featured Image: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock
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