So I am excited to welcome a new addition to our home:

Yes, we finally bit the bullet and bought a treadmill.

The Unexpected Circumstances Leading to Purchase

So who would have guess that my husband who is “not a runner” (according to his constant mantra) was shockingly the impetus for the purchase.  I figured we would eventually buy one because, down the road when we decide it’s time to start our family, I definitely want the flexibility to get a run in without leaving the house.  However, that whole family thing is a couple years off so I never though we would be looking into this big purchase so soon.

Collectively, we’re investing quite a bit in gym memberships right now.  Charles pays around $30 a month for the gym we go to together plus another $20 to use the gym in his office building at work.  Add this to my $25 a month gym membership.  Since Charles caught the running but just a little bit from me, he’s starting using the treadmill as his exclusive mode of exercise anyway.  It just plain made sense.  I will keep my membership for the time being since I love the classes that I take certain nights but should they ever cancel my classes, it will be a pretty easy decision to cancel.

So we started the search.

Finding a Recommendation

Where to even begin with finding the right machine?  That’s a tough one.  There are so many brands and a million different price points.  It is really quite intimidating.  Thankfully I came across Treadmill Review Guru which was an incredible resource for my treadmill shopping journey.  This site reviews just about every treadmill on the market and combines review information from a variety of sources allowing you to get a really balanced perspective.  My favorite feature of the site is “Best Treadmills” page which breaks down the top pick and 3 runners up at each price point.  Whether you want a $500 treadmill or a $5,000 treadmill, you can compare apples to apples and find the right machine for you.

I wanted to find a machine at a mid-level price point.  It seems like really inexpensive treadmills are flimsy and don’t necessarily hold up well.  While we wanted to avoid spending a couple thousand (since we aren’t exactly running a gym or anything), something in the $1,000 to $1,500 range seemed like a good fit.

Our Model

The other big decision making factor was the fact that the model we ended up purchasing, the NordicTrack 1750 Commercial, is the treadmill that the site owner actually owns and loves.  It had great reviews, awesome features, and seemed to be a perfect combination between features, durability, and price.  The website also offered a referral discount for purchasing through a link to the NordicTrack homepage.  The deal was further sweetened by free shipping and an additional discount code that Charles found in a google search.  We ended up spending just over $1,300 all told.  With just canceling his $50 in gym memberships, we should break even in about 2 years.  It seems well worth it to me.

So now we wait.  I am hoping that the convenience of a treadmill at home and the features of this particular machine will change my perspective on treadmills as a whole.  Although the deep-rooted hatred I used to have for treadmills has gone away as they have started to come in handy more and more, I still can’t say I am a treadmill lover.  I expect our “new best friend” to challenge this…

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Do you own a treadmill?  If so, was it worth the purchase price?