EVO Treadmill Reviews

  Treadmill Articles

EVO treadmills are built by Smooth Fitness. For those not familiar with Smooth, they are a reputable brand that has been selling fitness equipment primarily online for over 11 years. They started by private labeling other manufacturers treadmills like Keys and Spirit. Like most American fitness equipment companies, they now get they products built in Taiwan and China .

The EVO name was created as an alternative brand to sell through fitness equipment specialty stores. Smooth realized they couldn't offer their Smooth brand to these retailers, since there would be a direct competition. They created the EVO brand to sell only in stores.

Smooth had minimal success in breaking into the brick and motor retail market. Most fitness equipment stores are struggling against Internet sales and large sporting goods chains.

Now Smooth is offering their EVO treadmills for sale on their site. The EVO treadmills are basically a reconfiguration of the Smooth treadmills. You will find they have many of the same features. There may be a slight redesign in the console, however, they use the same motors, decks, belts, rollers, etc.

There was one unique features, that until recently, was only found on EVO treadmills - Motion Control. I always thought this was a great idea. You control the speed of the treadmill by waving your hand over the hand rails. Your right hand sped up the treadmill, while your left slowed it down. You'll find this feature on the EVO FX40HR.

When you are running, leaning over a console and pressing buttons to change speed can break your stride. The motion control allows you to adjust speed while centered over the treadmill deck.

Overall, the EVO treadmills offer the same quality and durability found on most Smooth products. I was recently at their corporate headquarters and met with the Director of Customer Service. He talked about how the majority of calls they received were related to shipping, and that they really didn't get that many service calls due to the durability of their machines.

Our Review - EVO Treadmills

The EVO treadmills offer some interesting features. Currently there are three EVO treadmills found at . I'm not that crazy about the EVO SX4. You get a tiny motor, and a very small deck for $800. I guess they figured the appeal would be how compact it is. I feel you are better off getting a treadmill with a decent motor and deck for the same price. Heck, you can get their Smooth 5.45 for slightly more, and it is a very good value.

The other models are the EVO 3i, and the FX 40HR. Both good machines. They are similar to the Smooth 9.35 and the Smooth 9.45 treadmills. If you are looking for a heavy-duty machine, both the EVO 3i and the Smooth 9.45 are contenders. They come with a lifetime warranty on parts, which says something about the reliability.

My recommendation is compare the prices and the features and find the best machine that fits your budget and your fitness goals.