Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill Review

It addition to having a nice array of features, it also has a good reputation for durability. The Bowflex Series 7 is a top seller on Amazon.com. Part of the popularity can be attributed to a "Best Buy" rating from Consumer Report. That can really push sales.

What we like about the Bowflex Series 7:

• You get a powerful 3.0 continuous duty HP motor. This motor is sufficient to handle both walking and jogging..
• The Series 7 weighs a hefty 298 lbs. - one of the heavier machines in its price range. The good news is it's solid and sturdy. The bad news is, when folded, forget about moving it. You want to find a permanent location. The treadmill does easily fold up and down.
• The running surface is 60" long. This extra length is ideal for running and interval training. It also can accommodate taller individuals.
• The Bowflex Series 7 is equipped with 2.5" rollers. Although not the largest rollers available, the size is sufficient in reducing friction and wear.
• You get wireless heart rate control, where you heart rate determines your optimum level of exercise.
• There is a nice selection of exercise programs, including fat burn, speed interval jogger, hill intervals, fat burn heart rate calculation, cardio heart rate calculation and two custom programs.
• I really like the layout of the console and display. It has a slick design, with unique round backlit LCD read-out windows.

What did not impress me was the warranty. You get 10-year motor, 2-year parts and one year labor coverage. For the same price, you can get the Sole F80 with lifetime motor, 5-year parts and 2-year labor. Also, the fans are rather useless, but that is typical.

Our Review - Bowflex Series 7

I feel the Bowflex Series 7 is a strong contender at $1,500. It is feature rich, with a good service reputation. While running on the machine, the deck had adequate shock absorption, while giving a solid lift off. The weight of the machine makes it rock solid. Because of the weight, we suggest you consider inside delivery, if available. Otherwise, have a couple of strong individuals.

This treadmill is a good choice for both walking and jogging. For serious runners you may want to consider a model in the $2,000+ range.

Consumer Magazine Review

As mentioned, CR gave the Bowflex Series 7 a Best Buy. They gave it a "Very Good" for quality, and an "Excellent" for exercise range.

Customer Reviews - Amazon.com

There were over 72 reviews on Amazon with an overall 4.5 rating out of 5 (Click here for customer reviews). Not bad!

The majority praised the machine, with many comments on how sturdy it was. One person in particular, who weighs 300 lbs, has been using his Series 7 for a year, and has had no problems. That's impressive, but I am not sure I could recommend this treadmill for anyone over 230 lbs. I like to be cautious.

There were several complaints about the customer service - although the percentage was not significant. In addition, there were a couple of complaints about the shipping, but that is typical. Regardless where you buy a treadmill, the fulfillment companies are not always timely.

Below are several reviews:

Great machine

I read consumer reports looking for the best treadmill for someone other than a serious distance runner. This was the recommended machine. Its a bit pricey and you do have to do assemble it when it arrives, but its a great machine. It even has a built in fan. One caution, make sure to assemble it in the room where you want it to be and don't expect to be able to move it between rooms because when assembled its too wide for standard doorways.

Love it!

I just received my treadmill and I absolutely love it. It arrived much earlier than expected and was a snap to put together. My husband had it working in less than an hour. He's a big guy and the deck is the perfect size. It also has a cushioned deck which prevents jarring of knees and back. It is very sturdy and should last the distance. I would highly recommend this treadmill.

Bad Experience,

When my machine arrived it was not working properly. The motor is making a very loud noise. I understand that sometimes there are problems with equipment; however, I am extremely dissappointed in Bowflex customer service. Everytime I have called there has been an minimum of a 30 minute wait to speak with someone. Once I got someone live, they agreed that the machine needed repair. They said I would be receiving a call from a repair person to fix the machine. That was over 5 days ago and I still have not been contacted.

Sturdy and quiet

My family has been using the treadmill for nearly 2 weeks and we have been very pleased so far. It is heavy however, after folding it up it can easiy be moved around within the room we have place it in. It would have to be disassembled to move it to another room and you would need two strong people to do it. The belt can be re-aligned and tightened very easy using the tools and instructions provided.

The heart rate hand grips do not work very well but the chest monitor and heart rate display on the console have been flawless. I am nearly 270lbs and the machine is sturdy enough for me to run on with no problem although most of my time has been spent walking at a fast pace and using the incline. It is very quiet in operation. So far so good.

*This Bowflex Series 7 Treadmill Review is based on not only testing the equipment, but also comments, testimonials, and reviews and ratings of customers. We attempt to be as accurate as possible. Warranties, components and prices can change without notice.