A Company Trying To Do It All

Something we don’t find often in the fitness equipment world is a company that sells something other than fitness equipment related products. Well, MaxKare is the exception. According to their website, MaxKare services customers, “in Home Comfort, Relaxation and Massage, Flexible Heated Solutions, and Baby Care products.”

….and apparently, treadmills too.

Here’s what we have found to typically be true with companies like this who try to be a one stop shop for multiple industries – they can’t be excellent in every industry. When you’re searching to spend your money on a piece of fitness equipment, you want a brand who specializes in the equipment and customer service, and will be the best choice for you to make your investment.

Their fitness machines are available exclusively on Amazon. You cannot purchase from their website. As a user, their Amazon store is highly confusing. They truly sell a little bit of everything, so trying to sift through and find a treadmill was difficult.

Why We’re Hesitant About MaxKare

MaxKare Electric Folding Treadmill

We were first drawn to MaxKare because they surprisingly have good reviews on Amazon. Their folding treadmill has almost 2,000 reviews and 4/5 stars. However, the most recent reviews seemed to have more mixed opinions on this treadmill.

The main complaints were broken pieces, no response from customer service, and one reviewer said unless you are under 5’8″, you should avoid this treadmill.

Here are some of the recent reviews we read.

“Treadmill arrived promptly. Was put together in little time. Works great, Would recommend if you need a treadmill or cannot exercise outdoors yet need to get your walking exercise each week/day this is the one for you. The whole family uses it.”

“Decent treadmill. The manual for assembly depicted wrong images of bolts that can cause confusion but not the worst to figure out. There is a little slip / “backroll” as you walk but went into this expecting this to not work as well as a full-sized treadmill.”

“I brought this treadmill to use at home so that way I can work out at home. Shipping took about 2 weeks for me and assembly wasn’t too hard. However, the machine I received had a broken piece of plastic on the arm with the speed adjustment so now I can’t adjust speed using that. I have contacted the seller and they told me they would send over a replacement part but it has already been 2 months and still haven’t got it with no response now. The treadmill belt itself also has an issue where if you don’t run consistently on the center, it moves and causes it grind against one side. Other than these, it works but I probably should have bought something a little better than works better and more consistently.”

“Do not buy this product unless you are shorter than 5’8. I’m 6’2 and my wife is 5’8. Nether one of can see the screen standing up. It’s small and compact but not meant for anyone taller than 5’7.”

MaxKare Treadmill vs. Horizon T101 Treadmill

Note: Although there is a bit of a price jump between the MaxKare treadmill and the Horizon T101, we feel it is worth spending the extra money on a more reliable treadmill from a more reputable brand. The Horizon T101 is still a very affordable treadmill, selling for less than $700, with much better features.

Width and Length – The deck width on this treadmill is pretty small. It’s 17″ wide, and they don’t list a length. In comparison, our recommended treadmill the Horizon T101 has a deck space of 20″ x 55″, which will be much more comfortable for most users.

Treadmill Reviews on Horizon T101

Speed – The electric folding treadmill from MaxKare has a speed range of 0.5 – 8.5 MPH. This is not a bad speed range at all, especially considering the price point. However, we’re not sure how many people would find it comfortable to run on with such a limited deck area. The Horizon T101 goes up to 10 MPH.

Incline – There is a 1-3 degree manual incline offered on the electric folding treadmill from MaxKare. The Horizon T101 has 10 levels of incline.

Motor – The MaxKare folding treadmill has a 2.5 HP motor, which we do not advise running on as MaxKare suggests. The Horizon T101 also has a 2.5 motor, however the motor on the T101 is built by the manufacturer specifically for the Horizon T101 Treadmill. All of the product parts from Horizon Fitness models are designed specifically for their machines to provide seamless integration and less maintenance issues. 

Warranty – To be very honest, the warranty from MaxKare is confusing. Their product is not sold through Amazon Prime, so the free return warranty Prime products offer is not present here. On their website, it says “MaxKare will replace any product found to be defective due to manufacturer flaws; refunds are available within the first 30 days of purchase.” However, reviews on Amazon have stated that they are extremely difficult to contact. 

The Horizon T101 has a lifetime warranty on the motor and frame. It also has a one year warranty on parts, cushioning, and labor. Overall, we feel the Horizon T101 Treadmill is a much better bang for your buck than the MaxKare treadmill. To find out more about the Horizon T101, check out our full review here.