Thinking of taking the plunge and investing in a treadmill for your home gym? You've come to the right place. At Runner's World, we've tested a number of the best treadmills on the market, so we know exactly which ones will help you tick off your miles with ease, and which will have you launching off the end of the belt.
Falling towards the premium end of the spectrum is the Pro-Form Pro 9000, retailing for £2,299. It's got plenty of workout options to choose from, including challenges, scenic hikes and runs (all displayed on a 22'' HD screen), a 12% maximum incline and - to save you space when you're not using it - it folds down securely.
So, is it worth paying more for this premium machine? Our team of fitness testers at the Hearst Institute have put the Pro-Form Pro 9000 through its paces, to bring you all the ins and outs before you buy.
Let's be clear, if you're limited on space, the Pro-Form Pro 9000 isn't the treadmill for you. With a 152cm x 51cm belt, it's a bit of a beast, and, despite the 'EasyLiftTM Assist' (which is meant to make folding it easier), it's definitely a two-person job manoeuvring it around. That being said, the extra bulk means the running belt feels stable and secure. Our only gripe is that it starts and stops very abruptly with no countdown, so make sure you've had a coffee before your early morning session so you're well alert.
The main allure of the Pro-Form Pro 9000 is its 22" screen, which is both HD and touchscreen and can be tilted up and down slightly to make viewing more suitable for different heights. It has Bluetooth connectivity too, so you can connect your wireless headphones if you prefer.
This all comes with a 30-day 'iFIT' trial, with plenty of running workouts to choose from, as well as off-machine workouts such as meditation, strength and yoga. Our testers found the screen easy to navigate and there are plenty of workout options for mixed abilities. Workout overviews tell you how long they will take, distance, estimated calories you'll burn, elevation and estimated effort score. When you see a workout you like the look of, you can add it straight to your calendar to create your own exercise schedule too.
If you don't like the look of any of these, you're able to create your own workout using the 'create' feature which uses Google Maps - this is done by flagging start and finish points on the map. In theory, this allows you to run your usual outdoor routes inside. However, it's done with Google street view which didn't smoothly move while running. The result was more like images as you went along, but some were from strange angles which were pretty distracting. Overall, we'd recommend going with one of the pre-set routes.
During your session, you're able to view all the information you need on-screen, including speed, average speed, pace, average pace, time elapsed (and remaining), incline, vertical gain and loss, net vertical, estimated calories burned and heart rate. If you need to pause mid-session, you can just touch the screen to bring up the menu.
The Pro-Form has a top speed of 22kph - that's 2:44 mins/km or 4:22 mins/mile, making it perfect for beginners to elite runners. We particularly enjoyed doing our interval sessions on the Pro-Form, because it automatically changes your speed when you choose one of the pre-set workouts. When hiking or running up or down hills, the machine is also able to automatically change the incline level, to match the route and trainer.
Of course, you can change everything manually too. The incline and speed buttons are easy to reach when running and there are multiple options for changing these - plus and minus buttons to go up individual increments and quick speed control buttons under the screen. Volume can be changed on the control panel and a menu appears to adjust the trainer and music volume separately.
When it comes to providing an immersive running experience, the Pro-Form Pro 9000 really does go the extra mile. Encouragement and technique pointers from trainers make it feel as though you have your own personal trainer, and there are even options to run marathons filmed in real life scenarios with a coach. If you usually find treadmill running a bore, this can really liven up a session.
We had a couple of minor niggles: the integrated fan isn't very powerful, but it does help keep you a little cooler whilst working out, and there is a lot of glare from the screen if lights are directly above. But overall, this is a really premium piece of equipment that brings the joy of running outside, inside.
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