The Bowflex Treadmill 10 is a new hi-tech residential treadmill from one of the most innovative fitness brands around. And even though it’s the 10″ HD touchscreen that bringing in the crowds, this treadmill’s no slouch when it comes to performance either.
With a 22″ x 60″ running surface, a 4.0 HP motor, and a 400 lb weight capacity, the Treadmill 10 has what it takes to hang with any other treadmill in its price range.
Bowflex even backs this treadmill with a generous warranty, which is always a plus.
If you’re looking for a streaming treadmill that’s packed with impressive performance specs, Bowflex’s Treadmill 10 is a good choice.
But before you buy, you have to do your due diligence- and that’s where I come in.
In this review, I’ll go over everything the Treadmill 10 has to offer. We’re talking specs, features, and everything else in between.
After reading, you should know everything you need to in order to decide whether or not this is the right treadmill for your home gym.
Alrighty, let’s get to the good stuff already.
The Bowflex Treadmill 10
Even though Bowflex is most well-known for their power rod home gym systems (and rightly so, they’re awesome), the brand has made quite a name for themselves with their cardio machines over the last few years.
And then of course there’s their SelectTech weight training gear, which is convenient and effective.
But back to their cardio equipment.
Bowflex’s treadmills, bikes, and ellipticals (when they were offering these anyway) are always amongst some of the best options in their respective price ranges.
That’s because Bowflex machines are heavy-duty and packed with high-end performance components.
Bowflex usually backs their products with pretty good warranties too- which in itself is a good indicator of overall quality.
Bowflex has recently switched up their treadmill lineup- they no longer offer the popular BXT216 and BXT116 (although you can still find these models through other retail sites).
Instead, they’ve transitioned over to their new lineup of tech-savvy models: the Bowflex Treadmill 22 and Treadmill 10 (I have to admit, I like the simplicity in the names of these new models).
The biggest difference between the 22 and the 10 is the size of the touchscreen monitor that comes with ’em, although there are a few other subtle differences too.
The Treadmill 10 is the more affordable option of the 2 and will cost ya about $2000.
Pros
- 22″ x 60″ running surface
- 4.0 HP motor
- 10″ HD touchscreen display
- -5 – 15% incline
- Top speed of 12 mph
- 400 lb weight capacity
- Unlimited coach-led workouts (JRNY)
- Access to entertainment apps (JRNY)
- Scenic walks/runs (JRNY)
- Bluetooth heart rate monitoring
- Arm band heart rate monitor included
- Bluetooth compatibility with fitness apps
- Folding deck
- Quick touch speed/incline buttons
- Good warranty
Cons
- Large footprint
- Some complaints about user-friendliness of entertainment apps
Running Surface
A treadmill’s running surface refers to how much belt space you have at your disposal during workouts. It’s an important spec to consider because it basically tells you whether you’ll fit on the treadmill or not.
The Treadmill 10 comes with a running surface of 22″ x 60″ (meaning 22″ wide and 60″ long).
This is great for a home treadmill because it means it’ll be large enough to comfortably fit pretty much any user, regardless of how fast you’re running.
Most high-end treadmills come with a running surface that’s at least 20″ x 60″ because at this size, it’s unlikely that you’ll run out of room (unless you’re really tall, like well over 6′).
A lot of nicer home treadmills have started making 22″ their standard width and I think it’s great- having the extra wiggle room is gonna make for a more comfortable experience (and feel more commercial-like).
The running surface on the 10 is great, but I also like that the weight capacity is so high.
With a weight limit of 400 lb, not only can this treadmill hold most folks that would want to use it, but it also shows us how well built the treadmill is too.
High weight capacities are a great sign of overall frame integrity.
When thinking about frame integrity, I also like to look at a treadmill’s overall assembled weight- again, higher is better, because it should make for a more stable machine.
The Treadmill 10 scores highly in the heavy-dutiness department with an assembled weight of 323 lb, which is pretty massive for a machine in this price range.
This treadmill is pretty big in general. It has a foot print of 85″ L x 39.6″ W, which is quite large for a home treadmill- definitely something to keep in mind if your workout space is limited.
Overall, the Treadmill 10 comes with a spacious running surface and a heavy-duty frame that can hold users of all size.
Motor
Motor strength is another key performance spec to consider when choosing a new treadmill. I’m usually of the opinion that stronger is better, because stronger motors tend to operate more smoothly and more quietly.
And since a stronger motor doesn’t have to work as hard as a weaker motor, it should last longer.
For example, a 4.0 HP and a 3.0 HP motor may each have a top speed of 12 mph, but the 4.0 HP motor will be able to reach that speed without as much strain.
Anyway, home treadmills usually come with motors in the 1.5 – 4 HP range.
With this in mind, the Bowflex Treadmill 10 is packing a 4.0 HP motor, putting it at the top of the spectrum.
With this much horsepower under the hood, the 10 has enough muscle to provide smooth operation, regardless of speed. Speaking of which, this treadmill has a top speed of 12 mph, which is pretty standard for a home model.
It can also reach a top incline of 15%, which again, is pretty standard for most treadmills.
What isn’t standard, is the 5% decline this treadmill offers. This is a cool feature because it allows you to train downhill. This could be helpful if you’re training for a road race (or if you’re just looking for extra workout variety).
The stronger motor on this model makes it a great choice for runners (I recommend at least a 3 HP motor for regular running).
Overall, the Treadmill 10 scores highly with the strong motor and decline training options.
Features
The Bowflex Treadmill 10 comes with the following features:
10″ HD touchscreen display- this is the probably the star of the show here, so I guess it’s a good place to start. The HD touchscreen display makes it easy to make all selections and see all workout metrics. It also works great with all the entertainment options available.
Virtual coaching- through the JRNY app, you get access to unlimited, coach-led workouts that get harder as you progress. You get to customize everything, so you get work as hard or as not hard as you feel like. You can also access a bunch of scenic routes to make it feel like you’re running through forests or on the beach and whatnot. The JRNY app is a paid service, I think it’s still about $20/month. Technically, it’s optional, but you don’t get access to most of the cool features unless you subscribe.
Entertainment apps- unlike most hi-tech consoles these days, the 10″ tablet on this treadmill comes with several entertainment apps, like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. You have to have your own subscriptions for these apps, but it’s cool that you can access them through the console. There have been some complaints from users about it being kind of tedious to access and use the apps, but hopefully Bowflex will work these glitches out with further software updates.
Bluetooth- you can track all of your workout stats through the JRNY app if you want, but you can also link the treadmill to other popular fitness apps via bluetooth.
Heart rate monitoring- you can also use bluetooth to track you heart rate. And Bowflex even includes an arm band heart rate monitor for convenience.
Quick touch speed/incline buttons- you can instantly set your speed/incline with the convenient push of a button (very handy for interval training).
Media rack- there’s a nifty place to put your tablet if you do choose to use one during your workouts.
Cooling fan- there’s a built-in fan to help keep ya more comfortable during workouts.
Water bottle holders- yup, they, uh, hold your water bottles.
Assembly
Bowflex does a great job with their assembly manual- better than most I’d say. They provide very large, easy to see images with each step and they clearly show which hardware is to be used for each step.
The assembly process for the Treadmill 10 is pretty straightforward.
The deck comes mostly preassembled, so you’d be responsible for attaching the uprights, attaching the console, and connecting a few accessories like covers.
With the hi-tech tablet, there are a few more cable connections than usual, but that shouldn’t be that bad either.
Although I find routing the cables to usually be one of the more tedious parts of assembling a treadmill.
It’s a good idea to have at least 2 people around when it comes time to assemble because like I mentioned above- this is a very large, heavy treadmill.
Having someone around to hold the console while you make cable connections will make it a lot easier too.
Overall, I think most somewhat-handy folks will be able to assemble the Treadmill 10 without any difficulties.
Warranty
Bowflex backs the Treadmill 10 with the following residential warranty:
- 15 year frame
- 15 year motor
- 5 year parts
- 1 year electronics
- 2 year labor
All things considered, I think this is a pretty good warranty. I’d prefer to see a lifetime guarantee on the frame and motor, but 15 years is pretty close (would anybody be that upset if the motor only lasted 15 years?).
Five years on parts is good for this price range and a year on electronics is pretty standard.
And 2 years on labor is better than the 1 year most offer.
Overall, I think this is a generous guarantee for the Treadmill 10.
Final Thoughts
That about does it for the Treadmill 10.
I think this treadmill has a lot to offer when it comes to performance. It comes with a large running surface, a powerful motor, and it’s really heavy-duty.
I also like that it comes with decline options- something most home treadmills can’t offer.
But it’s likely the touchscreen console that people are most interested in and for good reason- there aren’t a lot of touchscreen displays with entertainment options in this price range.
The software sounds like it could be a little more user friendly, but that seems to be an ongoing issue at this price point (Sole’s F85 has had similar complaints).
Overall, I think the Treadmill 10 is a nice option for folks looking for a hi-tech, streaming treadmill. Recommended.
