Is Horizon’s 7.4 AT Treadmill A Smart Buy? [A Review]

Horizon’s 7.4 AT is a reasonably-priced treadmill with some nice tech features and some great performance specs.

This treadmill comes with some cool features (quick dial controls, bluetooth speakers, etc), but it’s the performance side of things where the 7.4 AT truly shines.

With a 3.5 CHP motor and a 22″ x 60″ running surface, this treadmill’s powerful enough and spacious enough to handle users and workouts of all varieties.

And with a robust frame and one of the longest warranties on the market, you don’t have to worry about this machine crapping out on ya anytime soon.

Add all this up and the result is a sophisticated treadmill with a lot offer.

There’s not much to complain about here, but the 7.4 AT does find itself in a very competitive price range – so is it really worth investing in?

Well, I that’s what I’m here to help you figure out.

In this review, I”ll go over everything this treadmill does and doesn’t have going for it, but I’ll also compare it to some of the other top options in this price range to see how it really stacks up against the competition.

After reading, you’ll know everything you need to about this treadmill in order to make the right decision for your home gym.

With a strong motor, heavy-duty frame, and great warranty, Horizon’s 7.4 AT is as high-performing as any treadmill in its price range. Serious runners, however, might want to opt for the higher-end 7.8 AT for its even stronger motor.

Horizon’s 7.4 AT Treadmill

Horizon Fitness is a fairly well-known brand that’s become popular over the years for providing quality budget to mid-range priced home fitness equipment.

The offer treadmills, cycles, and ellipticals and I believe everything is priced under $2000.

I’m guessing the fact that their budget friendly 7.0 AT treadmill was a hit was the motivation for them to expand their AT lineup, but I could be wrong.

Makes sense, you gotta give the people what they want.

By the way, the 7.4 AT and the higher-end 7.8 AT were added to the lineup at the same time.

Both come with upgrades (and higher price tags) than the 7.0 AT, but more on that later (if interested, you can also see a full comparison of all models by checking out my Horizon Treadmill Guide).

The 7.4 AT we’re here to talk about now is Horizon’s second nicest treadmill to date and as I’m writing this, it’ll cost ya around $1600.

Let’s start things off with a rundown on the performance specs.

Pros

• 22″ x 60″ running surface
• 3.5 CHP motor
• 0.5 – 12 mph
• 0 – 15% incline
• 3 zone variable response cushioning system
• 350 lb weight capacity
• Bluetooth compatibility with fitness apps
• Bluetooth speakers
• Heart rate monitor compatible
• One touch incline/speed buttons
• QuickDial controls
• Handlebar buttons
• USB charging port
• Multi-position tablet holder
• Easy assembly
• Great warranty

Cons

• Only 10 workout programs
• Rollers could be larger

Running Surface

I like to start my treadmill reviews with the stuff that really matters- performance specs.

And no spec is more important, in my opinion, than the running surface… well, motor is close, but nonetheless.

Simply put- treadmills with larger running surfaces are more comfortable to use.

How large is large enough?

Technically speaking, it depends on your height and whether you’re walking or running., but to keep things simple- most people are safe with a 20″ x 60″ running surface.

This has become the gold standard for home treadmills because most people, regardless of height, can use a treadmill this large comfortably.

And by comfortably, I mean without running out of room (usually due to short belts, but it’s just as uncomfortable to walk or run on a really narrow belt too).

Well, the 7.4 AT comes with a running surface of 22″ x 60″, which should be spacious enough for folks of all sizes to run comfortably without having to shorten their stride.

A lot of nicer treadmills are opting for the extra wide belts these days because it does make a difference. It gives you a feel that more closely resembles a club machine.

This is a noticeable upgrade over the 7.0 AT, which has a 20″ x 60″ running surface, while the 7.8 AT comes with the same 22″ x 60″ running surface.

Like all other Horizon treadmills, this model also comes with their patented 3-zone variable response cushioning deck.

This just means that you get more or less cushion depending on where your foot hits the deck (more cushioning in the front where you need it at heel strike and less in the back where you want a firm surface to push off of).

Personally, I can’t really tell much of a difference on their 7.8 AT (same shock absorbing system),  but users seem to be happy with the overall feel of this treadmill.

Frame robustness is another key spec that you should consider.

Heavier-duty frames make for a more stable running surface, meaning less wobbling and wiggling around during your workouts.

The 7.4 AT comes with a heavy-duty frame that feels sturdy during your workouts.

And by ‘heavy-duty’, we’re talking a treadmill that weighs in at 318 lb and can hold users weighing up to 350 lb.

This sounds pretty impressive and it is.

For the sake of comparison, the similarly-priced Sole F80 weighs 274 lb and has a weight capacity of 375 lb.

And Sole is known for making some of the heaviest-duty home treadmills around.

The fact that the 7.4 AT weighs so much is great when it comes to stability during workouts, but it will make it harder to move around.

The built-in transport wheels help, but this thing still weighs over 300 lb.

Anyway, this treadmill’s frame can also fold vertically for easy storage and with the FeatherLight hydraulic system, folding the heavy deck a piece of cake.

Unfolded, this treadmill takes up a footprint of 76″ x 37″, which is average for a full size home treadmill, so no surprises there.

Overall, the 7.4 AT scores highly with a spacious running surface and sophisticated shock absorbing system. The assembled weight and weight limit are also more than enough to handle users of all sizes.

Motor

Motor strength is another crucial spec to examine, especially if you plan on doing some running.

Stronger motors will be able to handle the stresses of higher speeds more efficiently, which should equate to smoother, quieter operation (as well as prolonged motor life).

The 7.4 AT comes with a 3.5 CHP motor that can reach a max speed of 12 mph and a max incline of 15%.

All of these motor stats are impressive, but Horizon also claims this motor has a RapidSync drive system that reduces any lag time between speed or incline adjustments (as much as 33% faster according to Horizon).

They say the same thing about the 7.8 AT (which I have in my gym as I’m writing this), but I can’t say I’ve ever noticed any significant difference between its adjustment speeds and any other treadmill I’ve used.

Regardless, with this much strength under the hood, you can expect smooth belt action and comfortable speed/incline adjustments.

Motor strength is also a key difference between the other ‘AT’ treadmills: the 7.0 only comes with a 3.0 CHP motor (and the 7.8 comes with an even stronger 4.0 CHP motor).

Moving on, this treadmill comes with 60mm/46mm tapered rollers – I’m no good with the metric system, so that’s 2.36″ and 1.81″ respectively.

FYI, the rollers are the part of the treadmill that propels the belt along the deck.

Larger is considered better, because it makes for smoother operation (and puts less stress through the belt and rollers themselves).

Most high-end treadmills use at least 2 – 3″ rollers for durable, smooth operation.

But in this price range, the 7.4 AT’s rollers aren’t bad.

For example, Sole’s F80 uses 2.36″ rollers and NordicTrack’s similarly-priced Commercial 1250 uses 1.9″ rollers, so there ya go.

Roller size isn’t necessarily a deal breaker for me, but all other things being equal, I’d go with the treadmill with the larger rollers.

Overall, the 7.8 AT comes with an impressive motor for the price range.

It’s powerful enough to comfortably reacher higher speeds, making it a good treadmill for running, and the incline capabilities allow for plenty of workout variety.

Features

The Horizon 7.8 AT Treadmill comes with the following features:

8.25″ LCD console- the display on this treadmill is fairly simple, but it’s large enough and bright enough to see easily during workouts.

10 workout programs- this treadmill comes with 10 programmed workouts to choose from, including the “Sprint 8” workout which is a 20 min HIIT style program designed to burn as many calories and as much fat as possible in a short period of time.

Bluetooth compatible- this treadmill can easily sync up with smart phones and tablets, giving you the option to use it with any streaming (like Peloton) or on-demand fitness app you prefer, including Zwift, the popular app that gives you access to scenic routes and competitions.

Bluetooth speakers- you can sync your phone to the bluetooth speakers and listen to your music wirelessly through the treadmill. Comes in handy for folks who don’t own headphones (or don’t like having something in their ears while they work out).

Heart rate monitor compatible- you can sync a chest strap heart rate monitor up to the treadmill via bluetooth for more accurate heart rate tracking.

One touch speed/incline settings- this feature makes it easy to change your speed and incline settings rapidly during your workouts (comes in handy when doing those streaming workouts where you may be doing interval training).

Custom interval buttons- Horizon takes it one step further and included buttons on the handles that allow you to save custom work/recovery settings too, making it really convenient to do interval training.

Dial controls- I know this is a small detail, but it really is one of my favorite things about these Horizon treadmills. Instead of having to push buttons, you can rapidly adjust your speed and incline by turning these little blue dials. The incline increases by 0.5% with each ‘click’ and the speed by 0.1 mph. They’re located on the handlebars for easy access. Super convenient during workouts.

USB charging port- there’s a USB port with the table holder, allowing you to charge your smart devices while you get your workout on.

Multi-position tablet holder- the tablet holder is located above the screen, so you don’t have to block your workout data if you’re using your tablet to watch a workout (or Netflix).

Fan- the built-in fan will help keep you more comfortable during your more strenuous workouts.

Water bottle holders – there are large spaces on each side of the console for storage of water bottles, remotes, keys, or anything else you might want to store within grabbing distance during workouts.

Assembly

The 7.4 AT treadmill should be pretty easy to assemble.

Horizon does a great job with their assembly manuals- they’re easy to follow and the images are large enough to see everything clearly.

I especially like that they have to-scale images of the bolts and screws used for each step- this makes it a lot easier to figure out what hardware goes where (I hate it when you have to skim back to the beginning of the manual to look up which piece you’re using).

The assembly process is pretty straightforward- there’s only 4 steps to get the job done.

I think most folks will be able to get the job done by themselves.

Just keep in mind this is a large, heavy treadmill- it’s a good idea to have a second set of hands available for faster (and safer) assembly.

I would guess most people can have this treadmill out of the box and working within an hour or so.

Warranty

The Horizon 7.4 AT comes with the following warranty:

• Lifetime frame
• Lifetime motor
• 5 year parts
• 2 year labor

Horizon always does a great job with their warranties.

And I think this is a fantastic guarantee for any machine, but especially for one in this price range.

You can’t beat a lifetime warranty for the frame and motor and these days, we rarely see it.

Five years on parts is also impressive, considering most offer 2 (NordicTrack) or 3 years (Sole).

Two years on labor is very impressive too, considering a lot of brands max out at a year.

This is actually the same warranty offered on the more expensive 7.8 AT  (both are longer than the guarantee on the 7.0 AT).

Overall, nothing to complain about here – Horizon is offering a great warranty on the 7.4 AT.

Horizon’s 7.4 AT vs The Competition

	Horizon 7.4 AT	Sole F80	NordicTrack Commercial 1250	BowFlex BXT8J
Running surface	22″ x 60″	22″ x 60″	20″ x 60″	20″ x 60″
Motor	3.5 CHP	3.5 CHP	3.0 CHP	2.5 HP
Speed/incline	0 – 12 mph 0 – 15%	0 – 12 mph 0 – 15%	0 – 12 mph – 3 – 12%	0 – 12 mph 0 – 15%
Console	8.25″ LCD	10″ touchscreen	10″ HD touchscreen	Dual LCD
Warranty	Lifetime frame 5 year parts 2 year labor	Lifetime frame 3 year parts 1 year labor	10 year frame 2 year parts 1 year labor	10 year frame 3 year parts 1 year labor
Price	~$1600	~$1800	~$1600	~$1300

I think the 7.4 AT is a whole lotta treadmill for $1600, but the only real way to know for sure is to look at what else is out there.

So, let’s do that.

There are some impressive treadmills in this price range and the first that comes to mind is Sole’s F80.

The F80 is usually priced a little higher, often around $1700 – $1800, but it comes with equally impressive performance specs and a new updated touchscreen console that comes with pre-loaded entertainment apps and free streaming workouts through Sole+.

The F80 definitely comes with a nicer console, but as mentioned earlier, the 7.4 AT is much heavier-duty and Horizon does offer a better warranty.

Honestly though, it’s a tough call between these two treadmills.

The 7.4 AT makes more sense if you don’t care about the streaming features that console has to offer.

NordicTrack’s New Commercial 1250 is another impressive specimen and it’s usually priced somewhere around $1600 or so.

It comes with a smaller 3.0 CHP motor and a smaller 20″ x 60″ running surface; it also comes with smaller rollers (1.9″) and a significantly shorter warranty.

But with a 10″ HD touchscreen console and iFit compatibility, it’s a much better option for streaming workouts.

It can also decline down to -3%, mimicking the feel of walking/running downhill.

The last treadmill I want to mention is BowFlex’s BXT8J, which usually sells for around $1300 or so.

This treadmill comes with a 20″ x 60″ running surface and a much weaker motor (2.5 HP).

It’s console is pretty basic too, but it’s bluetooth compatible with JRNY, BowFlex’s streaming service, and BowFlex’s warranty is a little better than NordicTrack’s.

Overall, I think Sole’s F80 is the 7.4 AT’s closest competitor, but even so, the 7.4 AT can hold its own and then some against any treadmill in its price range.

Horizon’s 7.4 AT vs Horizon’s 7.8 AT

	Horizon’s 7.4 AT	Horizon’s 7.8 AT
Running surface	22″ x 60″	22″ x 60″
Motor	3.5 CHP	4.0 CHP
Weight limit	350 lb	375 lb
Console	8.25″ LCD	9.3″ color LCD
Warranty	Lifetime frame 5 year parts 2 year labor	Lifetime frame 5 year parts 2 year labor
Price	~$1600	~$2000

The last treadmill I want to compare the 7.4 AT to is Horizon’s own 7.8 AT.

I personally own this treadmill and I can say with confidence that the 7.8 AT is a true workhorse.

I’ve had this treadmill for years and it’s never skipped a beat.

Anyway, the 7.8 AT costs about $400 more and for the extra cash you get an even stronger motor (4.0 CHP), a higher weight capacity (375 lb), and a convenient media tray for extra storage.

The 7.8 AT also comes with a larger, color LCD screen, but it more or less has all the same features as the 7.4 AT.

Both treadmills come with the same warranty are are about the same size (the 7.8 AT is a few pounds heavier, but nothing too significant).

So, is the 7.8 AT worth the extra investment?

I think it depends on the type of workouts you plan on doing…

If you’re planning on running regularly or at higher intensities, the stronger motor alone could be reason enough to go all-in for the 7.8 AT.

But walkers and joggers may want to save the money and stick with the slightly weaker 7.4 AT.

Homes with multiple users may want to consider going with the 7.8 AT and its stronger motor as well.

Final Thoughts

That about does it.

I think it’s safe to say the 7.4 AT treadmill has a lot to offer.

For the price, it comes with a spacious running surface, a powerful motor, and a generous warranty- the 3 factors I stress most highly when looking for a treadmill.

And even though it doesn’t come with a touchscreen, the 7.4 AT’s console does come with some nice features (again, I love the quick dial controls).

When it comes to pure performance, I think the 7.4 AT is easily the best in its price range, but if you’re looking for more tech features, Sole’s F80 is worth considering.

So, it kinda boils down to what you’re looking for.

And as the above table shows, the differences between the 7.4 AT and 7.8 AT are pretty subtle, but with the stronger motor, the 7.8 AT is better equipped to handle serious runners.

All things considered, I think the 7.4 AT is easily one of the top treadmills in its price range.

If you’re looking for a high-performing treadmill that’s built to last, you can’t go wrong. Highly recommended.