ProForm is a leader in the home treadmill game and their Pro 9000 shines as their most advanced treadmill to date.
So, if you’re looking for a powerful treadmill with hi-tech features, it’s gonna be hard to find a smarter option in this price range.
Highlights of this treadmill include a 3.6 CHP motor, a 20″ x 60″ running surface, and a respectably heavy-duty frame.
But let’s be real, it’s that 22″ HD touchscreen display that pairs perfectly with iFit that steals the show here.
As a moderately priced treadmill though, it’s got some serious competition – we’re talking the likes of Sole and NordicTrack.
With so many great treadmills to choose from in this price range, does the Pro 9000 have what it takes to hold its own?
Well, 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.
I’ll also provide a brief comparison to some of the biggest competitors in this price range to see how the Pro 9000 stands up.
After reading, you’ll know everything you need to in order to decide for yourself whether or not this treadmill is a smart buy.
Ok, if you’re ready to roll, let’s get to the good stuff already.
The ProForm Pro 9000 Treadmill
ProForm is a popular home fitness brand that’s probably most well-known for their treadmills.
Well, I take that back, their ellipticals and HIIT trainers are pretty awesome too.
Anyway, when it comes to treadmills, they’re definitely one of the most well-known home brands around.
These days, their treadmills come in 3 different series: Pro, Carbon, and City.
Each lineup has their own vibe, but generally speaking, the Pro Series consists of their highest-end machines, the City lineup has their most affordable, and the Carbon treadmills fall somewhere in the middle.
The 9000 is the most advanced treadmill ProForm offers and comes with a few subtle upgrades over their Pro 2000 Treadmill (which is a great buy in its own right).
Spoiler alert: screen size and motor strength are really the only differences between these different models.
Anyway, as the most advanced option, the 9000 has the strongest motor and largest screen option they offer, but more on that in a bit.
At the time of writing this, the Pro 9000 comes with an asking price of somewhere around $1800 (although I’ve seen it as low as $1599 before on sale).
Pros
- 20″ x 60″ running surface
- 3.6 CHP motor
- 22″ HD touchscreen display
- ProShox Cushioning system
- -3 – 12% incline
- Quick touch speed/incline buttons
- Interactive speed/incline controls
- 30 day iFit trial included
- EasyLift Assist folding deck
- QuickSpeed buttons
- Bluetooth compatible
- Cooling fan
Cons
- Warranty could be longer
- Rollers could be larger
Running Surface
If you’ve ever read any of my other treadmill reviews, you know I’m a stickler for running surface size. I think it’s the most important feature to consider when looking for a treadmill.
And that’s because if the running surface is too small, you’re going to feel cramped.
And no matter how strong the motor is or how many cool features the treadmill comes with, you’re still going to be uncomfortable.
And if you’re uncomfortable, you’re not gonna use your new treadmill.
So, comfort comes first in my book.
Most high-quality treadmills will come with at least a 20″ x 60″ running surface, meaning the belt is 20″ wide and 60″ long.
This is kind of the gold standard because most people can comfortably run on a treadmill of this size without having to shorten their stride when sprinting at faster speeds.
With this in mind, the Pro 9000 comes with a running surface of 20″ x 60″.
With a belt of this size, folks of all heights should be able to use this treadmill comfortably, so no issues there.
Although I have to say, I remember the older version of the Pro 9000 which came with a larger 22″ x 60 running surface, a stronger motor, larger rollers… and so on.
I guess ProForm decided to skimp a little on performance and make the newer models more streaming friendly…
I guess that’s what people want these days, oh well.
Anyway, the Pro 9000 also comes with ProForm’s patented ProShox Cushioning system.
This is their shock absorbing technology that is designed to reduce stress through your joints during your workouts.
ProForm treadmills are popular in part due to this technology and users usually agree that the deck feels comfortable to run on.
Speaking of the deck, the Pro 9000 comes with a 300 lb weight limit.
This is pretty average and maybe even a little low for a treadmill in this price range, but it’s still high enough to accommodate most users.
It also comes with an in box weight of 263 lb.
I’m not sure why ProForm (and NordicTrack) give us the “in box” weight as opposed to the actual assembled weights, but I guess we have to work with what we’re given.
The in box weight includes any packaging weight too, so we have to subtract this from the in box weight to get an idea as to where the true assembled weight is.
I don’t know how much the packaging weighs for this treadmill, but if we take away a very conservative 50 lb away, that puts the Pro 9000 weighing somewhere in the 213 lb range.
Which isn’t bad.
I like the idea of having a heavy treadmill because it means it’s going to feel more secure during workouts (and wiggle around less).
At this weight, we shouldn’t have to worry about the Pro 9000 feeling insecure, but it’s still not nearly as heavy as some of the other treadmills in this price range.
Like Sole’s F80, which weighs in at an astounding 278 lb…
Overall though, the Pro 9000 scores pretty highly with its spacious running surface and high-end shock absorbing system.
Motor
After running surface, I suggest you consider the motor strength.
Having a stronger motor is beneficial because it means the motor won’t have to work as hard as a weaker one would to sustain the same work load.
This means stronger motors should be quieter and smoother, but it also means they should last longer, since they aren’t being stressed as much during each use.
Stronger is better, but it also depends on what you’ll be doing on your treadmill.
If you’re gonna be running a lot, then it makes sense to go for a stronger motor.
If you’ll be walking most of the time, you won’t have to worry quite as much about horsepower.
You might even be able to safe yourself some cash and go with a slightly smaller motor.
I think 3.0 CHP is a smart cutoff for running- if you’ll be doing much running, I suggest you go with a motor that has at least 3.0 CHP.
With this in mind, the Pro 9000 comes with a 3.6 CHP Mach Z motor.
Don’t ask me what the ‘Mach Z’ means or stands for, but I agree it sounds pretty impressive.
What’s important though, is that this treadmill is packing a pretty powerful motor.
That’s a lot of horsepower for a home treadmill in this price range (even beating out the Sole F80 mentioned earlier).
With this much power under the hood, you shouldn’t have any trouble reaching and maintaining higher speeds comfortably.
Speaking of which, this treadmill has a max speed of 12 mph, which is standard for home treadmills.
What isn’t standard though, is the -3 – 12% slope the Pro 9000 can reach, giving folks the option to train downhill as well as up.
The last thing I want to mention here are the rollers.
The rollers are the part that propels the belt down the deck and having larger ones is better because it puts less stress on both the rollers and the belt, prolonging the life of both.
Most high-end treadmills have rollers somewhere in the 2-3″ range.
With that in mind, consider that the Pro 9000 uses 1.9″ rollers.
These are a little smaller than I’d like to see on a treadmill of this caliber, but users generally agree the belt action on this machine is pretty smooth.
Overall, I like that the Pro 9000 comes with such a powerful motor and the ability to decline is cool for added variety. The rollers could be larger, but that in itself, isn’t necessarily a huge deal.
Features
The ProForm Pro 9000 comes with the following features:
22″ HD touchscreen console- one of the biggest perks of this treadmill is its huge, elegant touchscreen display. This display pairs perfectly with iFit and that’s exactly why ProForm included it. With a screen this large, you won’t have any problems seeing workouts regardless of whether you’re on the treadmill or not.
iFit- iFit is ProForm’s fitness streaming app and it’s the same one used with all NordicTrack machines too. It gives you access to personal training and unlimited instructor-led workouts right from your treadmill. The only kicker? You have to pay the monthly subscription fee, which I believe is still $39/month. ProForm gives you a free 30 day trial with purchase and yes, you can use this treadmill in manual mode without an iFit membership, but I don’t see why you would.
Interactive training- with iFit, you also get access to interactive training, where the speed and incline settings are automatically controlled by the instructors during your workouts. This is a cool feature because all you have to do is sit back and keep up (you can manually control everything too if you prefer).
Bluetooth- the Pro 9000 is compatible with bluetooth headphones and heart rate straps for accurate monitoring.
Quick touch buttons- these buttons allow you to instantly set the speed and/or incline without having to tap the up and down arrows a hundred times. Very convenient for interval training.
EasyLift Assist- I don’t think I mentioned it earlier, but the Pro 9000 is also a folding treadmill. The EasyLift Assist is a hydraulic system that makes folding a lot easier.
Cooling fan- the included fan has 2 speeds to help you stay comfortable during your more strenuous workouts.
Water bottle holder- yup, don’t worry, there’s a place to put your beverages.
Assembly
ProForm does a pretty good job with their assembly instructions.
I like that they include a to scale image of each screw and bolt at the beginning of the instructions.
It would be nice if they showed a to scale image of the hardware for each step, but most assembly instructions don’t do this.
Assembly itself isn’t that complicated, but there are a lot of steps – it’s probably doable as a one man job, but it would be easier with 2 people.
I’d expect to spend a few hours getting this treadmill assembled.
Many users suggested paying for professional assembly- probably not a bad idea if you have the extra cash for it and want to save yourself a little headache, but certainly not necessary.
Warranty
The ProForm Pro 9000 comes with the following warranty:
- 10 year frame
- 2 year parts
- 1 year labor
The warranty department is where ProForm falls a little short.
I’d expect to see a lifetime warranty on both the frame and the motor for a treadmill of this quality and in this price range, so 10 years on the frame is a bit disappointing.
Two years on parts is also a little short, considering most quality treadmills in this price range come with parts warranties in the 2-5 year range.
The labor warranty is par for the course, few brands offer more than a year on labor.
Overall, the warranty could certainly be better, but this is the exact same guarantee NordicTrack offers on all of their treadmills and they have a whole lot of happy customers.
The Competition
Ok, so we’ve taken a pretty close look at the Pro 9000. Now I want to provide a quick comparison to 2 other treadmills in this price range.
First, let’s see how it compares to one of my personal favorites, the Sole F80.
The F80 is in the same price range but doesn’t offer as much technology as the Pro 9000.
The F80 has a slightly less powerful motor at 3.5 CHP and has the same spacious running surface.
But the F80 destroys the Pro 9000 in the warranty department- lifetime frame, motor, and deck; 5 year parts; 2 year labor.
So, these two treadmills are very different: the Pro 9000 has a lot more to offer in the tech and workout departments, but the Sole F80 offers a much better warranty.
Next, let’s compare it to the NordicTrack Commercial 1750.
This treadmill comes with a 14″ HD touchscreen display, so significantly smaller.
The Pro 9000 just barely beats out the 1750 in the motor department (3.6 CHP vs 3.5 CHP), although the 1750 has a slightly larger running surface.
Both treadmills also offer the same warranty and weight capacity, although the 1750 has much larger rollers and is significantly heavier-duty.
Overall, based on this quick comparison, I’d say the Pro 9000 can hold its own with the other best treadmills in this price range.
It really all depends on what features you’re really looking for.
Final Thoughts
After going through all the specs and features, it’s pretty easy to see why the ProForm Pro 9000 has become such a popular treadmill.
It’s got a pretty sweet combination of both tech features and performance specs and it comes at a reasonable price – I mean a 3.6 CHP motor and a 22″ HD touchscreen in this price range?
Come on.
My only concern is the lackluster warranty- it could definitely be longer.
But if you’re looking for an affordable treadmill with a high-tech console and enough muscle for even the most advanced runners, this is a pretty smart choice.
That said, I think this treadmill makes the most sense for folks who are comfortable with signing up for and using iFit – I mean otherwise, that awesome console would be wasted.
But regardless, there’s no denying that the Pro 9000 is indeed a great treadmill for the price. Recommended.
