As a fitness editor, I’m always on the lookout for great deals, whether that's a discounted pair of running shoes or a popular running watch that’s suddenly half price. As Black Friday creeps ever closer, plenty of brands have started their sales early. And from cheap Fitbits to discounted treadmills, there’s already a number of Black Friday deals worth shopping.
Right now, the one that has caught my eye is the Sunny Health and Fitness SF-T7515 Smart Treadmill, which has been discounted by $129 on Amazon. While I've yet to review it myself, thousands of positive reviews from happy runners has made it hard to ignore.
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So if you’ve been waiting to add a treadmill to your home gym set-up, this is the early Black Friday deal worth shopping.
Known for affordable home exercise equipment, Sunny Health and Fitness products are by no means the fanciest, but they have all the tools for a brilliant workout, and, they won’t set you back thousands of dollars. If you’re thinking about adding a treadmill to your home before the winter hits, finding a reliable piece of equipment that doesn’t cost more than your monthly rent, can be tricky.
Sure, compared to say, the Peloton Tread or the NordicTrack Commercial 2950, this one is pretty basic. There’s no touch screen or live interactive classes, but if that’s not really your thing and you’d rather plug in and go, who cares. What’s more, at less than $400, you can definitely afford to pay a monthly subscription for services like Peloton or Apple Fitness Plus and join workouts from your tablet or phone.
From a running perspective, the Sunny Health and Fitness SF-T7515 treadmill has 12 different levels of incline, taking you from 0% to 12% (which is a pretty steep hill to power up). The speed range goes up to eight miles per hour, which is a running pace of around 7:29 minute/miles. So it won’t be speedy enough for all runners, but for beginners or runners who enjoy using the treadmill for easy miles or hiking, it’ll tick the right boxes. No matter how fast you’re running, the digital LCD display shows your time, distance, speed, calories, incline, and heart rate (if you use the handrail pulse sensors).
There are three different countdown modes on the treadmill — time, distance, and calories. This makes it easy to say, run for an hour, or do a 5K a couple of times a week to PB at your next Turkey Trot. When it comes to connecting your tech, the treadmill has Bluetooth, allowing you to connect your phone to the treadmill to play music.
On the arms of the treadmill, there are handrail pulse sensors, but also quick reach incline and speed buttons, similar to the design of far more expensive treadmills. The handlebars are non-slip and there’s also a bottle holder big enough for most sports bottles. The running surface itself is 49.5 inches long and 15.6 inches wide, but user reviews say it’s long enough for taller runners to comfortably stride out. Other runners have commented on how quiet the treadmill is to run on.
A huge selling point of this treadmill over its more expensive counterparts is that it can be folded away when it’s not in use and has wheels to manoeuvre it into the corner. If you’re short on space, or you’re living in a house with kids or pets, this is a brilliant option to have.
From a safety perspective, there’s also a soft drop system, which prevents the treadmill from slamming to the ground when you unfold it, and an emergency stop clip. While it’s slightly more expensive, I’d recommend forking out the $89 on the expert assembly option for the peace of mind that the tread is safe. (I’d also probably buy the two-year warranty for $24.99, but I’m clumsy.)
It’s not the fanciest treadmill on the market, but for less than $500 with assembly, it’s a bargain.