If you’re in the market for a higher-end treadmill, consider the Horizon Fitness T303 before looking at its competition. This model isn’t the most powerful treadmill on the market, but it’s among the best in terms of value for your dollar.
To prove this point, this review will consider several aspects of the treadmill. This includes the design, features, price, usability and customer reviews.
Design
The Fitness T303 is a folding treadmill that allows for easy storage. It actually has several storage options, giving you more flexibility regarding where you keep it. Even though most people tend to leave their treadmills set up all the time, having the ability to move or store it is always a nice feature.
The entire system measures 34 x 58.5 x 76.5 inches and has a maximum weight capacity of 350 pounds. These dimensions allow this model to work for the vast majority of runners and walkers, so you probably don’t have to worry about weighing too much or having legs that are too long.
Knowing that most people like to listen to music or watch TV while on a treadmill, this motor was designed to run very quietly. This allows you to easily hear what you’re listening to, even if you’re running at a full sprint.
As with all modern treadmills, the colors of the T303 are black and grey with a little bit of white.
Usability
As mentioned earlier, the ability to fold this model makes it usable by people in large homes or small apartments. If you don’t have room for it, just fold it up and store it against a wall, behind a couch, etc.
The 2.5 HP motor allows a wide range of speeds- 0 to 12 MPH. You’re also able to elevate the machine up to 12% incline, which has a major effect on your workout. Unless you’re a world class athlete, this machine can certainly push you to your limits quickly (if you want it to).
If you like to run or walk every day and are concerned about cushioning, Horizon has you covered. They’ve conducted studies of biomechanics to help create one of the best cushioning systems in the industry. The T303 has a unique system that provides a good balance of shock absorption to protect your body and firmness to give you a good running platform.
Features
This model comes with a built-in COOL fitness fan. This helps you stay comfortable throughout your workout. Even if it’s fairly cool in your house, you’ll appreciate this fan during your run because you’re likely to work up a sweat. This fan will help keep you from feeling overly sweaty and uncomfortable.
One of the biggest indicators of fitness is heart rate. It’s also a good measure to track to make sure you aren’t over-doing it, but still getting a good workout. That’s why the T303 has a built-in heart rate monitor on the hand grips. Even though this isn’t recommended for high speeds, it’s not a big deal to slow the machine down for 30 seconds so you can check your heart rate.
The LCD monitor is 6.7 inches and has a backlight to make it easy to see day or night. The screen helps you track the progress of your workout so far and indicates how much longer you have left. It also makes it easy to choose between the 12 workout options that come with the treadmill. These programs use GoalCenter tracking to help you stay on track with your fitness goals and feel encouraged with your progress.
If you like using an MP3 player while running, the T303 allows you to connect your music to the machine and play through surround sound speakers. This makes it much easier on the runner, as now you don’t have cords and cables flying all over the place.
Price
The current price of this model is about $1,200. This includes several manufacturer warranties and all of the bells and whistles previously discussed.
At this price, the T303 is at the left side of the higher-end treadmills. Even though you can get them for thousands of dollars, there’s really no need since you can get a very sturdy, powerful machine for just $1,200.
Something else to keep in mind is how you’re going to use your machine. If you only need one for walking, you may not even need one as powerful as this. That said- thinking long-term, you may find that you love walking and end up wanting to run. In this case, you’ll be glad that you purchased the T303 instead of a cheaper, less durable model.
Customer Reviews
Because this is a newer model, there aren’t a lot of customer reviews online yet. On Amazon.com this model only has a 3/5 star rating, but that’s after just 4 reviews, so over time this will probably go up.
Something else to keep in mind is that the vast majority of customers don’t leave an online review. They only tend to leave one if they were extremely happy or very unsatisfied. For example, one negative review found online said that when the machine was delivered, there was a large crack going down on side of the machine and underneath.
Another customers said that the machine only lasted a few weeks before it had a short circuit and stopped working.
Obviously people that had a machine break in a short period of time would be unhappy. But other customers said that they found the quality to be very good for the price, so it is also a matter of opinion.
Conclusion
The Horizon Fitness T303 is a newer treadmill, so it’s still gaining traction in the marketplace. But as part of the Horizon lineup, it won’t take long for a strong fan base to build.
Given all of this treadmill’s features, the T303 is a solid choice for most families. Whether you live in a small apartment or 6 bedroom house, this model can help you reach your fitness goals while staying in the comfort of your home.
For the best price, definitely go online to site like Amazon.com. You’re likely to save at least a few hundred dollars over the retail price.
