Over the past decade the price of fitness equipment such as treadmills and ellipticals has taken a seemingly divergent and in some cases somewhat contradictory course. If a consumer wanted a quality machine in the past, it was not unusual for them to have to pay upwards of $2000. Today, the quality of products at the high end of the market has skyrocketed while the quality of the low end has taken on an equally stratospheric course towards better quality. While you may have the means to spend $7000 on fitness equipment, the average consumer may feel the prices are a bit more reasonable in the lower ranges. Unfortunately the sub-$1000 price point still has some serious duds and the sub-$500 price point is full of substandard machines along with very few reasonable deals. In order to be sure that you get a good machine it is important to do your homework.
One brand that fits in this lower category is Proform Fitness, a subsidiary of industry giant Icon Health & Fitness. Icon is, without a doubt, the largest company in the market and because of this can produce a better product at a lower price. Of course this does not mean that any piece of equipment from this or any...