Sole F85 Treadmill Review
Catered for runners as well as the occasional use, the Sole F85 treadmill at first glance is impressive. Dubbed as one of the best folding treadmills on the market, there are some excellent features included in this machine. The F85 comes with a powerful 3.5 HP continuous duty motor, long running surface and a weight of 400lbs capacity. This is pretty impressive when you compare to the bowflex series 7 which has a 300lb user weight capacity.
Sole treadmills are used by hotel chains such as the Hilton and the company generally have a good reputation for building quality fitness machines. Personally, I have used the Sole F85 and the folding part is one of it’s best features. There is also the 2 year service warranty which proves the company’s commitment towards the quality of treadmills they produce.
For your convenience, the following video shows the Sole F85 treadmill at a quick glance. If you are looking to incorporate fitness at home, this treadmill is a good choice to consider. Have a look at the hydraulic handfree folding.
The following are the latest prices the treadmill is being offered for. It was priced at around $2000 earlier this year but the price has come down since then. The prices are the cheapest prices I have found on line.
You can also check on eBay for any cheaper deals on the treadmill.
Best Features of The Sole F85 Treadmill
For a home treadmill, this treadmill offers some good features. I have highlighted the main ones below.
- If you are looking for a treadmill that has a powerful motor, this is it. It has a 3.5 HP continuous duty motor which means you can run at high speeds without any worry. As mentioned in the buyer guide, a 3.5 HP motor is one of the highest specification motors you will find in home treadmills.
- If you have used treadmills before and felt like you were going to fall off, the treadbelt will most probably be the reason. The F85 comes with 22″x60″ belt which means it is suitable for running and jogging. If you are someone who is fairly tall this treadmill is for you. Having a 22″ wide belt is impressive as usually only commercial treadmills have this.
- I have already mentioned this in the review, the folding option is one of the best at it’s price with the easy assist feature.
- The rollers measure 2-3/4 inches. Having large rollers means the treadbelts are able to run with less tension. The belt and roller bearings in your machine will have a longer life. Having larger rollers means the treadmill will produce less noise, which is ideal for home use. Larger rollers have a better weight capacity and can absorb treadmill belt heat more efficiently.
- Simple LCD, Console display feature which means it’s very simple to start exercising on. The last thing you want is a large manual running through all the controls. It displays speed, incline levels, time, distance, calories, pulse and the level of pace. It also has a 1/4-mile track and a peak-and-valley graph for various programs.
- The warranty is better than other similar priced treadmills. Upon purchase you receive a lifetime on motor, deck, and frame; 5 years on electronics, belt, rollers, and other wear components; 2 years on labor. The 2 year labor warranty shows they are backing the treadmills design and quality features which is good for us consumers.
- The Sole F85 treadmill weighs 280lbs which is on the heavy side. Because it is heavy, it is quite sturdy and can take weight upon impact. The maximum weight of a person using this treadmill is mentioned as 400lbs. Considering the weight upon impact is a lot more, someone weighing 380lbs and below should consider this machine.
- The heart rate control with the chest strap is ideal for serious runners looking for accurate measurements.
- There is something called a cushion flex system that helps reduce the impact on feet, ankles, hips and other joints. If you have had walking or running related injuries the F85 Sole accommodates less pressurized impact.
My Opinion On The Sole F85 Treadmill
I own this treadmill and since purchase I have been very impressed by it. I use it for regular running, and it is very smooth upon impact. It has been built with commercial treadmill features with home use, in mind. The built in fan is fairly standard and the speaker quality is not some top of the range sound system, having said that you are not purchasing it for those reasons. Although, I have had no problems with the treadmill so far, I did try emailing and contacting the support team just to see how responsive they were. Calling them is the best option.
Assembling the treadmill is fairly easy. It took me about an hour to do it, but you need to make sure you decide on where you want to keep the machine. You don’t want to be moving it around to often because of the weight.
The things that stand out for me are that it’s folding feature is very easy. Sole fitness offer a 2 year labor warranty should things go wrong. So far I have not needed to call about any problems. There is no cool down feature which to be honest is really a big deal. As I mentioned previously, I run on it at least 4-5 times a week on average 20 minutes and it feels solid, study and creates low noise on impact, which is ideal for home use. I would definitely recommend the Sole F85 treadmill for anyone that want’s an all round treadmill at a reasonable price.
Any Improvements?
- The fan is fairly typical of most treadmills, just standard quality.
- The built in sound system is not the best, but this is fairly a minor caveat.
- You will notice the speed adjustment is a bit sudden. When you change from running to say fast walking you will notice the slightly sudden change as opposed to gradual.
Amazon customers have given the treadmill some positive reviews. Here are just some of them.
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