What are tread climbers?
The best way to describe a tread climber is a hybrid of a treadmill and a stair climber, hence the name. They are manufactured by the Nautilus corporation, which is a well-regarded company that has been in the exercise industry for many years.
In addition to the Nautilus Treadclimber, there is also a great new Bowflex TreadClimber made by their subsidiary company. (Stairmaster and Schwinn are also under the Nautilus umbrella).
Tread climbers have two separate revolving belts that you walk on which also move up and down in a stepping motion. So you are essentially combining the two machines into one, offering a alternative cardiovascular workout.
Through our treadclimber reviews we uncovered some positive and negative aspects of the Nautilus and Bowflex tread climbers, as noted below:
PROS:
1. These machines do provide a great cardio workout - we worked up a good sweat and our hearts were pumping.
2. Tread climbers offer a low impact workout, especially good for people with knee or back problems.
3. They are easy to use once you learn how, and offer good control and displays.
CONS:
1. The Nautilus Treadclimber and Bowflex Treadclimber are somewhat expensive. At $1,500 to $2,200 for the high end models, these machines are 10-20% more expensive than most treadmills, and 30-50% more expensive than most elliptical trainers and steppers.
2. Maximum speed is only 4mph, so you can't really run or even jog...the tread climber also doesn't allow for long strides.
3. The motion does take some getting used to..your feet can slip between the belts if you're not careful.
Is a tread climber worth the money?
Yes. As a result of our treadclimber reviews, since they do provide a solid workout we can recommend them if you have the money to spend. If not, you are probably better off with another machine.
For you to spend that kind of money on a machine like the Nautilus Treadclimber and Bowflex Treadclimber just to decide that you don't like the motion would be a waste. Sure, you could always return it within 30 days but you don't get your shipping/handling fees back, and in most cases have to pay for shipping it back to the company.
If you are on a budget we believe you might be better off with the more traditional cardiovascular trainers, such as a treadmill, elliptical, steppers, and some of the other exercisers we review on this site.
If you have used the Nautilus Treadclimber or Bowflex TreadClimber and would like to tell us about it send us an email and we'll include your comments in our next treadclimber reviews.
