Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill Review

Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill Review

$699

This is a treadmill that we did not have real high hopes for based on the $650 selling price point, but we were pleasantly surprised with the outcome.  The Horizon T101 actually felt decent, even with my 300lbs frame on it.  It was a surprise that this model felt like it could handle my weight.

Now you have to keep in mind that this is not a guarantee that this treadmill will hold up past 6 months, a year, or beyond that.  The old adage that you get what you pay for is certainly true when it comes to treadmills.  But, that is not our job here.  Our job is to get on a treadmill and tell you how it feels for someone my size.  And the Horizon T101 feels pretty good.  Honestly, if you have under 1k to spend on a treadmill, this may be the best one out there for you.  

We found the treadmill easy to start up, not a bunch of garbage apps to make you sign in.  Not a bunch of annoying features to try and work around.  The treadmill was simple to use, and the programming also seemed simple enough.  The angle of the upper electronics display was good as was the handlebar positioning.  This is a big deal to me (at 6” 4”) because many treadmills feel like the handle’s bars are too low and I feel like I must lean forward.  

The running belt and deck felt solid.  I did not have the impression that I was too much for the machine, which was impressive.  Again, for the second time, this is a $650 machine and I have no clue how this would hold up over time.  There is a reason why the commercial machines cost over 4k.  But, I can say that if I only had $700 to spend on a new treadmill, I would strongly consider this one.  I think at this price point, the 1-year parts and 1-year labor warranty is about the best you can expect.  Something to keep in mind is that in-home service is expensive no matter the MSRP of the machine.  If you have an issue with a treadmill after the labor warranty has expired, you could easily be looking at $300 in labor costs plus whatever parts are needed.  On a side note, this is why I never recommend buying a used commercial treadmill.  You will get MASSACRED when it comes time to service the used treadmill.  These commercial treadmill companies (Precor / Matrix / Life Fitness etc) charge an absolute fortune for parts.  Their markups are highway robbery.  I had a customer recently tell me that they bought a 7k used commercial treadmill for $1800.  8 months later they had to replace the lower control board and the total service bill was $1400!  Back in the day, I had a friend who bought a used Porsche for 20k, and he thought he was the bomb!  He kept telling everyone he had a 100k car.  Well, when it came time to get a brake job it really was a 100k car; the brake job cost him 4k.  He sold the car a month later.  Service will get you eventually so make sure you understand what you are getting into.  If you need a heavy-duty treadmill, the Horizon T101 may feel nice upfront but consider what you are buying and what you are paying for. Again, these reviews aim to look out for the bigger people! This is a good machine at first appearance and that is our job in the review, to tell you how it feels.  

Although we have given this a best buy (under $1000) we still have to nitpick a little bit.  The actual suspension on this machine is a little stiff and the treadmill is one of the noisier models we tested (Decibels Chart). Also, there is no safety catch at the back roller which is a big deal if you have little kids or pets.  Please be very aware of this as it is a danger point and shockingly Horizon has not addressed this, even after Pelton had the recalls on their treadmills for this exact reason.

PROS:  Price point, price point, price point, and price point.  Feels surprisingly solid for … you guessed it, the price point.  Hard to recommend any other treadmill under 1k compared to this Horizon T101. Easy to use electronics and easy to fold up and down.

CONS:  No safety bar catch at the back – danger for kids and pets!  Noisy. Not a great warranty but again, it’s $650.