Spirit Fitness XT685 Treadmill Review
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Spirit Fitness XT685 Treadmill
$2999
Made in Taiwan
AWARDS: Highest Rated (Score 89/100)
We are always eager to test Spirit Fitness products, and the XT685 Treadmill does not disappoint. Manufactured by the same company behind Sole, Spirit can be thought of as the “big brother” to Sole. While Sole products are predominantly sold online and in department stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Spirit is mostly available through a network of brick-and-mortar specialty fitness dealers.
The Spirit Fitness XT685 Treadmill is a well-built, sturdy machine that delivers solid performance. It has an attractive, sleek design, and we appreciate its overall functionality. This model features a 4 HP motor, 3” rollers, and a 22” x 60” two-ply belt, offering a solid and reliable workout experience. As a non-folding treadmill, the XT685 weighs in at a substantial 277 lbs., with a 15% incline and a top speed of 12 mph.
There is a lot to like about this treadmill. It offers an excellent residential warranty with 10 years on parts, 1 year on in-home labor, and an impressive 5-year warranty for light commercial use.
At a price of $2,999, the XT685 occupies an interesting price point. It falls into a category where few competitors exist. It’s positioned somewhere between residential and commercial models, which can make it a bit tricky to define. High-quality residential treadmills typically cost under $2,500, while light commercial machines tend to range from $4,500 and up. The Spirit Fitness XT685 blends elements of both, making it ideal for high-end home use.
What We Don’t Like
While the Spirit Fitness XT685 impresses in many areas, there are a few drawbacks. For a machine priced at $3,000, we found its acceleration from 2 mph to 8 mph to be slower than expected, taking a sluggish 18.5 seconds. This could be problematic for users interested in interval or HIIT training, as a significant portion of the workout would be spent waiting for the treadmill to reach the target speed. The 277 Lb. frame was a bit lighter than other commercial models and we noticed a slight shake while running. While this was not a concern for durability, it was more just a pet peeve for us.
Another concern is the height of the upper display, which stands at 68 inches. For individuals under 5’8″, this could block their line of sight, potentially creating a feeling of claustrophobia or obstructing their view of a TV if it’s mounted on a wall
Pros:
Solid construction and sleek design
Great warranty for both residential and light commercial use
FTMS Bluetooth compatibility
Cons:
The price point is a bit challenging, sitting between high-end residential and light commercial models
Slow acceleration up to speed
Higher noise level compared to similar models
Potential visibility issues for shorter users due to the height of the upper display
Overall, the Spirit Fitness XT685 is an excellent treadmill for high-end home use, offering solid performance, a great warranty, and a sleek design. However, it may not be the best fit for everyone, especially those who need faster acceleration or a quieter, more unobstructed display.
3G Cardio Elite Runner Treadmill
$4,250
Made in Taiwan
AWARDS: Highest Rated (Score 95/100)
UPDATED 2024 Model: 3G Cardio Elite Runner Updated Review
We have been looking forward to this review for a while. 3G Cardio has done their biggest update in years with their Elite Runner Treadmill and we are excited to get our hands on it. Some of the new changes to this model are a matte black aluminum “automotive” finish, updated blue LED screen and FreeSync™ with FTMS Bluetooth®. We will dive into that one later.
We like 3G Cardio quite a bit. They are a smaller company and seem to have really good control over their product quality and customer support. They are quick to answer the phone and eager to solve customer issues. They are not the type of company to “nickel and dime” their customers on service either. This also shows in the reviews online. If you are doing online research, then you have already gone down the wormhole to find our review site. If you have come this far then it is because you have been frustrated by all the horrible customer reviews for the “top rated” treadmill out there. See, online “review” sites are big business, they are referred to as affiliate marketing and most are nothing more than advertisements. That is why you see such a huge discrepancy between the ratings offered up by “Best Treadmill on the Planet” review site compared to what the actual customers say. Why don’t we do this with our site? We are not smart enough to figure it out… LOL. Sorry, went off on a tangent there.
The 3G Cardio Elite Runner Treadmill is a very solid, heavy-duty treadmill with a 10-year residential / 2 year in-home labor warranty. 5 years commercial warranty. This treadmill tested extremely well and was given our overall highest score of 95. This treadmill is similar in size to what you would see in a health club. It has a huge incline and more than enough room for big users to run. This treadmill performed flawlessly with a 302 LB person going to town on it! One of the most stable treadmills tested.
The Elite Runner Treadmill passed many of our most stringent tests with flying colors. Some of the highlights of this treadmill include a fantastic warranty and customer service. A well constructed thick orthopedic belt and quick acceleration speeds. This Elite Runner treadmill really performs and feels more like a $6000+ health club treadmill, which is very impressive. We also like that 3G Cardio is not constantly bombarding us with memberships sign up text on the display. The Elite Runner actually has plenty of programs including interactive heart rate, custom and built-in fitness tests. The display is simple and easy to use and best of all, does not cost $40 per month extra. If you want to get on and go, simply hit the “GO” button and that is it. Nothing to log into or update.
We normally don’t get too deep into the “programs” of a treadmill but the 3G Cardio Elite Runner Treadmill is a bit different. They incorporate something called “FreeSync™” into their upper display. From the outside, it appears to be an old school style electronics display (which we love) but, there is a special FTMS Bluetooth ® module embedded into the screen that will allow you to connect to your tablet or mobile device. You can download any fitness app (from the Google or Apple marketplace) and then your device will be able to control the treadmill. Your tablet or phone will act as your electronics display. Apps like KinoMaps™ and Zwift™ will show you onscreen visuals like walking up a mountain path and the 3G Elite Runner will elevate up and down, in real time. The Elite Runner will also send and receive data from the tablet (speed, calories, distance etc) and display it on the screen. This is cool.
We here at Big Guy Treadmill Review absolutely despise when a treadmill manufacture strong arms their users into paying for a monthly subscription. If you don’t pay, you get a super limited experience. And if your fancy built-in tablet screen breaks, you are screwed. Also, you may not know this, but many users have been locked out of their treadmill / fitness equipment. There is a huge lawsuit going on right now between some HUGE corporations and whoever wins may be able to block other treadmills companies from the software that is already installed in their machines. This happened years ago with Life Fitness. They had an app installed in their treadmills called MyRun™. Icon Fitness bought the MyRun app and then forced Life Fitness to brick all their customers, rendering the app useless. With this FreeSync ™ module, you can use any app you want, on any device you want. Or, don’t use any app at all and keep it simple. Some of these fitness apps do charge a monthly fee but you can cancel anytime. We think it is crappy to force you into a subscription like Peloton, Nordic Track and so many others do. We wish that more treadmill brands used FTMS Bluetooth, but we also understand that it is a business. Peloton is a software company, not a fitness company. Their business is selling memberships and if they used FTMS Bluetooth, it would undermine their entire business model. We do understand this.
Pros: 3G Cardio has the “FreeSync™ connectivity with FTMS Bluetooth®” on most of their products now. Big and extremely well built, solid treadmill at a fraction of the cost of health club machines. Great running surface with orthopedic belt. Quick speed acceleration and fantastic 10 year parts warranty and 2 year in home labor / customer support. Simple built in programs – easy to use with no required membership fee. Fixed pricing. You will not see the online prices go up and down so there is no need to worry about missing a better sale price.
Cons: Expensive. Heavy and not easy to move around. We did not love the position of the cup holders. A little more speed loss than we would like to see from a high-end treadmill but overall, not too concerning.
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