NordicTrack 1750 Treadmill Reviewed and Rated

iFit is a great thing, and worth paying for. It can simulate runs on courses all over the world, give you an immersive experience, let you work out with professional trainers, and also connect to social media to go head to head with new and old friends. This is all from the privacy of your home gym. Also, you do not have to use iFit to use 1750. Making a paid iFit subscription mandatory, for every machine, was a bad mistake on NordicTrack's part. It happened several years ago, was greeted by customer uproar, and was wisely corrected soon after.

We said all that to say that you can use 1750 just fine without the iFit suite. But, like Amazon Prime or other monthly subscription services, NordicTrack gives you a trial period. In this case, it is a super generous year of free use--not a month. So while NordicTrack is not doing anything unethical, the free trial seems designed to lead you into just signing up and paying once the year is over. If you have been using the iFit that long, you will have a saved history and will be accustomed to using the app. That means you will want to keep using it. We wanted to give you a heads up about that, and also dispel the false rumors (we still find them) that NordicTrack will still make you buy an iFitsubscription with 1750.

Now on to some of the features you get with the NordicTrack 1750. The HD monitor is 10 inches and is internet ready. You can read or watch news, or stream movies or videos from YouTube or any streaming site, while you run or walk each day. That is a big improvement from running at the gym with headphones and an actual TV bolted to the ceiling in front of you. With iFit, you get access to 50 built-in programs. The monitor gives you more data than even we would expect, including elapsed time, time left for a planned run, calories, distance, and speed. Since the controls are so responsive and everything is right there around the console, the 1750 makes fast HIIT and other interval workouts easier to program. You are able to focus on running and building your endurance, not tweaking the controls or fooling with the music.

If you decide to keep iFit, too, you get access to Google Maps street view. You can program in any route anywhere around the world, and the 10-inch screen will replicate the city streets or trail of your choice. It's one of the reasons iFit may be worth the added expense, once the year trial ends.

Many of the treadmills we review feature an "integrated tablet holder." The parentheses are because we still aren't sure what an integrated tablet holder is. The companies who use the phrase never define it, and a Google search for "what is an integrated tablet holder" does not help. But still, we were surprised not to see the words "integrated tablet holder" in either the 1750 owner's manual or on the product page. There is a tablet holder, and it is pretty sweet, but it does not claim to do more than hold your tablet steadily at approximate eye level.

Installation seems simple enough and will take you around four hours if you are like most users. You will need an Allen wrench (supplied), a Phillips screwdriver (not supplied), and an adjustable wrench (also not supplied). It never hurts to have a friend help you hold parts in place and set the assembled unit upright. The finished footprint is 79 inches long, 39 inches wide, and 63 inches high. Add in 36 inches on the sides for airflow and safety, and you have a nearly gym-sized machine that could never be mistaken for a compact unit.

You get a great warranty with 1750--NordicTrack offers 10 years on the frame, 2 years on parts, and a year on warranty. The warranties cover normal wear and tear, not any damage from improper assembly, installation, or use. The frame is solid steel and quite durable, though not up to the par of a commercial unit which would likely give you a lifetime frame warranty.

To start the treadmill, you have to place a lanyard key into an opening on the console. This is also how you shut the treadmill off in an emergency (by pulling the key). From the start menu, you can choose calorie, heart rate, interval, or manual workouts along with everything iFit has to offer (if you choose to keep using iFit).

Since iFit is such an integral part of the 1750 promotional copy, and since some of our readers may be here because you are curious about iFit as an application, we will briefly describe the perks of this platform and help understand why you may choose to pay for it. Keep in mind that iFit costs $39 per month, on a par with a gym membership at almost anything above a fly by night gym with no extras. There are discounts available if you pay for an entire year upfront.

The biggest draw for iFit users is probably the ability to work out, on-demand, with a live trainer. This is like going to a group fitness class that meshes with your schedule, all from the 1750 console and without leaving your home gym. And there is lots of variety in the trainer menus, so you never get stale and do not have to find yourself going through the motions. If anything, the number of choices can be overwhelming, like looking for just the right movie on Netflix. But you are not just passively watching the class and playing along--the trainers can set your incline when they want you to do a tough interval, with your consent. It is one way to keep you on your toes and make sure you get an adequate heart rate and strength challenge.

While you work out, alone or with a trainer, you don't have to look at classroom walls or other participants on the console. iFit can integrate the trainer-led runs with a scenic adventure so that you feel you are actually running up steps or climbing a mountain trail. iFit even gives you cross-training and strength workouts, again with a trainer and sometimes off the treadmill. The data reportsiFit gives you are comprehensive. Graphs will show you aggregate speed, calories, heart rate, and progress towards your individual goals.

No matter what kind of cardio workout floats your boat, iFit has it. On tired days, you can pick a more restful class or just dispense with a trainer completely. And remember, the NordicTrack 1750 is still a commercial gym-like experience and a reliable trainer without even using the iFit feature.

The NordicTrack Commercial 1750 treadmill is one of the least expensive ways to replicate a gym-quality cardio experience in your home gym. iFit is not mandatory, but it has quite a few features that will upgrade your workout. The cost is comparable to a gym membership, and you can take group fitness classes when it suits you, not according to the gym schedule. If you are more than an occasional cardio enthusiast, and you would appreciate a way to improve your strength, endurance, heart health, and energy level, this is worth a closer look.