XTERRA Fitness TRX3500

9.5
9.5 score
[Editors rating (9.5)] = (Garage Gym Ideas - Ultimate Home Gym Design) score (9.5)/10


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Editor rating: 9.5 / 10
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Editor’s Conclusion
The XTERRA Fitness TRX3500 is a mid-range treadmill that fuses performance with modern features to craft and comfortable and engaging ride without completely emptying your bank account!

With an XTRASoft deck cushioning, a 12 percent incline, and 30 preset running programs, this is a treadmill that can grow right along with your progress.
XTERRA Fitness TRX3500 Review Facts
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros

Very sturdy frame holds up to 350 pounds
XTRASoft deck cushioning helps to protect your joints while running
3.0 horsepower motor can reach top speeds of 12 MPH
Runs very quietly even at top speeds
Speed adjustment button on handlebars
Included heart rate monitor
Media shelf and Bluetooth connectivity
30 preset running programs to beginners and experts

Cons

Very large frame
Heavy
Media shelf can block display screen
Folding mechanics are less than ideal

Key Features

PERFORMANCE

With an impressive 3.0 horsepower motor backed by a lifetime warranty, this is a treadmill that is built for the long haul. The average home treadmill had an average motor that clocks in at around 2.5 horsepower, and the XTERRA Fitness TRX3500 goes above and beyond.

Whether you need a treadmill for walking, jogging, or busting out into an all-out sprint, the motor and style of the belt will get you where you need to go.

One of the things that I found to be so impressive about this machine is that it is able to achieve speeds up to 12 MPH. To put that into perspective, that breaks down to about a 5-minute mile!

Even at the highest speed setting, users found that the ride continued to be nice and smooth, and the motor runs incredibly quietly.

It also provides users with a 12 percent incline to jack up the challenge. To adjust the pitch of the belt, simply set the incline using the central console.

While other machines require users to dismount the treadmill to adjust the incline, the speed and incline settings can all be adjusted right from the console.

BELT

I feel that the style of a belt can make or break the performance of a treadmill. Some belts are too narrow, or they don’t provide any impact-absorbing properties to keep your joints nice and protected.

The good news is that XTERRA Fitness put a lot of care into the construction of the belt on the TRX3500, and it shows!

What I love about this belt is that measures to be 20-inches wide, which provides more than enough room to keep your gait cycle natural.

Often, when belts are too narrow, many runners need to slightly adjust their stride to avoid clipping the sides of the belt. Even for larger users, this belt is wide enough to keep your gait just as natural as if you were running on the sidewalk.

In addition to a belt that is nice and wide, it is built with comfort features to protect your joints as you train. This belt boasts XTERRA’s XTRASoft deck cushioning that rebounds every time you take a step.

Instead of running on hard and unforgiving concrete, the construction of this deck feels more like running on grass or soft trailheads.

SIZE

While this machine is built tough, it also means that the frame is rather bulky. By no means is this a space-saving design, despite its foldable features. It measures to be 77.2-inches long, 35.5-inches wide, and stands to be 56.1-inches tall.

To put that into perfective, the beefy Peloton design measures to be 72.5-inches long, 32.5-inches wide, and 72-inches long. Peloton treadmills are quite large, and the TRX3500 is even bigger.

Be sure that to take measurements of your indoor workout area to ensure you have enough available floor space for this large frame!

It’s also important to note that this treadmill hosts a very hefty weight capacity of 350 pounds. Many of your mid-range to even high-end treadmills often clock in at around a 300-pound max, which makes the XTERRA Fitness TRX3500 even more impressive.

This treadmill provides foldable features to help mitigate the floor space that is lost once this machine is set up, but I feel that the foldable features aren’t all that great. To unfold, simply lift up the supportive arm and the deck will slowly lower itself.

The folded features measure to be 51.2-inches long, 35.5-inches wide, and 65.8-inches tall. With a weight of almost 214 pounds, it’s unlikely that you will move this treadmill on a whim. The foldable features of this design are good, but it’s not likely that you will use them.

DISPLAY

The 6.5 blue-backlit LCD screen isn’t quite as fancy as full-color touch screen displays, but it certainly gets the job done. Utilizing a simple display screen helps to keep the price tag low. However, don’t be fooled into thinking that this simple display screen doesn’t pack on the advanced features!

This simple screen displays things such as calories burned, speed, time, heart rate, distance, and incline.

This display also provides users with up to 30 pre-set workout programs that manually adjust the speed and incline as you progress throughout the workout. These programs range from beginner-level runs to heart-pumping expert-level workout programs.

It even allows you to craft a custom workout that you can store on the machine to use at a later date.

The XTERRA Fitness TRX3500 also boasts unique controls that I haven’t seen implemented on very many treadmills. What makes this machine special is that it also has quick controls built right into the handlebars.

The handlebar remote kit allows you to quickly adjust the speed of the belt without tinkering with the central console. These handlebars are also built with a heart rate monitor to make sure that you are running at your targeted heart rate.

BLUETOOTH CONNECTIVITY

With a built-in media shelf and Bluetooth connectivity, you can pair this machine with many of your favorite workout apps. Users found that connecting their devices to this treadmill was super quick and easy, and works with many popular fitness apps.

While the list of compatible apps may be short, it includes many of the popular ones that including MyFitnessPal, Apple Health, Zwift, Strava, and Fitbit. The downside is that it doesn’t work with apps such as iFit or Peloton.

The media shelf on this design is large enough to even larger tablets and smartphones. The downside of this media shelf is that if you are using a very large tablet, you run the risk of blocking the progress screen. It’s not a real deal-breaker, but it is something worth noting.

ASSEMBLY

Overall, users found this treadmill to be incredibly easy to assemble. The instruction included are very easy to read, and it often took users around 30 minutes to put together. The biggest hurdle that users had to conquer is lugging it into their homes!

This beast of a treadmill weighs in at around 214 pounds, and it ships in a big and cumbersome box. Once assembled it boasts a pair of transport wheels on the base that makes it easy to use, but getting it inside of your home is a bit of an intense strength training workout.

The good news is that you can opt for expert assembly for an additional fee. By splurging on expert assembly, you can save yourself the headache of assembling your treadmill yourself, as well as the probable backache from dragging the machine into your home.

Ensuring that your machine is assembled correctly will ensure the life of your equipment, and it is never a bad idea even if you know your way around a toolbox.

PRICE

Overall, this is one of the best mid-range treadmills that money can buy. It’s not exactly considered budget-friendly, but it won’t drain your bank account the same way as many of the higher-end brands (looking at you, Peloton!).

I often like to buy workout machines and equipment that run in the middle of the road in terms of price. It’s hard to invest in many of the super expensive machines, but I still want good build quality and performance features. This design from XTERRA checks all of my boxes!

Verdict

If you are on the hunt for a great treadmill that offers nice and comfortable features with a host of advanced features to keep your runs challenging and engaging, the XTERRA Fitness TRX3500 is an excellent choice.

In the realm of mid-range fitness equipment, this treadmill provides users with all of the modern performance and quality-of-life features found in many of the higher-end designs, but at a more approachable price point.

The only downside to this machine that I found is that it is quite large. Even with the ability to fold the deck up onto the central console, it will still take up quite a bit of room in your home workout space. It’s large, heavy, and demands to be the focal point of the room.

The trade-ff for this very bulky design is that it is built like a tank and is a great cardio tool to use for your next intense fat-burning cardio session!