Review of Our Home Treadmill – 3G Pro Runner Treadmill

Hi, friends!  Now that we’ve had our home treadmill for a few months I wanted to share a little about it.  Many of you have asked how we like it, where we bought it from, and how much it was.  Spoiler Alert!  WE LOVE IT!  

We (read: Mr. Hungry) did a TON of research on treadmills before we got around to buying one.  Some of the potential concerns/decisions he came accross when doing his research were the following;

• Companies not honoring the warranties on the parts
• Treadmill belt material wearing out
• Having to get the treadmill serviced 
• Shock absorption 
• The noise of the machine when it’s running
• Whether the treadmill was made to run vs., walk
• Folding treadmill vs. non-folding
• The amount of horsepower the treadmill uses, if it needs a unique outlet or can be plugged into a standard outlet 
• Assembly on delivery or assemble yourself 

It was a ton of things to consider which is ultimately why we dragged our feet for so long.  We didn’t want to spend too much, but we also didn’t want to buy something that wasn’t going to last or was difficult to maintain.  

Where Did We Buy Our Treadmill?

We looked online on Amazon, at Costco, and multiple local places in town.  We also looked on offer up for used ones.  We tried out many treadmills, and after trying numerous treadmills, it became clear that you “get what you pay for” when it comes to shock absorption and the noise the machine makes. 

We wanted to steer clear of being swayed by fancy electronics on the dashboard that would ultimately breakdown.  We also wanted a sturdier machine that would stand the test of time and just basic controls.

We decided not to go through Amazon, because a 30-day return policy seemed a little short for electronics, although you could get an extended warranty.  (I know Kath who had a baby at the same time as I did buy a treadmill off Amazon and had a great experience with it.  You can check out her post here if you want to read about that experience! )

We also decided not to go through Costco because they had the lower end and higher end treadmills, but nothing in the middle.  We read that some of the treadmills at Costco didn’t work without a mandatory subscription to iFit which would only be free the first year. Not sure if this is true or not.  Treadmills on offer up were hit or miss, and we wanted something that would last a lifetime.  

Ultimately, we decided to go through At Home Fitness, because we had the best experience there and felt the most comfortable making a large purchase through them. This post is not sponsored, we just really enjoyed our experience with the GM who helped us pick out the best machine for our budget and use. 

They also had 0% financing for a year, which was perfect because we swapped the cost of the treadmill with what I would typically pay for a monthly gym membership (a higher end membership like Life Time or Orange Theory).  We were able to pay off the treadmill sooner than anticipated, but the financing option was easy and straightforward when we used it.  There was also no payoff penalty for paying the treadmill off early.  

Which Treadmill Did We Get?

So, ultimately we chose the 3G Pro Runner Treadmill which was on sale for $1599 when we bought it.  We also purchased treadmill mats from them but decided to assemble it ourselves. They delivered it to our door, and Mr. Hungry had the whole thing up and running within 90 minutes.  It was easier to put together than most furniture or baby toy we’ve ever had to assemble.  

Pros to our treadmill:

The big thing here is that it feels sturdy, smooth, and not overly “bouncy” when we run on it.  

• Quiet – this is huge!
• Orthopedic belt – easy on the joints 
• Emergency key
• Fan 
• No frills – incline and speed
• Folds (although we keep it down all the time)
• Regular plug for our outlet

Cons to our treadmill:

• After we upgraded our phones, they don’t fit in the slots anymore 
• The emergency key isn’t removable – which is a huge plus if you have kids and want to lock the treadmill by hiding the key somewhere separate so it absolutely can’t turn on
• The incline only goes up by 1% and not .5% at a time

Having A Home Treadmill

Ultimately, I LOVE having a home treadmill.  Although I do miss the comradery of group classes, I love not having to leave the house.  I can squeeze in a workout any time and it never feels like I got a crappy workout in, especially with Aaptiv runs which motivate me like no other (which I decided to try out after hearing Kath rave about them) or I can do Orangetheory workouts from the Reddit board.

I  love not having to load the little guy up to take him anywhere.  Now the downside to that is that I’m usually running during naptime, which is a time I could be working.  Whereas we could go to a gym and I could get a little break while I work out during his awake time.  Ultimately though, I have a sitter for work time, and I want to spend time with him while he is awake, so the home treadmill works for us right now.  

Since I’ve had it less than six months, I can’t speak to reliability or how long it lasts.  I also can’t speak to how the use of the treadmill will change as the baby’s nap schedule changes etc.  As for now though I’m thrilled with my purchase!  

If you are looking for treadmill workouts check out these:

23 Boredom Busting Treadmill Workouts

Do you like to exercise at home?  What do you do for cardio for home workouts?

Before having a treadmill, I used the rower we got off of offer up or did plyometric exercises.