Reebok ZR8 Treadmill

Product Information

To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. One of the selling points promoted is the soft folding mechanism, this reminds me of that FORD advert where the boot slowly opens or a soft closing kitchen draw unit. Although the Reebok ZR8 is at the more affordable end of Reebok treadmills, it’s fair to say that there are cheaper treadmills out there. Fitness trainer to the stars with over 20 years of experience, Kelvin loves his job, his clients and passing on his knowledge. We do have to warn you that if you’re the kind of person who likes to turn it up to 11 volume-wise, then you’re going to have to make alternative arrangements, however for everyone else the volume level should be sufficient (particularly given how quiet the motor is) and the sound quality was, if we’re honest, better than we were expecting.

Funky graphics surround the main LCD displays give you an idea of what to expect from your chosen fitness program and I put the ZR8 through its paces with a 45 minute hill climb and decent. We’ve had issues in the past with decks starting to wobble as they moved away from their natural centre of gravity and there was none of that here. On occasions with budget treadmills the running track may move from side to side at higher incline levels due to it being further away from its starting base level.As a final point, the Reebok ZR8 has a “soft fold” mechanism, which as far as we can see means that even if you actually try, you’re unlikely to be able to let it drop to the ground with a thump. Having said that if you are able to get it on a special discount as we did, then you will be hard pressed to get a better quality treadmill for your money. Overall it took around 45 minutes in total and I am happy to say that currently there are no faults, it looks beautiful in black with the odd dashes of yellow.

The ZR8 comes with a peace of mind Reebok 10-year motor, lifetime frame, and 2-year parts and labour warranty as standard. Alternatively, if you only like running outdoors when the weather is decent, then the Reebok ZR8 is affordable enough to be kept as a “bad weather” solution. We tested the incline and it has to be one of the better treadmills for its solid feeling while in use.

To be fair, we can actually see this serving a practical purpose since we’re guessing that a fair number of these treadmills will find themselves installed in upstairs rooms and flats and this could help to keep the peace with those downstairs by removing the possibility of you just letting the deck drop, by accident or forgetfulness.

The cushioning is more than adequate and as well as providing plenty of grip, we were very happy about the stability of the running deck on the Reebok ZR8, particularly at higher inclines.

To help you reach your fitness goal you can plug your mobile phone into the integrated speakers and blast out your favourite motivational tracks. These cover all the various functions of the treadmill, if you wish speed and incline can also be adjusted via the hand rails, which are equipped with pulse sensors.

Also included is a heart rate monitor that works by gripping the handles to give an accurate reading of your pulse. Once you’ve decided what you’re going to do, you can set the Reebok ZR8 into motion and appreciate the quietness of its 2HP motor (with 3 HP peak speed). On either side of these LCDs, there are twelve little graphics, which give users a fair indication of what to expect from the 24 pre-set programmes. At 67KG the Reebok ZR8 is actually quite a bit lighter than some offerings from Reebok, but hardly something you’re going to be happy to carry home in a bag. The ZR8 powered to life and my first thought were a little underwhelming, the LCD feedback unit consisted of three red LED number displays.The console will help you keep track of how you are progressing by providing detailed feedback on your calories burned, duration of the run, distance travelled, current speed, elevation and heart rate – using the integrated hand pulse sensor built into the hand rests. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Hence, if you’ve been struggling to find a treadmill to fit into your space when out of use, the Reebok ZR8 could be worth a look on those grounds alone. Reebok have made cushioning a major selling point for all their treadmills and while ZigTech is somewhat lower down the scale than the “Air Motion Technology” cushioning they use once you start going towards the premium end of their range, it is the difference between “running on air” and running on a very comfortable, shock-absorbing surface.