With the pandemic ongoing, getting out to the gym is a risky venture at best, and running outdoors in the heat may not be a much better alternative.
Thankfully, the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill is a budget-friendly option that folds up for easy storage when not in use and has everything you need to run in the comfort of your own home.
Things to Consider When Buying the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill
Speed & Power
While these may seem the same and are connected, the power refers more to the motor itself and the speed to the rate of the walking surface.
Some treadmills include more powerful motors than the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill but are not able to transfer the energy as efficiently and have a lower top speed.
It is worth noting that you likely do not need a treadmill with an outrageously high top-speed, even if you want to push yourself.
If you want a treadmill to jog at home, 4 to 6 mph is all you need while a top speed of 10 mph is more than enough to get a great cardio workout when running a quarter mile or more.
Settings
It can be nice to have a treadmill with all the bells and whistles, including a litany of different settings, but chances are you will not use that many of them.
Granted, if you are an avid exercise enthusiast who carefully tracks your workouts and fitness plan, that can be helpful – but then you likely want a more professional treadmill in the first place.
For consumers looking in this class of treadmill, the ability to vary your workout enough to maintain a challenge and progress your workout should be fine.
Keep in mind, just as much of the cost of more expensive treadmills come from their settings as much as it does higher-end components.
Dimensions & Capacities
Depending on your household arrangement, this might be one of the more important factors to consider as most consumer-grade treadmills meet baseline expectations for other specs.
However, there is no making a treadmill that is too large for your space smaller, even when they fold up.
While there is no single size that will fit everyone’s situation, the weight of the treadmill may also come into play if you plan on moving the treadmill when not in use.
Finally, consider the maximum weight capacity as well and keep in mind that the upper limit may not necessarily allow the use of the treadmill’s full functions.
What is the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill?
XTERRA has been around for about a decade which means that, while it is not exactly new, it does have the same level of experience or prestige that other brands do.
The company prides itself on combining a sleek design with high-quality manufacturing and presents that package in the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill.
It is worth noting that this model is not on the “high-end” of the company’s product line but situated more for the average consumer.
While this approach limits the XTERRA TR150 Treadmill’s upper specs, it provides the tradeoff of being a budget-friendly option that is inexpensive given its quality.
Of course, as a budget-friendly option, you should not expect its quality to compare to treadmills that cost many times more nor does it provide quite as many convenience features as more expensive alternatives.
Features and Benefits
- 16” x 50” walking surface
- 0.5 to 10 mph
- 3 incline settings
- 12 preset settings
- 5” LCD screen
- 2 ¼ hp motor
- 250 lb weight limit
- 63 ⅖” x 28 ¾” x 51 ⅖” unfolded
- 61” x 28 ¾” x 28 ½” folded
- 109 lbs
Motor
All things considered, the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill performs fairly well compared to both its price and class.
While 2 ¼ hp might not be the most powerful motor you can find, it is still more than powerful enough to drive the treadmill upwards of 10 mph without slowing down due to the resistance of footfalls.
One of the nicer aspects of the XTERRA TR150 Treadmill’s motor is that it tends to be more reliable than many competitors priced higher – though it should still be understood as a consumer-grade motor.
Do not jump on this treadmill expecting the same kind of performance you find at a gym on machines that cost thousands of dollars.
Settings
This might be one of the better qualities of the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill considering its 12 built-in programs meets or exceeds the number provided by similar competitors.
The only real downside regarding the programs is that this treadmill allows only a single custom program which can be frustrating if multiple people in your household want to use the treadmill.
Other than the built-in and custom programs, the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill also provides the ability to run at an incline.
Not only can this be used to get a better low impact workout, but it is also a better form of walking or running for people with bad knees – though the incline levels are restricted to 1, 1 ½, and 2-degrees.
Interface
Along with the settings, the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill’s interface is another solid feature as it is both large and easy to use.
Rather than have to run through a series of menus to change the settings, this treadmill employs direct access keys that change the desired setting without hesitation.
The XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill also allows you to adjust the settings in a couple of different ways, either gradually or all at once.
Finally, the 5” LCD display provides a full readout of all the information and is large enough to be easily read – though it is not backlit, so make sure to run in a well-lit space.
Console
The XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill does not go out of the way to offer anything especially impressive in this regard, but it provides all of the standard information you expect.
You can keep track of your workout with both a time and distance tracker as well as fitness goals with a heart rate and calorie tracker.
It is worth noting that the heart rate tracker uses hand pulse grips embedded into the handles that can take a minute or two before properly calibrating.
Ergonomics
While this could arguably be considered one of the dimensions, the size of the walkway fits more in the ergonomics category and can also influence your functional limits.
Thankfully, the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill is plenty long enough at 50” and is more than capable of allowing for even long strides with ease.
On the other hand, the walkway’s width of 16” is on the narrow side and may make some people feel cramped or run with an unnatural gait.
This treadmill also comes with a cushioned deck to not only absorb the impact of each step but to help distribute the force that would otherwise go to your knees.
Ease of Use
The XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill is a bit up and down in this regard as using the product is fairly easy and straightforward, but there are a couple of points that are more difficult.
As mentioned regarding the interface, this treadmill can shift from one setting to another effortlessly without having to run through a series of menus.
Another element of the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill’s ease comes in the form of assembly which is not only well-documented but easy to complete with no additional tools outside of the provided Allen wrench.
Where things get a bit trickier is adjusting the incline which must be done manually.
Durability
The durability of the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill is a bit of a mixed bag as it tends to perform fairly well for its class but can suffer significant issues for specific cases.
In particular, this treadmill boasts a maximum weight capacity that does not line up with its true capability in the real world.
To put it in perspective, the TR150 Treadmill may have a maximum weight capacity of 250 pounds and a maximum speed of 10 mph, but you should not push it to both of these limits simultaneously.
This can result in damage to the connection between the electronic controller and the motor.
Warranty
This too can be a bit of a mixed bag, though we ultimately consider it a win as XTERRA Fitness affords the TR150 treadmill the same limited lifetime warranty it does for all of its products.
Of course, your ability to activate the warranty may or may not be easy as their customer service is currently experiencing some supply issues for replacement parts.
Granted, there is no reason to suspect that this problem will persist beyond our extraordinary current global circumstances, but it is something to consider.
Thankfully, getting in touch with customer service is easy, and they respond quickly and reliably with returns being processed without having to go out of pocket.
What Others Think of the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill
Review #1
Sargeantsammy stated, “Was looking for a cheap but good quality treadmill for running. Works great! So easy to assemble. Took less than 20 min to do. I can use it for a fast walk or a full-on sprint.”
Review #2
Nikita says, “I like the quality of it at that price range, it was easy to put together in under an hour and like the features it offers. I am happy with this item and recommend it to anyone that wants to work out at home.”
Review #3
Abraham Guajardo thinks, “Great treadmill for the price.”
XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill Alternatives
Shopping around for a treadmill can get overwhelming quick. In your search, you may come across these treadmills. Here’s our take on them.
NordicTrack T Series Treadmills
There really is no getting around the fact that the NordicTrack T Series Treadmills surpasses the XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill in virtually every way.
However, the NordicTrack name carries with it brand recognition that drives the price of this alternative up and makes it extremely expensive given that the specs are not that much better.
NordicTrack T Series Highlights
- 0 to 10 mph
- 22” x 55” walking surface
- 2 ⅗ hp
- 300 lb weight capacity
Sunny Health and Fitness ASUNA 8730G
The Sunny Health and Fitness ASUNA 8730G is arguably in the opposite boat as the NordicTrack with virtually every spec at a slightly lower level than the XTERRA.
To make matters worse, the Sunny Health and Fitness ASUNA 8730G is also an expensive treadmill given its specs – even when compared to other products made by the company.
Sunny Health and Fitness ASUNA 8730G Highlights
- 0.6 to 8 mph
- 17 ¾” x 49” walking surface
- 2 ½ hp
- 220 lb weight capacity
Sunny Health and Fitness P8700
The Sunny Health and Fitness P8700 can be seen as the “Goldilocks” of the 3 alternatives both in terms of specs and price.
For the former, this treadmill does not quite meet the same standards of the XTERRA in all respects but is close enough, while it is the only one priced more for a budget-friendly consumer.
Sunny Health and Fitness P8700 Highlights
- 0.5 to 9 mph
- 15 ½” x 49” walking surface
- 2 ⅕ hp
- 220 lb weight capacity
Final Thoughts
With the current climate, getting to the gym is impossible in some places, inadvisable in others, and almost always inconvenient given the alternatives.
The XTERRA Fitness TR150 Treadmill is a solid option for an at-home treadmill with a decent maximum speed, reasonably powerful motor, and a price point that significantly increases its overall value.
While the XTERRA Fitness TR150 is not the most convenient model you can find, it still offers pretty much all of the same basic functions as the competition.
If you are tired of running outdoors or in the gym, this is one treadmill to check out.
