ProForm Premier 900 review

Two-minute review 

The ProForm Premier 900 treadmill is a good value, compact, foldable treadmill and has a great incline and decline range to keep your workout challenging.

Throw in an iFit membership (monthly subscription required) and your treadmill turns into a fully immersive running machine with enthusiastic Peloton-style instructors to push you to train harder and get fitter.

It’s a shame it only has a 7in color screen, but this is big enough to follow classes without getting distracted. The minimalist console, two-speed fan and Bluetooth speakers make for a satisfying running experience.

Sturdy and well made, it’s slightly retro in design, but has everything you’d expect from a treadmill at this price bracket including 30 preset workouts and then access to thousands of online classes via the iFit app (membership from £29 / $39 / AU$53).

We like how the treadmill automatically adjusts the incline to recreate trails so you can mimic hikes and enjoy epic views in places like Mongolia or Ecuador (iFit app only). And don’t worry about zapping your electricity, as the treadmill has an inbuilt efficiency booster to help keep energy bills down.

You can vertically fold the ProForm Premier 900 treadmill away when not in use, and the internal cooling system helps to minimize vibration and noise levels, as well as increase the lifespan of your treadmill.

It’s not the best choice for people who are tall – 6’2” or over – as the belt might be a bit short to fully get into your stride without slipping off the back, but on the plus side it has great cushioning and a quiet but powerful motor. This really helps when transitioning between inclines, and it can get up to 12% incline and 12mph, which, let’s be honest, is a challenging workout for even the fittest among us.

Price and release date 

• Good value machine
• iFit membership costs extra

The ProForm Premier 900 Treadmill is available now from ProForm for £1,488 / $1,999 / AU$2,766.

Bear in mind that you will also need to pay £28 / £39 / AU$54 a month to access the virtual iFit library of workouts. You can use the treadmill without iFit, but expect basic programs and functionality.

Design 

• Small 7in screen
• Shorter tread and running space

The ProForm Premier 900 treadmill has an ergonomic, if slightly Eighties looking design with a minimalist 7in color console. This isn't quite as slick looking as the Peloton Tread, nor is it as feature-packed as the NordicTrack Commercial 2950. The screen feels a little small given the size of some of the touchscreens on the latest treadmills, but it’s big enough to follow virtual classes on.

The treadmill weighs 194 pounds and its dimensions are 64 x 73.5 x 35in. It can reach speeds of up to 12 mph and has a good incline/decline range of 12% and -3%. The ProForm Premier 900 has a multi-speed fan, which is great during higher intensity runs, and two big water bottle holders that double up as a smartphone tray.

It has quick-speed and quick-incline controls, so it’s very easy to navigate between different settings, and the handrails have EKG touch sensors for heart rate monitoring. Alternatively, the treadmill will also work with a Bluetooth chest strap (not included).

The small console has all the core metrics covered: time, speed, distance, calories, heart rate and incline/decline.

The ProForm Premier 900 also has a decent sound system, with two 2in speakers and an audio jack socket so you can listen to your favorite tracks or podcasts. Not that you’ll need to, given the huge array of iFit workouts to try. Something we found slightly odd is the treadmill doesn’t come with a separate USB port, so you can’t charge your devices while working out.

Performance 

• Light and springy tread
• Easy to fold away
• Very quiet

Hit Manual mode (Start) to kick off your session or try one of the 30 preset programs to mix things up. These are split into four categories – speed, intensity, incline and calorie - and you can also customize your goals based on pace, distance, time and number of calories burned.

But the ProForm Premier 900 really comes into its own when you launch the iFit app and access the huge online workout library (iFit subscription required). Download programs straight to the console, create real life Google Maps running routes, share your workout stats, and compete with friends and family, as well as iFit members all around the world. As you’d expect, the main metrics measured are time, distance, incline, speed, heart rate and calories burned.

The ProForm Premier 900 is foldable and the shock assisted lift mechanism really helps to make this a smooth movement when you want to stow it away. It also has a ‘ProShox cushioning system’ built into the 55” x 20” running deck to minimize impact on joints, and it feels light and springy to run on.

The ProForm Premier 900 treadmill has a 3.0 CHP (continuous horsepower) commercial DC motor, which is efficient at powering the machine between the vast -3% and 12% decline and incline, as well as reaching speeds of 12mph. This is more than fast enough for most runners, and helps to keep workouts challenging.

The treadmill also has an internal cooling system designed to minimize vibration and noise, and I have to say it’s fairly quiet even when going full pelt at max speed. I measured 60 dB on a decibel counter during a gentle walk on the ProForm Premier 900 (same as a conversation), while a jog with varying speeds and inclines was 75dB (about the same as a vacuum cleaner).

The ProForm Premier 900 treadmill has a ton of safety features. Parents will be grateful that it comes with a four-digit passcode, which stops children (and pets) from accidentally starting the machine. It also has a safety screen time-out that resets the display if there is inactivity, and the usual emergency stop and safety key.

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