COSTWAY 2 in 1 Home Treadmill, 2.25HP Folding Walking

THE BOX
The box, extremely well packed, weighs just over 40kg and moving it, due to the size and lack of grips, is not easy.
Once opened, a pleasant surprise, the treadmill it’s extremely well packed: plastic corners and wood panels to protect sensible parts and above all, solid and compact black polystyrene that makes you forget the annoying dirt generated from the white version (easier to break down). Tape everywhere but never too much and protective films on any surface required. A separate box holds all the small parts required for the treadmill: instructions, an electrical cable, the remote control, two lubricants, armrests to be installed, the red safety cable, smartphone holder, screws and all the tools for assembly.

INSTALLATION
A small handbook explains what to do with a few additional details, nothing particularly complicated (rather intuitive) but the final part where maintenance is explained it’s rather meagre. You will need a little patience and some YouTube videos for that. However, once unpacked, the treadmill is ready to go, it will only require the electrical cable (too short to be honest) and not to forget, the red safety cable which must always be attached, even when the front tube it’s folded into the “walking mode”.
The only parts that will require an installation are the two side bars (armrests) and the Smartphone dock.
The dock can hold phones between around 2.5 inch and 3.75 inch. Avoid trying with a tablet not only would be too big but frankly useless as once in “run mode” the vibrations would make any large device unstable.

I decided not to install the two armrests as to switch from walking to running mode (and vice versa), I would have to uninstall them each time. This would require the removal of 4 screws and it’s absurd that the two armrests cannot bend or that they have not provided with a quick system to fix them in position.
The treadmill finishes are good and a quick analysis never gives the idea of a low-end product (compared to more expensive treadmills). I notice that the treadmill belt is shifted to the left but after a quick reading of the manual (and a YouTube video!) I can easily understand its logic and quickly calibrate it.

USE
The few commands on the front bar are simple and intuitive, the only part that is not clear to me is the central graph connected, I believe, to the music: a useless accessory. The remote control, simple and functional, lacks in my opinion only a system such as a strap to tie to the wrist, an indispensable element since in walking mode (and therefore without the front bar), it will be mostly held in your hand.

Once started, it is immediately clear that the product, although it is not comparable to those of the gyms, is excellent and its dimensions are just right for my size (I’m 1.70cm tall). The max speed is 15km/h but for my fit 12 it’s more than fine, which proved to be an excellent speed for general use.
As mentioned, the belt it’s just right for my size and this means you must stay focused otherwise you will easily touch the plastic frame and perhaps fall. But “this is the price” for having a compact/portable treadmill and I’m ok with that.

So far, the only fault I notice it’s when I switch the power on or I use the controls: an annoying “beep” at an excessively high volume. it’s true that the treadmill it’s quite silent while operating but at each command (whether given by the remote control or by the front bar) corresponds to a noisy beep. something you have to keep in mind if you want to use it on an early morning while your partner is sleeping or during a call conference. A shame.
The only available speaker it’s just ok. You can easily connect the treadmill via Bluetooth and listen your music but only if you have forget your headphones or you don’t have a speaker available on your room! An amazon echo dot will play 100 time better, I’ve tried!

With this treadmill you can decide to “just run” or track your improvements with an app called Gymax which can be downloaded for free. It’s simple and basic but still ok for beginners and to challenging yourself.

KEEP IT AWAY
Once finished, you can decide to save space in your room: The weight is not excessive and an average person, thanks also to the two front wheels, will be able to move it without problems. The treadmill can be stored under a high sofa or upright but be careful: there is nothing in the design that protects the treadmill from swinging and therefore from falling. If vertically stored, I advise you to tilt it slightly towards the wall to minimize the risk.

Once upright I notice a design fault: something that will not affect normal use but that risks seriously damaging the treadmill when moving it around. the “control cable” that connects the front bar display to the motor it’s rather visible and not at all protected from accidental damages. Be very careful when you lift and move your treadmill, the risk of damaging the cable it is very high.

VERDICT
Although not perfect, this treadmill for the price it’s generally a product that I would recommend to those who are starting work out or who will use the treadmill during business meetings or on rainy days. Its compact design is perfect for small spaces and being able to store it when not in use is a great option even for big spaces but, you need to keep in mind that it’s small and some compromise have to be taken.

PRO:
– Price
– 2 modes: Walking (1-4 km/h Max) and Run (1-15km/h Max).
– Simple to operate.
– Compact design.

CONS:
– No volume control: a missing opportunity.
– Armrests must be uninstalled to switch to walking mode.
– Electrical cable to short.
– Control Cable exposed and easy to break it (accidentally).
– Almost useless maintenance manual.