Sole Fitness makes both folding and non-folding treadmills. Their best selling model is the F85 which is the top of the range of the folding series. The S77 is the non-folding equivalent of the F85 but, as it has less moving parts, it costs about a hundred dollars less.

Whether you opt for a folding or non-folding machine depends very much on the space you are trying to save. As one buyer of the S77 pointed out, “It’s not like when the deck is folded up the F85 looks like a piece of modern sculpture. I saved the hundred and spent it on a good mat to put underneath the S77 to protect the floor.”

So, if you have a room dedicated to your home gym or space enough that you will not need to fold the deck up out the way, you may find the S77 fits the bill. It is a good solid machine which feels very stable and although it is classed as a non-commercial product the 3.5 horsepower motor is powerful enough to be found in a fitness club and can handle users of up to 400lbs.

There are six preset programs, two user defined programs and two heart rate programs. The machine comes with a heart rate chest strap included and a pulse monitor in the hand grips. These communicate the user’s current heart rate back to the console which automatically adjusts speed and incline to keep the user’s heart pumping in the optimum heart rate zone.

Treadmills are still the most popular big ticket purchase for home gyms. For a good cardiovascular workout, it doesn’t really get much better than going for a good outdoor run, but treadmills make that experience even better by reducing the impacts on feet, ankles, knees and hips that a runner would experience on the road. In fact, the Cushion Flex deck cuts impact by 40% when compared to running on asphalt.

As further protection for joints, Sole Fitness recommends using their treadmills in conjunction with a good quality running shoe. The Adidas or New Balance running models are ideal.

A popular feature on Sole treadmills, and the S77 is no exception, is the easy to use control buttons located in the hand grips. While these are repeated on the console having them ‘under your thumb’ makes changing speed and intensity on the fly a breeze.

A not-so-popular feature on Sole treadmills, and the S77 is no exception, is the rotten performance of the cooling fans. They are very weak and most buyers resort to moving their own standing fans into position to keep cool.

The built-in speakers also receive some criticism and some buyers report ignoring them altogether in preference for their home sound system. Even so, the speakers are not totally deplorable and it is nice to be able to simply plug ‘n play your MP3, ipod or iphone music through the console.

The S77 is shipped free of charge to kerbside anywhere in the US, (AK and HI pay $250.00) which means you must get the component parts into the house by yourself. There is an alternative ‘Ground Inside Delivery’ which costs $99. This includes the delivery of the box into your house and to the room where you intend to keep it. From there installation is fairly straightforward.

For $239 over and above the cost of the S77, you can have the machine delivered, unboxed, assembled and installed in the room of your choice.

Whichever delivery choice you make, the S77 comes with an excellent guarantee which covers the motor, frame and deck for life, the electronics, rollers and belt for 5 years and in-house labor for two years.

The S77, just like its folding counterpart, the F85 offers good value for the money. Sole Fitness offer a great warranty which demonstrates not only their confidence in the quality of their machines but also the high regard in which they hold their customers.