http://www.estiloskateboards.com/price-point-2/
Over the past decade the price of fitness equipment such as treadmills and ellipticals has taken a seemingly divergent and in some cases somewhat contradictory course. If a consumer wanted a quality machine in the past, it was not unusual for them to have to pay upwards of $2000. Today, the quality of products at the high end of the market has skyrocketed while the quality of the low end has taken on an equally stratospheric course towards better quality. While you may have the means to spend $7000 on fitness equipment, the average consumer may feel the prices are a bit more reasonable in the lower ranges. Unfortunately the sub-$1000 price point still has some serious duds and the sub-$500 price point is full of substandard machines along with very few reasonable deals. In order to be sure that you get a good machine it is important to do your homework.
One brand that fits in this lower category is Proform Fitness, a subsidiary of industry giant Icon Health & Fitness. Icon is, without a doubt, the largest company in the market and because of this can produce a better product at a lower price. Of course this does not mean that any piece of equipment from this or any other Icon brand is a good deal; in fact that is one of the biggest dangers with the brand. Almost every Treadmill looks alike to the average consumer from the outside; unfortunately the insides do not always match up.
If a consumer walked into Sears, one of the largest Icon retailers, and looked at the lineup of Proform treadmills and ellipticals there it would be hard to see the difference between any of them except for price. Again price is not the best decider either because several that are at similar price points may be somewhat different. Some features that add money to the cost do not add value to the machine and may actually be detrimental to its lifespan.
It is important to remember that the salesperson is, most likely at a large store like Sears or Sports Authority, not very familiar with the machines and does not really care which machine is best for you. They have a line of customers to wait upon and you are just in their way to get to the end of the day. You can rest assured that most of the salespeople at stores like Sam’s Club and Costco probably have little ability with the equipment and some don’t even know how to start up the machine. So to know what you want, and what will be a good value, it would be wise to look up some reviews before traveling to the store and putting down your hard earned cash.
One of the best examples of what we are stating here is a recent sale at Sears. Upon walking in the store, the proud Crosswalk 405e was sitting on the floor with its’ normal price tag of $499. A few spaces down sat the Proform XP615 with a big sale tag on, also for $499. The 405e has about as much in common with the XP615 as an elephant has in common with the International Space Station. Maybe that’s a bit of a stretch but you would have to be about as bright as a burned out light bulb to buy the 405e over the XP615. The problem is that the average consumer looking at both models would have a hard time telling them apart in terms of quality.
Treadmills and Ellipticals are high ticket items. Make sure you do your research and are informed when you are shopping and you will certainly end up with a better piece of equipment at a better price.
Brady Freeman is a regular contributor at Treadmills a site providing unbiased Proform Treadmill Reviews and reviews on Elliptical Trainers.
|
|
Culligan FM-15RA Level 3 Faucet Filter Replacement Cartridge $9.05 … |
|
|
Hamilton Beach Big Mouth Juice Extractor $55.00 Makes up to 24% more juice than a leading petitorExtra-large 3″ chute juices whole fruits and vegetables with less prep800-watt motor processes whole fruits and vegetables in secondsLarge pulp bin allows the user to juice longer and add nutrient-rich pulp to any recipeAll removable parts are dishwasher-safeStainless steel strainer basket with cleaning brush for easy pulp removalEasy to assemble an… |
|
|
Hamilton Beach Single-Serve Blender with 2 Jars and 2 Lids $19.39 Travel lid lets you drink from the jarFits in most car drink holdersIncludes 2 Jars and 2 LidsGreat for fruit smoothies icy drinks shakes amp; moreStainless steel bladesOne-touch blendingEasy storageLess cleaning… |
|
|
The Art of the Three-Point Shot – Pro Basketball Workout with Brent Price, Volume 3 [VHS] $9.98 The Basketball Series that teaches Sportsmanship, Honesty and Integrity! Brent Price set a new NBA record with the most consecutive three-pointers in a row. Now his secrets can be yours! Pro Basketball Workout is an entertaining video series designed to teach the fundamentals of shooting while providing spiritual tips about a Christ-centered life “off the court”. Brent’s fun and unique style w… |
|
|
RARE, ORIGINAL, 1986 VHS – THE KARATE KID PART II *PLUS 3 FREE GIFTS: EXTREMELY RARE, UNREAD 22-YEAR-OLD PAPERBACK: The Karate Kid Part II, by B.B. Hiller *PLUS* VHS The Matrix *PLUS* PAPERBACK: The Keanu Matrix, by J.J. Goodrich $19.99 **OWN THE ORIGINAL, IMPOSSIBLE-TO-FIND, 22-YEAR-OLD VHS **PLUS 3 FREE GIFTS! UNREAD PAPERBACK PLUS 2 FREE MATRIX COLLECTIBLES! The Price Of Honor. The Power Of Friendship. The Karate Kid Part II. Ralph Macchio And Noriyuki Pat Morita Recreate The Roles That Brought Them International Acclaim. Karate Student Daniel LaRusso Accompanies His Wise And Whimsical Teacher Mr. Miyagi To His Ancestral Home … |
|
|
Point Blank [VHS] $9.98 Strictly for late-night laughs, this ultraviolent action flick fails to make sense even of its own premise. A busload of Texas convicts are freed when heavily armed commandos open fire on them. The survivors and commandos take over a shopping mall, gathering numerous hostages together, shooting them when the mood strikes, or just to thin the acting herd. One mall guard shouts hysterically into his… |
|
|
Frame Up $1.99 … |
|
|
Point of No Return / Domino / Long Kiss (Triple-Feature) [Blu-ray] $16.25 Three-disc set includes “Point of No Return,” “Domino,” and “The Long Kiss Goodnight.”… |
|
|
6:00 AM-7:00 AM $1.99 … |
|
|
Cisco-Linksys WRT54GL Wireless-G Broadband Router $79.99 The Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router is really three devices in one box. First, theres the Wireless Access Point, which lets you connect both screaming fast Wireless-G (802.11g at 54Mbps) and Wireless-B (802.11b at 11Mbps) devices to the network. Theres also a built-in 4-port full-duplex 10/100 Switch to connect your wired-Ethernet devices together. Connect four PCs directly, or attach more hub… |
