If you are in the market for top of the range home gym equipment, then you cannot go past the Bowflex brand. For nearly 40 years, Bowflex has been at the cutting edge of home fitness technology. Apart from a rowing machine, they’ve got the fitness equipment market covered. The Bowflex line of Max Trainers set a new standard in resistance machinery. And, the release of the 2019 version of their BXT216 treadmill, it appears as if they have once again excelled themselves. The Bowflex BXT216 has been getting a lot of positive buzz online. It’s time to check out whether this machine lives up to the hype in this Bowflex BXT216 treadmill review.
Bowflex BXT216 Treadmill Review Overview (#ad)
Pros:
- Integrates with Bowflex JRNY
- 11 workout programs
- 9 inch full-colour backlit LCD monitor
- 15% incline range adjustment
- 4.0 CHP motor
- Max weight capacity 400 lbs.
- Bluetooth enabled
- Chest strap provided for heart rate monitoring
Cons:
- Unimpressive warranty
- Tricky belt adjustment
Bowflex’s BXT216 is an upgraded version of the BXT116 that provides you with more workout programs, a larger display screen, a more powerful motor, an extra 2 inches of running belt and 25 lbs more of maximum user weight. That makes it the top-of-the-line treadmill in the Bowflex stable. It has been getting a lot of praise for its functionality and user friendliness. Features that people especially like include the compact easily foldable design, the large media rack and the single touch adjustments for easy spend and incline controls.
Bowflex BXT216 Features
Motor
The Bowflex BXT216 is powered by way of a 4.0 continuous horsepower motor. This provides you with plenty of grunt so that you can run up to 12 mph at top speed. For a treadmill in its price range, getting a 4 hp motor is pretty impressive. It allows you to get a very smooth, natural run over extremely long distances without any interruptions or jerkiness.
Heart Rate Monitoring
When you buy the Bowflex BXT216, you also get a chest strap to enable wireless heart rate monitoring. When you run with this strap on, the console of your treadmill will be able to pick up a very accurate reading of your heart rate. It is then able to adjust your training to match your heart rate training zone.
Fitness JRNY Coach
This treadmill comes with Bowflex’s personalized coaching system call JRNY. It has the ability to create customized workouts on a daily basis along with feedback on your performance and personalised coaching. What’s more, this intuitive technology will adjust your workout sessions as you get fitter and your running performance improves. However, you will need a subscription for Bowflex JRNY workout apps.
Console
The console on the Bowflex BXT216 is oppressively large, providing you with a 9- inch full-colour backlit LCD screen to make it easy to read your workout data as you are running. It includes a burn rate console which lets you know how many calories you are burning each minute towards yours daily burn count.
The console is Bluetooth enabled so that you can transfer your workout information across to the Bowflex results app for later analysis. An oversized media shelf on the console allows you to securely hold your tablet so you can watch Netflix while you are exercising.
Built-in Programs
The Bowflex BXT216 treadmill comes with 11 built-in workout programs. These have been created by a team of Bowflex fitness professionals to provide you with a range of workout programs to meet all of your training requirements and provide you with the variety to prevent boredom.
Running Deck
The treadmill workout belt on the Bowflex BXT216 treadmill is designed to provide maximum cushioning to reduce impact on the joints. The running tread belt itself features three ply material to soften the impact of every step. This is complemented with 2.75-inch belt rollers that ensure a smooth, natural belt motion while, at the same time, taking strain off the motor. This enhanced cushioning and low impact means that people who would have otherwise been forced to use an exercise bike due to joint problems are now able to work out on a treadmill.
The width of the running belt is 22 inches, making it 2 inches wider than the Bowflex BXT116. The width of the treadmill deck puts it on par with most commercial German treadmills, making it suitable for the vast majority of users.
The maximum user weight of 400lbs also makes this an ideal machine for bigger people.
Compact and Foldable
The Bowflex BXT216 treadmill is not the lightest of high-end treadmills, weighing in at 304 pounds. However, it does feature a compact stowable design and can be folded for ease of storage. The easy soft drop folding technology allows anyone to fold up the machine in just a matter of seconds.
Unlike many high-end treadmills, the Bowflex BXT216 is not hard to put together. In fact, one person can do the job in less than half an hour. So, if you have the option, don’t pay extra for assembly – it is easy enough to do it yourself!
Solid Design
The Bowflex BXT216 is of top build quality features are very durable, stable and secure solid steel frame and base. In fact, even though this machine is designed for home gym use, it is durable enough to meet the demands of light commercial users. Of course, if you put this machine in a commercial environment, you will void the warranty. The point we are making here is that it is strong enough to handle many users every day.
The Bowflex BXT216 is a very impressive treadmill. It provides one of the smoothest, natural, and joint friendly running experiences that you’ll find on any treadmill on the home market. We love the fact that it comes with a complimentary heart rate monitoring strap and the provision of the Bowflex JRNY technology (even though you have to pay for a subscription). The 22-inch wide running belt is another standout feature.
Click here to further your fitness with BowFlex BTX216
What’s Not So Good
We are not overly impressed with the warranty conditions on the Bowflex BXT216. You get 15 years cover on the frame, along with five years on the parts and two years labor. We would have liked to have seen a lifetime frame warranty on this machine.
Summary
The Bowflex BXT216 is one of the high-end treadmill models that delivers a powerful running experience. You will be hard-pressed to find a smoother, more natural runner on the home fitness market. It provides a number of extra features, including auto adjust incline and intuitive program adjustment, designed to make your workout more effective. This is why the Bowflex BXT216 comes in the top end budget treadmills.
After taking Bowflex BXT216 treadmill review, we can now understand why there is so much hype for the Bowflex BXT216 – it is a great treadmill to achieve your fitness goals!
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