Are you tired of searching for the perfect treadmill? There are so many options for treadmills on the market, aren’t there? Do you wonder whether the Xterra fitness trx3500 folding treadmill is going to be the right choice for you?
Are you looking for a sturdy and fast treadmill, a machine focused on performance? Are you annoyed by all those bells and whistles that some models provide?
What about buying a “dumb” treadmill that is born only for one thing – to keep you running? Something that will exhaust you rather than entertain you. Something that can make you sprint, and be solid enough to absorb this sprint.
What about a machine that won’t cost you thousands of dollars because you pay for running, not for thrilling entertainment? And still be enough for hard running, so you can be well-prepared for your running goals.
Taking Xterra trx3500 might help you enter a state of focused running where it is you, the treadmill, and the effort. And it will be a machine to fulfill most of your speed and incline desires, it can go fast.
If you want a machine that doesn’t have anything excessive, except what is required for awesome and quality running performance then Xterra Fitness trx3500 folding treadmill might be your next best friend in running.
Now let’s take a look at the specifications of this treadmill to learn more about its character and decide…
Is Xterra Trx3500 Folding Treadmill Good For YOUR Running Training?
The main idea of this article is to reveal as much objective info as possible, to help you decide whether the Xterra fitness trx3500 folding treadmill will be the choice for you.
So let’s start with…
Is The Xterra Fitness Trx3500 Folding Treadmill Fast Enough To Tire You?
One of the reasons I have chosen to write a review on this treadmill is the fact that it goes up to 12 mph. The average price for a treadmill with this speed range is 2147$, and the xterra trx3500 costs a little more than half the price right now.
Imagine setting the treadmill at 12mph. You will need to run quite fast to keep up with the belt. This will be especially beneficial if you want to do interval training where you will go sprinting. This will help you build the strength to cross the finish line with confidence.
On my treadmill, when I hit 10mph (this is its max), and add some healthy incline, my heart keeps beating at around 190 bpm. And I claim to be an athlete. So Xterra’s top speed should be enough for you to give your 100% even if you train for competition (except for 800m at the Olympics)
The next thing to consider is…
Can you feel secure on the running surface of xterra fitness trx3500 folding treadmill?
When you reach those high speeds, it is really important to have plenty of space to run on, and don’t worry about your belt being too narrow. After all, you are not training for tightrope walking.
Xterra TRX3500 has a 20/60″ (50.8cm/ 152cm) belt. I currently run on 16/49 (40cm/125cm). I can run at top speed but I am not that comfortable.
With 20/60 you receive enough space to feel secure and not worry that you will step on the side rails. Even if you decide to sprint and open the long stride, the treadmill is wide and long enough to assure you that you will step on it. Confidence!
With a 20/60 running surface, you get one of the largest running surfaces on the market. (The only better is 22/60, found in some great treadmills, and 22/65, found only in NordicTrack X32i (4k$+)).
I can say that the Running Surface of the xterra xtr3500 folding treadmill is enough, no matter how fast you plan to run. (Exceptions might be the very tall and fast people. If not sure, put a tape measure on the floor and imagine how such a size will suit you).
And what about…
How much can you adjust your running terrain with The xterra trx3500’s incline?
Here we can see 12 levels of incline, which seems like 12%. Such an option can help you simulate hilly terrain. And do you know what that means? Even more workout for your legs.
With those 12 levels, you can more easily get the burn in your legs, without the need to pick up the speed too fast. Just raise the incline and the result happens.
It will be pretty useful if you want to create your hills but don’t want to go downhill.
I found myself preferring higher incline, lower speed, than lower incline higher speed to get the maximum out of running. It is perfect if you are searching for this extra effort and burn in your legs but you find it hard to get it by running on flat terrain. It is not the “40%” of NordicTrack but it’s also fine.
A slower pace, shorter stride means less stress for your joints, but as much, or even greater effort for your muscles. And when we talk joints…
What about the xterra trx3500’s cushioning?
Most treadmills on the market today come with cushioning, and the Xterra fitness trx3500 folding treadmill is not an exception. They call it – “XTRASoft Deck Cushioning”.
I don’t think there is something extraordinary about this cushioning compared to all the other treadmills. It is good to know that it lowers the impact on your joints. Your knees will be much happier when you spare them the pavement.
Just note that when you go back outside and go for a run, you need to take it easy the first couple of times. Your legs will adapt to the softer deck, and might hurt if you pick up the speed too much at first.
Just know that the transition between a treadmill and pavement should be gentle. 2/3 days on pavement and you will adapt again.
But let’s see…
Is this treadmill sturdy enough to bear the tension?
If I was going to buy a treadmill, I would look for its sturdiness. I would like it to be stable, to bear a lot of weight, a lot of runs, and to be “tanky”, as I like to call it.
So is the xterra fitness trx3500 tanky?
It is written to bear 350 lbs (158kg). It weighs 213 lbs (96kg). Its motor is 3.0HP. The belt is 1.6mm, 2ply. The dimensions are 77.2 / 35.5 / 56.1 (L/W/H) (196/90/142cm). Lifetime warranty on frame and motor. 2 years on parts, and 1 year on labor.
This machine is created for running. You might want to run 3 times per week- no problem. 7 times per week – not that good for you but Xterra’s 3.0 HP motor will accept. Fast? “Let’s go!” will hear it saying.
It is not the biggest tank that will take you to the moon, but it has everything you could wish for sustainable running training. And folds.
I can say it is medium tanky, compared to all treadmills that I have examined. Its weight (213 lbs) is in 38th place (out of 65). 37 treadmills are heavier than that. But it is in 20th place for max user weight (350 lbs). Still, it will be ready to let you run even if you plan for something more exhausting.
For me, this treadmill is just at the border between the big tanks and the light and compact models. It is sturdy to bear a lot of hits but is not the most massive machine.
Just keep in mind that it can be heavy and large to bring into your home.
Who will like Xterra Fitness TRX3500 Folding Treadmill Most?
So from all the evaluations above, regarding all its specs, and comparing them to what I currently run on, considering the intensity of training, I can put on my less “tanky” treadmill, I can say that the xterra TRX3500 has good enough specifications to satisfy most people’s running needs (except Olympians as I said)
Although, if you want a machine for walking or light jogging, and you don’t plan to make yourself sprint wildly, you better look for something “smaller”. You won’t need the capabilities of this treadmill and it might be “too large” for you.
This machine will satisfy the needs of those people who want to run frequently and are pursuing the pace. Plus, people who don’t want smart features, who know how much and how fast they will run, and who want reliable, non-distraction running surface.
How Have I Written This Review?
I don’t have the treadmill in my home, so I can’t tell you from personal experience whether this treadmill is good or bad. But I have done something else. I have researched all possible feedback from hundreds of real customers.
I have examined how many of them are happy and how many are frustrated. What makes them pleased or frustrated. What are the main benefits of the treadmill? And I will tell you what flaws you can expect. Something that the manufacturer won’t :).
And this, instead of being a 1-person review, it is gathered information from hundreds of experiences with this treadmill. It is enough to address everything you want to know about this machine.
So let’s see…
What makes xterra fitness trx3500 folding treadmill a good choice?
- It has quick access, incline, and speed buttons which are a huge help if you do HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) workouts. Just touch the preset speed and it happens. It is not a million little clicks to increase speed or incline. This way, quick access pre-set buttons make it so easy to focus.
- Many people report that it “Feels like a commercial unit“; “Really nice treadmill that is very close to one you would find at the gym.”, or “Honestly it’s as good as the treadmills at the gym”. You might find yourself feeling the same way with the xterra TRX3500.
- Assembly (when your bolts align (you will see what I am talking about later)) seems to be pretty straightforward. People say that: “It was easy to put together. There are only four steps. All the tools are provided, you just need a partner to hold the side rails while you screw in the bolts, and then the same thing for the console. I am amazed at how easy it was“,
“Hello, 4 steps to assemble. The easiest assembly ever.”,
“The actual assembly was VERY easy, the assembly instructions were clear and correct. Assembly took 45 minutes.”.
Amazon Customers
- The operation of the machine is comparatively quiet. People note, “I am amazed at how quiet the treadmill is compared to my old treadmill. It’s like a whisper, comparatively”; “I can hear the TV over the motor without needing to turn up too loud”; “The TRX3500 is quiet enough that I can hear the TV with only a small increase over normal volume.”
I listened to some videos of the treadmill, and it operates quietly. Of course, when you start running, every time you hit the treadmill, there is little additional noise, as you can imagine.
- There is also a bookshelf (“nice deep grove to put my book into for reading”) on the treadmill, so you can place your iPad, tablet, Kindle, phone, or whatever you want. This feature can be really helpful if you want to entertain yourself in different ways during your workout.
Until now this treadmill seems to be awesome. Positive after positive attributes. But what about…
The cons of xterra fitness trx3500 folding treadmill?
As you can imagine, very few products are flawless. There is always something that could have been done better. In this section, I will reveal all the cons of the xterra fitness trx3500 treadmill. I will tell you what flaws you can expect and possible solutions for them.
Mainly, this treadmill is not that “smart”. It is built to run the belt, and not that much to have convenient smart features. Also…
- One inconvenience about the treadmill is that you need to turn it off at the power switch to completely shut the unit down. This means that you have to bend down and power off the unit from the base.
Simply pulling the safety key won’t turn off the treadmill. I always turn off my treadmill from the base and I don’t find it to be a problem, but I decided to mention it.
- If you rely on the fan of this treadmill, you most probably will be disappointed. After all, have you seen a powerful fan on a treadmill? This one won’t be the exception.
If you want cooling during your runs, you will be better off if you position your treadmill close to an AC, or window. Or put a better fan in front of you (use the cupholders).
- If you are not prepared, this treadmill might seem heavy to you. As I said, it is 213 lbs, around 250 lbs with the packaging, in 39th place for heaviness. There are a lot heavier treadmills than this, but it is good to know the possible difficulties. Most probably, you should have a pair of helpful hands with you.
- One thing that is probably doubtless – the XTERRA app isn’t good at all.
- And the impressions about the heart rate monitoring are not that positive as well.
And now the things that concerned me:
There are currently 1415 ratings, 970 – giving 5 stars and 118 giving 1 star. The rest are in between. On Amazon and their site, the rating is 4.3. At Walmart, it is 3.6. Although most people using this treadmill report satisfaction, there are a few who have found problems.
The worst issues recorded are:
- Treadmill dead on arrival 30 people overall reported dead on arrival which is around 2.15% of all responses
The machine comes, and either some part is broken, or when fully assembled it states an error code, or doesn’t turn on at all.
“Out of the box assembled and does not work”
Amazon Customer
Many of them contact customer service, and they send them new parts with a technician. In most occasions, the problem is resolved, but sometimes the arrival of the technician could be delayed.
- Screws don’t line up – 20 people report that (1.43%). The holes that are prescrewed on the treadmills, in some instances, do not line up with the part that needs to connect with them.
“The monitor and side bars cannot be stretched because the holes absolutely do not align.” ;
“Screw holes for the horizontal bars are misaligned by a lot.”
“The holes in the brackets on the arms did not line up with the holes in the base”
Amazon Customers
If you experience this, you might need a drill to do your holes. However, some people report that they have managed to put it together, but with lots of difficulty.
- The other not-so-positive aspect of this treadmill is that some people (1.90%) report that after using it for some time, usually within the 2 years of purchase, the “treadmill started giving trouble while in warranty phase”.
By calling support though (not email them because they might not answer you that fast), some people are left pretty satisfied with the solutions provided to them.
“We have had this treadmill for 14 months and have had to replace the console TWICE” ;
“It worked perfectly fine the first three weeks of about 90 minutes of use 3 times a week. It suddenly has an E5 error now and won’t run.”
Amazon Customers
- Also, receiving support and repair can be prolonged:
“Still waiting for the technician after a month. Still broken and unusable.”
“They said they would send a technician to repair it once the part came in but they couldn’t give me an estimate of when that would be. Three months later and I am still waiting.”
Amazon Customers
Overall, these are the negatives of the treadmill. Although the percentage of negative reports seems small compared to the number of ratings, it is good to be aware of possible issues. Plus, you always have 30 days to return it.
And I bet you don’t want this to happen to you. That is why I paid closer attention to what are the problems and how often people report such issues. Hope it helps.
What maintenance does it need?
First, put some lube under the belt. For the long term – keep lubricating it as stated. Remove the dust around the motor (inside the front cover), and keep the treadmill clean!
It is an easy process that everybody can do. So after everything is said about this treadmill, let’s finally check…
What are people saying about xterra fitness trx3500 folding treadmill?
“It is smooth, stable, quiet, durable, and we really like it.”
“This treadmill is equivalent to others I’ve seen in person for double the price at my time of purchase”
“Solid treadmill that could be twice the price”
“Love everything about this treadmill. Been using gym quality treadmills for 30 years, this treadmill so far is comparable to commercial grade to me, love it!”
“We’ve been using it for over a year now and had no issues. Definitely recommend”
“I’ve had this treadmill for 9 months now and I still love it as much as the first day! The incline, the power, the smoothness.. just amazing! I put it together myself so don’t let that part scare you either! Honestly it’s as good as the treadmills at the gym”
“Purchased the treadmill (TRX3500) about a year ago. Runs great and have had no issues with it’s operation.”
Amazon Customers
You see, there are a lot of people who enjoy xterra trx35000.
The ultimate question is…
Should you buy xterra fitness trx3500 folding treadmill?
And the only person to answer this question is… You! Consider everything I have told you in this review. See again the section “Who will like Xterra Fitness TRX3500 Folding Treadmill Most?” Take the good, take the bad, compare them, evaluate for yourself, and do what you think is best!
I would give this treadmill 4 stars. It has everything you need for efficient running training. And if you don’t insist on smart features, want to rely on sturdiness, and don’t want to spend a fortune, then this might be the treadmill for you.
I hope all the information that I have provided to be of help to you, it took me some time.
If you want to see reviews on other treadmills, click here
Wish you choose the best treadmill for your running journey, that will serve you for many years, without the need to encounter much hassle. I am here to help!