Evo 2 Treadmill

Evo is a relatively new brand of treadmills, and its creators certainly knew how to make their product to stand out of the crowd in the competitive market of treadmills: most of their machines have the patented Motion Control that offers a very unique, high-tech feel. Evo 2 Treadmill boasts this feature as well. Motion Control allows you to adjust the speed with a wave of your hand vs. pressing buttons on the console. If you want to increase the speed, you just wave your hand over the right side handle, and if you want to decrease it you wave your hand over the left one. To stop the machine, you wave both hands over both side rails simultaneously. Motion Control can be disabled if for some reason you do not like it and prefer to use the traditional control buttons; Evo 2 has them as well.

The machine is heavy, weighing 316 pounds, which makes it sturdy and stable. The maximum user weight allowed is 400 pounds, greater than most treadmills I know of. Compared to Evo 1, the machine has a considerably longer belt, 62 inches long vs. 54 inches. You can do really long strides on this one. The width of the belt is the same, 20 inches, which is very well within the desired range. From what I know, a good belt should be at least 17 inches wide and preferably closer to 20.

Evo 2 is equipped with all the standard features we have come to expect from a good treadmill these days: things like magnetic safety key, deck cushioning to protect the joints (the patented Swing Arm shock absorption system), built-in handrail pulse sensors, large LED screen that tracks your performance (showing distance, time, pace, incline, calories), and a nice variety of pre-programmed workouts. The machine also comes with a wireless heart rate control: a strap that you put around your chest; as you exercise, it will transmit your heart rate directly to the console. I would mention very small side handles as a minor drawback; if you are not very well balanced, you might want larger handles or rails.

The programs this treadmill has are Manual (where you can set your own speed and incline), Target Distance, Target Time, Target Calories, 3 pre-set Time programs with12 intensity levels each. The machine has 9 user profiles that allow you to store your preferred settings.

Evo 2 does not fold up, which may be considered a disadvantage if you have limited space. The machine is very quiet. There is no such thing as a completely noiseless treadmill, no matter what you do you will still hear at least the sound of your feet thumping and some motor noise, but Evo 2 is probably one of the quietest.

Evo 2 is pricey, retailing at $3,199. It comes with a lifetime warranty for parts and 1 year warranty for labor.