This new Bowflex treadmill isn’t the company’s top-of-the-line model, and it doesn’t even have a built-in monitor. It’s no Peleton and decidedly middle-of-the-road in most ways. The reason it’s worth considering, however, is price, size and quality build.
I was curious if this BXT8J Treadmill from parent company Nautilus would be the economical value it seemed to be while still being sturdy enough to handle all my miles. I put it through plenty of paces across runs of various length runs to find out.
TL;DR
Pros:
Easy to raise and lower for smaller spacesAutomatic incline lift is smooth and strong
Cons:
No color monitorControls take a little time to figure out
Overview
While the BXT8J treadmill might seem fairly basic because of its lack of a big monitor, it does have plenty of niceties for running-at-home performance. The speed can go up to 12 miles per hour, and the unit has a 15 percent motorized incline. A chest strap heart rate monitor is included for health tracking, too.
There are 26 workout types fully contained in the machine that don’t need to be accessed over the internet, though the treadmill can connect with a phone or tablet over Bluetooth to work with Jrny content. It has a shelf to hold electronic devices, a USB-A port for charging and a 3.5-millimeter jack to connect a device to its built-in speakers.
What Size Treadmill is Good?
The Bowflex BXT8J Treadmill has a running belt that measures 20 inches by 60 inches. I’m 5 feet 11 inches tall, and I found this size to be plenty large. Neither the length nor width was a problem for which I needed to adjust my running style. I felt it was a very nice balance between space to run and how much area it took up in my garage. Having smaller dimensions than this could have been a problem for running, however.
Do You Need a TV Built Into a Treadmill?
It’s easy to assume the main way Bowflex made this BXT8J Treadmill more affordable was not to include TV-like displays like the ones that appear on the beautiful looking NorticTracks. Instead of a bright colorful screen, there’s an LCD readout for showing metrics and workout types. It glows blue and is about as uninteresting as possible.
I know workout equipment doesn’t need an integrated screen, but I do think most people are drawn to them. Why would you not gravitate toward an integrated solution to watch shows or trainers—even if you don’t end up using it for those things a lot of the time?
I used my phone and iPad on the BXT8J’s media shelf, and it worked great. It held my 11-inch iPad Pro securely while I watched Netflix shows on the tablet. I had access to all the streaming services I needed without having to sign into yet another device.
If you do want to use the Jrny subscription service Bowflex offers for guided video workouts, you’ll need to bring your own phone or tablet to rest on the media shelf while you run. I tried it, but it was a more disappointing experience than when I used it on the Bowflex Max Total 16, which had an integrated monitor.
Treadmill Controls
While I don’t think a built-in TV-like monitor is necessary for streaming movies while running, having one does make other tasks like accessing a machine’s settings much easier. For example, I accidentally skipped through inputting the correct date on setup and couldn’t find how to get back to it on the basic LCD, even after reading the manual.
The BXT8J has a ton of buttons that I found a bit overwhelming at first. Pushing the start button and then increasing the speed with the up arrows was easy, but figuring out the workout programs was a bit tricky. The good news is that it did get easier to manipulate the treadmill with time. After running the first 10 miles I felt completely comfortable with how all the controls worked.
If there is not going to be a central touchscreen for controls, I do appreciate that this machine includes physical buttons for speed, incline and start and stop. They are clicky and easy to press when your hands are sweaty.
Miles and More
Above any other BXT8J offerings, I was focused on testing how it handled someone running on it—its primary purpose. I was most concerned with how stable it felt. The last thing I want is to spend hours on a treadmill that wobbles, shakes or creaks as I try to hit my goals.
I assembled the machine myself in about an hour, so I knew how many screws were holding it together. It’s not as many as you might guess, but even after dozens of miles, I never felt the main console move around. The side arm rails were comforting the few times I needed to rest a hand on them during a run. Even at high speeds, the only noise I noticed was the normal sound of shoes slapping on a rubber belt, the same as I’ve experienced using other treadmills.
The incline was smooth enough to be almost invisible. My legs instantly noticed the steeper running surface, but the motor was quiet and lifted my 155-pound weight without missing a beat. I took the incline to its 15 percent max, but only for testing. Working up to that level at any decent speed is not for the faint of heart.
Should You Buy the Bowflex BXT8J Treadmill?
When I first got serious about running, in 2020, I considered getting a treadmill. At the time I wasn’t quite sure what I needed or how I would use it, so I ultimately decided to wait. I know it can be tempting to shop for low-end treadmills that start around $500. And while those might be fine to get started, you’ll almost certainly outgrow one of them sooner than later if you stick to running regularly.
A lot of the less expensive options don’t have the automatic incline, the speed capabilities or the overall stability that the BXT8J does. Those features are really the heart of why I’ve been happy with this machine. It can keep up with my daily running, even mimicking the hills I would normally traverse outside, without ever feeling insecure. New runners can grow into the full breadth of what the Bowflex BXT8J offers, while experienced runners shouldn’t ever outgrow it.
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