The Bowflex Treadmill 10 is one of the best treadmills you can buy – provided its high price doesn’t put you off. The incline and speed range are large enough to satisfy runners of all levels, and the JRNY app provides a wealth of workouts and entertainment options that you can watch on the 10in screen.
Bowflex Treadmill 10 Review: Price And Availability
The Bowflex Treadmill 10 is called the Bowflex Treadmill 25, or Bowflex BFX25, in Europe (because of the screen size, which is 10in/25cm). In the US the Treadmill has an RRP of $1,999. The BFX25 Treadmill I tested was lent to Coach by Fitness Superstore, where the price is £2,599.
Design And Key Specs
The Bowflex Treadmill 10 is a large machine, measuring 85in x 39.6in x 65.3in (LWH, 215.8cm x 100.5cm x 165.9cm) when unfolded, and 44.5in x 39.6in x 70in (LWH, 113cm x 100.5cm x 177.8cm) when folded. The machine provides assistance to help you fold it up, but it’s heavy (323lb/146.5kg) and difficult to move around. I generally left it unfolded since it didn’t save significant space to raise the belt.
The benefits of the size are that it has a spacious running belt that never felt cramped for me as a 6ft/1.83m-tall runner. It’s 60in/152cm long and 22in/56cm wide, which is comparable to the belt sizes of commercial machines in the gym. The max user weight is 400lb/181.4kg.
The top speed of the machine is 12mph/20km/h, and the incline range extends from -5% downhill to 15% uphill. Bowflex doesn’t give the exact horsepower of the motor in the machine, but it has run smoothly for me when using the highest speeds available for long periods.
On the front frame of the treadmill are dials for changing the speed and incline, and a 10in HD touchscreen display that is raised above a shelf that you can put a tablet or phone on. A gripe I have about this shelf is that it’s positioned so the console screen obscures the top section of a tablet on it, so when using Zwift I couldn’t see my stats, which were hidden behind the screen. As a result I often used a separate tablet holder while on the treadmill to get a clearer view.
The treadmill connects to third-party apps like Zwift or Peloton using Bluetooth and will send your stats to them, so they can be used for guided workouts instead of the built-in JRNY app. However, you have to use these third-party apps on a separate tablet or phone because the built-in 10in screen will only show the JRNY app and certain streaming services.
How I Tested This Treadmill
I’ve been using the Bowflex Treadmill 10 for three months, running on it once or twice a week, with more frequent use when the weather was bad. I am a keen runner with a marathon PB of 2hr 28min and regularly used the higher speeds on the machine.
The JRNY App
The JRNY app is central to the user experience on the treadmill and a year’s membership is included. After that it costs $19.99/£19.99 a month or $149/£149 a year. Wifi is required for the app, but you can use the machine offline in manual mode without a JRNY subscription, though you still require wifi at set-up.
Before diving into the workout options in the JRNY app you take a fitness assessment that helps the app customise the difficulty of the workouts to suit you as a runner. It also adapts the workouts over time in line with your fitness progression and provides a target “burn rate” of calories per minute throughout workouts. However, since you set your own speed and incline during the workouts it’s really up to you to ensure they’re challenging.
There are video workouts where an instructor talks you through the session, and workouts with audio instructions and a line showing your progression through it. The advantage of the latter is that you can choose the entertainment shown on the screen.
The options for this include a range of scenic routes from around the world, along with streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+, which you can log into and use on the console screen while the workout continues in the background with audio instructions. This is something you can also do on the Technogym MyRun, but notably not the Peloton Tread.
Along with running workouts there is a range of sessions including yoga and strength classes. All the workouts are on-demand and the instructors have a relaxed approach compared with the more intense classes I tried with the Peloton Tread.
The JRNY app has no live classes, which are a compelling feature of Peloton’s line-up. In general, I’d say the Peloton classes offer a more motivational, communal feel, but I prefer the option of popping a workout on and then choosing to watch Netflix or use the scenic videos.
You can use the scenic routes without tackling a workout, and there are even routes where the incline on the treadmill changes in line with the terrain. This appeals to me as a runner who prefers to be outdoors on natural rolling terrain.
Can you use the Bowflex Treadmill 10 without a JRNY membership?
You don’t need a JRNY subscription to use the Bowflex Treadmill 10, but without one the options on the built-in screen are basic. You can use the treadmill in manual mode and there are a few workouts you can use, but you don’t get access to any instructor-led video workouts or the scenic routes. You also cannot use the monitor to show streaming services without a subscription.
If you use the treadmill without a JRNY subscription the built-in monitor becomes somewhat superfluous, though you can still link the machine to apps like Zwift on a tablet and get guided workouts through that.
Is The Bowflex Treadmill 10 Worth It?
The Bowflex Treadmill 10 is an excellent machine that provides a great user experience to runners of all levels. The JRNY app has many options to keep you entertained and/or challenged during your runs, and can help you progress as a runner.
It’s not a completely closed system either – connectivity to apps like Zwift and Peloton means you can get a lot from the treadmill without using the JRNY app – but if you aren’t planning on using JRNY, it’s better to get a Bowflex machine without the big screen.
If you are using JRNY then it is also worth looking into the specs of the more expensive Bowflex Treadmill 22 ($2,699/£3,099), which has a 22in display that will be more immersive for scenic routes and better for watching streaming services.
I would add that I found the instructor-led classes on the Peloton Tread to be more immersive, though the Bowflex Treadmill 10 is much cheaper and better for basic workouts, as well as allowing you to watch streaming services on the screen. It’s a similar experience to the Technogym MyRun but with a built-in display, which the Technogym lacks despite its higher price. The MyRun is a smaller machine and easier to accommodate at home, but also has a smaller running belt than the Bowflex.
All the entertainment options and connectivity you get with the Bowflex Treadmill 10 make it expensive, and there is greater value in getting a machine with similar specs from brands like DKN or JTX for a lower price and then using a tablet to find apps that can provide guided workouts, of which there are many, or watch Netflix.
Having it all in the one package with the Bowflex Treadmill 10 is undeniably convenient though, and the hardware and software on the machine are top-notch.
