NordicTrack Commercial 1750 review: a high-end folding treadmill for beginners and pros alike

NordicTrack Commercial 1750 review TL;DR: if you’re in the market for a folding treadmill, you can't go far wrong with the premium NordicTrack Commercial 1750. Be mindful of its size, though.

If you’re nervous about returning to the gym post lockdown but don’t want to compromise on your fitness goals, now may be a good time to invest in home equipment. Unlike during lockdown, where practically every machine was sold out from retailers and second-hand from eBay, you will have much more luck finding something to suit now. 

NordicTrack is one of the world’s largest home fitness equipment manufacturers and has been making both standard and folding treadmills for decades. They have folding and standard treadmills models to suit everyone, from mid-priced to top-end machines with plenty of functions and features.

Their latest folding treadmill, the Commercial 1750, is at the top end of the spectrum with features including on-demand interactive workouts, the ability to escape the living room set-up to explore far-flung places across the globe via the touchscreen and real-time workout tracking. We had a chance to test out the machine, and this is what we thought.

NordicTrack Commercial 1750 review: price and availability

The NordicTrack Commercial 1750 foldable treadmill is available at NordicTrack US and NordicTrack UK for a recommended retail price of $1,899/£1,999. 

The price includes iFit Family Membership (up to five adults) which is valued at $396/£349. 

If you wish to pay through monthly instalments, there is a 0 per cent APR option.

NordicTrack Commercial 1750 review: set up and first impressions

Although fairly pricey at $1799, the Nordic Track Commercial is not the most expensive of treadmills out there. But as soon as you lay eyes on it, you know this is a beast of a machine with a sharp design built to last for a great workout. Delivery was prompt and, like most machines, required two people to build. When it comes to where to put the machine, be mindful it can only be installed to a ground floor room location. This information was only parted to me on the day of the delivery, which was a bit disappointing as I had plans to store it on the first-floor level of my home.  

Once assembled (it took the men over an hour to put together), I was taken through the basic stages of set-up, which includes the iFit Family Membership. However, you don’t need a subscription to access the preset training videos should you decide not to purchase a new subscription once the free one has lapsed.  

The Commercial 1750 is foldable with EasyLift Assist technology, which is simple to use as long as the machine is unplugged from the machine and raised at incline setting two. It’s super simple to operate with the deck gently lifting up and locking into place when vertical. It unlocks by dropping gently back to the floor. This is an important feature if, like myself, you’re grappling with a smaller living space. Having said that, for a foldable machine, it can still hold up to 135kg user weight which is rather impressive. 

The physical features of this machine include interaction via a 10” smart HD touchscreen as well as Bluetooth compatible speakers, a set of AutoBreeze™ workout fans, and an integrated tray for storing items such as a water bottle and phone. Heart rate monitoring can be tracked either via touch sensors or with a wireless chest strap.  

Once fully assembled, the Nordic Track Commercial 1750 certainly looks the part. The large running area, the steel frame, the crossbar sat between the two posts, and the general heavy-set nature of the model gives it a reassuring feel of being incredibly strong, sturdy and able to withstand a powerful workout. While it looks worthy of taking its place at a gym, it’s worth mentioning here this cardio trainer is entry-level in its series and is, in fact, marketed as a domestic treadmill despite the name ‘Commercial’.

So if you’re a personal trainer thinking of buying this treadmill for their clients in a private gym, do take note the warranty only covers domestic and not commercial use. It’s also covered by NordicTrack’s lifetime frame, 10-year motor and 2-year on-site parts and labour warranty.

The thick running belt, measuring 22 inches by 60 inches, is slightly wider than the industry standard treadmill. Those concerned with protecting their knees and joints can rest in the knowledge there’s a flex cushioning option to reduce impact by up to a third. Athletes who wish to replicate the feeling of running on tarmac and varying terrains can switch off the cushioning to suit. 

One of the standout features of the Nordic Track Commercial 1750 is the incline and decline, which ranges from –3 to 15 plus. This will undoubtedly help users to build muscle, tone up and become stronger runners, hikers or walkers. Furthermore, if you use one of the iFit workouts, the incline and decline will auto adjust to the terrain of the specific program. This allows runners to become totally immersed in the location they are trailing through, helping them to forget they are on a stationary cardio machine.

NordicTrack Commercial 1750 review: the running experience

The Nordic Track Commercial 1750 is not only solid to look at but is sturdy to use as well. Stepping on to it and taking my first few steps on it and I knew it was as robust as it looked (I did a mini shake test). The belt’s width gives you the peace of mind of having enough space to move around without getting too close to the edge. Meanwhile, the deck’s length is suitable for tall runners like me with a long stride. 

While the basic keys of start/stop and speed and incline are physical buttons on the treadmill console, everything else is done via the touchscreen. For a manual workout, you’re pretty much ready to go at the tap of a button on the interface. You don’t need an internet connection for a manual workout, but it’s necessary to have one if you want to access the iFit Coach integrated workouts.

And to be honest, that’s where all the exciting stuff happens because, let’s face it, monotonous running can get rather boring. And to alleviate boredom, there are around 50 preset workouts available which are accessed via the iFit service. All you have to do is press the workout library button, and you’re able to enter the world of videos hosted on iFit. After selecting the workout, it’s streamed to your console. The built-in programs are designed by certified personal trainers, and you can choose from categories including interval training, speed training, calorie burn, and heart rate control.

A noisy motor is never pleasant and makes for a far less enjoyable experience, in my opinion, not to mention the need to concentrate when you need to follow guidance and or instructions from a live PT. But this machine is noticeably quiet and smooth thanks to the 3.6 horsepower, which keeps noise levels to a minimum. Even when I ramped up the speed to the maximum level of 12mph (way more than a seasoned competitor will need), there was virtually no issues with the noise. You can, of course, pair your Bluetooth headphones to your treadmill so that you can listen to your instructor and cancel out any other external noise. 

The 1750 will satisfy most runners and offers great value for walkers and hikers too. And as the treadmill is equipped with iFit Coach, it will help users keep their workouts exciting through virtual runs across the globe. You can literally run the world from the peaks of Scotland to the glaciers of Antarctica or engage in programs allowing you to experience everything from the Boston Marathon to the mountains of New Zealand. All of this is guided by expert trainers who will help you step up your game with interactive personal training. It’s one way of plugging the travel bug gap if you’ve been missing exploring the globe physically as I have as a seasoned travel writer. 

If you prefer ‘group style’ classes (and who wouldn’t want to after spending so much time in isolation during lockdown?), you can stream live workouts hosted by iFit trainers onto your treadmill. The high-definition videos featuring a personal trainer will guide and motivate you through the whole workout. I found it surprisingly motivating even though I knew the trainers couldn’t see me or the amount of effort I was putting in.

Some of the trainers talk incessantly, which is a tad annoying at times. If you can’t make a class due to the time difference or any other reason, there’s an option to access on-demand studio sessions. Runners can then focus on the job at hand as the trainers use automatic trainer control to adjust your speed, incline and decline. As all the guesswork is done for you, all you need to do is show up and give it your 100 per cent for a heart-pumping workout.  

For a bit of healthy competition, the live leaderboards will help you get fired up where users can push themselves to compete against the iFit community. This is a surefire way of pushing yourself to the limit as the leaderboard shuffles up and down depending on the effort you put in. No one likes being last, even if you don’t know any of the competitors in person.

NordicTrack Commercial 1750 review: verdict

The NordicTrack Commercial 1750 is a high-quality foldable treadmill that will satisfy novices and seasoned marathon runners alike. Beginners can follow the easy workout programs or manually adjust their speed and incline to burn calories, tone, and build stamina. At the same time, the pros can keep things fresh by diving into tough challenges by experiencing new and exciting terrains in various parts of the world. 

Previous models came with an individual one-year iFit membership, but this has been upgraded to a family membership here. It’s ideal for households with multiple runners of various skill levels as well as help them save a fortune through gym membership fees. And as the machine boasts both incline and decline functions, it appeals to serious competitors to simulate real-life training.  

The treadmill itself is rather smart looking, put together incredibly well and is definitely on the high end of the spectrum when it comes to offering state of the art in technology. It appeals to casual and serious runners alike and can offer varied workouts for the whole family. But at 142 kg, it’s on the heavy side and very difficult to move once it’s set down (thankfully, you don’t have to put the treadmill together as the professionals do that for you). And despite being foldable, you will still require ample space to store the machine. 

But the cons outweigh the pros, hands down. If the average treadmill bores you easily and the prospect of pounding the streets is deflating, then one of the programs on the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 will certainly help motivate you. This elite machine will aid any user – beginner or advanced – reach their personal fitness goals. And ultimately, that’s the goal of any good treadmill worth its salt.

NordicTrack Commercial 1750 review: also consider

The Echelon Stride is an excellent alternative for the Commercial 1750 It's a straightforward, easy-to-use folding treadmill that won’t monopolise too much space. While the Echelon Stride is a more basic model, it has everything you need to get in a solid workout – and has even more to offer with a subscription to Echelon Fit and their library of treadmill workouts.

The ProForm Pro 2000 is slightly cheaper than the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 but packs in many comparable features. ProForm’s 10-inch touchscreen is on the smaller side, but iFit’s live studio classes and on-demand workouts still make this one of the best pieces of cardio tech you can buy today. If cardio health is dear to your heart, you’ll more than get your money’s worth.