Sole F85 Treadmill Product Review
Sole F85 has been the bestseller treadmill every year and is labeled the best folding treadmill ever. Suppose you are a power walker or a serious runner. In that case, you will expect your practical indoor training to include the following: automated incline, excellent cushioning, a large workout area, a fancy console, and of course, a powerful motor.
Sole F85 is a folding treadmill with the most advanced technology. It features a secure tablet holder and a 10.1-inch graphic workout display. It lets you share your session data via wireless apps using the Bluetooth connectivity features, letting your tablet work as the workout monitor. Sole F85 treadmill is the best buy option under $2000 with a lifetime warranty on the motor, frame, deck, and five years of electronics and parts. It is the most advanced model in the Sole lineup of 7 models, offering a perfect combination of power and finesse.
Sole Fitness is one of the unique brands for home fitness. You never get to see any aggressive marketing for their product or any fancy commercials because the customer reviews say a lot about the superior quality of Sole products. Secondly, their products are easy to use and keep things simple. You will never find several screens on the console or too many complicated programs in Sole fitness equipment. You can say that their products are pretty down-to-earth. Sole Fitness does not focus on frivolous details but on the functionality part that improves the quality of workouts.
You will find the best deal at a moderate price level of Sole F85, a mid-range treadmill. It has one of the most powerful motors you will ever find on a home treadmill coupled with a large running surface. You get extra peace of mind with its generous warranty.
If you are a regular runner and do enough running at home, Sole F85 is perfect. It is a steal at this price point. We highly recommend this treadmill because it lands on the best treadmill spot year after year.
Salient Features of Sole F85 Treadmill
Running Surface of 22 x 60 inches
The easiest way to tell if a high-end treadmill belongs to a dud, check the running surface first. Often high-end treadmills come with large running footprints, at least 20 x 60 inches. Almost all users can handle treadmills with that big a running surface without any problems. You can jog or walk at top speed without worrying about adjusting your natural stride, a critical factor for comfortable workouts. You would almost always make sure that the tread belt is long enough to accommodate your entire stride. However, if you need a treadmill only for walking, a running area may not be an essential factor. Nevertheless, a longer and broader surface in a treadmill is always better.
Sole F85 offers a running surface of 22 x 60 inches, exceeding 2 inches on the minimum desirable width. That is an excellent plus point because it provides enough wiggle space to work out comfortably. You don’t have to worry about falling off the treadmill or running out of belt space, even if you sway a little while jogging, running, or walking.
Shock Absorbers
Apart from a generous dose of running surface, the deck itself is highly sophisticated. The Sole F85 comes with a shock-absorbing system known by the fancy name of Cushion Flex Whisper Deck. It can absorb the impacts on your joints and reduce them by up to 40% compared to outdoor training surfaces. The lower joint effects achieved by Sole F85 exceed many other fitness brands. Besides reducing the impact on your joints, it also muffled the running sound to avoid disturbance to other family members.
Heavy-Duty Build
Fully assembled Sole F85 weighs about 300 pounds. The treadmill has a heavy-duty frame to support a user weight capacity of 400 pounds. If you compare these numbers with most of the home treadmills available out there, they are pretty impressive, making Sole F85 a perfect treadmill for heavy and tall people. Moreover, this giant robust treadmill does not move or wobble much during workouts. Your machine can handle the stress of everyday use in a better way. Even if you look at the strong warranty, it reflects the same confidence. Sole F85 machines are designed for elite hotels. It is much more than a cardio trainer to fulfill all training needs for a typical home gym for several years.
Foldability
It may be surprising that you can fold this beefy treadmill, but it does fold very well. So, when not used, you can quickly fold it vertically, which roughly reduces it to half its length. You can raise it a bit and latch the portion into place. It saves spaces by easy folding made possible by hydraulic assist and unfolds effortlessly due to its proprietary soft drop system. You can use a lever to release the deck to pull down. It has an in-built safety mechanism to lock securely for child safety in both folded and unfolded positions.
Motor
A Powerful motor is an equally important factor like its running surface. A robust engine can help you reach and maintain higher speeds. Sole F85 can handle it, no matter you want to use it for walking or running. A 4.0 CHP motor can reach a top speed of 12 miles per hour. There are 15 levels of power incline to handle any workout intensity. Sole F85 has a higher horsepower muscle to maintain higher speed without fail. If you want to log some serious work on your treadmill, always look for at least a 3.0 CHP motor under the hood. After all, for smooth sprints, you have Sole F85 with its powerful motor of 4 horsepower.
Rollers and Belt
Sole F85 treadmill comes with 2.75-inch dia rollers, helping its powerful motor offer quiet and smooth rides. These rollers make contact with the belt to propel it along the treadmill track. Since they make surface contact with the belt, it is always better to have larger rollers to reduce stress through the belt and rollers, thereby prolonging treadmill life. By the way, larger rollers also create a smooth feel during workouts. Perhaps, Sole F85 has one of the most oversized track rollers in the industry for durability and quiet operation.
Sole F85 comes with four layers of two-ply belts, requiring little or no maintenance. Thicker ones offer additional cushioning and durability, less prone to stretches over time.
25 workout programs
Sole does not offer too many workout programs on the treadmills, which you may never need. Still, Sole F85 features more workout programs on the new console than usual. It includes seven fitness tests, twelve custom workouts, and six standard programs, offering more options than any other Sole treadmill. The programs include different modes to support muscle toning, weight loss, and cardio training. You get quick start convenience as it allows two users to save custom programs and store their profiles.
10.1″ Prime touchscreen display
Sole F85 has a large touchscreen display on its new console, making selections during workouts easier with a graphical display on a white background. You get seven in-built apps, including YouTube, Netflix, CNN News, NBC News, CBC News, and ESPN. Although there have been a few complaints about the apps not working correctly, or minor glitches in the software, they don’t seem to affect the machine performance. Moreover, right above the console, you will find an integrated tablet holder not to block the display while watching YouTube or Netflix, etc.
Bluetooth Speakers & App Connectivity
The Bluetooth speakers are in-built in the Sole F85 treadmill. You can listen to your favorite playlists by wirelessly connecting your MP3 player or smartphone to the console.
You may use any of the popular fitness apps or your humble free Sole app. They help you connect the treadmill to your phone via Bluetooth compatibility for data tracking.
Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitor
When you purchase Sole F85, it includes a chest strap HR monitor. Your treadmill is compatible with chest strap HR monitors to determine your pulse readings accurately. It is a pretty helpful feature if you want to track your pulse during workouts ensuring 99.9% deemed accuracy. It also includes touch pulse sensors and calculates targeted pulse rates on different variables, including age and gender.
USB charging port & Cooling Fan
The USB charging port is a convenient feature as you will not like to drain your battery during those charged-up workout sessions. Similarly, colling Fan is there to keep you comfortable during intense sessions.
Quick Control Buttons
The feature of quick touch incline or speed control buttons is helpful for interval training. You have to hit the quick control buttons to set your incline or speed to predetermined values instantly.
Straightforward Assembly
You always get the best assembly manuals from Sole to help you manage the show yourself. It provides scaled images and a hardware list for every step. It is effortless to assemble Sole F85. You need to follow only nine steps where your job is as simple as attaching the console to the support beams, connecting the wires, and tightening the screws. Nevertheless, it may be challenging to assemble this heavy treadmill with 300 pounds of weight. It is best to build it in the space where you want to use it to avoid difficult transportation. Before assembly, you may need a helping hand to shift the parts to the finalized room.
Confident Warranty
When it comes to its warranties, Sole Fitness is always the industry leader. Hence, the guarantee of Sole F85 also does not disappoint you. You get a lifetime warranty on its frame, deck, and motor; the electronics and treadmill parts carry a warranty of five years, whereas labor guarantees last two years. Overall, it is an excellent warranty at any price point and is almost unbeatable because most competing brands offer only one year of labor warranty. In a nutshell, it is an excellent guarantee on a machine built to last anyway.
PROS OF SOLE F85 TREADMILL
- It comes with a running surface of 22 x 60 inches which is two inches broader than desired.
- Cushion Flex Whisper Deck cushioning technology offers quiet and low-impact workouts, 40% less impacting than outdoor training.
- You can quickly fold and unfold the deck to save space by half using soft drop and hydraulic assist technology.
- You get a powerful motor of 4.0 CHP in the Sole F85 treadmill to support a high user weight of 400 pounds. A robust engine provides durability with a top-level speed of 12 mph.
- There are 15 powered incline levels to adjust workout intensities.
- You get a 10.1-inch touchscreen display to monitor your fitness stats and access popular Fitness and entertainment apps wirelessly with Bluetooth compatibility.
- There are oversized 2.75-inch rollers, perhaps the largest in the industry, ensuring quiet operation and longevity.
- You can accurately monitor your heart rate keep the pulse in the targeted zone with included chest strap HR monitor.
- The lifetime warranty is unbeatable as it covers the frame, deck as well as motor.
- There are several other pro features, including Bluetooth speakers, water bottle holder; cooling Fan; USB charging port, quick control buttons for speed and incline, etc.
CONS OF SOLE F85 TREADMILL
- Sole F85 comes with limited programming options with a mere handful of workout options that lack thoughtful variety.
- It may not be a real space saver as even after folding, it is 80 inches long.
- There are known glitches in the console and software.
- The side rails provided for stability are not long enough for some users.
Machine Specs of Sole F85 Treadmill
Dimensions (Inches): 82 x 37 x 66 (L x B x H); Motor: 4.0 CHP; Running Area: 22 x 60 inches; Top Speed: 12 miles per hour; User Weight Capacity: 400 pounds; Foldable: Yes; Incline: 0-15%; Programs: 25 (6 built in, 12 Custom, 7 fitness); Smartphone or Tablet Mirroring; 10.1 inch TFT-LCD touch panel; WiFi compatibility; 7 Preloaded apps.
