Best for Home Use
Best for Serious Runners
Best for Walkers
Best for Seniors
Phoenix 98510 Easy-Up Manual Treadmill Review
The $130 Phoenix 98510 Easy-Up Manual Treadmill is lightweight and foldable home gym equipment from Phoenix Health & Fitness. This motorless cardio trainer works with gravity and user weight: The track is permanently tilted to a roughly 12% grade, and the belt speed changes in response to the user’s movement.
Because of its incline and its unique demand for excellent user balance, the Phoenix manual treadmill is too challenging for most newcomers to cardio training. It has other shortcomings too… and yet many owners are satisfied. We see the Phoenix 98510 as a potentially fun splurge to diversify your home gym, but we definitely wouldn’t choose this item for daily training.
Two main advantages of choosing the Phoenix Easy-Up are low cost and compact size. This machine costs about 90% less than a respectable motorized treadmill for walkers. It’s guaranteed for about 90% fewer workouts too — but for some shoppers, delivering just $130 worth of workouts is a fair deal. As for compact size, the Phoenix Manual Treadmill needs about ? the floor space of a typical treadmill. It measures just 46.5″ long x 21.1″ wide, and in between workouts it can be folded and rolled away for storage. However, a trade-off in achieving the small size is a very limited workout space. The track surface measures just 13″ wide and 41″ long. Even the cheapest “best buy” motorized treadmills have 20″ wide and 55″ long tracks.
The possible third advantage, or maybe another disadvantage, is unique exercise. Like most manual treadmills, the Phoenix 98510 Easy-Up demands a higher level of balance than what’s required with a motorized treadmill, including a motorized treadmill with incline. It also requires more effort, as the track won’t budge without user effort. On the plus side, you could feel as if you accomplish a productive workout in a shorter amount of time than usual. But unfortunately the unique challenge here isn’t a good match for many of our readers. Common sorts of comments from disappointed buyers are “It felt dangerous” and “I was hanging on to the arm rails for dear life.” With this unit you cannot safely let your arms swing as they normally would during treadmill walking or jogging.
A final disadvantage worth considering is overall low quality. This treadmill has a 250-pound user weight capacity but is commonly described as flimsy and wobbly.
What We Like:
- Price: The Phoenix 98510 Easy-Up Manual Treadmill was sold for just $131 on Amazon at last check. The price included free shipping for Amazon Prime members.
- Compact: The frame for this model measures just 21.1″ W x 46.5″ L x 50″ H. When folded it’s 21.1″ W x 21.1″ L x 50.2″ H.
- Portable: The Easy-Up Manual Treadmill has wheels attached. The machine weighs just 45 pounds, so transport is easy.
- Lower Impact: This treadmill isn’t well-cushioned, but the rubber track has relatively good “give” for a cheap treadmill’s workout surface.
- Incline: The tilted track design makes this treadmill especially challenging for the calves.
- Assembly: Customers report that assembly is straightforward and takes about 60 to 90 minutes.
Phoenix 98510 Easy-Up Manual Treadmill Treadmill - Key Specs:
| Star Rating: | 1.1-stars |
|---|---|
| Motor: | Manual HP |
| Incline: | Permanently Tilted at 12% Grade |
| Running Area: | 41" x 13" |
| Folding: | Yes |
| Top Speed: | Manual MPH |
| Weight Capacity: | 250 LBS |
| Dimensions: | 46.5" L x 21.1" W x 50" H |
| Built-In Programs: | 0 |
- Not High Quality: The Easy-Up Manual Treadmill weighs just 45 pounds and is often described as having low quality construction.
- No Programs: This treadmill doesn’t provide workout guidance. It does have a one-button scan function on a small electronic display for showing speed, distance, time and calories.
- Track Size: The Phoenix Manual Treadmill track is extremely small at just 13″ wide and 41″ long. In customer reviews it isn’t judged as safe for taller trainees to use.
- Maintenance Required: One of the most common complaints about this manual treadmill is the track “stickiness.” In other words, sometimes the track won’t budge. To ensure that the track runs smoothly, owners might need to apply WD-40 or silicone lubricant once a month or so.
- Warranties: This product has one of the least comforting warranties of any treadmill on our website. The parts are covered for just 90 days and the frame has a one-year warranty. The warranty package does not provide for repair expenses. Comparing this treadmill with motorized options over $500 you’ll see a big difference in terms of consumer protections.
See Our Best Buy Treadmill Lists
Our Verdict:
The Phoenix Manual Treadmill could be an interesting add-on for a home gym… maybe an extra option to help pass the winter months. It’s not recommended as the centerpiece of at-home cardio training, and it would be inappropriate for certain readers to use in terms of safety issues and body size.