Best for Home Use
Best for Serious Runners
Best for Walkers
Best for Seniors
ProForm SMART Performance 800i Review
Brian is a regular competitor and national qualifier in the National Physique Committee events of bodybuilding and classic physique. A veteran writer and editor of more than 24 years, he's published numerous articles on fitness, health, and exercise.
Read full bio >The ProForm Smart Performance 800i is ProForm’s 2019 entry into its Performance Series. It has a few upgrades when compared to the Smart Performance 400i and the Smart Performance 600i, in power, display size, user weight capacity and length of the treadmill belt. Although the 800i has been fine tuned with these improvements it is still a treadmill best suited for walkers and joggers, not serious runners. The Performance Series is also the entry level treadmills offered by ProForm below the Power and Pro Series.
The Smart Performance 800i boasts the highest power (2.75 CHP) in the series; making it a good option for walking and a light jog. It’s good for seniors, rehab and low impact cardio workouts at home. Although the motor power in the Performance collection is the highest of its offerings, the “smart” change for 2019 is the benefit of the deck being able to incline (10%) and decline (-2%), adding levels of difficulty and intensity while working additional muscles.
In fact, the decline makes using the iFit App more fun, which is free for the first year with purchase. The iFit Coach App gives you access to over 12,000 workouts from studios to locations around the world as well terrains via Google Maps. Your running deck works in sync with the app and moves up and down in relation to the elevation of the city, beach or side walk you are virtually walking on. The interaction and excitement is all that much more intense with the Smart HD touchscreen 14” monitor.
And no need to worry about falling off (between the decline/incline and terrains around the world), the 60” long and 18” wide deck is lengthier than the average residential treadmill. It is also cushioned to soften your impact and protect your joints.
Monitor your heart rate with the EKG grip pulse sensor; conveniently placed to easily and quickly review without distraction. The fan works to keep you cool.
The user weight capacity is 315 lbs; making it a sturdy machine for most users.
Whether it’s your music, the studios or the instructors that get you motivated the 2” speakers will enhance the sound and your listening pleasure.
Once you’ve finished walking the beaches of the Caribbean, the space saver design allows you to easily fold the 800i and roll it safely out of the way.
The warranty is standard for ProForm treadmills, offering 10 years of coverage on the frame, 2 years on parts and 1 year on labor.
What We Like:
- One-year iFit membership included: Although there are no built-in programs on the Performance 800i, it is iFit enabled, and you get free access for a year. With an iFit subscription you will have access to a huge range of workouts. If you don’t want to pay the subscription fee, you do get access to 1 iFit workout daily without the membership.
- Incline/decline -2-10%: The 10% incline level range is common and the lowest increase usually offered. However, the added feature of the 2% decline takes it up a notch, to increase your intensity, endurance and strength with less impact on your knees and hips.
- Speed: 0-12 mph – The speed range is enough for walking or jogging.
- Folding deck: The space saver design makes it easy to pick up and move the treadmill out of the way once you’ve finished your walk.
- Tablet holder: A place to conveniently place your devices.
- Display screen: The 14” touchscreen makes it a lot more fun to view the terrains via Google maps or your instructors while they motivate you.
- 2” speakers: Sometimes music, a little louder is motivating, or maybe it is the instructor led video on the app – whichever, the 2” speaker will make it all sound that much better.
- Warranty: The Performance 800i has a 10-Year Frame, 2-Year Parts, and 1-Year Labor warranty.
ProForm SMART Performance 800i Treadmill - Key Specs:
| Star Rating: | 4.45-stars |
|---|---|
| Motor: | 2.75 HP |
| Incline: | -2 to 10% |
| Running Area: | 18”x 60” |
| Folding: | Yes |
| Top Speed: | 12 MPH |
| Weight Capacity: | 315 LBS |
| Dimensions: | 33.5" L x 76" W x 58" H |
| Built-In Programs: | 0 |
- Beginners Only: The 800i will not be enough power or have the durability for an advanced runner (choose the ProForm Power or ProForm Pro series).
Our Verdict:
The ProForm Smart Performance 800i is a good treadmill for entry level and for those not intending to go beyond walking and jogging. It’s a suitable choice for seniors and those looking for a low impact workout. The power at 2.75 CHP is the most important feature to confirm this recommendation. But even so the decline/incline, the top speed, along with the iFit Coach app, will make workouts challenging for most. You will definitely build your cardio levels and leg strength – without too much impact on your joints.