Best for Home Use
Best for Serious Runners
Best for Walkers
Best for Seniors
Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill Review
Considering its sale price of just $299, the Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill is feature-rich. While other folding treadmills in its price class lack workout programming, the Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill (SF-T4400) has nine workout programs plus manual mode. And while few treadmills at any price point can calculate BMI (a measure of body fat), this model does the job. Nonetheless it has important shortcomings: The manufacturer’s warranty is short, the workout area is rather small, and the machine has a relatively light weight capacity of 220 pounds. It might be a good match if you’re a not-so-large individual seeking an entry-level fitness machine.
Key features of the Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill are: a compact and foldable frame; nine preset workout programs; a high speed of 9 miles per hour; a 2.2 peak HP drive; and a running surface that’s approximately 16″ wide x 49″ long. Trainees can choose from three slight inclines as well. A simple LCD shows the speed, distance, elapsed time and calories burned. As mentioned above, the treadmill can also calculate BMI.
This Sunny treadmill is small, foldable and portable. Its unfolded dimensions are 62″ long x 27″ wide x 50″ high. Its folded dimensions are 34.5″ long x 27″ wide x 58″ high. This model is manufactured overseas but customer service for US residents is provided out of California.
Undecided? Here are lists of pros and cons.
What We Like:
- Price: The Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill is often available for just $299 on Amazon and with free delivery for Amazon Prime members. Its MSRP is $399. Most home treadmills cost at least twice as much… but they have more advanced components and longer warranties.
- Programs: Nine programs in addition to manual mode add guidance and variety to treadmill exercise. (For comparison, many treadmills under $500 lack workout programming.) For convenience each program profile is printed onto the console; see the challenge before making your selection.
- Data: This treadmill’s computer is very simple but worth mentioning. Trainees get feedback about time, distance, speed, calories and pulse. (Note that pulse is measured through contact sensors and isn’t up to hospital-level standards.) This fitness machine can also calculate BMI.
- Handrail Controls: For convenience during workouts, speed controls are built into the handrails as well as the console.
- Media Ledge: When entertainment is included, workout time can fly by. A ledge for supporting a smartphone or tablet computer is built into the Sunny treadmill’s console.
- Speed: The maximum speed on this unit is 9 mph. While that’s not quite the industry standard, it’s impressive in the domain of ultra-cheap treadmills.
- Compact and Foldable Frame: With its footprint of 27″ x 62″, this treadmill demands less floor space than most. It can be folded to become even more compact. When the deck is pushed upward, the footprint is just 34.5″ x 27″… and when the deck is unfolded again, it drops down gently to avoid damaging the floor.
Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill Treadmill - Key Specs:
| Star Rating: | 2-stars |
|---|---|
| Motor: | 2.20 HP |
| Incline: | Manual Incline |
| Running Area: | 15.75" x 48.82" |
| Folding: | Yes |
| Top Speed: | 9 MPH |
| Weight Capacity: | 220 LBS |
| Dimensions: | 65" L x 28" W x 12" H |
| Built-In Programs: | 9 |
- Small Incline: The Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill has a 3-level manual incline, but the incline isn’t very useful to most trainees. The steepest setting is just 5%. That’s enough to replicate the effect of wind resistance and slightly rev up calorie burn, but most treadmills with inclines have max settings of at least 10%. The steeper the incline, the faster the calorie burn and the greater the options for targeted muscle toning.
- Track Size: Like most low-budget treadmills this Sunny model has a narrow and rather short track. The workout area measures 15.75″ wide and 48.82″ long. For comparison, most treadmills over $500 provide at least 20″ x 55″ workout areas.
- Weight Limit: This treadmill is only intended for users weighing 220 pounds or less.
- Warranty: A major drawback of this treadmill is the manufacturer’s short warranty. The frame is covered for just one year, the parts are covered for just 90 days, and Sunny Health & Fitness does not cover any labor expenses. However, extended warranties are available through independent retailers.
Our Verdict:
The Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill (SF-T4400) is a $299 gamble. Compared with other treadmills under $500 it has a wider workout selection and a longer track, plus it features a convenient rack for holding a tablet computer. For many shoppers, however, the very limited warranty from Sunny Health & Fitness — just 90 days on parts! — is a deal breaker.
The Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill might serve well for a season or two, but it doesn’t promise a long-term commitment. We’d advise most shoppers to keep browsing. You can easily find sub-$500 treadmills with better factory warranty packages… and in the $500-to-$999 treadmill category, sometimes a free two-year parts and labor warranty can be found.