Sole F63 Treadmill Review and Price Comparison

Your Sole F63 Treadmill Buying Guide
Summary of What The Experts Say

Sole's entry attempt into the budget segment of the treadmill market is a decent one experts say. For the Sole F63 treadmill, experts are especially impressed with the larger than normal 2.5 inch rollers, powerful 2.5 CHP motor for its price range, extremely long motor and frame warranty, better than average parts warranty, and handy arm rest speed controls that are rarely found. One expert is less than impressed with the Sole's console and its limited amount of programs, another expert also notes the lack of a heart rate control (not to be confused with heart rate monitor). The Sole F63 treadmill is also said to be very similar to the Sole F80 save a few differences (we outline these differences in our F80 vs F63 review). In general, experts believe the Sole F63 outclasses most of its competitors in this price range but experts also recommend taking a look at the Smooth 5.25 which is a strong alternative.

Summary of What The Users Say

Most of the user comments we've come upon are positive. Users are generally happy with the purchase they've made. However, one user (which repairs treadmills for a living) notes that Sole treadmills can potentially be problematic in the electronics area due to quality control issues. For users that are deciding between a Sole F63 and a F80, users have noted the Sole F63 being less sturdy than the F80 although one expert said the two are almost identical.

What You Should Do

The Sole F63 treadmill is one of the most popular treadmills in the $1000 price arena because there just aren't many machines with this level of quality in this price range. Due to this treadmill's popularity, we are making this review more detailed than usual to help you, the buyer decide if this is the treadmill you should buy. We will first compare the Sole F63 with perhaps its strongest competitor, the Smooth 5.25 which a lot of experts have also recommended. You should also read our comparison between the F63 and the F80 as it is also pertinent to your purchasing decision. [Click To See Rest of Review][Close Reviews]

Sole F63 vs Smooth 5.25

For the buyer that is looking for a sub $1000 treadmill, the most likely scenario is usually deciding between the Sole F63 and the Smooth 5.25. Which treadmill is the better buy? The answer as is often the case is ... it depends. Both of these treadmills are at the top of their price class for very similar reasons. Let's do a head to head analysis of the two.

Round 1 - Motor

Both treadmills come with a 2.5 CHP motor. Although motor ratings are often manipulated by manufacturers to make them better than they really are, in both cases, experts did not question the authenticity of these ratings.

Decision: TIE

Round 2 - Belt

Smooth 5.25 comes in at 20" X 53" while the Sole F63 treadmill comes in at 20" X 55". I would say 55" is a great length for joggers of all heights but it is only an acceptable length for runners of an average or below average stature. Tall runners may find it slightly uncomfortable to run on. The Smooth 5.25’s 53” belt is just not a good length for running. In other words, in terms of the belt length, the Smooth 5.25 is a strictly walking or jogging treadmill while the Sole F63 is running capable. Although we say the Sole F63 is running capable, we would not recommend either of these machines for regular runners. Buyers that run with any regularity would do themselves much of a favor by going up to something in the $1500 area.

Decision: Sole

Round 3 - Warranty

At this price level, both offer substantial warranties on their frame and motor. Both offer 3 years for parts and 1 year for labor which is above the industry standard for a sub $1000 treadmill.

Decision: TIE

Round 4 - Construction

To determine which of the two treadmills are built better, we turn to the numerical ratings by Treadmill Doctor. The edge goes slightly to the Sole treadmill as it beats the Smooth by a score of 1 (out of 10) for both quality and reliability. Sole’s slightly larger rollers may have contributed to this score difference.

Decision: Sole

Round 5 - Features

Smooth has 7 programs, Sole has 6. Smooth allows you to fold the treadmill at 15 different levels vs the Sole's 1. Sole has a wireless chest strap, Smooth does not. Sole has fans, Smooth does not.

Decision: TIE

Round 6 – Customer Support

Although I haven't read any bad things about Sole's customer service, I have read plenty for Smooth (via Epinions.com). To be fair, Smooth would probably have to deal with more net savvy buyers since their distribution channel is mainly through the net. As for Sole, it distributes its products on the net and in retail stores so they buyers can phone their local seller possibly reducing the number of complaints posted on the web. Nonetheless, we would have to give the edge to Sole on this one as well.

Decision: Sole

Round 7 – Testing

If you live near a Dick's Sporting Good or a Hilton hotel, you can test run a Sole treadmill. No such option exists for any of Smooth's products as they only sell via the net. In this try before you buy category, the round also goes to Sole.

Decision: Sole

Round 8 - Feel

Which treadmill feels better? Although the Smooth 5.25 features a shorter belt at 53”, its cushioning system is superior according to Treadmill Doctor’s numerical score. In addition, the power rating of the Smooth 5.25 is also higher than the F63 (once again, according to the Doctor’s score). This would also contribute to more comfort.

Decision: Smooth

Round 9 - Price

Price: Even though our page lists the lowest price for the Sole F63 treadmill at $995, in reality, you might not always be able to get it at that price since most places charge shipping. The only exception is at Sole’s official website where if you’re lucky, you can catch it for $999 with free shipping. If you’re not lucky, you would have to pay somewhere in the vicinity of $1099. A Smooth 5.25 goes for $999 with shipping included. At $999, the round goes to Sole since you’re essentially paying the same amount for more treadmill (as determined by Sole’s victory in most of the previous 8 rounds).

Decision: Sole (at $999, tied at $1099)

Overall Decision: Out of the 9 rounds, 5 rounds goes to Sole, 1 round goes to Smooth, 3 resulted in a tie. We thus choose the Sole F63 as the preferred choice of the two at the $1000 price.

Alternative: Epic Treadmills/Health Trainer Treadmills

As much as we support the F63, we understand that not everyone wants to put down a whole $1000. If you've read our review on the 600MX and the 800MX, you might recall us saying that they could potentially be very good picks but carry with them a certain amount of risk. (Buying an extended warranty is enough to substantially offset most of the risk.) Alternatively, the Health Trainer Classic treadmill is also another treadmill you can consider that’s also cheaper than the Sole F63. As much as experts rave about the F63, our research reveals that there are quite a few overlooked choices available on the market.

Hilton Hotel Trap?

It’s true that Sole is Hilton’s exclusive provider of treadmills but the Sole F63 is not the treadmill that is used in their hotels. Even though the F63 is good, it’s not good ENOUGH to be put into a commercial setting.

Verdict: The Sole F63 is an excellent choice if your budget is exactly $1000. Even though the Smooth 5.25 is a solid competitor, for reasons we’ve outlined in this review, we just think you get more for your money in the F63. For those that are not quite willing to pony up a whole grand for a treadmill, there are alternatives in the Health Trainer and Epic brands. As a reminder, all treadmills in this price are just not going to last under and consistent regular running program. For runners that are going to be putting a pounding on their treadmills for many, many years, the $1500 and up area is recommended. Below $1000 area is only recommended for regular jogging/walking and the Sole F63 treadmill is no exception.


After reading opinions from experts and users, we have objectively analyzed the Sole F63 Treadmill and assigned it a meta score as follows:

If the total price is $895, you are getting a Super Bargain (5.0/5.0)
If the total price is $995, you are getting a Great Bargain (4.5/5.0)
If the total price is $1095, you are getting a Good Bargain (4.0/5.0)
If the total price is $1195, you are getting a Small Bargain (3.5/5.0)
If the total price is $1295, it is No Bargain (3.0/5.0)
If the total price is $1395, it is Somewhat Overpriced (2.5/5.0)
If the total price is $1495, it is Greatly Overpriced (2.0/5.0)
If the total price is $1595, it is Severely Overpriced (1.5/5.0)

The current lowest price is $899.99 which makes it a Great Bargain.

Notes:

1. This meta review was first published on October 25th, 2007.
2. For a list of resources used to construct this meta review, click here.

Articles Related To The Sole F63 Treadmill