For those who’re in search of a no frills treadmill that’s well-built, straightforward one-button controls, and a premium operating really feel, the French Health ST100 is a superb possibility.
My operating schedule has all the time been borderline obsessive in that rain, shine, sizzling, chilly I’m operating exterior 90% of the time.
I reside by the mantra, “it’s by no means too chilly or sizzling to run exterior – you simply must have the appropriate gear for the temperature.” However the actuality is there are many instances it really is just too chilly or sizzling to run exterior or my schedule doesn’t enable me to get exterior on the pavement.
That’s once I want a treadmill I don’t dread and really stay up for turning on to crank out no matter mileage brief or lengthy I would like that day. I’m a fan of treadmills, however provided that they’re a premium expertise (learn steady and an excellent really feel for the legs).
I’ll pay the additional cash to verify the instances I’ve to run inside that I’m glad.
Our total workforce of testers at RunToTheFinish consider within the flexibility nice treadmills give runners. And we all know that it requires we have now to present sincere evaluations so you possibly can determine for your self which one is correct to your wants and funds.
The ST100 has been on our checklist to evaluate for some time due to the heavy-duty construct and reliability. However we acknowledge, it’s not as a lot of a family title model you may have heard, so allow us to introduce you.
Who’s the French Health ST100 a very good match for? Let’s break it down with some frequent classes:
- Common Health: Nice for all talent ranges of runners and health lovers. If you’re wanting a no nonsense treadmill that’s heavy-duty for all of your coaching wants that is it. Sturdy, easy, easy one-function buttons that make it straightforward to make use of. Given it’s a industrial construct high quality machine it could fairly actually run all day and never skip a beat.
- Heavier Customers: Maybe its greatest function is that it’s constructed to deal with 440 lbs of weight load. The deck has loads of shock absorption however not an excessive amount of bounce like health membership machines have.
- Endurance: Good for runners doing longer miles given the delicate shock pad and high quality of the motor. It’s very snug for longer runs nevertheless it lacks any sort of display screen or leisure which may be seen as a professional or a con relying on what you might be in search of.
- Intervals: One of many few cons of this machine is the motor just isn’t as responsive for transitions between speeds. The controls are quite simple to vary your velocity and the decide up can be high quality for all however brief actually intense intervals.
French Health ST100 Overview
I’ve been impressed testing the ST100 for a lot of various kinds of runs and logged over 50 miles throughout many various classes. If you unbox and have the treadmill setup it’s clear from the design and construct this can be a industrial grade machine.
Clearly the important thing function that’s going to excite most of you for this treadmill is the slat belt. We’ll dive into that beneath together with the way it compares to different well-known fashions.
We are likely to lean in the direction of these treadmill fashions in our suggestions as a result of they last more, really feel extremely steady and often have actually good elements ensures.
I’ve full confidence this can be a treadmill you can use a number of instances per day and seven days every week with no breakdown. And that’s large when trying on the lifespan of a giant buy like this.
It was recognized previous to ordering that this treadmill solely got here in kilometers per hour (KPH) and that was one thing I used to be snug translating in my head. Coach Amanda tells me they work with numerous 1:1 runners who practice in KM as a result of that’s what many of the world makes use of, so possibly that is really only a good time for me to transform for racing!
For some individuals this can be a dealbreaker to not present miles per hour (MPH). For me personally, I really preferred understanding once I crossed the 5K, 10K mark as a result of as a rule these are the size of my exercises.
Why Slat Belt Treadmills are Higher
After testing dozens of treadmills, the distinction a slat belt makes is straight away noticeable the second you step on one. The place a standard belt-and-deck setup can really feel barely springy or hole underfoot, a slat belt feels planted, nearer to operating on an precise highway or monitor.
That firmness and stability is a giant a part of why they’ve grow to be the go-to selection for gyms, studios, and severe house athletes who’re logging actual miles.
The rationale they command a better value comes right down to what’s really beneath your ft. As a substitute of a single steady belt operating over a flat deck, a slat belt is made up of particular person rubber slats linked collectively, every one sometimes cushioned or textured independently. Extra parts, extra precision engineering, extra sturdiness and that each one provides up.
You’re additionally getting a floor that tends to carry up much better beneath heavy use and is less complicated to service over time, which is why industrial services are prepared to pay for it.
Particularly these coming from out of doors operating, constantly desire the feeling of a slat belt.
French Health ST100 Specs
- Value: $4,999
- Pace: 12.42 MPH, 20 KPH
- Vary: 0% to fifteen%
- Top quality slat belt
- 3 HP AC motor
- LED Display screen
- Show: lap, time, slope, mode, coronary heart charge, energy, distance, velocity
- Lifetime body guarantee, 10 yr elements guarantee, 1 yr labor guarantee
- Large operating floor 22”W x 60”L
- Buy at fitnesssuperstore.com
Fast Take
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Feels premium, snug, dependable
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Easy/straightforward controls, one button for many features
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Small shelf to cost cellphone or iPad is nice for leisure
- Fan could be very loud and never sturdy
- Heavy and huge, not straightforward to maneuver
- Slower velocity adjustments for interval coaching
Who Is French Health?
I wasn’t conversant in the corporate French Health till this evaluate.
Doing a little bit of analysis, I realized the title just isn’t as a result of it’s a international firm. It’s named after the founder Tim French, who began the corporate in 2019.
Additionally they assemble all their gear within the USA and have a warehouse in California.
Their product lineup covers extra than simply treadmills, they cowl all issues within the fitness center gear class (bikes, ellipticals, weights, and many others.). They attempt to offer each top-tier and mid-priced gear.
Rubberized “Crawler” Slats
Once I first noticed the rubberized slats I used to be excited to see the way it in comparison with the Peloton Tread+ we have now at my fitness center.
And as compared I felt prefer it was very comparable in that they’re cushioned, not too bouncy, not too laborious like a flat conventional belt, and but that easy premium really feel to run on.
The supplies they use are a mixture of aluminum and an elastic polyurethane. They’re fairly thick too! (1.26”, 32mm)
Operating on the slats isn’t whisper quiet nevertheless it’s additionally not offensively loud. That means you don’t hear your ft hitting the slats like you possibly can hear very clearly when operating on a standard belt treadmill.
We put in the treadmill on the second flooring of our Seventies home with a rubber health gear mat and with the door closed to our bed room my spouse commented on how she actually couldn’t hear once I was utilizing the machine.
The size of the ST100 is 22”W x 60”L is a lot massive for intervals and lengthy strides. My peak is 5’9” and at no level did I really feel cramped or just like the width or size was too small. It’s very snug when it comes to all of my strides.
Does it examine to a Woodway? Sure. I’ve solely performed a handful of runs on a Woodway treadmill.
Their treadmills declare the slats mimic out of doors operating with a low affect really feel. In my testing of the ST100, it has the identical “Woodway really feel” of their 4Front Collection treadmills and comparable slat designs. However thrilling for these of us at house is getting that premium really feel at a cheaper price level.
The ST100 actually does an excellent job of creating you are feeling such as you operating on a highway/exterior which is an elevated expertise compared to belt/deck treadmills.
Console Controls and Knowledge
The console on the ST100 could be very easy and conventional. There are massive buttons that each one have one single perform which makes it virtually fool proof.
One factor I actually loved is that in case you are doing intervals or change velocity incessantly, the flexibility to vary velocity is in three locations: the handlebars, the up and down buttons after which a numeric punchcode space that you would be able to sort within the actual velocity you wish to change to.
I discovered myself utilizing the console up and down arrows probably the most incessantly as a result of it’s probably the most conventional approach for many treadmills. The console additionally has your normal emergency cease and waist clip that had no points staying put or by chance falling out on any of my runs.
Stability And Really feel
There isn’t any different method to say this aside from that this machine is rock strong. It lives as much as the industrial construct high quality claims.
Don’t let the overly simplified controls idiot you. This factor seems like a tank. One factor that’s essential to notice, the deck peak is larger than most. I measured 13.75 inches to step up and It’s a must to have the ceiling clearance to deal with the general house that’s wanted.
Setup and House
Given the dimensions and weight there actually isn’t any selection however to have the skilled meeting performed. The machine weighs 513 kilos.
I wouldn’t suggest anybody attempting to maneuver, assemble, and set up the machine except you might be superior in electronics and really feel snug with assembling gear.
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The French Health ST100 is a constructed to final treadmill in case you are wanting a premium, industrial grade machine that may deal with something you throw at it. Nevertheless, it comes on the compromise of being snug with no built-in touchscreen or leisure and the space and velocity readouts being in KPH and KH. It’s no frills, sturdy, and dependable– excellent for runners who worth a simple rock strong performing workhorse over a compact or transportable storage type machine.
