The most tech-friendly treadmill wants to lock you into an exclusive exercise program. If you want to use, for example, a NordicTrack treadmill, you need to use streaming platform for live and on-demand workouts. It’s a similar situation with the Peloton, Myx, and any other internet-connected machine you’ll find, where you’ll need to pay a subscription fee to access the treadmill’s streaming content.
Horizon 7.8 AT requires no such commitment. Smart treadmills work with fitness apps from outside companies like Peloton, Zwift, Studio, and Nike Run Club. Runners also have the option of not using the app at all. If you don’t like online workouts, the 7.8 AT is programmed with a variety of exercise types, including a 5K beginner program; run for calories, time or distance; and Sprint 8, an eight-week, 20-minute workout program specifically designed to burn fat.
The 7.8 AT also changes the current trend of streaming workouts by getting rid of any kind of video screen. There’s a 9.3-inch LED screen that shows dynamic workout data like speed, tempo, incline, and running time, but that screen doesn’t play video programming or entertainment. Instead, there are two shelves in the center of the panel (one higher, one lower) to securely hold the phone or tablet. This allows runners to play whatever they want on their own devices, Nike Run Club workouts, Peloton running classes, podcasts or Seinfeld episode.
Your device connects to the treadmill using Bluetooth, so if you use the running app, Horizon can feed your running data back to the mobile app so you can track your workouts . You can also play your music or movie soundtracks through the 7.8 AT’s dual front-facing speakers. And you don’t have to worry about your device dying because there’s a charging input built into the treadmill’s control panel.
The 7.8 AT is Horizon’s premium treadmill. It features a large, 22 x 60-inch running deck with the company’s most powerful motor inside, a chest strap with a heart rate monitor, and the aforementioned Bluetooth capabilities. Despite being fully loaded, the 7.8 AT is still at the lower end of the top treadmill price range at $1,999. There’s also some added savings of not requiring a subscription to use it, which can save you hundreds of dollars in membership fees each year.
Horizon offers five other treadmills. In addition to the 7.8 AT, the Studio line also has the 7.4 AT for $1,599 and the 7.0 AT, which has a slightly thinner surface, for $999. There are also three treadmills in the more budget-friendly Go line, starting at $649.
On the run
It’s clear that the ability to quickly adjust your workout midway through is a priority for Horizon. There are quick-change buttons on both sides of the panel to adjust the speed and tilt of the wheel, along with buttons to control your music in the center of the panel. Two handles extend towards the runner with rollers at the end; The left roller adjusts the tilt and the right roller controls the speed. Two triggers on the handle will return the settings to zero if you get bloated and need to stop, while a grip sensor on the handle gives you a quick look at your heart rate.
The 7.8 AT comes with a Bluetooth heart rate monitor chest strap. If the monitor isn’t charging or you don’t want to wear it, you can simply grab the sensors in the handle and measure your heart rate that way.
For just under $2,000, the 7.8 AT sits in the lower end of top treadmill models, especially when compared to models like NordicTrack Commercial X32i ($3,999) and Peloton Tread (starts at $2,495). So where will the money go? It goes into the treadmill’s 4-horsepower motor. The largest motor in Horizon’s lineup, it’s built to respond to your adjustments and gain speed and incline quickly. And it’s been a huge hit in that department. Every time I make an adjustment, the platform immediately responds without any lag.
