The ProForm Carbon T14 is Proform’s new mid-level treadmill; it’s in direct competition with their sister company NordicTrack, which just released the EXP 10i. There’s a good reason for this, the Carbon series treadmills from ProForm have larger screens but shorter running belts, and the NordicTrack EXP Series have smaller screens but larger running belts. The treadmills are basically the same, same tech, same build quality, they only differ on a few features. This way, Icon Fitness, which owns both NordicTrack and ProForm, has everyone covered.

If You’re Under 6ft, The Proform Carbon T14 is The Best Choice.

Because the Carbon T14 treadmill has the large 14″ touchscreen, these guys had to cut somewhere. As I already mentioned, ProForm cut the size of the running belt, the T14 belt measures 55″ in length, which isn’t bad for a mid-level treadmill but it restricts the max height for running to about 5’10” and jogging to around 6ft.

It’s great news if you’re under 5’10” because you can buy a treadmill for walking, jogging, and running, with a 14″ HD touchscreen for under $1500.

Yes, the ProForm Carbon T14 is a mid-level treadmill designed for shorter users who love large HD screens on their treadmills. And you’ll be happy to hear they didn’t cut back on other essentials. You still get an excellent 12% power adjustable incline, anti-shock system, Bluetooth, hydraulic folding system, and a 3HP motor.

Product Specifications

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Product dimensions – 35.2” Wide x 73.5” Deep x 57.5” Height

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Weight – 240lb

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Speed – 0 – 10mph

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Max user height – running 5’10” – jogging 6ft

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Anti-shock system

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Folds for storage

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Motor – 3HP

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Weight capcacity – 220lb

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Running belt size – 20” X 55″

Why Do We Like The ProForm Carbon T14 Treadmill?

There’s no doubt this treadmill is all about the screen, and it is the Carbon T14’s stand-out feature. The graphics are crisp, and the screen looks great with iFit; it’s a nice bit of kit. No other treadmill in this price range offers an HD touch screen this large for under $1500.

But you can’t buy a treadmill just because of the screen. You should consider the essentials first,  so let’s take away the screen and see what’s left. The ProForm Carbon weighs nearly 250lb which is pretty heavy for a mid-level machine. All that weight will aid stability. You want your treadmill to feel solid when exercising. This treadmill won’t move around; with a weight of 250lb, it will feel stable and not cheaply made.

12-level 12 % Power Incline With Auto Adjust

Next, you want a decent incline feature. Why? Incline workouts bring something extra to your cardio, hill running will burn three times more calories than jogging on flat, and it will strengthen and build those hard to train muscles, such as your glutes, calves, and hamstrings. The Carbon T14 boasts a 12-level 12% incline, this is about as good as it gets for under $1500, and it’s more than enough for incline training.

Auto Adjust

To adjust the incline, you have the quick touch buttons of the monitor, or you can let the iFIt trainers auto adjust the incline for you. I prefer auto-adjust as it leaves you free to focus on your cardio while the trainers adjust the incline and speed. 

man running on incline of proform carbon T14 treadmill

Short Running Belt Compared To Competition

The size of the running belt is important because it determines who can use the treadmill and for what. For $1500, I usually expect a 60″ belt which is what the EXP 10i from NordicTrack boasts and the Sole F65 from Sole Fitness. Still, neither of those treadmills include an impressive 14″ touchscreen like the Carbon T14 from ProFrom.

So the big question here is, do you need a 60″ belt? And as I’ve already mentioned, you don’t need a 60″ running belt unless you’re over 6ft.

A 55″ belt is suitable for up to 6ft for walking and jogging and up to 5’10” for light running.

My best advice here is that if you’re over 6ft  and you want a treadmill for walking, jogging and light running, the NordicTrack EXP 10i is your best choice; comes with a 10″ touchscreen and 60″ belt. (same price as Carbon T14)

If you want the 14″ screen and the 60″ belt, then the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 is an excellent choice, but you’ll have to spend a little more currently ($1999)

20″ Running Belt Width

22″ is the commercial size for belt width, and the Carbon T14 boasts a 20″ width which isn’t far off. 

20″ is a good width for a home treadmill belt. It’s wide enough to prevent you from stepping off the side of the treadmill in the middle of a session which is a common issue with narrow belts.

proform t14 monitor

Monitor – 14″ Smart TouchScreen, One Touch Buttons, and BlueTooth

I like this monitor because it’s easy to use. The one-touch or quick-touch buttons, as ProForm calls them, save time. You can basically select anything with a single touch of a button. There aren’t tons of menus to scroll through. It’s all straightforward, which is what you want from a monitor.

iFit

iFit is one of the best fitness apps out there. With thousands of workouts, you can steam from their extensive online library, choose from studio classes or trainer-led global routes where a trainer runs alongside, encouraging you, etc.

But what I like most is the Auto adjust feature. This feature allows the trainer to adjust the speed and incline of the treadmill depending on the terrain you’re running on or the workout you have chosen.

There’s a lot more to iFit, too much to mention here, and yes, this treadmill is designed around their app, and to get the most out of this treadmill, it’s best used with the app –  the treadmill comes with a free month of iFit. After your free trial, you can decide if it is worth continuing the subscription for just over a dollar a day.

#Note: the treadmill can be used without iFit just hold the iFit button down for 30 seconds to disable iFit

Deck Cushioning System To Protect Your Joints

All good treadmills come with a deck cushioning system. Cushioning systems run under the treadmill deck, and they are there to protect your joints. ProForm has its very own system called ISO Flex Cushioning. It is one of the better systems on the market, and it’s said to reduce the impact of each foot strike by 40%.

ProForm Carbon T14 Treadmill transport wheels

Let The Hydraulics Do The Work For You

The best folding systems for treadmill running decks are soft drop folding systems. Soft drop folding systems are systems that use hydraulics. The hydraulics do all the hard work for you, making it so easy to fold it can be done with one hand.

Once you have folded the ProForm treadmill deck, the overall footprint is almost halved. You can then tilt the treadmill and roll it on its built-in transport wheels to store.

Is The Motor PowerFull Enough For Running?

Even though this treadmill costs $1500, it still sits in the mid-level bracket. It’s not really a heavy-duty treadmill built for running. This is more of a treadmill for light to medium cardio.

However, treadmill motors mostly have trouble moving heavyweights. If you were to keep at least 50lb under the max capacity of this treadmill, I’m sure its 2.75CPH motor would cope with light to medium-paced running sessions. Just don’t go heavy and fast.

Still, if you’re a serious runner, training for marathons, etc., You will need a serious treadmill, and you’ll have to spend more on something heavy-duty.

The Sole F85 Treadmill is a good choice for runners under $2000

Do I need a Treadmill Mat?

If you’re going to place your treadmill on a polished floor, then it’s probably a good idea to get a mat because it will protect your floors from scratches. Another time a treadmill mat will be useful is in apartments, as the mat will help to soak up a lot of the vibrations from your workouts.

Sunny Health & Fitness makes the best cheap treadmill mats. Click the link below to view it on Amazon.

Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill Mats

1 Hour Assembly

Most of this treadmill comes pre-assembled. All you’ll need to do is attach the two upright bars, the side handrails, and the console. It’s always best to have two people for assembly as the box it arrives in weighs 250lb, so you’ll probably need two people to get the box in place. The average assembly time for this treadmill is around an hour.

The manual includes basic step-by-step instructions, and all the tools for the job are provided.

For maintenance: the treadmill comes pre-lubricated from the factory, it will eventually need to be lubricated, but the manual covers all aspects of this. Other than lubrication, it’s always best to keep the running belt clean, as this will prevent any debris from getting into the motor.

The Good

Sturdy build

Impressive 14″ HD smart touchscreen

iFit enabled – access to their online library with over seventeen thousand workouts, including global routes, studio classes, and Google maps

12% 12 level power adjust incline

auto-adjust – allow trainers to adjust the speed and incline for you

BlueTooth with duel speakers

Decent deck cushioning system for joint protection

Hydraulic folding system

Built-in transport wheels, bottle holder, cooling fans and tablet holder 

The Bad

Proform is known for its snail-like customer service, if something goes wrong expect it to take some time to get fixed

Running belt – slightly shorter than some models in this price range

Not a good choice for tall people

                                                                                         

Alternative

man running on nordictrack exp 10i treadmill

NordicTrack 10i Treadmill

The NordicTrack 10i Treadmill is one of my favorite treadmills under $1500. Just like the ProForm treadmill, it is heavy, so it feels sturdy when exercising, has the impressive 12% power adjustable incline with the Auto Adjust feature, and of course, it features iFit.

Many people will favor the NordicTrack 10i over the ProForm Carbon T14 because the NordicTrack has a larger running belt measuring 20″ x 60″ and a more powerful motor with a 3.5HP, making it a much better choice for large/heavier users.

Yes, you don’t get the large 14″ HD screen with the NordicTrack, but it still comes with a 10″ Smart HD touchscreen, which is impressive considering you have the large belt and 3.5HP motor. It’s certainly a treadmill that offers a lot of bang for your buck and a worthy alternative to the ProForm Carbon T14.

                                                                                         

To Sum Up

It was a good idea of ProForm to offer users who don’t need the extra large running belts something more if they choose a treadmill with a smaller-sized belt. And the 14″ Touchscreen they include with the Carbon T14 is impressive. You won’t find another 14″ smart HD screen on a $1500 treadmill. It looks and works great with iFit. It’s a nice bit of kit to own for your home gym,

And the rest of the treadmill is what I’d expect from a mid-level machine. It’s heavy enough that stability isn’t an issue. You have a decent anti-shock system to protect your joints and an excellent power adjustable incline.