Keys treadmills used to be more well known. However they have fallen in popularity over the past few years as other more aggressive brands have stormed the market.
Keys is owned and manufactured by Keys Fitness - a company out of Dallas, Texas. Keys also owns several other treadmill brand names like CardioMax, Alliance, HealthTrainer and the newest addition - Ironman Fitness.
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Special Note: As of April 14, 2008, Keys Fitness Products L.P., along with affiliates, filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas.
While this doesn't affect the construction of their current treadmills, it may pose some serious problems with servicing in the future.
Here's the rest of the review...
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Strengths:
#1) Solid Construction, Stable Feel - Keys treadmills are well known for their solid, stable feel.
For the most part, Keys units fall into the mid-priced to high end range and when you compare them to similarly priced machines you'll see that they do pack a lot of value into the price.
#2) Excellent Warranties - A testament to their solid construction, their treadmill warranties are excellent. Most warranties cover the Frame and motor for a lifetime, belt and deck for 5 years, part for 2 years and labor for 1 year.
#3) High Expert Reviews - Keys treadmills have garnered some impressive expert feedback.
For example, the Keys 8500 treadmill received a "Recommended Best Buy" from Consumer Guide. The Keys 8800 treadmill was awarded a "Best Overall" buy from Good Housekeeping several years ago.
And the Keys Milestone 1200 treadmill received an "Excellence in Customer Satisfaction" award from Better Home and Gardens.
Weaknesses:
Obviously the main weakness here is the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Keys Fitness. While this doesn't affect the quality of the treadmills already on the market, it may pose some serious problems with servicing.
We would not recommend any of the Keys products at this time because of this. Other brand alternatives would be Nordic Track and Sole.
Conclusion:
Keys Fitness treadmills are well built, higher end home treadmills. They offer strong, stable construction, sleek attractive consoles, great warranties and even some extra goodies like mp3 hookups and speakers on some models. Plus they are also highly rated by experts.
However, due to the problems with the Keys Fitness company, we probably wouldn't recommend these treadmills right now.
