Horizon T203 (Discontinued)

The blue-backlit LCD and two additional LCD windows keep an eye on your performance: time, distance, speed, incline, calories, heart rate and also display program profiles, targets and workouts.

Alongside the basic buttons, the T203 also has Select target, Goal Center, Incline and Speed quick keys, a fan key and a Change display option.

You can measure your heart rate by using the hand grip contacts. This treadmill does not come with a wireless chest strap.

There are 14 program options with on-the-fly changes with 3 targets, time, distance, calories and 4 workouts, Manual, Intervals, Hills and Weight loss. In addition, there are 2 available custom programs.

Press Go/Start to begin workout or select a Guest, User 1 or User 2 using arrow keys and press Enter. Select a target and press Enter. Select a workout and press Enter. Press Start and you’re done.

You can change your target in the middle of the workout and you can change your workout during your workout as well.

You can use this feature to view your progress toward your goal by pressing the Goal Center key.

Speakers with iPod compatibility– included

Nike+ / Ipod- included

Fan– included

If you’re a runner, you shouldn’t even be on this page. The Horizon Fitness T203 Treadmill has its strengths, but it isn’t strong enough to sustain your avid running. Honestly, we don’t recommend the T203. In a market as competitive as this one, this treadmill is kind of obsolete, especially since tough competitors such as Proform or Nordictrack or Yowza design their own entry-level units, but with better warranties and better quality.

Still, the Horizon T203 has its fair share of perks. The motor is quite powerful, that I will admit. But you may not want to push it to extremes. It may not sustain the 350 lbs you’re allowed. Which means that we would rate this treadmill at rather 280 lbs, which is not great. Also, it is not best fit for runners. It should be at least 3.0 CHP for a runner to meet his needs, and the T 203 is obviously not. Still, good enough for walkers and joggers.

Then, there is the running surface. It’s quite generous for this price, and it’s definitely spacious for most walkers and joggers.

The cushioning is flawless though. It works like a charm and you can adjust it according to your current workout, which is just great especially during high intensity and elevation. This feature definitely pulls the T 203 up the treadmill hierarchy.

The console is nothing but simple, it only bears the basic stuff. But then again, so does Yowza. I personally go for treadmills that don’t take your money for useless frills, but for decent functionality and the T 203 does just that.

But let’s cut down to the buzz. First off, the Goal Center is always a good feature to have in hand. It’s great and highly efficient to monitor your results in comparison with the goals that you set. It’s a right way to performance improvement.

The Nike+ iPod feature is also an interesting advantage. Sure, it encourages users to spare the extra cash on iPods, but also it keeps track of your workout easily and efficiently. You plug in your iPod right into the console and save workout data such as distance, time and calories you’ve burnt. Then, iTunes connects you to the Nike website, and there you go, both fun and effective workout tracking and high-end marketing.

But hey, the T 203 is still not very convincing. The warranty is not good. The T 101 and T 202 feature an extra year for parts coverage, but if you purchase the extra year warranty directly from Horizon, you only pay $80, rather than the extra $200. Right?

The quality of the components is quite uncertain. The component parts are cheap, which means poor quality. Other treadmills in the same price range are definitely ahead of the T 203.

All in all, if you only have $1,000 to spare, go check other models, better quality and better warranty. Nordictrack, Proform and Yowza may give you just that.