Sole TT8 Treadmill Review

The top-of-the-line Sole TT8 offers both incline and decline capability, giving you much more flexibility in the way you train.

Note that all of the Sole treadmills give you incline, but only the higher end models add decline functionality.

You get up to 15 levels of power incline that you can easily adjust with the touch of a button. You also get up to 6 levels of decline, which allows you to simulate downhill running and work your muscles differently than you would on a standard flat or incline-only treadmill.

We especially like the decline capability for runners who are training for outdoor races. Running outside rarely means running on perfectly flat terrain, and being able to incorporate both uphill and downhill stretches makes it easier to prepare for the changes you’ll encounter on the road.
It’s also a nice way to add some variety to your everyday workouts. Changing the elevation throughout a workout can target different muscles, increase the intensity without necessarily increasing your speed, and make longer sessions a little more interesting.

This is one area where the TT8 really separates itself from most of Sole’s other treadmills and helps justify the jump to the company’s top-of-the-line model.

The Sole TT8 is one of the few treadmills in the company’s lineup that’s designed for both home and light commercial use, and that tells you quite a bit about how this machine is built.

Unlike Sole’s folding treadmills, the TT8 uses a fixed, non-folding frame that’s designed more for durability and repeated use than convenience. It’s the type of construction you want if the treadmill is going to get used frequently, whether that’s by one serious runner or several people in the household.

Sole also backs up the heavier-duty design with components like larger rollers and a 2-ply belt, which are designed to hold up better over time and provide a smoother experience during longer workouts.

This is really what separates the TT8 from most of Sole’s lineup. You’re giving up the ability to fold and store the treadmill, but in return you’re getting a machine that’s designed much more like the treadmills you’d expect to find in a gym or fitness facility.

The TT8 gives you a spacious 22″ x 60″ running surface, which is about as much room as you’ll need regardless of your height or stride.

Note that Sole gives you this same size deck on all but the entry level Sole F63 model, which makes all of the treadmills feel spacious compared with similarly priced machines.

More importantly, this is a substantial running platform. The TT8 weighs over 300 lbs. and supports users up to 400 lbs., so there’s very little movement underneath you even when you pick up the pace. That’s one of the biggest advantages of going with a non-folding treadmill like this one.

For serious runners or larger users who don’t like the lighter feel of some folding treadmills, the TT8 is going to be a much better fit.

This isn’t the kind of feature that jumps off the page, but it’s one of the things we really like about the TT8.

Sole uses a 2-ply belt along with large 3″ front and rear rollers, which helps create a smoother running experience while reducing wear on the belt and motor over time. The deck is also reversible and permanently waxed, so there’s no regular belt lubrication required.

These are the types of upgrades that matter much more after you’ve owned a treadmill for five or ten years than they do when you’re comparing spec sheets, but definitely worth considering.

The latest Sole TT8 comes with a large 15.6″ touchscreen display, a major upgrade over the smaller, more basic consoles found on previous versions of the treadmill.

The screen gives you a clear view of all of your important workout metrics and makes it easy to adjust settings and choose workouts as you go. You also get built-in entertainment options, so you can watch shows or other content during longer workouts rather than having to set up a separate tablet.

One thing we especially like about Sole is that you aren’t required to pay for a monthly subscription to get full use out of the treadmill. Sole’s SOLE+ fitness app is free and gives you access to additional workouts and workout tracking without adding another recurring expense.

That’s a nice advantage over some of the other high-end treadmills on the market. You still get the large touchscreen and connected workout experience, but you’re not committing yourself to another monthly or yearly fee just to take advantage of it.

The TT8 makes the most sense for someone who already knows they’re going to use their treadmill a lot and would rather buy something substantial now than find themselves wanting to upgrade a few years down the road.

It’s also a particularly good choice for households where more than one person will be using the treadmill. If one person walks, another runs and someone else likes more challenging workouts, the TT8 is versatile enough to accommodate all of them without feeling like you’re buying for one specific type of user.

We also like it for experienced runners who have owned treadmills before and know what they value. At this level, you’re probably less concerned with getting the cheapest machine or the longest list of flashy features and more interested in buying something you’ll actually enjoy training on several days a week.

Finally, the TT8 is worth considering if you’re putting together a dedicated home gym and want the treadmill to be one of the centerpieces. This isn’t really a machine you buy with plans to tuck it away when you’re finished. Give it a permanent spot, and you have a treadmill that can handle just about anything you throw at it.

The TT8 probably isn’t the best choice if you’re a casual user who only plans to walk or get in a few short workouts each week. You’d be paying a premium for a treadmill that’s capable of much more than you’re likely to ask of it.

It’s also not a great fit if space is limited. Since the TT8 doesn’t fold, you’ll need a dedicated area where it can remain set up permanently. One of Sole’s folding models would make much more sense if you need to reclaim some floor space between workouts.

Budget is another consideration. The TT8 sits near the top of Sole’s lineup, and you don’t necessarily have to spend this much to get a very good treadmill. Models like the F80 and F85 give you plenty of performance for less money and will be more than enough for a lot of home users.

Finally, if interactive trainer-led workouts are a major reason you’re buying a treadmill, NordicTrack may be a better fit. Sole gives you plenty of technology without forcing you into a subscription, but the TT8 isn’t really built around the same guided workout experience that you get with iFIT.

The TT8 has always been a little different from the rest of the Sole lineup, and we think that’s ultimately its biggest appeal. It’s not trying to be the treadmill that works for everybody. It’s for the buyer who has already decided that the treadmill is going to be a major part of their home gym and wants to do it right.

That’s also why we wouldn’t automatically recommend the TT8 just because it’s one of Sole’s top models. The F80 is still probably the sweet spot in the lineup for the average buyer, and the F85 gives you another step up without going all the way to the TT8. Both are excellent treadmills and, depending on how you train, either one could be the smarter purchase.

The TT8 starts to make more sense when those compromises matter to you. It’s the Sole we’d choose for someone who doesn’t want to wonder a few years from now whether they should have bought the better machine. There’s very little about it that you’re likely to outgrow, and that’s important when you’re spending this kind of money.

We also think Sole has done a good job of updating the TT8 without changing what made it appealing in the first place. There’s more technology here than there used to be, and the console finally feels appropriate for a treadmill at this price point, but Sole hasn’t turned it into a giant piece of connected fitness equipment where the software becomes the entire reason for owning it.

That’s really the bottom line on the TT8. It’s probably more treadmill than most people need, but for the people who actually need this much treadmill, it’s one of the easiest models in this price range for us to recommend.