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Brand reviews

Bodyguard Treadmills

4.0 out of 5
  • Tank-tough Canadian treadmills, now discontinued — great used workhorses if you accept no factory support.

Brand Facts

  • Status Discontinued — distribution ceased June 30, 2020 (used-only today)
  • Price range Historical ~$2,000–$4,500 MSRP (now used/old-stock only)
  • Models reviewed 6
  • Best for Buyers who wanted a heavy, tank-like home machine
  • Motor 2.75–3.4 HP DC (by model)
  • Top speed / incline Up to 12 mph; up to 15% incline (one model -3% to 15%)
  • Weight capacity 350–400 lb depending on model

Pros & cons

Pros

  • Tank-like build — mostly metal with little plastic, widely praised for durability
  • Strong warranties when sold: lifetime frame/motor, 10-year parts, 3-year labor
  • Reputation for lasting in heavy home and light-commercial use
  • High user weight capacity (up to 400 lb on top models)

Cons

  • Brand is defunct — Bodyguard Fitness distribution ended June 30, 2020, so new units and easy parts/warranty support are gone
  • Widely called "priced beyond their quality" — durable, but light on features for the cost
  • Underpowered motors and limited workout programs relative to similarly priced rivals
  • Always had thin dealer coverage; finding one to try (or now, parts) was difficult

Bodyguard Fitness started its activity in 1969 in Norway. Since the beginning they've built strong and durable fitness equipment. That's why over the years they've received numerous and prestigious awards such as "Best Buys" and "Best Customer Service".

In 1996 they were bought by Procycle Inc., a well-known Canadian company with offices in Vancouver and Shanghai.

Procycle Inc started its activity in 1977. They specialized in bicycle manufacturing and today they export their products in Canada, US and 30 other countries.

Bodyguard offers residential and commercial products, such as treadmills, ellipticals and bikes. All series are first-class machines, and that is why their quality is consistent with a high price.

Models We've Reviewed

You won't be surprised to know that Bodyguard studies intensively each technology incorporated in their treadmills before production. For example, the Digital Contact Heart Rate (CHR) system may be the most accurate digital heart reading system we've ever tested. We still prefer the wireless chest strap for heart monitoring, but we respect the effort to reach perfection for details that other brands don't consider at all.

When running on their machines you instantly notice that all exercises accurately correlate with your heart rate. Warm-up, fat burning zone, aerobic zone, anaerobic zone, VO2Max zone, these are important details that you find in each workout settings, and you track results based on your personal information.

They build state of the art audio and visual entertainment features and they make sure you have access to complete workout reports and interactive feedback while you exercise.

That's why Bodyguard is a leader. The current lineup includes three treadmills: T-30, T-45 and T-75.

Strengths

Commercial and Residential Treadmills

Bodyguard has the technology to build highly resistant and efficient products. Not many manufacturers can pride themselves to be active in both markets. Those who can are the strongest.

X-Technology and X-Cards

X-Technology is actually an interactive workout system developed by Bodyguard. This system gives you access to interactive workouts directly in your Online account, at any time.

They also have the X-Cards, which are preset workouts for treadmills, with voice enabled and automatic control over incline and speed.

Advanced Friction Detection System (AFDS)

This technology is part of any model you buy from them. It protects the motor from overheating by verifying in real time the friction level. That's why you can run on the Bodyguard treadmills for hours in a row without any problems.

4 Way Deck

This is the running deck placed under the belt that can be pivoted and/or rotated as needed.

Strong Warranty

Bodyguard has 3 warranty options for residential treadmills (Classic, Premium, Premium Plus) and 1 option for the Commercial series. The minimum, Classic Warranty, is particularly strong, especially for parts.

Weaknesses

High Price

Offers start at $2,000 and they go as high as $5,000. These are not the cheapest treadmills, but the price comes with equal quality and resistance, no doubt about it.

Frequently asked questions

Are Bodyguard treadmills still made?

No. Technologie BGF Inc. ceased distribution of Bodyguard Fitness products on June 30, 2020, so the brand is discontinued and any units you find today are used or old stock.

Were Bodyguard treadmills good quality?

Yes — reviewers and owners consistently praised them as built like a tank, with mostly-metal construction that held up well over years of use.

Why were Bodyguard treadmills so expensive?

Bodyguard built to a quality standard first and priced accordingly, landing roughly $2,000–$4,500 MSRP. The common critique was that the durability was real but the feature set and motor power didn't fully justify the premium.

Should I buy a used Bodyguard treadmill?

The decks and frames last, so a well-kept used unit can be a workhorse — but factor in that the company is gone, so plan on limited official parts and no current warranty support before buying.

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