Horizon T101 Treadmill

One of the exclusive technologies found on the T101 as well as all of the other Horizon treadmills is Variable Response Cushioning, which provides three zones that offer the ideal amount of support for each stride phase.

It’s very uncommon to find this level of cushioning under $1,000, which is why Horizon has become a viable alternative to more expensive brands like NordicTrack and Sole.

This system ensures that you have the most natural movement and minimizes impact on your knees and joints, providing the best possible workout.

The T101 has the sturdiness of a non-folding treadmill, yet with the patented Featherlight Folding technology you can easily stow away your machine within seconds.

It features a built in hydraulic system that does all of the work for you. You simply start lifting up the deck and it automatically brings it into the folded position. Unfolding it is just as easy.

This is especially useful if you don’t have a dedicated workout room and need to free up some floor space when you’re finished exercising. You don’t have to struggle with the weight of the deck each time you fold or unfold the treadmill, which makes it much more practical to actually use the folding feature on a regular basis.

It’s one of the things Horizon has done very well for years, and a nice feature to find on a treadmill in this price range.

The Horizon T101 comes with 6 built in workouts: Calorie, Distance, Fat Burn, Hill Climb, Intervals & Manual, which is enough variety for most users.

It also has Bluetooth capability so you can connect to any fitness app including Zwift, JRNY, Peloton and others.

Of course you have to use your phone or tablet to access these apps as there is no touch screen display. But it’s nice to have this capability and also not be locked into a membership like you are on NordicTrack & BowFlex treadmills.

And under $700 on sale, it’s an incredible value for what you are getting.

Putting together all of the features that it has, we calculated that it is worth at least $1,500 if not more. So you’re really getting a bang for the buck with the T101 treadmill.

That’s even more impressive today, as there are now dozens of inexpensive treadmills selling in this price range from brands you’ve probably never heard of.

With the T101, you’re getting a machine from Horizon Fitness, a company that has been building treadmills for decades and is part of Johnson Health Tech, one of the largest fitness equipment manufacturers in the world.

The T101 has also been around for more than 15 years, so you’re not taking a chance on a brand new model with very little track record. Horizon has continued to improve it over the years while keeping the price surprisingly low.

You’d be hard pressed to find a more solid machine at this price level…it simply does not exist.

The Horizon T101 comes with a very respectable warranty, much better than what you usually get with a treadmill in this price range.

You get lifetime coverage on both the frame and the motor, 1 year on parts and 1 year on cushioning and labor. That’s really good coverage on a sub $1000 treadmill.

The company stands behind all of their treadmills, and their strong warranties speak to the confidence that they have in their machines.

This is especially important at the entry level, where warranty coverage can be pretty limited. There are plenty of treadmills selling for around the same price as the T101 that simply don’t give you this kind of long-term protection.

We also think the lifetime motor warranty is particularly impressive. The motor is one of the most important and expensive components of any treadmill, so having it covered for as long as you own the machine gives you a little more confidence that you’re not buying something that’s essentially disposable.

The T101 also offers incline capability up to 10%, foam grip handlebars, built-in speakers, Bluetooth audio, a tablet rack, water bottle holder, Energy Saver mode, and 5 built in workouts.

If you are interested in tracking your workouts and syncing them, the T101 does not currently offer this capability. Step up to the T202 which is just a couple $100 more.

The Horizon T101 is a great choice if you’re primarily a walker or casual jogger and don’t see any reason to spend $1,000 or more on a treadmill. For an entry-level machine, you really can’t ask for much more.

We especially like it for someone buying their first treadmill or getting back into a regular exercise routine. It’s easy to use, comfortable to walk on and gives you enough workout options to keep things interesting without making the whole experience overly complicated.

The belt size is also ideal for walking and jogging. If you’re not running intensely, you simply don’t need the larger running surface or heavier construction that you’ll find as you move further up Horizon’s lineup.

If you want a treadmill for regular walks, some jogging and everyday cardio at home, the T101 gives you just about everything you need at a price that’s very hard to beat.

If you’re more of a runner, we’d probably skip the T101 and consider at least the up-level Horizon 7.0 AT. You’re getting a treadmill that’s much better equipped for faster speeds, longer workouts and more serious training.

The T101 also isn’t for someone looking for all of the latest technology. You won’t find a large touchscreen or the more advanced console features available on higher-end treadmills. If those things are important to you, you’ll need to move up in price.

And although the T101 is one of the better entry-level treadmills we’ve reviewed, it’s still an entry-level treadmill. If several people in your household are going to be using it heavily, or you’re planning to put a lot of miles on it every week, we’d spend more for a machine designed to handle that kind of workload.

For us, the T101 has always been one of those treadmills that is easy to recommend because Horizon has never tried to make it something it isn’t. It’s remained pretty much the same more than 15 years, and there’s a reason the company hasn’t messed too much with the formula.

What separates it from a lot of the competition these days is that you’re buying a proven treadmill rather than taking a chance on one of the countless inexpensive brands that have popped up online. Some of those machines look impressive on paper and may even offer more features, but we’d still rather put our money into a T101.

We also give Horizon credit for continuing to improve the machine without pricing it out of the category that made it successful in the first place. That’s getting harder to find, as even treadmills that used to be considered relatively inexpensive have moved well beyond the $1,000 mark, like the base series from NordicTrack.

There are certainly more impressive treadmills in Horizon’s lineup, but that’s not really the point here. The T101 has been one of our favorite budget treadmills for years because it delivers where it counts and doesn’t pretend to be a $2,000 machine.

All in all, you really can’t beat the Horizon T101 if you’re in the market for an under $700 entry-level treadmill. It’s our top pick in the under $1,000 category and remains one of the safest bets at this price point.