The TreadClimber, marketed under both the Bowflex brand and its parent company, Nautilus, is a sincere attempt at multi-tasking. The ability to switch between three distinct operating modes -- treadmill, stair stepper and so-called elliptical trainer -- does make the TreadClimber unique, but each of its operating modes also has distinct, intentional similarities to other types of cardiovascular equipment.
Description
Nautilus and Bowflex TreadClimbers have a mini treadbelt, called a treadle, for each of your feet. Think of it as a standard treadmill deck, divided straight down the middle. Although each treadle is capable of independent up-and-down movement, you cannot adjust their speeds independently.
Treadmills
Although the TreadClimber is meant to resemble a traditional treadmill, it has a few inescapable differences. Although the small split between the treadles shouldn't be an issue for anyone with a normal gait, this machine is obviously not for those with serious gait or stability problems. If you want to use the TreadClimber in manual mode you must dismount and lock the treadles together manually. On some models, you have only one choice of incline setting when in treadmill mode -- something you'd expect from only the lowest-end treadmills.
Stair Climber
The TreadClimber also makes a fair attempt at imitating a stair climber. Stop the treadle belts, unlock the treadles, and they'll move up and down beneath you like stair-stepper pedals. But the fronts of the pedals move up and down instead of the entire pedal moving beneath you, which gives the TreadClimber a slightly different feel than a dedicated stair climbing machine. And you can't adjust the "stair-stepper" resistance while on the TreadClimber; you must dismount and make manual adjustments, something that -- as with the treadmill mode -- you would only expect from low-end home exercise equipment.
Elliptical Trainer
When you combine the moving treadle belts of treadmill mode and the up-and-down motion of stair stepping mode, the TreadClimber is advertised as producing a motion similar to an elliptical trainer. But users compare the experience to more like walking in wet sand. A good challenge, and not necessarily unpleasant -- but it also takes some getting used to. Also, because your feet repeatedly impact the treadle decks, this machine puts more impact on your joints than using an actual elliptical trainer.
The Bottom Line
Although the TreadClimber has a number of passing similarities to other types of exercise equipment, having several modes of exercise in a single machine is what really sets it apart from the competition. If you're considering purchasing a TreadClimber, you'll have to decide whether you prefer any single one of the machines the TreadClimber aims to imitate, or whether you're willing to sacrifice individual machine performance for the chance to use all three at once -- sort of -- with a single unit.
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