JTX Sprint 5 feature image

The JTX Sprint 5 treadmill sits in the middle of the popular Sprint range from this well known British manufacturer and as JTX Fitness is one of our favoured UK brands we were pretty excited about reviewing this well spec’d running machine.

The Sprint 5 comes at a price that is affordable for most and gives you an awful lot of technology that is usually seen on much costlier models. We took this mid-range treadmill for testing over a period of just under 1 month and can now bring you the results in our JTX Sprint 5 treadmill review.

JTX Sprint 5 First Impressions

For anyone who has used a treadmill in a commercial setting such as a gym, using a home treadmill can sometimes feel like a second grade experience. When you first set eyes on the JTX Sprint 5 treadmill you will not be expecting anything other than a top end experience as this treadmill looks incredibly impressive. It has a generous running track, the centre console not only looks incredible but is feature rich too with plenty of controls and the overall build quality is impressive to say the least.

There is some minor installation to take care of when you first take delivery of this treadmill but most of the hard work has been done for you and you will be up and running in around 45 minutes. Compared to other home treadmills at this price point, what really stands out about the Sprint 5 is the stability and sturdiness of the main frame. It does have a cushioned running deck but it still manages to inspire absolute confidence that you are safe and secure when running – thanks in no small part to the well sized and positioned safety arms.

This is a folding treadmill with a soft-drop opening system which makes it very easy to open and close. It also means that storage is easy and with transport wheels included you can easily move the treadmill in to a handy storage location or in to the corner of a room.

The centre console is impressive enough but also features a tablet holder above that can be used to further enhance the look and functionality of this treadmill (which we will cover later). The frame itself is made from high grade materials and has an excellent warranty and the running belt has a Black Diamond coating which is designed to provide you with the best grip possible and is ideally suited to athletic running styles.

From a purely aesthetic point of view, you can’t help but be impressed by the JTX Sprint 5.

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Sprint 5 Treadmill Specs

The Sprint 5 may be at the lower end of the JTX range but it holds up very well against its higher priced siblings in terms of its specs, but is a huge step up from the Sprint 3. The key to the success of this model is the size of the running deck which measures up at 140cm (l) x 48cm (w) which is just 5cm (l) and 3cm (w) less than the Sprint 7 and provides a big step up from the budget treadmills we often see.

The reality is that there is nothing budget about the Sprint 5 as you will see from these impressive specs:

With a top speed of 18KPH and an adjustable powered incline of 12% (over 12 individual levels) the Sprint 5 will be well suited to most types of runners with middle and long distance running being particularly well catered for. The running deck uses JTX’s proprietary Cushionstep Deck technology which aims to provide 30% less impact on the joints compared with standard running. In addition to this there is an 8 point suspension system that helps to provide a well balanced and low impact performance.

The motor that powers the belt operates at 2.5HP which is just 0.5 less than the top models in the range and the top speed this produces is only 2KPH less than the two top models too.

The connectivity that the JTX Sprint 5 boasts is incredibly impressive with full app syncing capabilities (including the popular Kinomap and Zwift app) with the treadmill able to adapt to the terrain of the routes you have selected by automatically adjusting the incline as you run – impressive stuff! You can also run at speeds that are designed to keep you in line with your target heart rate zones thanks to the built in heart rate monitors as well as having Polar heart rate connectivity (straps are sold separately though).

There are 43 built in programmes to choose from which are all easily selectable using the centre console and your data is displayed using the built in LCD display. For a better visual experience we would suggest syncing up with a tablet as this will give you a more interactive and visually pleasing run.

When in use the Sprint 5 has dimensions of 174cm (l) x 82cm (w) x 157cm (h) and when folded the length comes down to 114cm with the height and width remaining the same. There is a maximum user weight of 120kg and the machine itself weighs approximately 78kg but is easy to move around thanks to the handy transport wheels. It is also very easy to fold and unfold the treadmill.

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Using The JTX Sprint 5

Most treadmills tend to be pretty uninspiring. Luckily, uninspiring is not a word we would use to describe this offering from JTX and actually we would say quite the opposite – the Sprint 5 is actually incredibly motivating – especially when used with a third party app such as Kinomap. We found ourselves wanting to get on board and test out as many features as we could – and so we did!

First things first, the Sprint 5 is very easy to use. You can simply step up and run using one of the 43 built in programmes or just manually controlling the settings as you go. You can have 3 programmes that are custom built and there are also multiple user profiles that you can configure so it is an ideal treadmill to be used by the entire household.

The running deck is of ample length and our male and female testers who measure 6’3″ and 5’6″ respectively were both comfortable running at a range of speeds. Unless you are looking to perform 30 second sprints and nothing else on this treadmill then the top speed is more than ample and the 12% incline provides a stern challenge for even the most advanced runners.

Anyone who is looking for a good quality form of home cardio will be well catered for with this machine and although you can never fully remove the impact associated with running, the cushioned deck and 8 point suspension does provide a good level of support on each stride. We could neither confirm or deny if 30% less stress on the joints is accurate but if we had to guess we’d say it feels about right.

In terms of usability, JTX hit all the right spots with this treadmill. Every button feels like it has been ideally situated and the user interface is intuitively simple to use. The treadmill arms help you to feel very secure even when running at high speeds and the safety clip with auto switch off also provides additional safety if working out alone.

The Sprint 5 is not the quietest treadmill we have ever used but then treadmills don’t tend to be that quiet – especially once you start pounding away on them. Equally, we wouldn’t describe it as noisy and in actual fact, the motor and incline are very smooth in operation. JTX provide a 10 year warranty on the motor so they are incredibly confident in their product. Everything else is covered by a 2 year parts and labour warranty with repairs taking place in your home if required – we doubt many have people have had to use this though as the user reviews on Trust Pilot are excellent.

Verdict

We had a lot of fun using the JTX Sprint 5 and found it to provide a great deal of challenge as well as having an excellent specification that is usually reserved for higher priced models. Unless you are exceptionally tall or really desire a longer running deck, then the Sprint 5 offers everything you need and more to enjoy at home cardio that is relatively easy on the joints thanks to its Cushiondeck technology.

With such a good at-home warranty and coming from one of the most reputable UK fitness manufacturers we have no quibbles in recommending the Sprint 5.

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