Sole vs Horizon Treadmills 2023

Sole vs Horizon Treadmills Overview:

Sole and Horizon make a wide range of treadmills that fit different budgets and training goals. Sole offers a bit more variety, but all of Horizon’s treadmills are foldable to save space. Each brand backs every treadmill with an impressive lifetime frame and motor warranty which helps to instill confidence in the overall construction of each treadmill.

Sole includes entry-level to high-end folding treadmills, as well as two non-folding treadmills. The higher-end models come with touch screens to include onboard workout programs and 12 preloaded streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify integrated into the treadmills. Sole Treadmills have firm deck cushioning that resembles running outside on concrete. Each model also has a great motor size for running, even the entry-level models. Sole offers a flat, slat-belt treadmill that makes for a challenging and varied workout experience, too.

Horizon Treadmills all fold up and the brand offers an entry-level model that’s best for mainly walking and jogging, and higher-end models that are great for heavier running and HIIT training. All of the treadmills have quick-adjusting motors designed to handle interval training with ease. The deck cushioning is also supportive and shock-absorbing to help lessen the impact on your joints while being comfortable underfoot. Each model comes with an LCD and/or LED screens to display your workout metrics and give you access to standard onboard workout programs.

Sole Treadmills

Horizon Treadmills

In-Depth Comparison of Sole vs Horizon Treadmills

Sole vs Horizon Content

As far as content goes, Sole and Horizon both include standard workout programs with all of their treadmill models. These are similar to what you can find on treadmills at your local gym. Each brand offers different options for entertainment that I’ll get into.

Sole Content

Entry-level models from Sole which include the F63 and F65 have LCD screens that include onboard workout programs. All of the other models such as the F80, F85, TT8, and ST90 have touchscreens that have integrated onboard workout programs and 12 preloaded streaming apps that include, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Disney+, Spotify, Max, Audible, Peacock, ESPN, CNN, and Kinomap.

All you have to do to use these apps is to log into your account for each and start streaming.

You can also screen mirror your device to these treadmills’ touchscreens to stream content outside of the preloaded apps. You can also stream directly from your device by using the device rack that comes on every one of Sole’s treadmills.

Horizon Content

Horizon Treadmills overall have less tech on each model. They each include onboard workouts, and the higher-end Horizon 7.4 AT and 7.8 AT models have the HIIT training program Sprint 8 integrated into them, too. Horizon also lets you stream content from your phone or tablet while using their treadmills.

Each model comes with a device rack and some of the models pair through Bluetooth to apps like Zwift and Peloton.

Sole vs Horizon Consoles

Horizon Treadmills have less tech than Sole’s higher-end models, but they still have good functionality. Sole Treadmills have LCD or touchscreens depending on the model and the layout for the consoles varies on what’s included from the budget treadmills to the midrange and high-end machines.

Sole Consoles

The Sole F63 and F65 are the lowest-end models in Sole’s lineup and they include LCD screens with adjustment buttons for selecting the different programs and for adjusting these treadmills’ speed and incline settings. All other Sole Treadmills have touchscreens. The F80 has the smallest screen of 10.1”, while the F85, TT8, and ST90 all have 15.6” touchscreens. Both sizes have good visibility, however, none of the touchscreens are adjustable which can make them a little harder to reach and adjust for some while running.

All of Sole’s treadmills have numbered quick-adjusting buttons that allow you to switch between different speed and incline levels quickly.

They do skip some specific levels, which makes them a little less seamless to use than Horizon’s treadmills. They do include nice additions on the consoles though. The low-end models with LCD screens have extra storage for your water and whatever else you need nearby. All of the treadmills with touch screens have wireless charging pads to charge your compatible phone as well as cupholders for your water. Sole’s treadmill fans aren’t the most powerful so you’ll probably want to plug in your own. They also have pulse grips to read your heart rate and each treadmill pairs with a Garmin Watch to track your heart rate more accurately.

Horizon Consoles

Horizon consoles overall have less tech and features than Sole’s higher-end models. All of the treadmills have LCD and/or LED screens to display your workout metrics. They include additional buttons to access the onboard workouts. Horizon’s treadmills also have quick-adjusting buttons that are numbered for adjusting to specific speeds and inclines. I like the layout of these a little better than Sole’s.

I also like that each treadmill has roller adjustment knobs that let you adjust the treadmill quickly, too.

Every Horizon Treadmill comes with a device rack to put your phone or tablet on. Since there isn’t any subscription content available to stream from these treadmills, this is nice. Every model has cupholders for your water, pulse grips, speakers, and fans. The speakers and fans on some of the models are a little weak though, so keep this in mind.

Construction Quality & Durability

Both Sole and Horizon make high-quality treadmills. We have multiple models from each brand on our best treadmills list for a reason. They’re well-constructed, come with great warranties, and are pretty well-priced overall for their quality.

Sole vs Horizon Frames

Every model from each of these brands has a steel frame that supports the deck and steel uprights that extend up to hold the console in place. Both brands of treadmills feel stable and solid to use. All of Horizon’s models have decks that fold up, while only two models from Sole don’t fold up. The folding treadmills from each brand have a lift assist that helps you lift the decks and slowly lower the decks to the floor when unlocked from the folding position.

Horizon’s treadmills fold up to save space.

Sole folding treadmills fold up to be compact, too.

The non-folding treadmills from Sole include the TT8 and ST90. These treadmills are large and pretty heavy at 326 lbs each, so they require a designated space to use. We also recommend having a space for the higher-end Sole F80 and F85 treadmills and the Horizon 7.4 AT and 7.8 AT models because they’re heavier and larger.

Sole vs Horizon Motors

Sole’s treadmills overall have higher-powered motors as a whole.

Even the entry-level F63 has a 3.0 HP motor which is usually the lowest-end we recommend for running.

The entry-level Horizon T101 on the other hand, has a 2.5 HP motor which is best for mainly walking and some jogging. Horizon Treadmill’s motors continue to increase the horsepower through their midrange all the way up to their premium models. The Horizon 7.8 AT for instance has a 4.0 HP motor and is best for heavy use like distance running.

Sole’s treadmills also increase their motor power throughout the models in their lineup. The Sole F80 has a 3.5 HP motor and Sole F85 and TT8 have 4.0 HP motors. The Sole ST90 has a 2.0 HP AC motor. AC motors are more commonly found on commercial treadmills and are built to handle the foot traffic that public gyms see. Most home treadmills have DC motors and this is the type that all of Sole’s other treadmills and all of Horizon’s have. AC motors are more powerful in comparison.

Both Horizon and Sole’s treadmills offer a good speed range. All Sole Treadmills go up to 12 mph, while all of Horizon’s go up to 12 mph, except the Horizon T101, which is the most affordable model. All of Horizon’s treadmills incline with the maxes going up to 10, 12, and 15% depending on the treadmill. None of them decline.

Sole has all inclining treadmills and a couple of declining models. Each model inclines 15 levels and the Sole TT8 and F85 decline 6 different levels. These two treadmills have two separate motors, one in the front, and one under the rear of the deck for the decline.

Sole vs Horizon Decks

For size, Sole’s treadmills overall are a bit larger because they each have 60” long decks. This means that all of Sole’s treadmills can handle most running strides. Horizon’s treadmills vary a little bit on their deck size, which is helpful if you need a more compact treadmill. The Horizon T101, which is best for walking, has a 55” long deck.

I’m able to run on the Horizon T101 because I have a fairly short running stride.

Some of our reviewers are only able to walk and jog. All other treadmills from Horizon have 60” long decks.

Horizon also has more treadmills with 20” wide decks than 22” wide decks. This slightly narrower deck side doesn’t inhibit your ability to walk and run comfortably but can help the treadmill fit a little better in your home. The only treadmills from Sole that have 20” wide decks are the F63 and the ST90, although the ST90 is a large, non-folding treadmill with a flat slat belt. The ST90 is a different kind of treadmill because of this, compared to all of the other treadmills from Sole and Horizon.

The slat belt has rubber slats instead of a regular belt. This treadmill is motorized so the motor controls and moves the belt, but the motor can be disengaged so you can move the belt manually, too.

This makes the ST90 very versatile and comparable to other flat-slat belt treadmills on the market.

Sole’s treadmills have low step-up heights at only 8” high (from the floor to the top of the side rails at a flat grade). The ST90 however, has a taller step-up height than all other Sole Treadmills as well as Horizon’s. Horizon’s treadmills have a 9-10” high step-up height.

Performance & Functionality

Overall, Sole and Horizon Treadmills are well-built with nice functionality and features. Each model feels stable and solid to use. I think from a brand standpoint overall, Sole Treadmills feel a tiny bit more stable, mainly due to their solid and heavy decks.

One aspect of the decks that we’ve noticed, is that Sole’s cushioning is some of the firmest that we’ve tested.

This translates to a hard feeling underfoot. Deck cushioning is the amount of give in the deck when each foot lands while running. The less give, the firmer the deck cushioning feels. This makes Sole’s treadmills great if you’re a road runner who wants a treadmill that resembles the feeling of running on the concrete outside. They don’t feel bouncy or give you as much of a spring in your step as other treadmills. The Sole ST90’s slat belt goes a step further. The rubber slats are shock-absorbing, but make this treadmill feel more challenging to run, to the point that it kind of feels similar intensity-wise to running in sand.

Horizon’s treadmills have more shock absorption so they feel a bit softer to run on.

I would consider a Horizon Treadmill if you have joint issues or are looking for a well-cushioned surface to run on. Horizon’s motors are also much quicker to adjust the speed and incline settings than Sole’s. This makes treadmills from Horizon excellent for interval and HIIT training. Sole’s treadmills take a longer amount of time to change the speed and incline in comparison.

Both brands make quiet treadmills that are appropriate for most homes. Sole is slightly better for larger users since their treadmills have higher weight limits, but not by much. Sole’s weight limits range from 325 lbs up to 400 lbs depending on the treadmill. Horizon’s also handles a good amount of weight ranging from 300 lbs up to 375 lbs. 400 lbs is usually the highest limit we see on home motorized treadmills.

Even though most of Sole’s treadmills are heavier in weight than Horizon’s, they are fairly easy to move. All of the folding models have 4 transportation wheels so when folded, you can just push them around. The Sole TT8 and ST90 require the back of the decks to be lifted to engage the wheels and due to their heavy weights, are much harder to move in comparison. All of Horizon Treadmills have two transport wheels so you have to tilt them back when folded to move them. It’s much easier to do this with the lighter-weight, lower-end models, but the 7.4 AT and 7.8 AT treadmills can be moved when needed.

Warranties

Horizon and Sole include impressive lifetime frame and motor warranties with each of their treadmills. The parts and labor vary from model to model from Horizon. Sole’s other warranties such as the deck, parts, and wear items also vary. We love that both brands stand by their treadmills with extensive coverage.