ProForm Carbon Pro 9000 Treadmill Review

Dimensions/Storability

The ProForm Carbon Pro 9000’s dimensions are 73.2” x 34.6” x 60.7”, and it folds to reduce its footprint. When we receive the new 9000, I will add the folded measurement. I expect the treadmill’s length to decrease by 30 to 40%.

A hydraulic arm assists the folding process, allowing the deck to softly lower once released from its upright position. The deck has a higher weight capacity than before, so the deck may be heavier to lift than the previous model due to deck reinforcement. I will confirm this in a future update.

The treadmill has transport wheels and must be tilted to activate them. It should be fairly easy to roll along a hard surface but thick carpet or softer treadmill mats may be harder to manuever the treadmill over. It weighs over 200 lbs, so I do not recommend moving it up or down stairs if possible.

Onboard Workouts & Apps

iFIT Subscription

iFIT is a fitness platform with thousands of trainer-led classes. It is fully integrated into the ProForm Carbon Pro 9000, so you need an iFIT membership to unlock most of the training features on the 9000. We love working out with iFIT and think this treadmill is perfect for anyone who wants a quality subscription training platform.

All iFIT’s treadmill workouts are available on the touchscreen display. A coach guides the workout through trails or along road routes in locations all over the world. The treadmill speed matches the coach’s instructions, while the incline replicates the real-world terrain as closely as possible.

iFIT workouts don’t just follow preset levels. With SmartAdjust and ActivePulse, the workouts will adjust to your fitness level.

SmartAdjust accounts for any adjustment you make to iFIT workouts. It will adjust the rest of the workout and future workouts accordingly, making them harder or easier. The more you train with iFIT and override the presets, the more accurate SmartAdjust becomes.

ActivePulse works with a Bluetooth heart rate monitor. Simply pair a Bluetooth HR monitor to the treadmill and turn on ActivePulse. The treadmill speed and incline will adjust to keep you in the heart rate zone prescribed by the workout. You can calibrate your heart rate zones in the settings for more accurate training.

The third way to personalize iFIT is to use the iFIT AI coach, Tailor. Once you are invited to the AI Coach program, Tailor will text you. After evaluating your goals, Tailor schedules appropriate daily iFIT workouts. Your next workout will show on the Carbon Pro 9000’s screen.

iFIT workouts are often available as part of a series. You can join a series and take consecutive workouts to progress along a training goal or explore a location. iFIT also has training challenges to encourage you to make regular progress.

If you ever want an alternative to these iFIT classes, you have options. The “Create” tab allows runners and walkers to set target workouts for distance, time, or calories. You can also make an interval workout with custom speed and incline settings. While custom heart rate training isn’t available, it is a feature I would love to see iFIT add.

iFIT previously offered Google Maps training. This feature allowed users to create a workout on Google Maps on the treadmill screen. Then, you can set your speed and train while watching a slideshow of Google Street View images of the route. The images progress faster if you increase your speed. The treadmill incline matches the real-world terrain as well as possible.

For runners and walkers who want more entertainment, the ProForm Carbon Pro 9000 has three entertainment apps: Netflix, Prime, and Spotify. You can use these apps in manual training mode, a custom workout, or an iFIT class. They require an iFIT subscription to access. These apps have greatly impacted my training, especially for long runs!

The ProForm Carbon Pro 9000 has Feed.FM radio, in addition to Spotify. This radio gives you multiple genre stations with new music. You can skip up to six songs per hour.

Onboard Workouts

Without an iFIT membership, you can access the manual training mode, an iFIT featured class, and a few structured workouts. You need a free iFIT account, but if you previously subscribed to iFIT, you should retain free access to your account. Without iFIT, you can use manual training mode without connecting the treadmill to Wi-Fi.

Console

The ProForm Carbon Pro 9000 has fewer buttons on its console. iFIT machines now have a more streamlined look, with most of the buttons appearing on the touchscreen instead. The buttons at the bottom of the console include the fan, volume, incline, and speed adjustment buttons. There are also treadmill start and stop buttons with a safety key between them.

The screen is 16 inches. We have seen some increased glare with the new iFIT tablets, but we can’t be sure of the Pro 9000’s quality until we test it. However, we have also seen improved loading times and good responsiveness to touch. Overall, the tablet quality seems to have improved.

Bluetooth enables the ProForm Carbon Pro 9000 Treadmill to connect to heart rate monitors and headphones. Connecting a heart rate monitor is essential for the ActivePulse feature. My Garmin connected easily, but Apple watches do not connect to iFIT treadmills, unfortunately.

The Carbon Pro 9000 has front-facing speakers. They do not connect to your phone for Bluetooth audio, but they do play any of the onscreen content, including Spotify, loud and clear. We have had no trouble hearing the audio over the noise of the motor or our foot noise.

There are two cup holders on the treadmill console. You could place your water or other small items inside. There appears to be a tablet rack similar to the ProForm Carbon TLX, but we are skeptical about the screen blocking access to the rack. You may be able to place smaller devices, like a phone, here. We will investigate further.

There is a USB-C charging port to keep your devices charged, though you may have to store them in a cup holder.

Lastly, the ProForm Carbon Pro 9000 has a fan. The fan has multiple speeds and should be strong enough to cool you off.

Check Best Price