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Woodway Treadmills – Rehab and Residential Models

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Woodway Home & Medical Treadmill Reviews

Like finely crafted Swiss watches, Woodway treadmills are superior technically to other machines on the market. The innovative technology eliminates the conveyor belt and deck design, and replaces it with a revolving slat surface. This system effectively eliminates most of the harmful shock that walking transfers to connective tissue in the body.

Decades of Research and Innovation

Woodway Treadmills Willi Schoenberger founded Woodway in 1975 in Weil am Rhein, Germany. The name Woodway is derived from the German word Waldweg, which translates to “wald” meaning “wood” and “weg” meaning “way.” Schoenberger wanted to design a treadmill that offered a natural but firm surface, as well as feature a technical system that eliminated the friction seen in conveyor belt-style treadmills.

In 1988, the company granted a license to a U.S. firm in Waukesha, Wisconsin, to be the primary manufacturer of Woodway treadmills. Along with two other plants in Germany and Japan, Woodway is now the largest specialized treadmill manufacturer in the world. They sell primarily to universities, hospitals, governments, and pro sports teams, and they are moving into the residential home market.

What to Expect in a Specialized Treadmill

Woodway Medical Treadmill Instead of a moving belt pulled by end rollers across a deck, Woodway treadmills use individual slats that glide along two low friction ball bearing rails. The vulcanized rubber slats move across the walking platform and over the ends like tank treads, both in forward and reverse motion.

Woodway describes the shock absorption properties of the treadmill’s slats, with a Shore A Hardness of 38-43, as the feeling of running on a bed of soft pine needles covering a path in the forest. Researchers at the Deutsche Sporthochschule in Cologne, Germany, determined this to be the ideal surface softness, the sweet spot if you will, to maintain proper biomechanics stride while eliminating the harmful shock to joints and muscles.

Woodway Medical and Research Treadmills

Woodway Loko Station In addition, this low friction system spins freely to deliver smooth and consistent speed, with no slippage – ever. Tests show that the system never strains the motor and performs with the same horsepower output whether there is a person standing on the belt or not. Without the excessive stress on the motor, drive system, and electrical parts, these treadmills offer lower repairs, minimal maintenance, and longer life. Compared to standard 2-ply treadmill belts, which can last up to 20,000 miles, Woodway’s patented Slatflex transportation system can last up to 200,000 miles.

Designed for Optimum Comfort

Woodway now offers a self-powered home treadmill that moves so fluidly it is hard to believe there is no motor pulling the slat platform. Ranging in prices starting around $6,000 for home models, and moving up to $24,000 for medical testing and rehab models, Woodway treadmills score high in terms of cushioning, noise level, walking area (up to 68" in length), reliability, warranty, and quality. No other traditional treadmill can touch a Woodway. It is the best treadmill you can own, and quite possibly the last treadmill you will ever have to buy.

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Model Reviews

Woodway Bariatric Tread-Ergometer - The smoothest, quietest, and most reliable medical treadmill available. Used for rehab, bariatrics and other medical applications, with accurate testing results.


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