ProForm Carbon TLX - Entry Level Price, Great Value

The Carbon TLX is one of two new treadmills from ProForm, part of their ever-changing lineup of entry level models. These treadmills offer a nice array of features and capabilities without breaking the bank, so if you're in the market for an affordable treadmill for your home gym, this one is certainly worth considering.

Let's jump into our review to see what this new machine is all about...

Carbon TLX - The Machine

The ProForm Carbon TLX is all black with red accents, with a modern, sleek design and large angled display. It looks similar to the up-level Pro Series treadmills, except for the fact that the Carbon models don't have a touch screen display.

Let's take a look at the most important specs..

• 3.0 CHP Motor
• 20" x 60" Tread Belt
• 7" Multi Color Display
• 0-12% Quick Incline™
• 0-12 mph QuickSpeed™
• ProShox Cushioning
• SpaceSaver Design with EasyLift Assist
• iFIT Workouts
• Audio Port With Dual 2" Speakers
• CoolAire™ Workout Fan
• 300 lb. Weight Capacity
• Warranty – 10 year frame, 1 year parts & labor

The Buzz

The new Carbon Series is very interesting, as it seems to be returning to the ProForm entry level models of old. In recent years all of the treadmills from ProForm and sister company NordicTrack, even the entry level models, had touch screen displays. This is what separated them from the competition as most of the others only featured touch screens on their higher level treadmills.

Now it seems we're back to the LCD/multi-color basic screens, with the base Carbon TLS model having a 5" display, and the TLX with only a slightly larger 7" display. We're not sure why they're no longer offering the touch screens on the base models, as the price hasn't seemed to come down to reflect the downgrade.

Both other than this, there's a lot of good features and capabilities offered that justify the $1,000 or so expense.

The Carbon TLX has a capable 3.0 CHP motor, a nice large 20" x 60" running space, speeds up to 12 mph and incline up to 12%. With those specs you'll get a very solid workout.

As with all ProForm treadmills you get a large number of interactive workouts via iFIT, but you'll have to use your tablet or phone to access them rather than view them on the machine itself as you can with the upper level Pro treadmill touch screens.

Additional specs include ProShox cushioning to reduce impact on joints, easy folding design for storage post workout, fan, Bluetooth audio and a 300 lb. maximum weight capacity.

We'll see how users take to the downgraded displays, as many are used to touch screens at the gym. But the affordable price should make up for that, especially given all of the other great features.

How Does the Carbon TLX Compare to the Other ProForm Treadmills?

So the Carbon Series used to be the middle of the pack, between the entry level City Series and top-end Pro Series. Now it seems like the City Series has been discontinued, so the Carbon Series is the most affordable ProForm treadmill line.

The ProForm Carbon TLS is the base model in the series, with a 5" LCD display, 2.6 CHP motor, 18" x 55" running deck and 0-10 mph speed.

As you read about above, the ProForm Carbon TLX ramps it up a bit, with a 7" display, 3.0 CHP motor, 20" x 60"" running deck and 0-12 mph speed. Otherwise the two machines are very similar.

However, given the $200 price difference, you're getting a lot more machine with the TLX.

From here you move up to the Pro Series, which includes the Pro 2000 and Pro 9000 and gives you a little more of everything.

The Pro 2000 has a 3.0 CHP motor, a 20" x 60" deck, speeds up to 12 mph, 12% incline and even more advanced ReBound Pro cushioning.

The Pro 9000 is the top-of-the-line model and has everything the Pro 2000 has, plus a stronger 3.6 CHP motor and a larger 22" Smart HD touch screen.

So basically your current choices are the entry level Carbon Series treadmills or the more advanced Pro Series treadmills. For the casual walker, jogger, runner, the Carbon Series will be just fine. For the intermediate or more serious runner, the Pro Series is going to be the better option, if it fits within your budget of course.

ProForm Carbon TLX Review - Bottom Line

If you're looking for an affordable treadmill for your home, the ProForm Caron TLX and its little sister TLS are certainly worth considering, as they really give you a lot of capability for the price.

Of the two, we would lean towards the TLX simply because it gives you a larger screen, larger running surface and higher max speed, with only a couple hundred dollar difference between the two.

As we mentioned above, if you are a more serious runner, or there will be multiple people using the treadmill on a regular basis, you will probably be better served with one of the Pro Series models, either the Pro 2000 or Pro 9000.

Either way, the ProForm treadmills are reliable and you'll be satisfied with any of the models you choose for your home.