January 18, 2021

Why I Chose The Nordictrack X32i Over The Peloton Tread+


Well friend, if you are trying to make the tough decision between the Peloton Tread+ and the Nordictrack x32i, I know exactly how you feel!

I thought that I would 1000000% get the Peloton Tread+ but after some research, we eventually ended up with the X32i and we have absolutely loved it!

I want to preface this whole post by saying that I have never purchased the Peloton Tread+ so you should know that all of these conclusions have been made from doing online research and using the NordicTrack x32i for 4 months. If you have the Peloton and absolutely love it, that's awesome! You are welcome to share your experience in the comments below. This post is just to explain how we came to choose the NordicTrack after doing online research. 

Things I love about the NordicTrack x32i:

1. Feel like a hike instead of a run?

The NordicTrack boasted a 40% incline and a -6% decline while Peloton only had a 15% incline. Incline might not make a big difference to you if you’re only using it for running but I knew I wanted to do some hikes. I might not think it’s awesome during the hike, but you know what I mean.

2. It’s like you’re running on clouds

Ok, maybe that’s an exaggeration but due to the Reflex Cushioning, there is a slight bounce as you’re running on the Nordictrack. I love it because I was worried that this new running hobby would wreck my knees but I feel perfectly supported and cushioned! When comparing this with the Peloton, I read that the slat belt felt slightly harder than traditional smooth belt treadmills but I can’t personally vouch for that. That being said, I do like that the Peloton belt doesn’t have the front lip that sometimes my feet end up scraping on my Nordictrack.

3. Turn up the fan baby!

I almost feel silly writing about the built-in fan but I’m not going to lie, it was a big selling point! I love that the fan can be integrated into the instructor-led workout and automatically blow at a higher speed as the workout ramps up. But I keep that sucker on high because #sweatybetty over here.

4. 12 months of free iFit membership

This was a big winner in my book. While I adore the Peloton app and the instructors, I didn’t like the idea of having a huge machine that didn’t have any built-in programs should I decide to cancel the monthly subscription. With the NordicTrack, you not only get 12 months free of their iFit subscription service (instructor led pre-filmed and live workouts) but if you decide not to use the subscription service after the first year, there are 50 built-in programs you can use.

I have loved every iFit workout I’ve tried and I’ve started following a few instructors on social media so it feels like we’re in our own gym club together. I have yet to try the live workouts but they’re on my list!

5. One touch controls make it easy for newbies!

I love, love, love the “one touch” controls for speed and incline! When I want to run at 5 mph, all I do is touch the “5” button. If I want to slow down to 3.5 mph, all I do is tap “3”, then “5” and it automatically sets to that setting! It’s so cool. No more tapping the up arrow (or spinning a dial on the Peloton.)

Things my husband loved:

1. Bigger motor

This is no surprise to me but Tim appreciated the 4.25 CHP on the NordicTrack vs the 2 HP on the Peloton. Also, thanks to Google, I now know the difference between CHP and HP: “The best motor for a treadmill is a Continuous Duty Rating or Continuous Horsepower (CHP), which is a commercial standard used in gyms and is the highest quality motor. It refers to the motor’s ability to perform continuously, as opposed to at its peak, which can’t be sustained for a long period of time.” Credit

2. Longer Warranty

The NordicTrack comes with a 10 year warranty on the frame, 2 years on parts and 1 year on labor. Alternatively, the Peloton comes with a 1 year warranty on the screen and 5 years on the frame and motor. Hopefully we won’t need any repairs but having a 10 year warranty gives us some peace of mind.



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Now, obviously, I’m a big fan of the NordicTrack but here are a few things that I think I might have loved more on the Peloton:

1. The Peloton Community

I think there is just something to be said about the incredible and interactive community within Peloton. I think their instructors are more motivating than iFit and I think there are just more people using Peloton so you’re likely to find friends you can workout with in real-time.

2. The Tray

The Nordictrack doesn’t have a tray to set your phone on and sometimes I really wish I had that! It does have 2 very large cup holders on the side but I would love a tray!

3. The Swivel Screen

A week after we purchased our NordicTrack, Peloton announced that their new Tread model would have a screen that could rotate and I was all heart eyes over that. As far as I can tell, Tread sales have been stalled due to Covid and the installation services they provide so I’m not sure I could have waited for that feature anyway. With the NordicTrack, it is delivered to your home and you can opt to have a professional installation or you can put it together yourself. We decided to put it together ourselves and while it took 2 people, it wasn’t bad at all. We were running on it that night!


Finally, this video helped me decide between the NordicTrack and the Peloton when I was researching the two.

So, if this review didn’t help you decide, rest assured that both treadmills are incredible machines! You can’t go wrong with either one.

Weigh the features against each other, pick one and don’t look back!  


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comments +

  1. Erin Fulbright says:

    Found your blog after watching the YouTube review on the x32i thank you for all the awesome info!

    • Pamela Alvarado says:

      You’re so welcome! Thank you for taking the time to come here and say hi! (I literally just found out how to find comments on this new website platform so this is embarrassingly late!)

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