The Weslo brand is part of Icon Health & Fitness. These are the same people who are behind such brands as Nordic-Track, Pro Form, Weider and Healthrider. That means that there are pretty high expectations on this treadmill.
The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 treadmill is a budget model that provides you with a sparse but functional training experience. This is a good entry level treadmill for people who are looking for a good walking, jogging or light running workout.
Our Recommendation
Despite its limitations, in terms of running bed size, max weight capacity and noise, the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 is the best electronic treadmill you can get for under four hundred dollars. It provides you with a half dozen built in workout programs, includes thumb print heart rate monitoring and offers two levels of incline adjustment. It is limited in terms of space available on the training mat and top speed but will allow you to get in a decent workout if you are under six feet tall and are not looking to run too hard.
Pros
- Great Price
- Six pre-set workouts
- Compact
- 2.25 hp motor
Cons
- Small waking track
- Noisy
- Manual Incline
Features
2.25 HP Motor
The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 treadmill provides you with a 2.25 HP Impulse motor. This is a pretty impressive motor for a budget treadmill, allowing you to get up to a top speed of 10 miles per hour.
Incline Ability
The G 5.9 provides you with the ability to adjust the running bed of the treadmill so that you can exercise on an incline. You actually get two incline options, at 1.5 and 6 degrees. This can markedly increase the intensity of your workout. The downside of the incline functionality is that this is a manual recline function, meaning that you cannot adjust the incline when you are using the treadmill. However, this is only a problem if you to intend to adjust the incline midway through your workout.
Pre-Set Workouts
Not too many budget treadmills come with pre-set workouts. So, the fact that you get six pre-set programs on the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 is a big deal. These programs have been created by qualified personal trainers and are designed for specific outcomes such as weight loss and cardio endurance.
Compact
The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 is a very compact treadmill, making it great for people with limited apartment space. The footprint of this unit is 64.5 inches in length and 29 inches in width. When your workout is finished, you can even fold the unit up for storage, bringing the deck up to a vertical position.
Inexpensive
The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 is one of the cheapest home use electronic treadmills on the current market. The Cadence 5.9 provides you with almost identical features to the Weslo Cadence R 5.2, except that the motor is 0.25 CHP less powerful. Yet the Cadence 5.9 is about a hundred dollars cheaper. Check out the best Amazon price here.
Easy to Set Up
This budget treadmill is a piece of cake to put together straight out of the box. In fact, you should get the job done inside of half an hour. It comes with a quality manual that is easy to understand. The G 5.9 comes in at total weight of 117 pounds, making it lightweight and easy to move around.
Comfort Cell Cushioning
The walking track on the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 features comfort cell technology which provides you with a more comfortable walking experience that is joint friendly.
Heart Rate Monitor
This budget treadmill comes with a blue tinted LCD with Priority Display. The monitor allows you to easily keep a track on your key training diagnostics, including your time, speed, distance and calories burned. The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 also provides you with an EasyPulse TM heart rate monitor, that provides you with a pulse from your thumb.
What’s Not So Good
Limited Stride Length
The Weslo Cadence has a very limited walking track that measures just 16 inches in width and 50 inches in length. That it four inches narrower and five inches shorter than the average home use treadmill, which makes a big difference to your striding ability. The bottom line is that taller people (the six feet tall or over) will struggle to maintain a natural stride on this treadmill.
Noisy
The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 is a rather noisy machine to operate. That’s due to the fact that it has a thin belt, plastic parts and no joint sealings.
Manual Incline
There is no automatic incline on the Weslo Cadence G 5.9. Rather you get a manual incline. This means that you will have to get off the treadmill if you want to change the incline angle of the treadmill half way through your workout.
Limited Warranty
You would expect to get a rather limited warranty with a budget treadmill. Even so, the coverage on this one is not very impressive. You get just 12 months warranty of the motor, with just 90 days for parts and labor.
Limited Maximum Weight
The maximum user weight allowance on the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 is 275 pounds. Generally, you should provide a clearance of 50 pounds between your own user weight and the max allowance of your treadmill, which means that people who are more than 225 pounds will want to upgrade to a more heavy duty model.
Weslo Cadence Alternatives
ZAAP TX4000
Pros
- Great price
- Foldable
- Heart rate sensor
- Tablet holder
- 12 workout programs
Cons
- Low max speed
The ZAAP TX4000 treadmill is a budget model that comes it around the same price as the Weslo Cadence G 5.9. You don’t get quite as much speed, with a maximum of 8.9 miles per hour, which will allow you to move at a light jog. The 2.0 hp motor is slightly lesser capacity than the G 5.9. However, you do get twelve built in workout programs, which is twice as many as you get with the G 5.9.
The folding design of the TX4000 makes it ideal for small spaces. It also has wheels for transport and is lightweight. It has a max user weight of 287 pounds, which is similar to that of the Cadence G 5.9. That means that those who weigh more than 227 pounds will want to look for a beefier model than this one.
You get a decent LCD display with the ZAAP TX4000. It gives you a reliable readout of your speed, distance, time, calories and hear rate, again making it similar to the Cadence G 5.9. This unit also comes with heart rate sensors. ZAAP Spring shock absorbers provide you with a smooth, comfortable, joint friendly workout experience.
The ZAAP TX4000 provides you with a number of extras that you do not get with the Weslo Cadence TX4000. These include built-in speakers, and an iPad / Tablet Holder. Overall, however, the extra speed capacity of the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 makes it the better option.
GoPlus Folding Treadmill
Pros
- 12 workout programs
- 3 incline levels
- Space saving design
Cons
- Only 225 pound max user weight
The GoPlus Folding Treadmill is a foldable electronic treadmill which, again, comes in at a great price. This one provides you with 12 workout programs, twice as many as the Cadence G 5.9, but the same as the ZAAP TX4000. You also get 3 levels of manual incline, which is one more than the Cadence budget treadmill offers.
The 5-inch BlueRay LCD display provides you with clear readouts of your speed, distance, time, calories, hand pulse and modes. The monitor also provides you with a stable tablet holder. The cushioning design on both sides of the treadmill reduces noise and decreases vibration to the floor. The GoPlus also features a space saving design, complete with full foldability to a compact vertical position. Built-in transportation wheels allow for ease of movement.
The weight capacity of this treadmill is only 220 pounds, which is the major weakness of this machine. This is 65 pounds less than the maximum capacity of the Weslo Cadence G 5.9, which, in itself is not very impressive. For that reason, we cannot recommend this budget treadmill over the Weslo cadence g 5.9.
Shayin Folding Electronic Treadmill
Pros
- 12 built-in programs
- 3 levels of manual incline
- 7-inch color screen
Cons
- Small running bed
The Shayin Folding Electronic Treadmill provides you with 2.0 hp motor, which is 0.25 hp less than the Weslo Cadence G 5.9. The maximum weight capacity is 265 pounds, being slightly less than the Cadence G 5.9. The running bed measures 17 x 48 inches, which is an inch wider but two inches shorter than the Cadence G 5.9. That limited length is a problem and will prevent anyone over 5,11’’ getting a full stride length. You get 12 built-in workout programs with this treadmill, which is double what you get with the G 5.9. The Shayin Folding treadmill also provides you with 3 levels of manual incline adjustment. The 7-inch color screen display provides you with all of the normal training metrics. A soft-drop system makes it easy to fold and store this machine.
Conclusion
The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill is a budget treadmill that has limitations in terms of running bed size, max seed and user body weight. However, when compared to the competition in its price range, we believe that it is overall the best budget electronic treadmill on the market right now.
This isn’t the only great treadmill for those on a budget. Check out our Best Treadmills Under $500 for more ideas.