In July 2009, I wrote a few lines about NordicTrack treadmills. At the time, the attraction was easy to see: a treadmill with a built-in flat-screen television looked unusually advanced. I mentioned the Apex 8500, Viewpoint 3500 and Viewpoint 3000. Seventeen years later, those names read like a small piece of home-fitness history.

My interest in NordicTrack was not based only on catalogues. HBL had established a gym for employees at HBL Plaza in Karachi, where I worked, and that gave me direct exposure to NordicTrack exercise equipment. It was one reason I was interested enough to write about the brand back in 2009. I have not personally tested NordicTrack’s current 2026 models, however, so the current specifications and connected features discussed below come from manufacturer documentation and other cited sources.

The machines changed. More important, the idea of a treadmill changed with them. A premium treadmill is no longer simply a motor, belt and incline mechanism placed in a spare room. NordicTrack now sells connected training machines built around touchscreens, software, automatic adjustments and the iFIT ecosystem.

That makes my old post worth revisiting rather than quietly deleting. It also raises a practical question for buyers in 2026: how much of today’s NordicTrack experience comes from the treadmill itself, and how much comes from the software wrapped around it?

What happened to the NordicTrack I wrote about in 2009?

My original article described three models and said NordicTrack belonged to ICON Health & Fitness. The corporate name itself has since changed. ICON announced in 2021 that it had become iFIT Health & Fitness Inc., reflecting the company’s growing emphasis on connected fitness rather than equipment alone.

The old Apex and Viewpoint models are no longer the useful reference points for a buyer. NordicTrack’s 2026 range includes the Commercial 1250, Commercial 1750 and Commercial 2450, while the X24 serves buyers who want much steeper incline training. NordicTrack also lists the T10 as a more value-oriented model in its current US range.

The contrast with 2009 is striking. I once regarded a built-in television as the clever feature. Now the screen functions as the control centre of a training platform.

The treadmill became a software machine

NordicTrack’s current Commercial Series shows where the market has gone. The Commercial 1750 uses a 16-inch pivoting touchscreen. The Commercial 2450 moves to a 24-inch display. Current US specifications list speeds up to 12 mph for the 1750 and 14 mph for the 2450.

Yet screen size is not the important change. With an eligible paid iFIT membership, features such as SmartAdjust can alter speed and incline as a workout progresses. ActivePulse can use heart-rate information from a compatible monitor to adjust exercise intensity. The machine and the subscription increasingly work as one system.

There is an important qualification. You do not have to maintain a paid iFIT subscription simply to use a current NordicTrack treadmill. NordicTrack says its Commercial Series can operate in manual mode and record basic measures such as pace, speed and distance. The richer coaching and adaptive features require the appropriate iFIT service.

I would pay attention to that distinction before buying. A treadmill may remain in a home for many years. Software services, membership prices and supported features can change much faster.

Old connected fitness hardware carries a new kind of risk

A mechanical treadmill ages in familiar ways. Belts wear. Bearings and motors need attention. A connected treadmill adds another clock: software support.

iFIT demonstrated the problem in 2023 when it ended iFIT support for some older-generation machines. Affected equipment could still work in manual mode and retain preloaded workouts, but owners lost access to iFIT software updates and workouts. That does not make connected equipment a bad purchase. It does mean buyers should judge a smart treadmill partly as they would judge a computer or tablet.

I did not have to think about software life cycles when I wrote the original post. Today I would.

Commercial 1750 or 2450?

For many buyers looking at NordicTrack in 2026, the Commercial 1750 is the more obvious starting point. It folds, offers a 16-inch touchscreen and is designed for regular walking and running. The Commercial 2450 moves further toward serious running, with a 24-inch screen and a higher maximum speed in the current US specification.

The X24 is a different proposition. NordicTrack lists an incline range reaching 40 percent, so it targets steep walking, hiking-style sessions and incline-heavy training rather than merely faster running. It also occupies more of the premium end of the range.

I would not choose among them by screen size first. I would start with the exercise I actually intend to do. Someone who mainly walks for thirty minutes does not automatically gain much from buying the most elaborate machine in the catalogue.

Buying NordicTrack in Pakistan is a different calculation

This matters to me because I originally looked at treadmills from Karachi. A Pakistani buyer faces a different market from someone ordering directly in the United States or Britain.

NordicTrack’s own US buying guidance stresses purchasing directly or through an authorised retailer because the seller can affect warranty support. In Pakistan, machines may reach buyers through local dealers or import channels. I found a Karachi retailer listing the Commercial 1750 in September 2026, but local warranty terms are not necessarily the same as NordicTrack’s US or UK manufacturer coverage.

That changes the buying question. Before paying several hundred thousand rupees for an imported smart treadmill, I would ask who repairs the motor and electronics locally, whether the touchscreen and iFIT functions operate as expected in Pakistan, and exactly which warranty the seller will honour. I would want those answers in writing.

Voltage, assembly, spare parts and the sheer difficulty of moving a large treadmill also deserve more attention than glossy product photographs. A sophisticated machine is only attractive while somebody can maintain it.

Warranty language needs careful reading

Warranty terms also vary by market and model. NordicTrack’s current US Commercial Series page, for example, lists a lifetime motor warranty on the Commercial 1750 and 2450, alongside 10 years on the frame, two years on parts and shorter coverage for the tablet and labour. UK terms differ. A locally imported machine may come with the retailer’s own arrangement instead.

So I would not copy a warranty claim from an American product page and assume it applies in Karachi. The seller, country and exact model matter.

What I would look for in 2026

My priorities have changed since 2009. I would first check whether the treadmill feels stable at the speed I actually use and whether the running surface suits my stride. I would then examine local service and parts availability.

Only after that would I consider the touchscreen and connected features. A beautiful display can make exercise more engaging, and automatic incline changes can add variety. But neither rescues a machine that is difficult to repair.

I would also decide whether I genuinely want a subscription-led training experience. NordicTrack still permits manual use, which matters. A buyer should know what remains useful if he or she stops paying for iFIT several years later.

Seventeen years later

When I wrote this post in 2009, I saw NordicTrack mainly as a treadmill manufacturer adding clever electronics to exercise equipment. Looking at the company in 2026, I see the relationship the other way around. The hardware increasingly provides the physical platform for a connected training service.

There is real value in that shift. Guided workouts, automatic adjustments and steep incline capability can make indoor exercise less monotonous. The same shift also creates questions that barely existed when I first wrote about the Apex 8500: subscription cost, software support and the useful life of the screen sitting above the belt.

For a buyer in Karachi, one old-fashioned question still survives every technology cycle: if something goes wrong, who will fix it? I would settle that before letting a 24-inch screen persuade me.