ProForm Carbon TL Review: Great For Certain Situations

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The ProForm Carbon TL is an interesting addition to the Carbon product line. This review will help you understand for what situations this treadmill can be a good choice.

ProForm Carbon TL review in short

The ProForm Carbon TL can be a good alternative to the other Carbon models for individuals who want to connect their own smart devices.

This treadmill is mostly for walking and if you are under 74″ (188 cm) with an average body weight, some jogging.

The ProForm Carbon TL is a budget-friendly but still solid treadmill for doing these activities with IFIT workouts.

For fast running, intense workout programs, and taller individuals, something like the ProForm Pro 2000 is generally a better choice.

Specifications

*Warranties can vary from seller to seller

**Price category difference at the time of writing

Motor power

One of the most important features of a treadmill to pay attention to is its motor and more specifically, the power it can generate.

Treadmill motors keep the belt moving at the right speeds, (hopefully) for many years to come. How powerful it is is determines what intensities and durations you can use it for.

The ProForm Carbon TL has a motor power of 2.6 CHP.

A general recommendation is that you want a motor power of 3 CHP or higher for fast running. Heavier individuals tend to need stronger treadmill motors.

That means the ProForm Carbon TL is mostly for walking and potentially jogging if you are not too tall or heavy.

There are definitely stronger treadmill motors but for this price point, 2.6 CHP is relatively good. For the right training goals and individuals this can offer many great workouts for years to come.

Weight limit

Besides motor power, another very important feature is the weight limit. Going over this number can make the treadmill break down.

And even if the treadmill doesn’t break down, you speed up the wear and tear and void your warranties.

The ProForm Carbon TL has a weight limit of 300 pounds (136 kg). This is about average when it comes to treadmill weight limits.

Even if you are nowhere near this number, it is some indication of how strong the materials and construction of the treadmill are. The ProForm Carbon TL is about what you can expect from most treadmills.

Rollers

Treadmill rollers are the rotating cylinders the belt is stretched around. This is another part that can vary between models in a few areas including size.

The ProForm Carbon TL has 1.9″ rollers. This is again about average/slightly below average generally speaking but about what you can expect from/above-average for this price category.

A rough guideline is that bigger rollers tend to be better. These typically involve slower wear and tear of the belt and motor.

Additionally, bigger rollers tend to reduce the risk of the belt “slipping”, moving over the rollers at a different speed. Workouts tend to be more fun if this does not happen.

At the same time, a treadmill motor has to be strong enough to deal with bigger rollers.

The interaction between roller size and motor power tends to be hard to predict. However, considering the numbers and lack of customer mentions about this, the ProForm Carbon TL has a solid combination.

For jogging and walking, the roller size of the ProForm Carbon TL should be sufficient. This is not a treadmill that is meant to last for 20 years but it should be good for at least a few years if everything works as it is supposed to.

Running surface

The running surface is basically the surface area of the rotating belt that can be used. In more budget-friendly treadmills, the running surface tends to be on the smaller side.

The ProForm Carbon TL is no exception to this with a running surface of 20″ x 55″. Running surface of more premium treadmills often go up to 22″ x 60″.

A difference like this influences what people can use a treadmill and for what purposes. Most people will simply prefer the spacious feeling of a wider running surface but this is not the most important part.

Shorter running belts tend to limit the suited user height for jogging and running. At these intensities strides tend to be longer than walking strides.

A rough guideline is that users taller than 6 foot 2 (74″ = 188 cm) may find the running surface length of the ProForm Carbon TL too short for jogging.

Since fast running is not really an option for this treadmill anyway due to the motor power, more detailed explanations for these speeds are not relevant.

Workout programs

Something that stands out in the ProForm Carbon TL compared to the other Carbon treadmills is its lack of HD Smart Touchscreen.

You still get a 5” High Contrast Multi-Color Display but this does not work with IFIT workouts. Luckily, you can connect the ProForm Carbon TL to your own smart devices through the IFIT app.

In turn, you can still access the treadmill workout classes, immersive walks/runs, and other exercise classes. This includes the ones where the workout adjusts your speed and incline for you.

You could even argue that this way of accessing IFIT is better than the built-in screens of the other ProForm Carbon treadmills. These can only connect to the built-in screens and these screens only work with IFIT.

On the other hand, the smart device you use with the ProForm Carbon TL can almost always be used for a variety of other purposes and could be bigger than the built-in screens from the other Carbon models.

These other purposes include watching entertainment from other websites and apps and taking the device with you.

This is also possible with the other treadmills that have device holders but you would still pay extra for the built-in screen.

In short, to connect to IFIT and access the workouts and stats tracking, the ProForm Carbon TL requires you to have your own smart device.

This can save you some money over the other Carbon models if you already have your own smart device. Additionally, this smart device can be used for more purposes than the built-in screens from the other Carbon models.

Customer reviews

When looking at treadmills, the features and prices often give a good idea about what you can expect from the model you are looking at.

Even so, sometimes customer reviews can reveal unexpected downsides or trends in quality issues.

In the case of the ProForm Carbon TL, there are a few exceptional cases of faulty parts, early wear and tear, and IFIT challenges. Customer support can be a bit more helpful in these situations.

That being said, besides these occasional issues, customers are still relatively happy with this treadmill overall.

Foldability

Most people are interested in the ProForm Carbon TL because they are putting together a home gym. This likely involves some limit in terms of the amount of space you can use.

One of the nice additions of the ProForm Carbon treadmills is that they are foldable and have built-in transport wheels.

This makes storing the treadmill and moving it around a lot easier. In turn, it becomes more convenient to use your workout space for other forms of exercise and activities.

One thing you do want to keep in mind is that the box weight of the ProForm Carbon TL is 212 pounds (96.2 kg). Even with the transport wheels, some people may find this challenging to move around.

Is it worth it?

The ProForm Carbon TL is a relatively budget-friendly way to get started with walking and potentially light jogging if you are not too tall or don’t have a high body weight.

Many people will prefer the TL instead of the other ProForm Carbon treadmills because it allows you to use your own smart device.

These smart devices are often bigger and definitely more flexible than the built-in screens the other Carbon treadmills have.

Additionally, you don’t miss out on helpful IFIT features like the automatic speed and incline adjustments.

If you really don’t want to get your own smart device, the ProForm Carbon T7 could be better. That being said, most people will prefer the flexibility of the ProForm Carbon TL with a tablet.

On the other hand, if you don’t care about IFIT and the ability to jog, cheaper treadmills like the Horizon T101 could save you some money.

Lastly, people who want to run fast, are on the taller side, and have an above-average weight, likely want to go for a bigger and stronger treadmill like for example, the ProForm Pro 2000.

FAQ