Shopping for a Treadmill

Just out of curiosity, I hopped online today to check out treadmills. I love to go to the gym down the street, which is very close and very convenient... but they dont open until 7am and it's usually pretty crowded (anyone smell an excuse there?? LOL).

So I thought I'd check out what they had online at WalMart.com - which is quickly becoming one of my favorites for the bigger items. Like I said... just curious, but thinking it sure would be nice to have one here at the house ;)

I sorted them by price first and was surpised to find one for $80. However I have absolutely no idea what to look for in a treadmill - features, length, manual vs electric, etc. I just know that I want something that is comfortable, relatively quiet and easy to use.

Luckily, they had a Treadmill Buying Guide right there just a click away... so I checked that out to get a better idea of what I might want. Good info, so I went back to the search. They have really good breadcrumb navigation on the site, so I clicked all the way back to 'Exercise & Fitness'.

They had one of those Gazelles listed there under the Hot "As Seen On TV" Items. I dont know if you've seen this one on TV or not... but I've seen it a lot recently on a car insurance commercial (Geiko, if memory serves). It caught my eye for that reason, but I was looking at treadmills so I kept browsing...

Later I was talking to my Mom and it turns out that she has a Gazelle - and says its a great machine. Sold! And after looking at the pricing between that and the nicer treadmills... it was definitely the better value - all the way around.

Next came the comparison shopping. I have to say, I was really shocked to find this item going on eBay higher than anywhere else.

You can get the basic Gazelle Edge Trainer at WalMart.com for $94.46. Shipping is estimated at $16-17... plus I know from past experience that they charge sales tax on their online orders (almost 10% for me).

My mother had mentioned checking out Tony Little's website, so that was my next stop. It turns out that they sell the Gazelle Edge Trainer (same model) for $99 - with free shipping :) So this was the final choice for me - definitely sold, adding in the 3-pack DVD set to boot!

On eBay they were going for around 100 bucks (if not more) - PLUS anywhere from $30 to $60 for shipping charges! And yes... they had bidders. What a shocker. Wish I could post a big flag to point those bidders to the better deal!

I'd love to hear some feedback. Anyone using the Gazelle - or what do you have at home? What do you like or dislike about it... or what's on your wish list??