Smooth 9.35HR vs Smooth EVO 3i – Review & Comparison
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Side-By-Side Review
If you’ve been keeping up with the fitness equipment releases by Smooth Fitness, this is probably the first year you’ve seen a treadmill that goes by the name of EVO. The Smooth EVO 3i is actually NOT a new model from Smooth but rather, one of their other models from another brand that they sell under. Yes, Smooth Fitness doesn’t only sell treadmills with the word “Smooth” on it, they also sell under the “EVO” name. So when Smooth is selling the Smooth EVO 3i, they’re really selling the EVO 3i treadmill from years past.
Unlike the EVO example, the Smooth 9.35 HR is a new 2008 model from Smooth although the exterior appearance does seem rather similar to its now retired Smooth 9.17HRO. So let’s find out how these two treadmills measure up against each other.
These two treadmills show quite a price gap between them. Depending on when you buy, this gap could be anywhere from $500 to $1000. With a price difference that’s sufficient to buy an entirely new budget treadmill, what sorts of improvements do we see in the more expensive Smooth EVO 3i compared to the Smooth 9.35 HR? It turns out quite a bit but probably not enough.
One of the things that most buyers look for when buying a treadmill is the belt and motor combo. In this case, the Smooth 9.35 HR uses a 3.0HP motor to power a 20”X55” belt. Meanwhile, the more expensive EVO3i uses a 3.5HP motor to power a 20”X62” belt. Both of these motors are quite sufficient in size. One point you should note is that the EVO 3i’s belt is quite a bit longer than what’s on the market today. Although you often see 60” belts especially in higher end models, you rarely ever see a belt that’s 62” long. Tall runners are going to love this longer belt. As for the motor, both meet the recommended ratings for running (3.0HP or more) so no problems here either. It’s a little weird as to why the Smooth 9.35 HR doesn’t go all the way up to 12 mph but only goes up to 11 mph max instead. Engineers can certainly program the motor so that the max is 12 mph instead of 11 mph so why they didn’t choose to is beyond me. The Smooth EVO 3i does go up to 12 mph so no problems there.
You’ll also see that the Smooth EVO 3i is heavier than the Smooth 9.35HR by all of 26 pounds. At lighter weights, this may be significant in adding stability but when the Smooth 9.35HR is already closing in at almost 300 pounds, it probably doesn’t do much. But heavier can’t hurt especially when it comes to stability of the treadmill.
Surprisingly, I actually think the console on the Smooth 9.35 HR is better than the one on the EVO. It’s better because the screen is not only bigger but you actually have more programs! This is probably a result of a newer model (i.e Smooth 9.35HR is a 2008 treadmill model) being able to bring you more programs and features for less money.
One thing that the older Smooth EVO 3i holds an advantage over its newer but lower priced sibling is the warranty. It’s lifetime parts! Lifetime is always nice to hear but remember, labor is still one year which pretty much applies to 99 percent of all models sold on the market today (unless you get an extended warranty).
The bottom line is you get a much better deal by buying the Smooth 9.35HR. This is especially the case if you can buy it for less than $2000. Although the EVO 3i is priced higher, its improvements are not enough to justify its high cost.
Winner: Smooth 9.35HR
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Take 33% Off The Smooth 9.35HR Retail Price
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