The Gold’s Gym Trainer 550 – Strong Value for a Low Price

The durable Gold’s Gym Trainer 550 is an affordable treadmill that is actually worth the price. If you refuse to spend over $700 for a cardio machine, this one should make your short list.

The Machine

The ClearView™ blue backlit display on the Gold’s Gym Trainer 550 tracks your speed, time, distance, calories burned, incline, and pulse rate. It features a large 7x30 workout matrix with a motivational ¼-mile RaceTrack™ display, and an on-board Weight Loss Center to customize a calorie-burn workout to match your goals.

The specs on the Gold’s Gym 550 treadmill include:

• 2.75 HP Motor
• 1-10 mph QuickSelect™ Speed
• 1% - 10% QuickSelect™ Incline
• 18" x 52" running area
• 12 Programs
• Music Port for iPod®
• Dual Grip Heart Rate Monitor
• AirStride Max™ Cushioning
• CoolAire™ Workout Fan
• Fold up Design
• 275-lb. User Capacity
• Warranty: 10-year motor, 1-year frame, 90-days parts & labor

The Buzz

UPDATE:  The Gym Trainer 550 is no longer for sale by the company. Take a look at all of the most popular models for sale here to compare specs and prices of current Gold's Gym treadmills.

The Gold’s Gym Trainer 550 comes with a nice array of workouts including 2 Distance programs (5K and 10K), 2 Heart Rate, 4 Personal Trainer, and 4 Weight-Loss workouts. The Gold’s Gym Trainer 550 also features a plug-in port for an iPod or MP3 player.

This is one of the larger budget treadmills on the market at 72.75" x 33.25" x 61.75" but that only adds to its stability. It features a good-sized G Force 2.75 HP drive motor and adults are comfortable with running on the deck.

There are lots of pleasing features on the Gold’s Gym 550 treadmill: It has a nice sound system, breezy fan that works well, attractive blue screen on the display, and a sturdy frame.

As for negatives, the heart rate sensors don’t seem to work well (do they ever?), and once in a while a customer gets a lemon machine (usually a dead computer motherboard out of the box).

In addition, it is easy enough to assemble but it is definitely a two-person job — unless you have four arms. Overall, though, the 550 trainer model has been making owners happy for a couple of years now.

What We Say

We were impressed by all the positive comments on the Gold’s Gym 550 treadmill left by owners in reviews. The positive comments outnumbered the negative ones by 20 to 1, and most of the unhappy owners complained of minor issues such as shipping or assembly.

The 550 sells for $699, which is a few dollars more than our pick for Best Value under $700, which is the Gold’s Gym Maxx Crosswalk 650. Either model gives you nice cushioning, quiet operation, and strong value for a low price.

The warranty on the Gold’s Gym Trainer 550 is weak but you can opt to purchase an extended warranty at checkout. Free Shipping is included.

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