Review: Horizon Fitness 7.8 AT Treadmill

Most tech-friendly treadmills want to lock you into a proprietary workout program. If you want to use, say, a NordicTrack treadmill, you need to use the company’s streaming platform for live and on-demand workouts. It's a similar situation with Peloton, Myx, and just about any other internet-connected machine you’ll find, where you'll need to pony up a subscription fee to access the treadmill's streaming content.

Horizon’s 7.8 AT requires no such commitment. The smart treadmill works with fitness apps made by outside companies like Peloton, Zwift, Studio, and Nike Run Club. Runners also have the option of not using an app at all. If you’re not into streaming workouts, the 7.8 AT comes programmed with a variety of workouts, including a beginner’s 5K program; running for calories, time, or distance; and Sprint 8, an eight-week program of 20-minute workouts designed specifically to burn fat.

The 7.8 AT also veers from the current streaming workout trend by forgoing a video monitor of any kind. There’s a 9.3-inch LED display that shows dynamic workout data like speed, pace, incline, and run time, but that screen doesn't play video programming or entertainment. Instead, there are two shelves in the center of the console (one higher, one lower) that securely hold a phone or tablet in place. This allows runners to play whatever they want on their own devices, a Nike Run Club workout, a Peloton running class, a podcast, or a Seinfeld episode. 

Photograph: Horizon Fitness

Your device connects to the treadmill using Bluetooth, so if you use a running app, the Horizon can feed run data back into the mobile app so you can track your workouts. You can also play music or your video’s soundtrack through the 7.8 AT’s dual front-facing speakers. And you don’t have to worry about your device dying, since there’s a charging input built into the treadmill's console.

The 7.8 AT is Horizon’s premium treadmill. It features a large, 22- by 60-inch running deck with the company's most powerful motor inside, a chest strap with a heart rate monitor, and the aforementioned Bluetooth capability. Even though it's loaded up, the 7.8 AT is on the lower end of the price range for top-tier treadmills at $1,999. There are also some additional savings in that there is no subscription required to use it, which could save you hundreds of dollars in membership fees every year.

Horizon offers five other treadmills. In addition to the 7.8 AT, the Studio series has the 7.4 AT for $1,599, and the 7.0 AT, which has a slightly slimmer running surface, for $999. There are also three treadmills in the more budget-friendly Go series, which starts at $649.

It’s clear that the ability to quickly adjust your workout mid-run is a priority for Horizon. There are quick-change buttons on both sides of the console to adjust the tread's speed and incline, plus buttons for controlling your music on the center of the console. Two handles extend towards the runner with rollers on the end; the left roller adjusts the incline, and the right roller controls the speed. Two triggers on the handles return the settings to zero if you’re gassed and need to stop, while grip-sensors on the handles give you a quick look at your heart rate.

The 7.8 AT comes with a Bluetooth heart-rate monitor chest strap. If the monitor isn’t charged or you don’t feel like putting it on, you can just grab the handle sensors and measure your heart rate that way.

At just under $2,000, the 7.8 AT sits on the lower end of top-tier treadmill models, especially when compared to models like the NordicTrack Commercial X32i ($3,999) and the Peloton Tread (starting at $2,495). So where is the money going? It’s going into the treadmill’s 4-horsepower motor. The largest motor in Horizon’s lineup, it’s built to respond to your adjustments and ramp up the speed and incline quickly. And it’s a huge success in that department. Every time I’d make an adjustment, the platform would immediately respond without any lag.

Getting started with the 7.8 AT is simple. Choose one of the five user profiles or select “guest,” then pick a workout button and get running. I preferred choosing a distance and plugging away, but the 5K trainer is terrific for building up conditioning for a number of weeks leading up to that first race, and the high-intensity intervals of the Studio 8 workout gave me daily workouts in savage (if a bit repetitive) 20-minute bursts.

The track is well cushioned, which gives the platform a pleasant springy feel. It’s one of the most comfortable treadmills I’ve run on, even absorbing foot strikes from a 220-pound runner who trends towards heel striking, a bad habit I have that can lead to impact injuries on hard surfaces. One of my biggest complaints about running on treadmills is the pounding that my feet usually take, but this platform had just enough give to put a spring in my step.

One of my favorite aspects of the 7.8 AT is a simple one, but it made a huge difference to me. It’s the lack of a screen. Watching Netflix or HBO Max is a great way to eat up the miles, and this is the first treadmill I've used that makes this truly comfortable. The speakers go a long way here. Usually, I’m listening to a podcast or a Spotify playlist with headphones, but the speaker setup on this treadmill is loud and clear even at top speed. 

This may not seem like a big deal, but watching a few episodes of The Office was a great way to distract myself while the miles rolled by. Or, if I needed to get pumped up, I would throw on the film Gladiator, crank up the incline, and yell, “Are you not entertained?”

One thing I love about the treadmill is that I don’t need a strap-on heart rate monitor to measure my heart rate during a workout. Sometimes I just want to hop on and take a quick 15-minute run to break up the work day, and the sensor handles are perfect for getting a reading when I don’t feel like putting the monitor on.

Photograph: Horizon Fitness

The roller adjustments on the handles were convenient, but occasionally I would smack the rollers during a run and accidentally crank up the speed or incline. This didn’t happen often, but it’s an issue that could become irritating if you tend to run close to the console.

Also, if you’re looking for steep hills, this might not be the treadmill for you. The incline only goes up to 15 percent, which is challenging, but compared to the NordicTrack Commercial X32i’s 40-degree incline, it feels pedestrian. (Get it? Because walking? Ah, never mind.)

Despite the fact that I'm currently testing several high-end treadmills, rowers, and other connected fitness devices, the Horizon 7.8 AT has been my go-to choice for my morning workouts. I found this surprising, considering the lack of a full screen to show animated tracks, make-believe exotic locales, or mini games to keep me engaged.

It turns out that the simplicity of the machine makes it best for those groggy 5 am slogs. The ability to just show up, press Play, and watch an episode of Succession while I slowly wake up made it much easier to get my day started. But it’s no Luddite. With multiple app integration features and onboard fitness programs, it’s got solid tech credentials.

Bottom line: If you’re looking for a comfortable, easy-to-use machine that has high-end guts, lets you control the entertainment, and doesn’t require a subscription, the Horizon 7.8 AT is a solid buy.