If you’re building a home gym, having a treadmill is essential to warm up before any workout. You most likely heard about Sole’s S77 treadmill because it’s said to be a reliable machine, but is it really worth the hype?
Keep reading our Sole S77 treadmill review to find out.
Sole S77 Treadmill Review Summary
The S77 treadmill is one of Sole’s few non-foldable treadmills. It’s excellent for high-impact runners who need a durable treadmill.
It’s also extremely stable, thanks to the powerful 4.0 horsepower motor. The side rails are wide, which helps you step on and off the treadmill safely.
The 8-inch deck is close to the ground, which makes stepping off the treadmill comfortable for people with joint issues. Lastly, it’s suitable for people weighing up to 181 kg, so it can be used by the majority.
Sole S77 Pros:
- The Whisper Deck reduces foot impact by 40%, so there’s less risk of injury.
- The frame is extremely stable, so it’s suitable for people weighing 181 kg or less.
- You can keep track of your workouts because they can be visually displayed on the screen.
- The motor is durable because it has a flywheel that protects it from overheating.
- The treadmill can withstand intensive conditioning, so you can do high-impact and low-impact training.
- For additional safety, the belt is textured to prevent you from accidentally slipping over.
Sole S77 Cons:
- The treadmill is large, so it takes up space, and it’s non-foldable, so moving it around is challenging.
- The layout of the console isn’t intuitive, and the buttons for speed and incline are random.
- The motor hood is on the front of the deck, so it can obstruct you while doing a forward stride.
- There are only 10 training programs.
Sole S77 Treadmill In-Depth Review
Now, let’s have an in-depth look at Sole S77’s features and see what they bring to the table.
Construction is where the Sole S77 treadmill truly shines. Let’s break this down into several parts.
Frame
The Sole S77 treadmill is excellent for high-intensity workouts because of its stability. It has cross beams that keep the deck stable and a console that’s fixed on the top end for more support.
Also, the frame is industrial grade and has a flywheel that keeps the motor cool, which increases its longevity.
Cushioning
The Sole S77 has a Cushion Flex Whisper Deck system that absorbs foot impact by 40% in comparison to running outdoors, reducing the chance of injury.
However, since the treadmill is sturdy, its sock absorption system isn’t the best. So it might not be suitable for people who need a treadmill with extra cushioning or struggle with joint issues. But you’ll like the Sole S77 if you prefer to exercise outside since it has a similar feel.
Dimensions
With a width of 56 cm and a length of 152 cm, the Sole S77 gives you lots of room for movement, so you can do elongated strides with ease—even at high speed. For reference, short running decks give you less for running, so you might have to take shorter strides.
However, there’s a minor drawback. At the front of the deck, you might be inconvenienced by the huge motor hood. This is because if you accidentally step on it, it might break or malfunction.
While it’s normal to place motor hoods on the front of the deck in folding treadmills for protection, the Sole S77 isn’t a folding treadmill to start with. So placing the motor hood somewhere else, like below the deck, would’ve been way more convenient.
Weight
With a weight of 121 kg, the Sole S77 is a heavy treadmill, which makes it sturdy and less likely to teeter. This bulkiness is commonly found in high-tier treadmills since they’re made of high-quality materials. However, this heaviness makes moving it around difficult.
Motor
Thanks to its powerful 4-horsepower motor, the Sole S77 can handle all types of exercise, so it’s suitable for high-impact and low-impact runners.
The motor is supported by a flywheel that protects it from overheating. Since the motor is powerful, it doesn’t lag even when you adjust the speed and incline level simultaneously.
What’s more, you can barely hear any noise from the motor. Also, the treadmill inclines and declines smoothly, so you don’t have to worry about grabbing onto something for support while adjusting the incline level.
Belt & Rollers
The Sole S77 has a two-ply belt that’s wax-lubricated to increase wear resistance. It lies on the side rails without making any loud noises, and it’s textured to lower the risk of accidents.
The 7 cm rollers increase the durability of the motor and belt by reducing torque forces and heat. For reference, most treadmills have rollers less than 5 cm, so the Sole S77 has slightly larger ones, which makes the belt move seamlessly.
Console
Sole has significantly improved its treadmills’ layout. However, it’s still old-fashioned and hard to understand. Let’s see how.
The Sole S77 has a 10.1-inch screen with an LCD or TFT display, so you can easily read the screen. Also, the interface is user-friendly and easy to understand.
Unfortunately, they still aren’t as clear as the screens on similar treadmills on the market. But if you don’t care about these extra features, this won’t bother you.
On a positive note, the programs are pre-installed on the screen, so you don’t need to connect to Wi-Fi to load them. All you need is to turn on the treadmill and the screen will show you the programs.
Buttons
There are up and down buttons for speed and incline, and each training program has its own button too. When you press on any of them, you can find out more about the selected program, which is quite convenient.
But the buttons for incline and speed levels are random. To elaborate, speed levels are 2 mph, 3 mph, 4 mph, 5 mph, 7 mph, 9 mph, and 12 mph. And incline buttons are 2%, 4%, 6%, 9%, and 12%.
Plus, there are no buttons for the max and min incline levels, which are 15% and 0%, respectively. This makes it difficult to choose the right pace or incline level, especially when you’re running on the treadmill.
We also found the tactile buttons on the handrails quite convenient. The ones on the right are for speed adjustment and the ones on the left are for incline level. They’re extremely helpful when you’re running at a fast pace and need to adjust the incline level or speed.
However, you might press these buttons while grabbing the handrails, so always err on the side of caution when you get on the treadmill.
Also, the treadmill takes around 45 seconds to change from one speed to another, which is too long. But you can use the buttons on the handrails to adjust speed and incline in increments.
On a side note, tactile buttons can easily get dirty or worn out, so try to dry your hands when they get sweaty and frequently clean the buttons to remove debris.
When it comes to functionality, the Sole S77 has all the basics to help you work out. However, if you’re looking for a treadmill with advanced features (i.e., more training programs), this one won’t be your best bet.
Performance
The Sole S77 is unmatched when it comes to adapting to multi-user usage and intense exercises. It has a max speed of 12 mph, which is more than enough for the majority, and a max incline of 15% to increase the intensity of your workout.
It’s also sturdy, which makes it suitable for people weighing 181 kg or less, and it has a deck cushioning that resembles walking on the ground.
Incline Range
The Sole S77 has a maximum incline level of 15%. This facilitates glutes and hamstrings training, improves overall muscular balance, and helps you burn more calories. You can easily get on and off the treadmill because the deck has a height of 20 cm when its incline is set to 0%.
Training Programs
The Sole S77 has six programs on the screen. They are:
- Cardio
- Manual
- Strength
- Interval
- FatBurn
- Hill
Below the screen, you can also find two programs for heart rate training and two custom ones. All the programs have a specific button, so it’s easy to select one. However, the manual and heart rate programs are basic and don’t include a warm-up or cool-down option.
Data Tracking
You can track your workout history as well as heart rate, calories burnt, and time interval; all you need is to download the Sole App on your phone. You can even track mileage because it has a GPS tracker. Luckily, there are no subscription plans and you can use the app for free.
Besides Sole’s app, the treadmill is also compatible with Fitbit, Apple Health, and MapMyRun.
Noise Level
We were impressed by the Sole S77’s extreme quietness. You can hear absolutely nothing other than the sound of running on the treadmill. This is because the motor is heavy, and the deck isn’t too far from the floor.
Folding & Storage
The Sole S77 is non-foldable, which means the frame is fixed, so you should have a designated area for it.
This treadmill comes with two storage boxes on the sides of the console. Below the console, there’s a wide storage bag that can fit a couple of water bottles. And in case you’re wondering, the storage bag won’t obstruct you while running.
Accessories
You get a chest strap to track your heart rate, but we faced two issues when we tried it out. The first is that the HR tracker sometimes drops the signal, which causes the treadmill to increase the incline level and pace. Also, the chest strap itself isn’t comfortable to wear.
On the sides of the console, there are two (surprisingly) loudspeakers to play music. You only need to connect your phone to the screen through the audio jack (above the start button) or Bluetooth.
And above the screen, there’s a fan for cooling, but it doesn’t do much. There’s also a tablet holder that can be adjusted to hold a phone.
Assembly
You don’t need to put together the deck since it comes fully assembled. All you need is to attach the rest of the parts to it. You also won’t need to get any special equipment because all tools come with the treadmill.
Attaching the parts to the deck isn’t complicated, but it takes time, especially because the instruction manual isn’t easy to understand. For instance, it doesn’t mention where to locate the wires, and the illustrations are poorly drawn. In general, it’ll take you seven steps to put together the treadmill.
It’s also important to note that you’ll need at least three people to move the treadmill and place it where you want because it’s heavy. So we recommend that you pay for someone to move and assemble it.
Customer Reviews
The Sole S77 treadmill has mixed reviews, but we’ve mainly noticed that some people liked it because of its sturdiness, and others weren’t fond of it because it lacks advanced features.
Here are the most common positive and negative customer reviews we’ve seen:
The quality of the treadmill is top-notch. It’s sturdy, heavy, well-supported, and quiet.
Heart rate modes aren’t the best. The chest strap sometimes drops the signal and doesn’t read the heart rate accurately. One fix for this was to turn the chest strap upside down.
The workout programs need improvement. For example, some programs start with an initial warm-up and then a second one.
Assembling the treadmill can be complicated if you’re not a handyman.
Quality control needs improvement. Even though the unit itself is excellent, it came with broken parts. However, customer service was helpful and fixed the issue.
The running surface is impressively big. Tall people, in particular, will like the Sole S77.
Final Verdict
As you’ve seen, the Sole S77 is a reliable treadmill for avid runners, thanks to its powerful 4.0 horsepower, sturdy frame, and adaptability to intensive conditioning.
However, since the treadmill is non-foldable and huge, we don’t recommend it if you don’t have enough space. And if you’re tech-savvy or want a treadmill with advanced training programs, look elsewhere for a more suitable option.
