Not everyone can afford the pricey gym membership or expensive gym-like treadmills to fulfill their routine exercise needs when they can’t go outside for a walk or jog.
However, there are hundreds of affordable yet effective treadmills in the market, and Weslo Cadence R 5.2 belongs to this low-budget category.
Even though it’s in the market for a long time and has hundreds of excellent customer reviews to date, low price is often linked with low quality that leads to the question “should I buy or not?”
Well, it really depends on your budget, needs, fitness level, and some other points. Nonetheless, it’s not an advanced-level treadmill having belts and whistles, nor built for runners.
If you’re interested in this model but stuck at making a decision, no worries!
We’ve analyzed every aspect of this treadmill in detail, so you don’t have to. This Weslo Cadence R 5.2 Treadmill review will provide you enough information to make a safe decision.
Let’s delve in……
Weslo Cadence R 5.2 Construction, Core Features & Benefits
Frame and Construction
The construction of the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 is just like most other budget-friendly treadmills – the steel frame and plastic parts, where the steel parts are coated with corrosion-resistant paint to prevent rusting while giving a silver and black finish overall.
Having crowned, high-precision rollers with industrial-grade ball bearings, you get an excellent grip on the belt while moving, and the plastic side rails allow you to stand on them while the belt is moving. The machine rests at the two front rubberized feet and two rear folding feet, which give the machine a good grip on the floor. The overall construction is sturdy enough to support users up to 250 lbs.
Motor and Speed
The Weslo Cadence R 5.2 is an electric treadmill having a 2.5 horsepower impulse max motor with the ability to go up to 10 miles per hour speed. This motor power clearly indicates that it isn’t built for runners or long working hours or heavy use. Instead, it’s designed for light use, walking, and somewhat jogging for fitness newcomers, women, and the elderly.
The 10 mph speed should be more than enough for standard walking and jogging. The best part about speed is, you can adjust it in small increments of 0.1 mph using the +/- keys located on the console. So, you can find the best possible exact pace that not only fits your fitness needs but also feels comfortable. However, you also get direct 1 to 10 Quick Speed Control buttons.
Talking about the noise level, the opinions are mixed. Some people find it quiet with the reasonable and bearable soft motor sound that you would expect from any treadmill, while others have complained that it’s a bit noisy especially at higher speed levels. Nonetheless, it’s not whisper-quiet, but probably negligible.
Running Area
The running area of the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 is slightly on the short and narrow side measuring only 50” long and 16” wide. However, it should easily accommodate small to medium height users for walking and jogging exercise, might be short and especially narrow for tall and wide users over 6 feet for fast running and they may hit the foot rails and feel restricted.
On the good side, the running surface of this machine is equipped with a cushioning cell to provide you softer footfall and reduce stress on your joints than exercising outside, ultimately reducing the risk of exercise injury. No need to say, you should wear your exercise shoes for a comfortable walk or jog.
Incline Ability
Even though the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 is a very beginner level treadmill, you would be glad to know that it still has incline ability, which is a must-have for many treadmill exercises to step up their intensity level and make their workout more challenging while actively promoting more calories burn than moving on a flat surface with the same speed.
However, the manual is not powered, it’s rather manual, which means you need to adjust the incline by folding the rear wheels, before getting on the track. Obviously, it can’t be compared with the convenience of powered automatic incline, but if you want that, you would need to raise your budget to have the power incline at your fingertips.
Display Area
The Weslo Cadence R 5.2 offers very little in the computer and technology area. It has a very simple and basic screen to display your strictly necessary fitness stats including speed, time, distance, heart rate, and calories burned. According to some customers, it’s hard to read because it doesn’t have any light.
However, you still can track your fitness journey, and set targets to achieve, based on speed, distance, or the calories burned.
Workout Programs
One of the perks of the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 treadmill is, it offers you 6 training programs to work on; 3 weight loss and 3 intensity training programs. They use different speed levels during the course of workout. They probably aren’t like gym-like programs but having these programs may help you start your fitness journey as a beginner. Moreover, you can’t expect more than this from a low-budget treadmill, so it’s a pretty fair deal to break up the monotony.
Dimensions
If you worry that you don’t have a dedicated exercise room or very little space to put a treadmill, then this Weslo Cadence R 5.2 may be a good fit with its relatively small footprint and folding design.
When it’s fully assembled and open, it takes 64.5” long and 29” wide floor space, and you’ll need up to 55.5” clear space above it. For balance while moving, you can grab the handrails equipped at 35” height from the running belt, whereas the distance between themselves is approximately 27” for your arms to move freely.
Folding Design
In addition to this, you can fold its deck up in the vertical position when not using it. Though the process is manual, you still can lock the deck securely using the clip attached to the upright mast.
And when it’s folded, the floor-length is reduced to more than half, 24” only, whereas at the top it’s approximately 34” long because it doesn’t fold in a completely vertical position, so the overhang causes that additional length. Moreover, the height goes a little bit up by approximately 4”, but the overall width obviously remains the same.
In a nutshell, you’ll require 34” long x 29” wide and 59” high clear space for your folded treadmill for storage. And the rear ends of the front metallic base features wheels to facilitate the movement of the treadmill when it’s folded. Moreover, though it doesn’t come with easy lift assistance, probably any teenager or elderly can easily fold and move it because it only weighs 118 pounds.
Know More About Weslo Cadence R 5.2
Things to Consider
Only for Walking
All the basics and essentials of this treadmill indicate that it’s solely built for light exercise such as walking, and any heavy, intense use is not recommended such as running. Its two major limitations; short track and low power motor are not going to support strenuous workouts.
So, if you’re an experienced runner or looking to become an active pro-runner, then this machine might not be a suitable option for you. You should raise your budget and opt for a more robust, powerful, and large treadmill.
Heart Rate Thumb Monitor
Another thing that’s not very good about this machine is the heart tracking. There is a thumb monitor on the console to measure your pulse rate. It reads your heart rate when you place your thumb on it for at least 15 seconds. However, most customers have shown dissatisfaction with the results and have said that it doesn’t work properly, and is unreliable and inaccurate.
It’s also inconvenient to access and use while walking fast. Moreover, the console doesn’t connect with any of the wireless heart trackers. So, you may want to invest in a more reliable, accurate, and efficient heart rate tracker rather.
Short Warranty
Weslo is infamous for short warranties. The standard warranty offered on this model is just 90 days in all areas; motor, parts, and labor, that is the minimum for a treadmill.
Some other points not to forget about:
- Lack of extras such as cooling fan, speakers, smartphone ports
- No Bluetooth or wireless connectivity
- Might become unsteady and shaky at higher speed levels.
Assembly
Like every treadmill, the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 also needs some assembly. However, the process is relatively easy and straightforward, taking 1 hour or even less. When you unpack it, you get most parts assembled out of the box including the belt, motor, and deck attached to the front of the frame, leaving very little to do.
So, the job goes into connecting the wires, attaching the console masts, handrails, and the dashboard in the last.
To get the job done, you get a few tools and a user manual explaining the assembly process step-by-step. According to the manual, it’s a two-person job, however, most customers were able to assemble it on their own without any help, so it really depends on you.
Fixation and Maintenance
Every treadmill needs a certain level of fixation and maintenance, so does the Weslo Cadence R 5.2. The most common issue faced by many people is the misalignment of the running belt, or it may skip, slip, or move to one side. In most cases, tightening or loosening the screws to the right level with the included hex key gets the problem solved just in a few minutes.
Regarding maintenance, you should clean the machine periodically to prevent any dust, debris from getting into the interior of the machine, and lubricating the belt once in while depending on how often and how long you use it.
Check Latest/Discount Price on Amazon
Weslo Cadence R 5.2 Treadmill Review – At a Glance
Pros
- Low price is the top-selling factor
- Sufficient speed for walking and jogging workouts
- Workout programs and Incline ability
- Precise and small speed increments
- Lightweight, compact and folding design makes it easy to use and a perfect fit for small spaces
- Low maintenance required
- Easy and time-efficient assembly
Cons
- Just a basic treadmill only for walking and light jogging
- Might be noisier at higher speed levels
- Short warranty
- Unreliable heart rate readings
- Lacks entertainment and connectivity features
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 is the bare minimum of a treadmill, and you really need to understand that it’s built for people who are really tight on their budget and can’t afford a high-end machine, and only want to add a little bit of exercise to their routine without demanding any advance gym-like features.
And if this sounds like you, you can opt for it. It has been in the market for a good amount of time and still maintains a good rating.
However, it’s recommended to raise your budget to at least $500 and up to $999, for significantly better options such as Proform 505 CST Treadmill.
You may also be interested in:
Weslo Crosswalk 5.2T Treadmill Review