Sole F89 Treadmill Review: The One You’ve Been Waiting For

Dimensions/Storability

The Sole F89 is a sizable treadmill. Its dimensions with the deck unfolded are 83” long, 38” wide, and 68” tall. When folded, the deck cuts down the length to just 44”. It’s the same size as the F85. The F89 also weighs about the same at 314 lbs.

It’s a substantial treadmill, but being able to fold it is very helpful.

To fold, you just lift up the back end of the deck and fold it against the console. It locks into place. The deck definitely feels heavier than many other folding treadmills. It isn’t too much heavier than most others, but it’s a little harder to lift when folding.

It is important when moving and folding any treadmill, to know your limitations. The Sole F89 isn’t appropriate for my grandmother to fold or move, so keep this in mind for yourself.

When folded, you can push the F89 around with its transportation wheels.

We really like that Sole includes more wheels on their folding treadmills. This means you don’t need to tip back the Sole F89 when it’s folded to move it. You can just push it around. Considering its size and weight, this helps make the F89 easier to move.

Although it can be moved, it is a good idea to keep the F89 Treadmill near where you plan on using it, if not in a designated spot. It’s not realistic to carry this treadmill up and down stairs or even push it from room to room often.

The Sole F89 has a yellow handle under the top of the back of the deck so when you pull it, the deck slowly unfolds itself. This makes unfolding the treadmill easy.

The foldable deck definitely will help save you some floor space when you’re not using the F89. To determine if the F89 will fit in your home, we recommend factoring in the overall dimensions and then adding a few extra feet surrounding the treadmill, especially at the rear of the deck, so you can safely and properly use it.

It’s important to consider your ceiling height. Like Sole’s other treadmills, the deck is low to the ground. It’s only 8” high when flat and 13” when fully inclined. With adding a foot of extra clearance for running, a 6-foot-tall runner should need around an 8-foot ceiling for the F89. You can calculate the height requirement that we recommend for you, your home, and the F89 here.

Related: Common Treadmill Injuries And How To Avoid Them

Onboard Workouts & Apps

When it comes to onboard workouts, Sole has upped the game by including free workout videos led by instructors. Normally, most treadmills with touch screens include subscription content. For example, Peloton equipment requires a subscription to Peloton’s workout platform, and NordicTrack equipment requires a subscription to iFIT.

Sole has eliminated the additional fee by including free workout content and the ability to log into your respective accounts for apps like Netflix and Hulu. Below, I’ve included a quick review of what is included on the F89’s touch screen.

Onboard Workouts + Sole+ Workouts

The standard onboard workouts are the same. These are programs such as manual, hill, fat burn, cardio, strength, HIIT, 5k, 10k, custom, and heart rate.

Manual mode is where you can just press start and adjust the treadmill yourself.

The other programs have preset speeds, time, and incline/decline settings that the treadmill automatically adjusts to as you go. You can customize these and create custom workouts. Plus, there are seven fitness tests like Army and Coast Guard that you can take. These are all standard and similar to treadmills at your local gym.

Where Sole has taken a big step further is the inclusion of Sole+ workout videos.

They are filmed in a studio featuring an instructor who guides you through the workout. You can see your workouts displayed in the app when you sync it to one of Sole’s compatible treadmills. They aren’t quite to the same level as Peloton and iFIT trainer-led workouts, but they’re free with the F89!

You’ll see how long the workout is and the type of music that will play during class before taking it. A decent number of these workouts are available on the F89. You can also access more in the Sole+ App on your phone. In the app, there are hundreds of workouts to choose from. You can also pair your phone to the F89 and screen mirror the app to the treadmill’s screen.

Your metrics and the treadmill’s settings are displayed at the top of the screen in every workout. There are also a few more screens to display your metrics when taking the standard workouts.

A heart rate tracking screen has even been added so you can more closely monitor your heart rate training zones on the Sole F89. The F89 doesn’t come with a monitor, but you can pair your compatible heart rate tracker, like a Garmin Watch, to the treadmill to use this feature.

Related: 5 Treadmill Workouts That’ll Make You a Better Runner

Included Entertainment Apps

Along with the on-demand video workouts, the Sole F89 comes with 12 preloaded streaming apps under the “media” tab at the bottom of the screen. These are what the F80, F85, and Sole ST90 treadmills come with, too.

These apps include Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Spotify, Max, Disney+, Prime Video, Peacock, CNN, ESPN, Audible, and Kinomap.

All you need to do to use these apps is log into your account for each and start streaming. I love that Sole has included these without requiring paying for an additional subscription. This way, you’ll never have to worry about getting bored on the Sole F89.

Screen Mirroring

If these apps and the Sole+ workouts aren’t enough, you can screen mirror your phone to the F89’s touchscreen. This means if you want to use other subscription training content, like iFIT, or stream from other apps, you can do so on this treadmill. The content is mirrored directly from your phone, and the content plays through the treadmill’s speakers.

Pairing your iPhone is easy since Apple doesn’t require a separate app to screen mirror. You just need to make sure your phone is paired to the F89 first. Android users can also use the screen mirror, but they’ll need to download the ANPLUS Screen Mirroring App to do this.

Console

The console is the same as Sole’s other treadmills with touch screens, but the F89 features the largest screen. It’s 21.5”, which is my favorite screen size on fitness equipment.

It is plenty large to navigate the content easily.

I would like to see the screen updated to be adjustable in the future, though. The screen is fixed to the console in one position, so you can’t pivot it from side to side or tilt it up and down. This makes it harder to reach and use while running on the F89.

We wish the F85 and F80 had adjustable screens too, for this reason. The way all of these screens are angled back in a fixed position makes it hard to reach the quick adjustment buttons and the touch screen, especially while in a workout.

Also, if the screen pivoted to either side of the treadmill, you could more easily utilize the F89’s content for training off of the treadmill’s deck. The Sole offers other types of workouts like mat classes such as boxing, strength training, yoga, and meditation on the F89.

The NordicTrack 2450 has a very adjustable 22” touch screen that we love, so we’d like to see this feature added to the F89 in the future. With its large 21.5” screen size though, you can see the F89 treadmill’s content from off of the treadmill.

The Sole F89 has numbered quick-adjusting buttons on either side of the screen, allowing users to quickly adjust the speed and incline. I like that these are available, but keep in mind that some levels, like 6 and 8 mph, and the maximum decline and incline levels aren’t listed, so you have to use the switch buttons on the front of the handle to reach them.

The switch buttons adjust the speed and incline/decline levels to more specific increments, and they’re there when you want to run at 6 mph or 6.3 mph.

These are well within reach on the F89.

Below the touch screen are speakers that point at you, and they offer plenty of volume to hear all of the streaming content well. You can also pair your Bluetooth headphones to the speakers as well as your phone, as I mentioned earlier.

The only aspect of the speakers that’s missing is an adjustment button on the console. You have to press the speaker icon at the top of the screen to adjust the volume on the screen. This is hard to do while running, so an additional button below next to the fan button would be helpful.

Speaking of the fans, they’re really underpowered and not effective, like Sole’s other treadmills, unfortunately. You’ll want to use your own when you get sweaty.

The F89 has a wireless charging pad to charge your compatible phone.

This pad serves as a place to put your phone, too. I have to take my phone case off my phone to charge it, but my phone remains in place here while running.

On either side of the charging pad are two cup holders for your water and two smaller pockets for earbuds, keys, or whatever else you might need nearby. This console has everything you need for a great workout.

I haven’t even mentioned the adjustable device rack fixed at the top of the touch screen to place your phone or tablet. This allows you to stream content directly from your device while using the Sole F89.

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Build Quality

Now, let’s dive into the construction section of this F89 review. After all, the tech features and content are only worth it if the treadmill is of great quality and reliable, too. The Sole F89 is exactly what we expect from the brand – durable, powerful, quiet, and, as an added bonus, it’s pretty sleek!

In many ways, the Sole F89 reminds me of the F85, probably because they share the same motor and deck sizes, as well as the same overall designs.

The F89’s construction feels a bit more high-end, though.

The F89 has a 375 lb weight limit, which is a significant amount of weight. This, paired with the lifetime frame and motor warranties, adds even more confidence in the overall build quality.

Related: The Significant Health Benefits of Walking Backwards on the Treadmill

Frame

The Sole F89 has what they call a “z-shaped” frame. It has a similar look to the NordicTrack Commercial Series and the Peloton Tread. Sole states that the F89 has an aluminum anodized frame.

I really like the frame and uprights.

The coating is sleek and shiny while helping to prevent corrosion. I think the materials, overall, make the F89 feel really well-constructed. While running on it, it is stable and durable, like Sole’s other treadmills.

The touchscreen shakes a tiny bit while running, but it’s very minimal and not noticeable when you’re actually running. You can just see it when someone else is running on the deck.

The handles are well within reach and secure for when you need to catch your balance. I love that the front handle is one continuous piece to provide plenty of surface to hold onto. There are pulse grips on the front handle to read your heart rate while holding them, too.

Motor

The F89 has a 4.0 HP motor. This is the same size as the F85. It’s powerful to handle your toughest workouts. So, if you plan on training for a marathon, feel free to go right ahead on the Sole F89. It’s also a great option if you have multiple people in your home who want to train on a treadmill.

The F89 has a 12 mph max speed, which is a 5-minute mile running pace.

Unless you’re an elite runner, this speed range should be plenty for most people. This is also the standard speed range that most treadmills offer.

The F89 offers 15 levels of incline and 6 levels of decline, too. In our testing, we’ve found that some treadmills vary a little bit from the grade listed by the brand to what they actually adjust to. Most treadmills from most brands tend to be slightly inclined when adjusted to a level 0 incline.

The Sole F89 is slightly more inclined when at level 0 than others. Since this treadmill declines, though, you can get the deck pretty flat by using a little bit of the decline if you want to run on a flat surface.

When fully inclined to level 15, the deck measured at 13.7%.

The decline measured at -4.7% at level 6 decline. This range has been challenging and plenty noticeable for our team when we run on the F89.

The Sole F89 is also quiet. During our sound test, the F89 measured at the same noise output as the F85. At 12 mph, the motor measured at 65 dB. This is around the same sound the average dishwasher makes. Noise shouldn’t be an issue with this treadmill.

One thing we noticed in our testing was that Sole treadmills adjust more slowly than other brands like Horizon. It takes the motor around 40 seconds to go from 1 mph up to 12 mph. The F89 isn’t our top recommendation for interval training, but you can still do intervals on it. You might just want to hop onto the side rails during the rest intervals instead of waiting for the motor to adjust.

Deck

The deck is solid, just like we know Sole’s treadmills to be. I have always found Sole’s decks to be one of the most solid aspects of their treadmills. The deck is also spacious at 22” wide and 60” long. This is the largest deck size we see on folding treadmills. 60” is what we’ve found to be accommodating for all running stride lengths.

It also offers plenty of width, so you should have enough room for running, hiking, skipping, or whatever else you wish to do on the F89.

The side rails are black, unlike the F85, which has silver aluminum coverings. This makes the F89 look sleeker. Your sneaker footprints don’t show up on the side rails when you step onto them. This hasn’t been a problem for us on Sole’s other treadmills, but the Bowflex Treadmill 22 side rails tend to get a little dirty.

The deck cushioning is firm underfoot. Firm cushioning has pros and cons for different users. If you’re an outdoor runner or if you’re training for an event outside, you’ll probably prefer the harder surface to run on. It simulates the feeling of running on concrete while still providing some give in the deck to help minimize the impact on your joints.

If you are someone who suffers from a lot of joint discomfort while running, you might want to consider the NordicTrack 2450 or NordicTrack X22i. Both of these treadmills have some of the softest deck cushioning.

Overall, the Sole F89 Treadmill is of high quality. It is everything we love about Sole treadmills: stable, well-constructed, powerful, and quiet. It’s also a bit more solid with its construction, as well as a little sleeker than other treadmills from the brand.

Warranty

The Sole F89 comes with a lifetime frame and motor warranty, as well as a 3-year deck, parts, and wear items warranty and a 1-year labor warranty. We love Sole’s warranties. Considering the size and weight of this treadmill, I recommend having two people for set up.

Should You Buy the Sole F89 Treadmill

If you’re looking for a premium folding treadmill with great tech features that you don’t have to pay an additional subscription to use, then I would seriously consider the Sole F89. It’s not often that we see brands include free workout videos and preloaded streaming apps without paying an additional subscription fee every month.

The large, folding deck and powerful motor handle long-distance training and intense workouts with ease. When it comes to reliability and overall quality, we’re continuously impressed by Sole. For running and training that simulates the outdoors with the firm deck, incline, and decline capabilities the F89 is a great treadmill.

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Still confused? Check out our list of top-rated treadmills by Sole Fitness

Sole F89 Treadmill Q&A / FAQ

Can you use the Sole F89 Treadmill without a subscription?

Yes! All of the content available on the Sole F89 is included on the touch screen. There are Sole+ video workouts led by instructors, standard onboard workouts, fitness tests, and 12 preloaded streaming apps like Netflix. The workouts are free, and all you need to do to use the streaming apps is log into your account for each. No additional subscription fee is required.

Can you Watch Netflix on the Sole F89 Treadmill?

Netflix, Hulu, Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, YouTube, Peacock, Spotify, ESPN, CNN, Audible, and Kinomap are all available to stream directly on the F89’s screen. You just have to log into your account to stream Netflix and the other apps.

What apps work with the Sole F89?

Along with the 12 preloaded streaming apps, you can screen mirror content from your phone. So, you can use the Sole+ App, as well as other training apps like iFIT and Peloton, as well as Zwift on the F89. The screen mirroring feature makes your content and app training options practically endless.

Is our Sole F89 Treadmill review a paid review?

Our F89 review isn’t paid. We don’t get paid by Sole or other brands to review fitness equipment. Brands do send us treadmills and other equipment to test.

We tested the Sole F89 and assessed its performance, like all fitness equipment that comes into our studio. We work with several brands to test equipment because the more equipment we’re able to test and use, the more accurately we can recommend treadmills and other fitness equipment for you at home.

We have affiliate links that allow us to earn a small commission on the F89 at no extra cost to the consumer. We earn commissions from pretty much every major fitness brand. This allows us to compile completely unbiased reviews and to recommend quality equipment that we have found to be the best on the market based on our firsthand experiences.

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