Sole F80 Treadmill Detailed Review – Pros & Cons (2023)

Sydney Kaiser

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Last Updated: May 26, 2023

The Sole F80 Treadmill has a new design for this year. In our testing, we’ve found Sole Fitness makes solid equipment with higher-than-average weight capacities backed with exceptional warranties. The Sole F80 is a great representation of the brand, plus it has a lot of tech packed into the simplistic, yet durable design. In our Sole F80 Treadmill review, I’ll highlight what to expect, what to keep in mind, and why this treadmill is consistently on our best treadmills list.

Sole F80 Treadmill Review 2023

We love that the Sole F80 has a sleek design but is just as durable and solid as before.

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Treadmill Awards: Best Treadmill Without A Subscription

Even though the new 2023 model of the Sole F80 has been updated to include a touch screen, the treadmill comes with a lot of preprogrammed features and workouts that don’t require a subscription. The overall design is sturdy, solid, and straightforward. The F80 manages to be a hop-on-and-go treadmill while including a surprising amount of tech on the console. It has thoughtful features like streaming from apps like Netflix, mirroring the screen from your phone, and plenty of onboard workouts packed into the 10.1” touch screen. You can even charge your phone on the pad in front of the screen. This is all without a subscription! The Sole F80 manages to maintain a simple, easy-to-use design while including a great amount of tech for convenience and entertainment. If you’re looking for a treadmill that doesn’t require a monthly fee but gives you plenty of options to enhance your training, then look to the Sole F80.

Why You Should Trust Our Review Of The Sole F80 Treadmill

With our experience testing treadmills and creating these reviews, we know a capable treadmill as soon as we set foot on it. During our testing process, we walk, jog, run, and sprint on every deck, as well as test the onboard workouts, programming, and features that the treadmill comes with. The only way for us to compile these full reviews is to spend a lot of time using the treadmill. This allows us to let users know things that they can’t gain insight from by looking at a list of specs and stock photos. How the cushioning feels underfoot, how easy the console is to navigate, and how quiet and responsive the motor is are factors that users should be able to know before purchase, so that’s where we come in with these reviews.

During our testing of the Sole F80, we pulled out the NordicTrack 1750 and ProForm Pro 2000, as well as other treadmills from Sole like the F85 and F63 to help us analyze the overall performance of the F80.

Our Sole F80 Treadmill Video Review


Pros
  • This is an easy-to-use treadmill with convenient tech and built-in programming on a 10.1” touch screen that doesn’t require a subscription fee.
  • The 3.5 HP motor is quiet and great for all-around training and intense workouts.
  • The console includes onboard workout modes, screen mirroring, and streaming from apps like Netflix, Youtube, and Hulu.
  • The deck is spacious for users of all levels and folds up when you’re finished.
  • The solid construction is backed with a lifetime warranty and handles up to 350 lbs of user weight.
  • There are four transportation wheels to push the treadmill where you want to use it, rather than having to tilt or lift it.
Cons
  • The screen is a little small and hard to navigate while running, especially for adjusting the volume of the speakers.
  • The cushioning is firm underfoot and might not be best for those with joint issues or discomfort.
  • The fan only has one setting and isn’t very effective for cooling off.

FeaturesSpecs
  • 10.1” Android-Powered Touch Screen
  • 12 Preloaded Streaming Apps: Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, HBO Max, Disney+, Prime Video, Peacock, Spotify, ESPN, CNN, Audible, and Kinomap
  • 10 Included Workout Modes: Manual, Hill, Fat Burn, Cardio, Strength, HIIT, 5K, 10K, Heart Rate, and Custom
  • 7 Included Fitness Tests: Gerkin Protocol, Air Force, Army, Navy, Coast Guard, PEB, and Marine Corps
  • Comes With 90 Day Free Trial To Studio
  • Screen Mirroring
  • Connectivity to Sole+ App to use with Apple Health, Google Fit, Strava, MapMyFitness, Fitbit, and more
  • Pairs with Garmin Device
  • Wireless Charging Pad (10 watts)
  • Bluetooth Speakers to play music from personal device
  • Built-In HR Reciever (on front handle)
  • Tablet/Phone Holder
  • 2 Cooling Fans
  • No Audio Jack
  • Easy Assist Folding
  • 4 Transportation Wheels
  • Footprint: 82.5” L 38” W x 66” H
  • Motor: 3.5 HP
  • Running Surface: 22” x 60”
  • Weight Capacity: 350 lbs
  • Treadmill Weight: 274 lbs
  • Speed: 0.5-12 mph
  • Incline: 15 levels
  • No Decline
  • Rollers: 2.36”
  • Cushioning: Cushion Flex Whisper Deck
  • Warranty: Lifetime frame & motor, 3 years for parts, and 1 year for labor
Sole F80 Treadmill Review


In-depth Review of Sole F80 Treadmill

Preprogrammed Workouts, Apps, and Features

So, we know the Sole F80 Treadmill to be a straightforward machine that’s really solid. I have to say the updated model is this and more. As the model down from the Sole F85 which in the past has been a little more tech-savvy, the new F80 includes a great amount of tech-enhanced features like the F85. The F80 does this while still maintaining true to its nature of being a great hop-on-and-go treadmill that you don’t have to pay a subscription fee to use. Although, you have the option to use subscription training content if you want to (more on this in a moment).

Sole F80 Treadmill Onboard Workouts

The Sole F80 comes with an appealing amount of modes, apps, and features to keep you engaged and entertained.

Starting with the workout modes, there are 10 preprogrammed workout modes. These include manual, hill, fat burn, cardio, strength, HIIT, 5K, 10K, custom, and heart rate. Manual mode is where you control the treadmill yourself and adjust it as you go, while all of the other modes have preset speeds and inclines to follow along with. The F80 will automatically adjust to these preset levels, too. Although you can customize your own workouts in the custom mode, as well as create workouts in the “templates” tab on the navigation bar, you can select a total time and max speed before the preset onboard workout modes to customize them to work for you, too. You also have the option to perform different fitness tests with preset distance and max target heart rate goals.

I will say that the workout modes feel pretty similar to what you’d find on a commercial treadmill at your local gym. You can choose between viewing your metrics with an image of a road in the background, seeing your workout displayed on a chart, or viewing a running track while you work out. This is if you hop on the Sole F80 and go – which is what it’s made for.

Sole F80 Treadmill Streaming Apps

If you want more options for entertainment, then you have other features to take advantage of.

The F80 comes with 12 preloaded apps. If this seems like a lot, it is a lot more than the previous model of the Sole F85. These apps include Netflix, Youtube, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Peacock, Spotify, ESPN, CNN, Audible, and Kinomap. So, when you’re using the F80 you can select one of these apps, log onto your respective account for the app and watch and listen to whatever you want! I wish more treadmills came with this feature. Great job Sole for the inclusion of these streaming apps!

Sole F80 Treadmill  HBO Max

I love that I can hop on and watch a show while I run.

The F80 is also compatible to pair with the Sole+ App. When you first power on the F80 and it asks you to create a profile, I would do so with the Sole+ App. Once you create a profile in the app, you just have to scan the bar code on the screen and your profile will appear on the F80. This makes it really easy for using the preloaded apps because your login information is remembered, as well as pairing your phone to the treadmill.

Sole F80 Treadmill  Screen Mirroring

Another awesome feature is screen mirroring.

Once you pair your device to the F80, you can mirror content from your screen. This means if you want to stream from an app that isn’t preloaded or take a class from a popular training app like iFit or Peloton, you can. I did notice the screen lagged a little bit when I mirrored my iPhone, but overall this feature works well. Plus, it’s nice to be able to just play my own music through the speakers, but again Spotify is one of the preloaded apps so I could log in to my account and listen to whatever I want, there too. This feature does seem to be a little more iPhone-friendly, than Android-friendly most likely because Apple doesn’t require a separate app to use to screen mirror your phone. Our reviewers with Androids had trouble with screen mirroring.

As far as training apps, the Sole F80 comes with a 90-day free trial of the Studio App. This app features over 3,000 trainer-led on-demand workouts. I’m surprised that the Studio App doesn’t come preloaded on the touch screen with the other apps. It would certainly make using the Studio App more appealing. To use it, you have to connect the F80 to the app on your phone and then mirror that to the treadmill’s screen. Having it preloaded would make it easier to utilize and could encourage more people who don’t have a subscription to Studio, to subscribe.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we love the F80 because it doesn’t require you to use a subscription, but it’s nice having the option for more training content in case you like extra guidance in your workouts. Or if you just love trainer-led classes. Studio’s classes aren’t quite to the same level as Peloton or iFit, but they’re pretty engaging for an app that costs half the price.

Console

Sole F80 Treadmill Console

The Sole F80 has a whole new console design.

The Sole F80 now has a 10.1” touchscreen built into the console. This isn’t the largest touch screen we’ve seen on a treadmill, but it isn’t the smallest either. It is of sufficient size for viewing. If you want a larger screen to stream from, I’d go with the Sole F85. The screen isn’t adjustable like the NordicTrack 1750. You can’t even tilt the tablet built into the console slightly.

For 10.1” seeing everything is pretty easy, although I wish some things, like the metrics bar at the top of the screen, were bigger. At the top of the screen, the incline level, distance, time, heart rate, and speed are shown, but they’re a little small to read.

I like that the quick-touch buttons are now on either side of the screen. Their placement makes sense and doesn’t get confusing as it did sometimes on the previous model. These buttons are large and flat. They do skip some levels like 1, 6, 8, 10, and 11 mph on the right for speed.

Sole F80 Incline Adjustment Buttons

Here you can see the missing increments for the incline on the left side of the screen.

For adjusting to specific increments like 2% incline and 6.4 mph speed, I have to use the adjustments on the front handlebar. These buttons are kind of like switches and they work just fine.

Sole F80 Treadmill- Speed Handle Buttons

They’re not as sensitive as the roller adjustments on the Peloton Tread (fortunately), but they’re not as quick to use as the buttons surrounding the screen.

We like that all of the adjustment buttons have been upgraded to be flat, rather than raised, like the previous model. Even the start and stop buttons below the screen are smooth and less likely to get sticky and dirty than they were before.

A button noticeably missing from the console is a volume button. Unfortunately, you can only adjust the volume on the touch screen by pressing a small button at the top of the screen. Doing this while running is no easy feat! There is a button to turn on the fan below the screen, a volume button on the other side would be very much appreciated! For those who have to turn the volume down in their car to see better (ahem, me), a volume button on the console would be helpful so I can see and run faster. The speakers are pretty loud though. Between how quiet the motor is and the volume of the speakers, I could hear everything well.

The fan has two vents for airflow with one setting. They’re adjustable so you can angle the airflow, but for some reason, the air points more to the sides than they do at me when running. I found the fan to be kind of useless.

Sole F80 Treadmill  Fan

It’s nice to have a vent on either side of the console, like the left side here, but the direction of the air needs to be changed.

Sole F80 Treadmill  Charging Pad and Storage

A cool, and convenient, addition to the console is the wireless charging pad.

The wireless charging pad is only compatible with phones that have this feature, but once you set your phone on the pad, it will charge. I had to take my case off since I don’t have a wireless-compatible case, but once I did my phone immediately started charging, even without being Bluetooth connected to the console. The way your phone sits on the charging pad makes it so you can see content on it if you need to. It also holds it steady while running which is the most important. I can even see my phone while using it.

Another place to put your phone or tablet is a device rack above the touch screen. It has an adjustable top so you can fit even your larger tablet. This feature is the same as the previous model.

Sole F80 Treadmill  Console Folded

While the new model has less storage than the previous, it still has a nice amount of storage.

There are two cupholders and two smaller pockets for items like keys or earbud headphones. Sole managed to include more features and storage than NordicTrack and Peloton treadmills, while still keeping a similar, streamlined look.

Overall, we really like all the updates made to the console. It is really functional and has great features like the touchscreen, onboard workouts, app streaming, and charging port, yet the F80 manages to continue to be straightforward to use.

Construction

Sole F80 Treadmill Construction

The Sole F80 Treadmill is solid, sturdy, and well-constructed.

Even with a new design, the F80 is still a hearty treadmill that is built to withstand a lot of use. Along with heavy use, the F80 can handle a lot of weight with its 350 lb weight capacity. This exceeds the 300 lb limit found on NordicTrack and ProForm machines.

Frame

I will say, the new “Z-Shaped” design as Sole refers to it shares some similarities to NordicTrack’s newer Commercial Series Treadmills, like the 1750 as well as the Peloton Tread. What Sole has managed to do with this design, however, is to keep the screen, console, and treadmill overall, really solid and sturdy. Even when running at high speeds, the console and screen remain very steady. On the Peloton Tread, which is significantly more in price than the F80, the screen shakes a bit while running at speeds over 8 mph.

Sole F80 Treadmill Matt Running

Our larger reviewers had a tiny bit of shake on the F80, but nothing compared to the Peloton Tread.

Like other folding home treadmills, the Sole F80 has a steel frame that sits under the front of the deck, and steel uprights that connect to the frame into the handles to hold the console. In front of the motor hood, there is an additional steel bar on the floor that helps to add stability to the treadmill. Instead of having a steel crossbar under the console on the previous model, the F80 has this and I think it does a lot more to the overall build than add a few extra inches of length.

The handles feel secure and I love the continuous front horizontal handle. It’s well-positioned and offers plenty of balance when you need it, which is great for older folks or those who need additional support. This handle overall is a little thick, considering it has two pulse grips to read your heart rate. I can’t wrap my hands around it but instead am only able to rest my palms over them to get a heart rate reading.

Sole F80 Treadmill Pulse Grip

I think this handle could be a little slimmer in a future update.

Motor

The motor is a 3.5 CHP motor. In addition, to build and stability, one area where we’re continuously impressed by Sole is their motors. The Sole F80’s motor is quiet and powerful. It adjusts the speed evenly and goes up to 12 mph. This size motor is what we recommend for long-distance and extensive use. When you’re running on the Sole F80, it feels like it can handle a lot of running. The motor is a little slow to adjust, but I love how capable it feels.

Sole F80 Treadmill Matt Incline

The F80 inclines to 15%, which is a great range.

When inclining, the motor is very quiet. I often have to look down at the motor hood to be sure it’s adjusting. The deck doesn’t decline, so if that’s important to you then check out the F85. Overall, I’m really impressed with this motor not only for its training capabilities and its ability to handle a lot of use but for how quiet it is. It should work well in most home spaces because of its lack of noise output.

Deck

The deck is 22” wide and 60” long which I think is an optimal size for most people. It feels spacious in width and the length is ideal for most users to run on. I like to see that the F80 has kept its large deck from the previous model, even though the treadmill has been streamlined to be sleeker. Considering the NordicTrack 1250 only has a 20” wide deck, this is great to see for users who like more space to move around on.

Sole F80 Treadmill Deck

This is typically the largest deck we see on folding treadmills.

The belt moves smoothly and has a good texture to not feel slippery. The cushioning in the deck also feels very similar to the previous model. It’s firm to run on, while still offering shock absorption. It doesn’t feel as hard as running on cement, but it’s a close comparison. Unlike cement which doesn’t offer any shock absorption, running on the F80’s deck can help lessen the impact on your joints. It doesn’t feel as soft as running on some of NordicTrack’s treadmills though. If you get discomfort in your joints while on runs, you might want to look into a NordicTrack or ProForm treadmill.

The firm cushioning on the Sole F80 is beneficial if you’re training for a race that’s on pavement, or if you want to create a more similar experience to road running because of how the deck feels underfoot. While we caution it to users with joint issues, we encourage it for road runners.

The profile of the deck is also slim. The F80 has an 8” step-up height. This is the height of the deck from the floor to the top of the side rails at a 0% grade. This is usually around the lowest we see on folding treadmills of this size. This means the F80 is easier to step on and off of, and it’s better for lower ceilings.

Functionality

The Sole F80 Treadmill is continuously one of our top-recommended models because it’s stable, handles a lot of use and weight, and is quiet. The F80 continues to be all of this with a newer design that certainly makes it look a little sleeker. It also has a lot more tech than before.

What I like most about the tech integration is the fact that it is included, yet optional to use. If you want a treadmill that comes with straightforward onboard workouts, the Sole F80 is a great option. If you want a treadmill with a touch screen, app streaming, and connectivity, the Sole F80 is also a great option. Plus, if you want a solid folding treadmill in general, the Sole F80 is a great option. For versatility and appeal to a majority of home users, the Sole F80 has a lot of great features. That is why it is one of our top-recommended models.

A popular concern on the previous model was the size of the motor hood. People have said that they hit the motor hood sometimes when running on the previous F80 because it was bulky. The new motor hood is a little slimmer and smaller than the previous model, so you shouldn’t have to worry about hitting it. We hit it just a couple of times when we were trying to navigate the touch screen while running. For someone short like me, who’s only 5’1”, the screen feels a little far away. It is much easier for me to select a workout program and show to watch before my workout than it is during.

Sole F80 Treadmill Running

I find I have to slow down and grab the front handle to use the screen while I’m moving.

As I mentioned earlier, adjusting the volume of the speakers is especially difficult because they can only be adjusted when clicking the small icon on the screen. Other than this small gripe about adjusting the volume and the screen feeling a little too far away while I run (I’ll admit I have fairly short arms), the Sole F80 is an impressive and fun treadmill to use. Having Netflix and HBO on the screen without having to pay an additional price to use, is fantastic. And if you’ve ever tried to use a tablet or phone while running, you’ll know it’s hard to navigate so this isn’t the F80’s fault. Just have your shows cued up beforehand.

Folding and moving the Sole F80 is pretty easy and one of the ways this treadmill is great for home use. You just need to lift the deck to fold it up. It locks into place and uses a hydraulic assist to help you fold and unfold the deck. The deck feels a little heavier to lift than other folding treadmills, but it’s relatively doable if lifting and bending are appropriate for you. To unfold you just pull the yellow handle and the deck slowly lowers to the floor itself.

The F80 has four transportation wheels instead of two, like many other foldable models. This means that once folded, you can just push the F80 where you need it to go. You don’t have to worry about tipping back the deck to engage the wheels.

Sole F80 Treadmill Moving

I love how easy the Sole F80 is to move.

Warranty

Another aspect where Sole crushes it is the warranty. The Sole F80 comes with a lifetime frame and motor warranty. This definitely helps instill confidence in the construction. The F80 also comes with a 3-year parts warranty and a 1-year labor warranty.

Sole F80 Treadmill Review

Bottom Line Review: Sole F80 Treadmill

We consider the Sole F80 Treadmill to be one of the best treadmills on the market. It has been updated with a new, sleeker design and integrated tech, however, the F80 is still a great hop-on-and-go treadmill. It comes with included onboard workout programs, as well as Military Fitness Tests to test your endurance. The 10.1” touch screen also gives you the option to stream from apps like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, and HBO Max while you work out. Plus, you can mirror the screen from your device and play your own content through the speakers for even more entertainment options. What I like best about all of this is that it’s completely optional and doesn’t require a subscription to access the workouts or to use the apps (you will need to log in with your own Netflix account, or use your ex’s). As far as training capabilities, the Sole F80 is a quiet, yet powerful treadmill that can handle multiple users and a lot of running. It has a 3.5 CHP motor, 12 mph max speed, and 15% incline to keep you busy and fit. It also handles users up to 350 lbs and comes with a lifetime frame and motor warranty, so it’s an impressive beast that folds up when you’re done. If you’re looking for a well-rounded treadmill with firm cushioning, and included training options and entertainment, we can’t recommend the Sole F80 enough.

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