Sole F63 vs F80: two inches of belt is the whole argument

Buy the Sole F63 if you walk, or if you run and you’re under 6 ft and under about 250 lb. Buy the Sole F80 if you’re taller or heavier than that, or you’re sharing the machine with someone who is. The reason is the belt. The F63’s is 20 x 60 in and the F80’s is 22 x 60 in. Both are 60 inches long, which lets a running stride land without shortening it, and the two inches of width are what you feel when your foot drifts at 9 mph or your stance widens on an incline. At typical prices of $1,099 to $1,399 for the F63 and $1,599 to $1,899 for the F80, that width costs about $500.

Everything else is close: the same 15% incline, the same 12 mph top speed, the same fold and the same lifetime frame and motor warranty. We haven’t bench-tested either one yet, so this comparison runs on the published specs; we’ll add measured noise and power after our bench test.

Belt width decides it

Length matters less than people think here, because both decks are 60 inches. A 6 ft 2 in runner with a long stride has the same room on either. Width is the difference. A 20-inch belt is standard on a mid-priced treadmill and fine for most adults walking and running straight. We want 22 inches for anyone over 6 ft who runs, anyone over 250 lb, and anyone doing hill work at 12% and up, where the stance opens. That extra inch on each side is also where tired form goes late in a run.

If you’re under 6 ft and run cleanly, we don’t think you’ll miss it. If you’re over 6 ft, or the person you’re buying for is, we wouldn’t buy a 20-inch belt for running when a 22-inch one is $500 away.

Motor and weight rating

The F63 has a 3.0 HP DC motor and a 325 lb rating. The F80 has a 3.5 HP DC motor and a 350 lb rating. We like 50 lb of headroom above the heaviest runner, which puts the practical running limit around 275 lb on the F63 and 300 lb on the F80. For walkers, both have plenty of margin.

Both motors carry Sole’s lifetime warranty, which is unusual at the F63’s price and a big reason it keeps showing up on our budget treadmills page. The F80’s 3.5 HP has more headroom for daily running, but the 3.0 HP unit isn’t a weak spot. Above a walk, most of the noise on either one comes from your foot strike rather than the motor.

Console: LCD and a shelf vs a touchscreen

The F63 has a 6.5 in LCD with a tablet shelf. The F80 has a 10.1 in touchscreen. Neither needs a subscription for anything, which counts for a lot next to the brands that do. The F63’s console shows speed, incline, time and the built-in programs, and the shelf holds your own tablet at eye level. The F80’s screen does the same job with more pixels and a slower response than that tablet.

We lean toward the F63’s approach. The F80’s screen isn’t bad, but a plain console has fewer things to fail and never goes out of date. If a touchscreen is the point for you, the F80 is the cheapest Sole treadmill that has one.

Footprint and fold

The F63 is 77 x 35 x 67 in open and 45 x 35 x 70 in folded, and it weighs 253 lb. The F80 is 82 x 37 x 66 in open and 44 x 37 x 72 in folded, and it weighs 278 lb. Open, the F63 is five inches shorter, which can decide it in a small spare room, and it’s 25 lb lighter to get up the stairs. Folded, they take about the same floor. Both are on our folding treadmills list.

Warranty and price

The warranties are nearly identical: lifetime frame and motor on both, 3 years on deck and electronics, 1 year of labor. The F80’s published wording adds parts to its 3-year term, but in practice the gap is small. It’s a rare case where buying the cheaper machine costs you nothing in coverage.

Sole’s prices move, so check the retailer. If you’re shopping at F63 money, the Horizon 7.0 AT at $999 to $1,399 is the other one to look at, with a 20 x 60 in belt, a 3.0 CHP motor and dials that change speed faster than Sole’s buttons. At F80 money, the Horizon 7.4 AT has a 22-inch belt and a 350 lb rating with an LED console. Sole’s in-between model, the Sole F65, pairs a 22-inch belt with a 3.25 HP motor and a 7.5 in LCD for a typical $1,299 to $1,599, and we haven’t tested it yet.

Which one we’d buy

For most people who ask us, the F63. A walker who might start running, a couple who are both under 6 ft, or anyone with a $1,400 cap gets the same frame family, incline, top speed and lifetime motor cover, and keeps $500. We’d buy the F80 as soon as a runner over 6 ft or over 250 lb was in the picture, because the two inches of belt and the extra rating are exactly what that runner needs. If you’re weighing the F80 against the next step up, our Sole F80 vs F85 comparison puts the line at 250 lb and 20 miles a week, and the Sole brand page explains the whole F-series.