TITAN Pro sled system vs Nordictrack GX 4.4
This is a comparison between the TITAN pro sled and the Nordictrack GX 4.4 including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article has been originally published in which conditioning equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Nordictrack GX 4.4 Pro 649 / 799 (UK / US)
This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack GX 4.4.This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details.
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The
NordicTrack GX 4.4 is the little brother of the
GX 4.6 which has been stripped of the touchscreen and heart rate monitor. The GX line is only available in the UK and has been replaced with the "
Grand Tour" line in the US undergoing a rebranding. The main features of the
GX 4.4 are its 5-inch Backlit Display, 9kg flywheel, and 125kg max capacity. The full list of features includes:
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Water Bottle Holder
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Product Weight 48kg
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Box Weight 57kg
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Front-mounted Transport Wheels
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30 Workouts Apps
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Assembled Dimensions - 105L x 59W x 161H cm
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Boxed Dimensions - 108L x 65W x 39H cm
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Warranty - 2 Years parts and labor; 5-year frame guarantee upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.
This bike shaves off 350 pounds compared to its bigger brother, the
GX 4.6. This is achieved by swapping the 7-inch touch screen for a 5-inch backlit screen, getting a smaller flywheel, and not shipping a heart rate monitor with the machine. This is the middle of the G series from Nordictrack available in the UK. You are compromising on features and on price.
Pros of the Nordictrack GX 4.4
The
GX 4.4 is the middle of the lower price range of bikes that are available from Nordictrack in the UK. With this, it is the ideal model for someone who does not want to make a decision between saving money and having a lot of features while not spending more than 1000. If this is how you buy, this is the bike for you.
The
GX 4.4 focuses on the essentials and delivers a display for entertainment and a solid bike to crunch some miles. No-fuss made and still not too cheap to make you worry about the quality of the product.
Compared to the cheapest bike in the UK Nordictrack line up, the
GX 4.7, the
GX 4.4 has a bigger flywheel and therefore will last longer. Whether that warrants 200 pounds more at the time of writing is a different matter.
Cons of the Nordictrack GX 4.4
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Too many compromises
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No touchscreen
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Old Nordictrack model
The biggest point for me about the
GX 4.4 is that it makes too many compromises for my tastes. If you are looking into the G series or
Grand tour line up of Nordictrack you have decided to spend around 1000 for your home gym cardio equipment. With this you have already ruled out premium features like big inclines or screens. With the
GX 4.4 you even further compromise on the lower end and neither save a lot of money or have a great experience. Not all brains are as black and white like mine but either go for the
GX 4.6, if you want the ease of use and a great experience for around 1000 or go with the
GX 4.7 and maximize your savings to spend on other equipment or a weekend away.
While you are still spending around 700 pounds on the
GX 4.4 you neither get a timely screen or a very solid bike. Again the
4.4 is over-compromised. Either get a bike you can abuse the heck out of and has not a lot of entertainment or get a bike that entertains but can not take that much of a beating. This all depends on your user profile and what is important to you personally.
The last point about the
GX 4.4 is that it is part of a family of products that is very likely to go end of life and continued under the "
Grand Tour" line of product of Nordictrack. The GX bikes are available for purchase in the UK but no in the US. As the Nordictrack headquarters is in the US you can make some predictions about the distribution of models that will first be available in the US and then stretch to other parts of the globe like Europe.
Alternatives to the Nordictrack GX 4.4
Alternatives to the Nordictrack
GX 4.4 are:
The
GX 4.6 is the big brother of the
GX 4.4. In my opinion, this is the best value for money bike from Nordictrack you can get in the 1000 budget bracket. The main differences to the
GX 4.4 are that the heart rate monitor is included and, a bigger flywheel and a touch screen. As the price is currently 300 pounds higher than for the
GX 4.4 you get a better screen, flywheel, and heart rate monitor for 100 pounds each. I think that is a good deal and will leave you with a more complete experience to maximize the entertainment and training options. If I buy a Nordictrack bike for under 1000 I would always go for the
GX 4.6 over the
GX 4.4 as I don't like to buy twice or disappointments.
The
GX 4.7 is the better option for penny pinchers. I personally hate penny-pinching as it usually annoys me to look long for things and do not enjoy the process of hunting for bargains. But, if you love this and want to save every possible penny you can save, then the
GX 4.7 is the better option than the
GX 4.4. For saving around 200 pounds you get a smaller flywheel and squeezed everything from the G line while still getting a functioning bike.
The
SE3i elliptical is the smallest rear-drive elliptical you can get from Nordictrack. This places it in the same budget bracket as the
GX 4.4. Ellipticals are usually a better option when you want to accommodate the entire family rather than just the cycle enthusiast. Remember that your gym will take up community space in the home and you might want to compromise a little. In a commercial setting, an elliptical can tend to more clients than just people who are interested in biking. Beware of low ceilings with ellipticals.
The
C700 is the smallest treadmill in the Nordictrack line up. This is a great treadmill for anyone who wants to walk indoors and who does not want to spend too much. If you run a retirement home and want to get people to walk more without having them out and about, this can be a good option. Maybe all the families chip in to get two of those. If you are a serious runner who puts more than 1oo miles a week on their machine, stay way clear from the
C700.
The
concept 2 model D rower is a good alternative if you want to take more care of your upper body when you do your cardio
. Concept 2 is the worldwide industry gold standard on rowers and
model D is their best seller. A great option for rowers over bikes is that you can hang them on the wall to save space. This usually does not work that well with bikes. Commercial buyers will appreciate that package deals for buying rowers in bulk from
Concept 2 are easier to obtain than for Nordictrack products.
My personal favorite for home gym deployment is the
Rogue Echo bike. The design focuses on a sturdy frame, cutting out all amenities except a saddle and pedals. This machine is not designed to entertain but make you sweat. For about 700 you get a machine that can take abuse and will last for a lifetime. The downside is that it will not keep you engaged that much. You will have to want to grind for this model.
Summary for the Nordictrack GX 4.4
The
GX 4.4 is one of these products that emerge when the vendor wants to combine a middle option on all features. The flywheel is ok, but not great. The Screen is ok, but not great. Combined with being in the lowest budget bracket that usually does not create a great product. I get the thought process, but if you are already penny-pinching, go all the way to the floor or try to get the most value for each penny you spent. The
GX 4.4 does neither of these.
Overview and review of the TITAN Pro sled system
This is an overview of the TITAN Pro sled system including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally published in Which cardio equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for more details.
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Overview of the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
The
TITAN Pro sled system is a lower-priced clone of the
Rogue Dogsled 1.2. This sled is versatile, compact, and can be loaded with plates. You can use it on concrete, grass, or any other medium. With the wide arrangement of options for attachments, you can keep your conditioning training interesting and vary throughout the year. The full specifications for this sled are:
- Multi-function system translates to multiple workouts/exercises with one sled.
- Works as a push, pull, or drag sled with the ability to offer much more!
- Additional accessories transform the sled into a high/low push sled, wheelbarrow, or lawn boy push sled (accessories sold separately).
- UHMW plastic ski liners protect your sled
- Can be used on grass, turf, concrete, or asphalt.
- Two 1.9-in diameter poles included
- Fits 2-in Olympic plates (bumper or steel plates) with plenty of clearance.
- Weight: 111 lbs.
- Footprint: 24-in x 40-in
- Skid width: 3-in- Steel: 2-in x 3-in 11 gauge and 1/4-in plate steel
- Plate tube height: 20-in
- Push Pole Height: 39 1/2-in
- Weight Capacity: 750 lbs.
Attachments
PROSLED - Titan Pro Sled System
- MSLEDARCH - Single Arch
- MSLED2ARCH - Double Arch
- MSLEDHIB - High Bar
- MSLEDLOB - Low Bar
- MSLEDDHA - Double Handle
- MSLEDLAWN - Lawn-Boy Handle
- MSLEDWBA - Wheel Barrow
- MSLEDRAIL - Wrap Around Rail
- PROSLEDSH - Replacement Shoes
Pros of the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
Compared to a
butcher or other bigger sled, this sled is fairly small and easily be stored upright against a wall or in some nook or cranny in your home gym or professional gym. It can also easily be thrown on the back of a trailer to train somewhere else where the view is nice or you have more space to do your exercises. Just bring a plate or two with you depending on what you want to do.
With a wide range of different attachments, you can challenge yourself to push and pull this sled from various angles and positions. This keeps the interaction with this tool fresh and fun, especially if you have a big lawn or area in your commercial gym where you can move this thing about.
Compared to other competitors in the market you pay the lowest price in the market for a comparable product with the
TITAN Pro sled. If you want to build an entire home gym on a budget, but do not want to compromise on how much stuff you are getting, then TITAN fitness is one of the most complete addresses you can currently find.
Cons of the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
As long as you are not a professional coach or team member with easy access to a pitch, then this sled might look more useful than it will actually be. Are you really going to be hauling this thing through the neighborhood risking that someone calls the police because you are damaging the precious lawn or pavement? If you have a massive garage or basement where you do not run into the wall after you accelerated just a tiny bit, be my guest. Otherwise, you might get something stationary to take care of your conditioning needs.
As with all products from TITAN they can have some minor to major issues on quality control on their products. When your tactic is to be the cost leader for any product you put into your portfolio you will need to cut some corners. This usually comes in the form of using lower quality paints, sharp edges on drilled holes, no or poor manuals, thinner plastics on buffer zones, etc. When you observe TITAN across their products you can see that there are several reports of this happening. This does not mean that what you get has to have minor to major defects, it just means that it is way more likely than with other vendors. Especially with a sled where you will abuse the material quite a bit, you might want to consider something that will live longer. Racks and barbells are harder to break, therefore you might consider these from TITAN.
Another risk with the
Pro sled is that the cost can balloon quickly. Once you start looking into the attachments you can easily rack up $500 for this sled. For this price, you can almost get a
fan bike from TITAN or a
Rogue Echo bike which I would recommend over a sled for a home gym.
Alternatives to the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
The
heavy-duty HIgh low Push-pull weight sled from TITAN is a clone of the
Rogue butcher. This sled uses a tripod/tricycle design instead of a sled design. It is bigger than the
Pro sled and can therefore take a bigger load. This is the type of machine you want to get when you want to practice pushing trucks or other Rugby / NFL players. It is not great for sprints or any kind of running exercises and also harder to store than the sled.
The
low bar push pull drag sled is a simple design to add weight to your sprints and comes with a small loading pin to add the weights. With $100 the price tag is very reasonable and you get everything you need to add a bit of resistance to your runs. The frame is stiff and has not any holes for attachments so you will only be able to use the sled as is without any modification. You will also drag the sled directly on the surface as it does not have any plastic buffers, so it is better to be used on grass than asphalt.
The
power weighted sled with leash and harness is the cheapest sled you can get from TITAN. The plate pin is higher than for the
low bar push pull drag sled so you can put more weight on it. The pin can also be collapsed for easier transport in a car or on a truck. This is a great little sled if you want to drive to the next hill in your area and do some sprints with resistance. This sled has no buffer so you will rub it directly on concrete or grass, depending on how you use it.
The
XPO trainer 2 is the current gold standard in push-pull sleds on the market. It has an innovative resistance wheel in the construction which makes it heavier to push the harder you are pushing. This means that the resistance will increase the more you put into it. It also has wheels attached which makes it more palatable to use in a residential area without someone calling the cops or local counsel on you due to noise or damage to property. The downside is the high price and that you can not simulate a heavy resistance start to overcome a block. It will roll nicely from the start and get harder rather than you having to overcome the first resistance.
The
Rogue Dogsled 1.2 is the current flagship sled from Rogue. This is the most expensive sled from Rogue with the most attachments available. If you are planning on really abusing the heck out of the sled you are getting this might be the better choice. The finer details are usually better in Rogue products which are relevant to a tool like a sled. That being said you will also pay a higher price than for the
TITAN Pro sled.
The
Rogue Echo dog sled is Rogue's toned-down version of the
Dogsled to be more cost-competitive. It is not as fancy and has not as many attachments as the
Dogsled 1.2 but will do the job.
Conclusion for the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
The
TITAN Pro sled System is a good alternative for anyone who wants to save money, has space, and will mainly use it on grass rather than asphalt. Anyone who will use their sled on asphalt on a more regular basis, wants their attachments to tightly fit, and has a little extra money to spend might want to go for the Rogue Sled 1.2. If all you are looking for is a throwaway sled to keep on the back of your truck, go for the
Power weighted drag sled with the harness.