TITAN Pro sled system vs Nordictrack S15i

This is a comparison between the TITAN pro sled and the Nordictrack S15i 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 S15i 2199 / 1599 (UK/US)

This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack S15i.This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details.

The S15i Nordictrack is part of the flag line S series from Nordictrack. Its main features are the 14-inch screen, 20% incline, and the two free dumbbells which can be put on the bike. The S15i will be a good choice for anyone who wants to exercise at home and bring the outdoors indoors. It comes with an I fit subscription for the first year and is more space-efficient than treadmills or ellipticals. The full list of features reads as followed:

14” Smart HD Touchscreen
Watts Power Readout
Includes 1 Years iFit Family Membership
Auxiliary Music Port
Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers

Ergonomic Padded Saddle
AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
Non-slip, Multi-position Handlebar
Vertical & Horizontal Seat Adjustment

Inertia-enhanced Flywheel
-10% – 20% Incline
SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
OneTouch® Controls
Enhanced Corrosion Resistance
Large Diameter Adjustable Leveling Feet
22 Digital Resistance Levels
150 kg User Capacity
Commercial Grade Steel Construction

Dual Water Bottle Holders
Two 3 Lb. Dumbbells Included
Compatible with Standard Road Bike Pedals & Seat
Front-mounted Transport Wheels
Assembled Dimensions - 141 L x 55 W x 154 H cm
Warranty - 2 Years parts and labour; 5 year frame guarantee upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.

This is a solid option if the S22i is not in stock and you are in a rush or just want a little smaller screen. Still, around 2000 for just a bike is a hefty investment for a home gym. For this amount of money, you can buy a squat stand, barbell, and plates if you are more into strength.

Pros of the S15i

The pros of the S15i are as followed:

14-inch screen
20% incline
Free dumbbells

The S15i omes with a high-quality touch screen which Nordictrack also uses in their elliptical and treadmill setups. This is a good size and the screen is crisp. If you care about screens you will not be disappointed with this one.

The S15i gives you a wide range of incline options from -10% up to 20%. With this you can simulate most outdoor rides at home. Combined with the Ifit this makes a compelling workout machine for the home which keeps you engaged a long time. From the easiest to the most challenging workouts you will find something for any level in the Nordictrack repository.

The free dumbbells are a nice bonus to make the S15i a home gym rather than just a bike. Apart from the regular bike workouts Nordictrack also has stretches and strength exercises in their library which can be done on and off the bike to make it a 360-degree experience. Don't expect too much for strength results out of two 3lbs dumbbells, but they definitely will help anyone who likes to tone and stretch.

Cons of the S15i

The Cons of the Nordictrack S15i are:

No hrm
Price to screen ratio
No Bluetooth

The S15i, as the S22i do not come with a Heart rate monitoring device and also has no Bluetooth. For a machine with such a price tag this is definitely an oversight on Nordictrack's behalf. Experienced cyclists might want to sync all of their data with their polar devices from the indoor and outdoor runs and just simply can not do that as there is no Bluetooth to hook up. Great for Nordictrack to monopolize the data and lock you in. Bad for anyone who wants to use more than just the S15i to stay fit. As there is no Bluetooth you will also not be able to hook up your Bluetooth headphones to the machine. This can be a real bummer if you live in a house with thin walls or just like your music and instructions extra loud.

Another thing specific to the S15i is the price to screen ratio. When you purchase you will at some stage make a decision whether you need a big touchscreen to keep engaged or not. If you decide that this is throwing money in a bottomless pit, you will probably not get any screen at all. If you decide you want a screen, you will probably tend towards getting one that is as big as possible. If that is the case you might as well go for the S22i. The price of both bikes is the 2000 range so you might as well go for 22 instead of 14 inches and take it all the way down to town. If you can afford a 2000 bike you can afford one for 2500. Why compromise at the upper range of the portfolio?

Alternatives to the Nordictrack S15i

These are alternatives to the S15i in the same price range:

The Nordictrack X9i treadmill is the cheapest 40% incline treadmill in the Nordictrack portfolio. It is a little outdated as the Product range has moved on to the X32i, X22i, and X11i in the United States. In the UK the X9i is still available. The X9i has a relatively small screen but makes up for it with a strong motor and incline. If you have space, run a lot, and care for an incline up to 40% this might be a better option than shelling out 2000 on the S15i.

The Nordictrack T9.5 is another option that would even save you a little money compared to the S15i. The main point this treadmill has going for it is a very strong motor. If you want to put in a lot of miles per week without crazy inclines and a reasonable screen, this can also be an option.

If you have to accommodate different fitness levels in your home or do not have space in your commercial setting to have a lot of machines, then the FS7i can be a good option. This elliptical has the option to function as a treadmill, stepper, and elliptical based on how you use it. This gives it a very wide range of people to work with. The downside of the design is that it takes up more space than the S15i, is more prone to error, and has no option for a big screen to be attached. The free stride technology also requires a little bit of balance and fine motor skills to make it work for you. This might be overwhelming for the very clumsy among us. who are better off opting for an elliptical with a fixed range of motion.

The concept 2 model D is the classic rowing machine that dominates this segment of the fitness market. If you want to save about 1000 compared to the S15i and like rowing this is a viable option. It will take more space than a bike, but can be hanged on the wall if it is not used. In a commercial setting this is also more cost-efficient to built a fleet rather than paying 2000 per unit with the S15i.

My personal favorite for home gyms is the Rogue Echo bike. for about 700 you will get a tank of an airbike that has everything that is necessary to take everything out of you. If you do not need a screen to be entertained and want one of the best stationary bikes for home use, this is the one. However, this bike has been designed with the serious athlete in mind. Comfort or entertainment was only an afterthought in this design.

Summary for the Nordictrack S15i

The S15i has the same bike as a base then the S22i. The main reason to look into this direction in the Nordictrack portfolio is that you want a bike with a big screen but not go over 2000 to get it. In my opinion, this is a bit of a false economy to make you feel less bad about shelling out 2500 on a bike, when you could buy a used car for the kids for that. If you think you need the luxury of a touch screen to work out, you might as well buy the S22i. If you want to justify the purchase you will use this bike for probably five years at least. So just spent 100 less a year on fitness toys and you are fine. Another option is to just get rid of the touch screen and save 2000.

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.

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

The pros of the TITAN Pro sled system are:

Compact
Modular
Price

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

The cons of the TITAN Pro sled are:

Looks more useful than it might be
TITAN finish
The cost can balloon quickly

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.