Weslo Cadence R 5.2 Treadmill Review

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Together with its earlier partner (the Cadence G 5.9) the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 Treadmill has become a popular choice among people that choose to workout at home, with hundreds of reviews currently available.

In our own review, we want to take a more in-depth look at its design, including the display console, workout programs, and how much maintenance is required to keep the machine running smoothly.

Design features

Whether it’s to supplement your running outdoors, to start a new fitness program, or simply to help you stick to your workout plan when the weather turns, a high quality treadmill can be an excellent solution.

But if you don’t have the budget for one of the top-end machines, it’s often difficult to find a low cost treadmill that represents good value for money.

Despite being priced towards the entry level / mid-range of treadmills in terms of price, the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 still manages to include all the essentials.

Perhaps the most important of these are the design of the running deck, and size of the running area.

If you’ve ever run on a treadmill at a commercial gym, you might have noticed a slight spring in your step, or a softer foot fall than running outside.

This will usually be due to the shock absorption system built into the main running deck, between the rotating running belt.

‘Comfort Cell Cushioning’ is the specific system that Weslo has opted for with their R 5.2 machine, which reduces the impact of running on your joints for a reduced risk of injury and faster recovery after your workout.

We just mentioned the importance of the running belt size, and measuring 16 inches wide by 50 inches in length should provide ample space for your walking and jogging workouts.

While the width of the belt won’t generally impact your workout, the length of the belt will. That’s why we wouldn’t recommend the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 to anyone over 6 feet tall, who was looking for a treadmill they can run on. There simply isn’t the space to do so comfortably, and you would run the risk of your foot slipping off the back of the belt.

Powerful motor for the price

A couple more features we were impressed by were the Impulse Max Motor and 2-position adjustable incline.

Unfortunately this isn’t a power incline, meaning that similar to Weslo’s G 5.9 model, you will need to adjust the setting before starting your workout.

But this does still provide an additional way of increasing the amount of calories you burn, and you don’t lose any of the belt’s speed due to the 2.5HP motor.

This is more powerful than we would expect to find on a treadmill priced at less than $400, with similar bestselling designs being limited to 1.5HP.

As with the G 5.9, the Weslo Cadence R 5.2 can be folded away when not in use to make the most of limited space. You don’t have the assisted lift and release mechanism that you tend to find on higher priced models, but the running deck can still be locked securely in place using a clip attached to the uprights.

Display console design

Being able to track your personal fitness journey has certainly been made much easier with an increase in the range of personal fitness trackers available.

Wristbands, watches, and chest straps can all be used to monitor everything from your sleep patterns to your step count, which is why you shouldn’t be too worried about the lack of workout programs and console functions that come with the Weslo Cadence R 5.2.

You do still have a range of quick-select speed settings up to 10mph, a connection for your safety clip, and a display screen for keeping up to date with your latest workout statistics. This includes your heart rate, distance, time, and speed.

But if you’re a fan of heart rate tracking while you workout, you may want to look at investing in a separate chest strap to do the monitoring.

That’s because there aren’t any heart rate hand sensors on this machine, meaning you have to stop running and hold down a button for several seconds before your pulse is displayed on the screen.

Ease of assembly

With such a similar design, it came as no surprise to us that the assembly was equally as simple as for Weslo’s G 5.9 treadmill.

The running deck and uprights for supporting the display arrive already pre-assembled as a single unit, leaving very left to do in terms of the setup.

Aside from knowing which bolts to use, the remaining steps would probably be easy enough to complete without any additional assistance.

But just in case, Weslo provide you with a user manual filled with detailed instructions on how to get your new treadmill setup quickly and safely.

In fact, you only need to attach the base supports, hand rails, and display console before you can start enjoying your first workout. That’s why we recommend allowing a total of 30 minutes for assembly (may need to allow 10 minutes more, depending on if you have someone to help you lift the machine onto its side when attaching the base supports).

Treadmill maintenance

As with most treadmills (Precor treadmills don’t require you to lubricate the running belt), there is a certain level of maintenance required once you have the machine up and running.

With the R 5.2, this simply involves adjusting the alignment of the running belt if it does start to slip over time. This probably sounds a much bigger job than it actually is, and it only requires you to use a hex key to rotate the idler screws at the back of the running deck until the belt is correctly aligned.

It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes to adjust and test, and is something you should only need to perform once per week if needed.

You might have seen some treadmills recommend you use a silicone spray to lubricate the belt, but this is something the user manual strictly advises against.

Instead, Weslo provide you with a website and contact number for specific advice on how to resolve any issues.

Weslo Cadence R 5.2 vs. G 5.9

Model	G 5.9	G 5.2
Weight capacity	275 lbs	275 lbs
Max. belt speed	10 mph	10 mph
Incline settings	Yes, manual	Yes, manual
Running area	16" (W) x 50" (L)	16" (W) x 50" (L)
Workout programs	6	6
Product Dimensions	64" (L) x 29" (W) x 55" (H)	75" (L) x 29.6" (W) x 55" (H)
	Check the price	Check the price

Customer reviews

With every review we write, we always try to cover as much information about the product as possible, both good and bad, to provide you with an unbiased opinion on the quality and value for money.

But another excellent source for trusted reviews can be online ecommerce sites, such as eBay and Amazon.

Our personal preference tends to be towards Amazon, as they will often have a wide range of reviews, and in our experience more likely to have new models in stock.

This is particularly important for the Weslo Cadence R 5.2, as the manufacturer’s warranty only extends to the original owner of the machine (no coverage if you buy a used model).

Due to its popularity, there are currently hundreds of reviews and answered questions for the R 5.2, which can make it difficult to find the really useful bits of information.

If you would like to read these reviews in full, then you can do so over at the Amazon store. But for convenience, we’ve also provided the following summary of pros and cons based on those same reviews that we’ve read through ourselves.

Pros:

Cons:

• Slightly noisier motor than some of the higher priced machines
• Limited variety of preset workout programs
• Incline requires manual adjustment

What’s covered by the warranty?