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Weslo vs Gold’s Gym Treadmill

Fitness is an important way to deal with stress and keep in shape. But going to the gym is not always a practical option, and jogging outside in urban environments can be anywhere on the spectrum from uncomfortable to unsafe.

So owning a treadmill at home, in order for you to walk or run whenever you feel like it, could be a viable alternative. Today I’m comparing two popular choices for treadmills: the Weslo Cadence G 5.9 and the Gold’s Gym Trainer 720.

Key Features

The Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill is a simpler, more straightforward machine, which is reflected in the price. It doesn’t have a lot of features or options but works well for walking and light running. It takes only around 15 minutes to set up with two people.

The Gold’s Gym Trainer 720 Treadmill is more complex. Plus it has a lifetime frame warranty and a 25-year motor warranty.

More about the Weslo Cadence G 5.9

Let’s start with the bad news:

The Weslo has no automatic incline increase, you have to choose manually between the two available positions, either 1.5% or 6% incline.

It also doesn’t have any audio features.

The more important downside, though, is that the warranty on parts & labor is only good for 90 days, while the motor has a limited 1-year warranty. So you want to plan your buying date carefully to ensure that you have plenty of opportunities to test it out in the first 90 days.

Now the good news:

On the upside, in its price class it is regularly voted as the best; a simple, no-frills machine that will do for walking and light running. The maximum capacity is set at 275lbs.

It can be set up within 15 minutes (by two people) and can easily be folded away. To fold it out again, you only need to pull out two knobs on the sides to release the tread down. Its light weight and wheels mean that it is easy to move around.

It is also easy to use with 6 built-in workout programs. For the heart rate it has a thumb sensor on the console, rather than the one on the handgrips, which makes it a lot easier to keep track of your pulse regularly and accurately.

It has all the usual basics, like water bottle holders and one-touch quick keys. Another plus is that it is quiet and efficient to run. Weslo cadence g 5.9 treadmill review says this is a great product.

More about the Gold’s Gym Trainer 720

Again, I’ll start with the bad news:

The Gold’s Gym machine takes longer to assemble and is a bit bulkier than the Weslo. Because of its significantly higher price, you would expect a much better machine but the parts are mostly plastic and feel a bit flimsy.

This treadmill uses a handgrips heart rate sensor, which means you have to hold on to the hand grips all the time if you want to keep an eye on your heart rate throughout. I don’t know about you but I’ve never been able to do that.

On the upside:

This machine has 18 pre-programmed workouts and more incline levels (0 – 10), which can be changed smoothly with the one-touch quick keys on the console.

Aside from the usual cup holders and heart rate display, it offers iPod and MP3 compatibility, so you can keep your energy levels up with your favourite workout tunes. It also has a cooling fan.

A big plus are the warranties: lifetime on the frame and 25 years on the motor.

Weslo cadence g 5.9 treadmill review Bottom Line

Considering the price difference, I feel that the Weslo is a better deal overall, although the very limited warranty is a bit of a worry here. I don’t find the lack of audio a problem, as long as I’m at home, I’m always going to have other options to get my music blasting.

The pre-programmed workouts are a nice feature on the Gold’s Gym machine but not enough to justify the difference in price.

Otherwise they are pretty comparable. They both do up to 10mph in speed, the treads are similar sizes, both have the SpaceSaver design and can be folded away easily. The maximum capacity is also similar.

Aside from the price, the Weslo has one other feature that puts it ahead in my opinion: a thumb sensor on the console for the heart rate rather than the handgrips sensors that the Gold’s Gym treadmill uses. As mentioned above, this is easier to use (for me at least) and more accurate.

Originally published at www.vsguides.com on September 17, 2016.

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Garmin Vs. TomTom: Who Gets You There Better?

Let’s face it: no one enjoys getting lost. Between rising gas prices, busy schedules, and the constant risk of an accident, no one wants to deal with the stress of navigating your way through the city when you have somewhere to be. The world has come a long way since the days of asking the guy at the gas station for directions. Nowadays there are as many navigational tools on the market as there are roads to navigate. But when it comes to getting the best product that the market has to offer, it all comes down to Garmin vs. TomTom.

Both companies have released a variety of GPS devices over the years. So to make things simple, this article is going to review and compare what each company considers to be their “top of the line” product. Garmin’s DriveAssist 50 NA LMT and the TomTom GO 600 Portable Vehicle GPS.

Garmin vs Tomtom The Breakdown

Garmin:

For most shoppers, the first thing that catches their eye will be DriveAssists’s price tag. $300 is a lot to ask on most people’s budgets. But do the DriveAssist’s features make up for bigger price tag?

The Garmin product is unique in that their device comes equipped with a built in dash cam that works with the finely tuned GPS tracker to warn the driver of possible collisions, notifies them when the cars ahead of them are about to start moving, and probably the most helpful of all, will actually switch to camera mode when the driver is near their destination and will highlight the address. No more driving around the neighborhood for those hidden building numbers.  As an added bonus, the built in dash cam is constantly recording during the drive; and in the unfortunate case of a collision, the footage is saved so that the driver’s insurance company or the police can review the recording to help determine who was at fault.

Garmin’s DriveAssist also comes with a voice­activated mode which allows the driver to find a new address without having pull­over or risk an accident by taking their hands off the wheel.

Also, if you’re just exploring a new neighborhood, the DriveAssist is automatically collected to the Foursquare app. Helping you find all the best spots for dining and recreation around town.

Most reviews say that Garmin’s product is incredibly user friendly and it currently has a 4.2 out of 5 star rating on Amazon.

TomTom:

Unlike it’s counterpart, the TomTom GO 600 comes in at a modest $200. Which certainly sounds more reasonable considering that the TomTom company presents it as their “best GPS device” right on their website.

On the downside, saving a cool hundred does come with a little extra effort attached. In order to stay up to date with current roadmaps, TomTom’s GPS device has to be connected to your home computer once every three months to download the latest update from TomTom. Failure to do so can result in poor navigation. And if your GPS doesn’t give you the right directions, you won’t care how much money you saved.

When it is up to date however, the G0 600 is able to give the driver real­time traffic updates via crowdsourcing. Simply connect the device to your smartphone and the TomTom GO will stay in constant with the other three hundred ­fifty million drivers in the system; ensuring that you know precisely where traffic is about to slow down or speed up, giving you ample time to redirect your trip.

TomTom also claims that their GPS system covers more available routes than any of their competitors. While other companies may only cover major highways and residential roads, TomTom claims that their devices help you navigate through 99.9% available traffic systems.

TomTom’s navigation satellites are so in depth that they even create a 3D picture of your surroundings right on the screen. So if you find that it’s easier to get around via landmarks as opposed to street signs, the GO 600 might be right for you.

Final Results Garmin vs Tomtom :

You get what you pay for. Both the Garmin and TomTom options make for an excellent GPS system. So if you’re only concern is finding your way around and you’d prefer to save some money, get the TomTom GO 600. But if you like all the features that come along with the DriveAssist 50 NA LMT  and you’re willing to spend an extra $100, then Garmin is the way to go.

Originally published at www.vsguides.com on September 17, 2016.

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Gillette Venus Versus Schick Quattro

Women’s Shaving Razors: Gillette Vs Schick

When it comes to women and shaving Gillette & Schick are brand leaders. Most women have to have the absolute best there is out there on today’s growing market. Two of the most popular selling razors out there for women are the Schick Quattro and the Gillette Venus. While there are several versions of each razor on the market, I will be concentrating on the originals of each.

First, I will begin with the Quattro. The handle is very comfortable to hold and is made from a soft rubber. It comes in a few different colors including pink and purple. The razor is attractive and looks very sleek with the silver accents. The starter kit costs around $14.00 and comes with one replacement cartridge. The cartridges come in packs of four or eight and have four blades on each. There is also a quite large pink moisture strip on top.

I did like the fact that this was probably one of the closest shaves I’d ever had and it was done with very little irritation. However, I did not like that the entire razor could feel a bit bulky or heavy at times and was very hard to get into tight corner areas. Another negative thing that I really did not like on the Quattro was that if you dropped it, the blades tend to fall off quite easily. So be careful. I could definitely see that aspect being a potential safety hazard if someone were to unknowingly step on it.

Next, I tried the Gillette Venus. This razor has an extremely feminine look to it. Their slogan “Reveal the Inner Goddess in You” definitely pertained to the appearance of this razor. It comes in feminine colors including pink, purple and light blue. I actually felt that the design was more in the look of the razor than it was in the comfort of holding it. While it’s comfortable to hold, it was made almost entirely of plastic. With the exception of rubber “fins” on the underside that I did not understand the purpose of. It also felt a bit flimsy at times.

The starter kit will run you about $10.00 and like the Quattro, comes complete with one replacement cartridge. These cartridges can also be purchased in packages of either four or eight and cost around $8.00 for a pack of four, which is less than the Schick Quattro cartridges at around $10.00 for a four-pack.. The Venus also delivered a close shave. However it did it with only three blades instead of four and with quite a bit of irritation. The Venus, however, was easier to maneuver around areas like the knees where there is odd angles.

Like the Quattro, there was also a moisture strip on the razor, but this one was quite thin and easily peeled off. The package indicated that the cartridge should be replaced when the blue of the moister strip begins to fade, which happened after only one shaving. If you were going to follow those instructions, replacement cartridges could get quite costly.

Gillette Vs Schick Conclusion

When compared to the Gillette Venus, the Schick Quattro did a much better job. While the Venus was great at pivoting and getting into hard to reach areas and corners, overall, I’d say if you want a razor that will give you a real nice smooth shave, purchase the Schick Quattro. Although it is a bit more pricey, it is well worth it. The four blades and larger moisture strip are great, and it really did seem as though the blades did not go dull as fast as the Venus, thus saving you money on the refill packages. The handle was more sturdy and comfortable as well. Final point to note, the prices mentioned in this Gillette Vs Schick article were the instore prices. Noted while I was out at my local store doing some shopping. They’re mentioned just as a guide and nothing more.

Originally published at www.vsguides.com on October 24, 2017.