DeerRun A1 Pro Review | Start Day One With the A1
Reviewed by TreadmillReviews.com
Take the first step on your fitness journey with the compact and affordable DeerRun A1 Pro Treadmill.
The best treadmill reviews you can trust
The best treadmill reviews you can trust
Take the first step on your fitness journey with the compact and affordable DeerRun A1 Pro Treadmill.
I’ve moved across the country a few times, and if there’s anything I regret buying, it’s my dining table. Don’t let a treadmill be your equivalent of my dining table, where it’s such a hassle to move that you wish you never bought it. If you live in an apartment, a dorm, a condo, or anywhere you might not stay forever, a treadmill like the DeerRun A1 may be a good option.
The DeerRun A1 Pro is compact and affordable, so it may be more practical for your situation. It’s also a great way to start a fitness routine, as it is perfect for beginner to intermediate exercisers.
While I think the DeerRun A1 Pro could be a great solution for the right person, a treadmill this size has limitations. Read the rest of this review to find out what it excels at and when you might want a more powerful machine.
The DeerRun A1 Pro Treadmill is a budget treadmill, but it performed very well during our testing. I put it through the wringer, running on it much more than I would typically advise. Still, it’s in one piece, and the motor shows no signs of burning out. As long as you have reasonable expectations for what a treadmill at this price point can handle, it should hold up well.
While the A1 Pro is very small, its frame and design are reminiscent of much larger treadmills. It sits between a walking pad and a running treadmill. I appreciate its uprights and treadmill arms because they provide more guidance and support than a walking pad. You can fold the handles up for storage.
The handles and uprights on the A1 Pro are nice, but I caution against walkers and runners trusting them with their full weight. They are best used as a visual guide and gentle assistance for getting on and staying on the belt.
The footrails are spacious enough for me to stand on them comfortably, but not everyone may be able to. Fortunately, the treadmill sits very close to the ground, so you can also step down to the floor easily.
A 3.0 HP motor powers the A1 Pro. It meets our standards to consider this treadmill a true “running treadmill.” We know that horsepower ratings don’t tell the full story of the motor, so I would be cautious about putting too many miles on a treadmill this small. Still, I completed a long run of over ten miles on the A1 Pro without issues!
The maximum speed of the motor is 10 mph. I think that is a little ambitious for a treadmill with such a small running surface. I was much more comfortable sticking to 7.5 mph or slower. It’s nice that it has the option to go faster, but I recommend speeding up slowly and being mindful of your steps before you try it.
At 16.5” x 44”, the running surface on the DeerRun A1 Pro is best for walking and light running. A standard running treadmill is 60” long, so this treadmill is considerably shorter. A big advantage of this treadmill is its compact size; it just has limitations as well.
I also really like this treadmill for runners who are only training inside once in a blue moon. It doesn’t make sense to pay a ton and give up a lot of floor space if you train outside all the time. The A1 Pro is great for those stormy days when you can’t go out.
Despite its compact folding ability, the A1 Pro’s folding mechanism is quite tedious to use on a daily basis. It requires an Allen wrench, forcing you to adjust a bolt on either side of the treadmill to fold the console up and down every time. It’s a hassle, and I’m worried the bolts could strip over time.
Most treadmills in the A1 Pro’s price and design category do not have incline capabilities. Though the A1 Pro has a manual incline with only one level, it’s a nice addition to this treadmill.
The incline is stated to be 6%. I measured it at about 5%, so that’s pretty accurate, and it definitely adds a challenge to your workout. Incline is a great alternative to increasing your treadmill speed.
The DeerRun A1 Pro is a fun treadmill. It comes in several different colors and a couple of different styles. In line with that design, the A1 Pro also has all the features you need to make your workout your own.
Jump from a walk to a run on the A1 Pro. Its console has quick-adjust buttons that bring you from 3 mph to 6 mph fast. You can also use the +/- to adjust the speed, and there are start/pause and stop buttons, too.
Check your speed, time, distance, or calories with a glance at the screen. It’s a simple digital display, but it works. The only feature I wish it had was a step counter. Still, even much more expensive treadmills don’t have this feature, so I can’t complain much.
There are two cup holders on the A1 Pro console.
The tablet rack is best for phones. I wouldn’t use it with a larger device when running, but you might get away with it for just walking. There is an adjustable clip at the top to help your device stay put. My phone didn’t budge while I was training.
You can connect the DeerRun A1 Pro to your phone via Bluetooth. This feature is optional and allows you to pair with the PitPat app (described in the subscription and content section).
I was skeptical of running on the DeerRun A1 Pro. I’ve run on small treadmills before, but I can’t help wondering if this one will be the one that’s just too small. Of course, it wasn’t. As I’ve mentioned, I ran 10+ miles in one go on this treadmill. Is that what it was made for? No, but it survived it.
More practically, I think this treadmill is suited for walking and short runs lasting up to 45 minutes, maybe an hour if you want to push it. I don’t recommend it for someone who wants to train on it every day. It’s better as a backup when inclement weather strikes.
Other than its small size, there’s nothing I can complain about—using the DeerRun A1 Pro was a positive experience.
If you want more from your DeerRun A1 Pro than the basic manual workout, you can pair the treadmill with the PitPat app. From workouts to races, PitPat has exciting gamified training content to make treadmill workouts more exciting.
There are free and premium features in the PitPat app. To unlock everything, you have to pay $10 per month for the subscription. You can also pay to participate in events. They usually cost between $1 and $5. The incentive to pay for these events is the opportunity to win a cash prize if you come out on top in the event.
I like the treadmill without the app. I just didn’t want to enable all the permissions that PitPat requires, though it does help keep bots from winning the events. So, if you prefer simple walks and runs, like me, the A1 Pro is fine on its own. If you prefer something a little more energizing, the app is a good addition.
I was pleased with the DeerRun A1 Pro. For a small running treadmill, it does a great job of keeping up. Even if you can’t comfortably hit the 10 mph maximum speed, I like that it has such a generous speed range and a powerful 3.0 HP motor.
If you want a more intense workout without increasing your pace, you can set the manual incline to 6%. You can’t adjust the incline during a workout, but it’s great for a steady-state incline walk. Unlike many manual incline treadmills, the difference between the treadmill at its flat grade and the incline setting is enough to make a difference in your workout and let you feel the burn.
PitPat is a compatible app that allows you to compete against other DeerRun walkers and runners. It’s completely optional and a nice way to upgrade your treadmill if you want more incentives to train. I think the A1 Pro has enough features even without the app, and I recommend it for anyone who wants a very affordable and compact treadmill.
