General Information

A low to mid-range line produced by Johnson, the producers of Vision, Matrix, and AFG. The packaging on these machines is nothing short of spectacular, especially considering the price. Their component quality has picked up. Horizon has eliminated their ultra-cheap price points and is only producing units that have a minimum quality level for walkers. We think it is a big improvement and they make an excellent value.

Quality / Philosophy

Hit low price points and sell as many as you can seems to be the philosophy of this brand for Johnson and at this point, they are doing it very well. We visited the headquarters and major factory outside of Shanghai and found that Johnson is the most integrated manufacturer of fitness equipment in the world. This can be both good and bad. The good is that you are in control of almost all aspects of production. The bad is that you are in control of almost all aspects of production- if you mess up there is no one else to blame. They are focused on doing things the right way so it appears that this is a case where it is good overall. We were impressed with their quality procedures and design and testing processes and the reviews will reflect these facts.

Outlook

Horizon has decided to give retailers a "take-it-or-leave-it" proposition. Essentially, they are saying here is the product and here is the price and we have a minimum level of acceptable quality. If you don't like it, don't buy it. In the past, many of their units were simply scaled down unit from their other brands but now Horizon is much more distinct. The only problem is now they are generally available online so the service level is typically not present. They make a very strong treadmill, especially near the $700 to $1000 price point.