iMovR EasySpray Treadmill Lubricant

Stay Smooth

First things first – if you own a treadmill, you’re going to have to lubricate it. Yes, even you TR5000 owners. That supposedly self-lubricating machine can still benefit from a refresher every six months or so. Go too long without lubrication, and you’ll find your treadmill’s sound signature and energy consumption rising. Without any maintenance, you risk lasting damage to vulnerable componentry.

So do yourself a favor – lube regularly, it greatly extends your treadmill’s productive life. Investing a few minutes of your time and $2 worth of silicone oil, at least once a month, will dramatically extend the useful life of your treadmill’s deck and walking belt – items that are neither cheap nor easy to replace.

Advice on exactly when to lubricate varies, but a rough rule of thumb recommended by iMovR is to tune up after every 40 hours of use, or at least once a month for a single-user walking desk. Workstations that are shared by multiple users all day long, or are located in particularly dusty environments, may need more frequent upkeep. We have to be blunt about this – manufacturers (e.g. Steelcase) that advise customers to lubricate only once or twice a year are either expecting you’ll rarely use your treadmill, or are looking forward to selling you your next treadmill much sooner than necessary. The scores of calls we’ve received from Steelcase Walkstation owners with burned out treadmills underscores the importance of proper lubrication, especially for underpowered units such as the Walkstation, Rebel Desk, TreadDesk and LifeSpan TR800.

Easy Application

No one likes lubrication. Different treadmills require different lubricants, and an awful lot of them are messy and less than user-friendly. Some require gels to be laid across the walking deck, others need a “wand” to be slipped under the belt. Truly unpleasant ones call for melting down a stick of silicone or paraffin before use.

LifeSpan found a slightly better option in the form of a simple spray-on liquid silicone lubricant. But even then, there were problems. Lifespan’s applicator issues a fine mist, which complicates getting the lube to where you actually need it, and tends to scatter micro droplets of oil where you don’t want it. Plus, the design necessitated tilting the bottle to get it under the belt, which tends to restrict a pump sprayer to a thin dribble of liquid. Consistent customer gripes, and our own experience, were enough to convince us that there had to be better solution.

We said as much to iMovR while they were developing a line of lubricant, and we’re pleased to see our advice taken to heart. iMovR bottles send out a “pinpoint” stream, ensuring that lubricant gets under the belt, not on your hands or the treadmill’s side rails.

How to Lubricate

Check out iMovR’s devoted treadmill lubrication site for more information, and watch this short video to see the lubricant in action.

Fully Compatible

A universal 100% silicone formula makes iMovR lubricant a safe tool for use with all popular walking treadmills and most popular running models. Look through the list of approved brands before you lube.

iMovR EasySpray Treadmill Lubricant comes in both 4 oz. and 8 oz. bottles. A proper lubrication uses up roughly one ounce of lubricant, and your average treadmill desker will likely go through one to two 8 oz. bottles per year. So take your standard usage into account while buying lube.

There’s a temptation to stretch a bottle as much as you can. Some sites counsel as much as 3 months between lubrications, but we recommend against such long intervals. Yes, you’ll use more lubricant, but your treadmill will thank you – as will your feet and your coworkers. A well-oiled treadmill is a much quieter, smoother ride.