A swanky new treadmill next to an elliptical or exercise bike is one of the best ways to get in-shape!
Purchasing a new treadmill used to be a simple process, you’d open up a catalogue, place your finger next to either the cheapest or the most expensive (depending on your financial needs), order it, and then use it to hang your clothes for 6 years!
These days, treadmill buying is much more interesting. There are thousands of options out there, and hundreds of articles discussing the minute details of each one.
The purpose of this article is to make the process as simple as it used to be, by providing five excellent examples of excellent treadmills, and explaining why each one suits your needs.
What makes a good home treadmill?
You’ve probably not thought about it before, but the treadmills at the gym and the treadmills that are designed for home gym use are going to differ.
At gyms treadmills are required to withstand the constant use of hundreds of runners every week. In busy gyms, some treadmills can be in use constantly from 6am till 10pm.
Gym treadmills also have to put up with a variety of different body shapes and sizes. Gyms also have a bigger budget (usually) to spend on treadmills, and often space is not an issue.
Home treadmills are often quite a bit cheaper, and don’t need to withstand as much use. They still need to be durable, but not to the same degree.
A major issue for home treadmills is how much space they take up. Often, the less space taken up the better – meaning that treadmills that can be folded up when not in use are advantageous.
You can also purchase treadmills that suit your specific needs, rather than finding one that suits everyone.
Things a quality treadmill should have:
- An incline setting, you can also get treadmills with a decline setting – but they are often more expensive.
- A running belt (the part that you run on) that suits your stride length – tall people should consider avoiding very compact treadmills
- A powerful enough motor for your needs (1.5-2.5 horsepower)
- Durability – Your treadmill should last for years
- Comfort – How cushioned your treadmill is, and how well it absorbs shock can make a huge difference. Particularly if you have bad knees
- Heart Rate Monitor – Not essential, but a good thing to have
Now we have a good idea about what to look out for, we will give you five examples of excellent home treadmills that you can consider for your own home.
The Best Treadmills On The Market
1) Nordic Track T 6.5 S Treadmill
Nordic Track is one of the best treadmill companies out there, their cushioning is superb, and their programming (control panel) is surprisingly good.
There are 20 built-in programs and the treadmill is compatible with most smartphones and fitness technology.
The Nordic Track T 6.5 S treadmill is incredibly durable (can withstand 300lbs) but is also foldable – meaning that you can fold it away after use. Great for people with a lack of space, but who require a sturdy piece of equipment.
2) Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill
This treadmill is a real budget option, being sold at an absolutely fantastic price. It is also surprisingly shock absorbent, making it easy on the knees during a run.
It’s not quite as technologically impressive as the Nordic Track offering, but it is still excellent considering the price.
There are 9 programs to follow, it has heart rate sensors, and a really decent motor. It’s also foldable, so easy to put away after use.
3) ProForm Performance 600i Treadmill
This treadmill from ProForm Performance is at the top end of the market, and its price reflects this. But if your budget is big enough then this is definitely the best treadmill out there for you.
Again, it’s foldable, with an excellent motor, the shock absorbers are amazing, and it’s very durable.
The belt is fantastically designed, and will really help lead to a smooth ride. If you’re looking for an excellent treadmill that will last you forever, then this is the one for you.
4) Nordic Track X7i Incline Trainer
This is something a little different from the others and is another treadmill from Nordic Track. It’s similar to the ProForm Performance in that it’s on the higher end of the market price-wise, however this treadmill is amazing.
Offering a 40 percent incline, it will be like you’re running up a steep hill – but in your own house!
The treadmill is easy to set up, provides a huge range of excellent programs and settings, and works well with almost any wireless heart rate monitor around.
The motor is sufficiently powerful at 2.75 horsepower, and as with all Nordic Track treadmills the durability is superb.
5) IPO Smart Walk Treadmill
The last treadmill on our list is without a doubt unique. For starters, this treadmill will fold up to a completely flat position – no handles sticking out, nothing. It’s even got a magnetised attachment so that it can be hung up on a wall, meaning that when not in use it takes up zero space in your house.
The treadmill is extremely light weight too, which means that there will be no struggling to move the treadmill – something that anyone who has ever owned a home treadmill will understand immediately. The whole treadmill only ways 64lbs!
The treadmill has absolutely no control panel but uses the weight of your feet to turn itself on. You can bring the handles up from the sides to use if you want or leave them and have a completely unhindered run.
To increase your speed, you just move further up to the front of the treadmill, and to slow down you just need to move towards the back of the treadmill.
The top speed is not incredibly fast (3.73mph or 4.97mph when using the handles) but this treadmill is perfect for steady state running or hitting your daily step count during the day. If you live in a small house of apartment then this treadmill is an amazing idea. It’s light, takes up no space whatsoever, and is perfect for walking or a slow jog.
However, if you are looking for something more powerful that you can sprint on then this is not the treadmill for you. The horsepower is only 0.5 compared to 2.5+ for the other treadmills. So bear that in mind.