While you can visit a gym or head outside to get your workout in, using an elliptical machine, rowing machine or various pilates accessories might be more comfortable for homebodies or the gym-adverse. If you prefer to work out at home but still want to log some miles, a variety of brands offer treadmills suitable for home gyms. Some even come with immersive training programs to guide your runs, jogs and walks.
Treadmills can be expensive, but the best ones are worth the splurge. To help you shop for one, we consulted fitness experts to learn how to shop for the best options below.
SKIP AHEAD How to shop for a treadmill
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The best treadmills for at-home gyms
To recommend the best treadmills, we asked experts for what to look for in a quality treadmill and compiled their recommendations as well as other options that met experts’ criteria. All of our recommendations provide shock absorption and have tread lengths that are at least four feet long. Experts also recommended that each treadmill support at least 220 pounds and have warranties that offer at least three years of coverage (many treadmills on this list support up to 300 pounds of weight).
Sunny Health & Fitness Foldable Treadmill
- Tread length: 49 inches
- Maximum weight capacity: 220 pounds
- Frame warranty: Three years
Crouchelli called the Sunny Health & Fitness Folding Treadmill “a great, shock-absorbing treadmill” that saves space, limits noise and creates “a low impact on your joints from start to finish on your daily runs.” An LCD screen displays your speed, distance, time, calories burned and your pulse. There’s also a user mode to set runs, walks or jogs to distance, time or a calorie-specific goal.
Echelon Stride
- Tread length: 55 inches
- Maximum weight capacity: 300 pounds
- Frame warranty: Three years
In addition to its touchscreen monitor and Bluetooth connectivity, the Echelon Stride folds up automatically with the push of a button. Once folded, the Stride has a depth of 10 inches and its wheels will help you move to store it. Crouchelli described the Stride as “extremely light” and talked about its “awesome,” and “world-class” virtual competitions, which let you challenge friends and family. “Echelon offers an extended outreach and connection from their instructors to members daily,” he said, praising its live and on-demand classes.
NordicTrack T Series Treadmill
- Tread length: 55 inches
- Maximum weight capacity: 300 pounds
- Frame warranty: 10 years
“The best treadmills for home use are ones that are compact or the ones that have immersive run experiences, such as Peloton or NordicTrack,” said Athayde, “because you’re either saving space in your home for other gym equipment or you’re getting the most out of your purchase with interactive features that make the runs more challenging and engaging.” This NordicTrack option comes with a 10-inch interactive HD touchscreen and a 30-day free trial of iFit, Nordictrack’s interactive fitness membership, which allows you to follow along with guidance from a personal trainer (after the trial, the membership will run you $39 per month).
“NordicTrack hands down has some of the best on-demand trainers in the business, as they provide no stop top-tier programs across the board,” said Crouchelli.
NordicTrack Commercial X22i Treadmill
- Tread length: 60 inches
- Maximum weight capacity: 300 pounds
- Frame warranty: 10 years
The NordicTrackCommercial X22i is designed with commercial-grade steel to make the machines more durable over time, the brand says. It comes with a 22-inch rotating touchscreen to stream exercise classes through iFit. The X22i has Bluetooth compatibility, two speakers — so you can easily hear your instructor’s directions — and a built-in fan to cool you down. NordricTrack says X22i’s deck offers low-impact cushioning and should be gentle on your joints. Additionally, you can run up to 12 miles per hour on the machine, whereas most treadmills cap out at 10. It allows you to choose between a -5% decline to a 40% incline during your workout.
ProForm Pro 2000 Smart Treadmill
- Tread length: 59.6 inches
- Maximum weight capacity: 300 pounds
- Frame warranty: 10 years
Crouchelli described the ProForm Pro 2000 as the “top of the line” when it comes to your at-home treadmill because it offers interactive training sessions and connected fitness tracking. “This treadmill is also spatially friendly — with the best motor on the market — and includes a heavy duty drive system that cools itself to handle the constant incline and speed changes from your training,” he said. You can run up to 12 miles per hour on the machine, which can hold someone up to 325 pounds and comes with a 30-day iFit membership trial. ProForm also makes some of our favorite rowing machines and ellipticals.
ProForm Carbon T10 Treadmill
- Tread length: 55 inches
- Maximum weight capacity: 300 pounds
- Frame warranty: 10 years
If you’re looking for a less expensive ProForm model to bring home, the Carbon T10 Treadmill is a few hundred dollars less than the Pro 2000, but keep in mind that it offers a less powerful motor compared to the Pro 2000 and a maximum speed of 10 miles per hour versus the Pro 2000’s 12. Beyond its 10-inch HD touchscreen display, dual speakers and a 30-day membership to iFit, this Carbon T10 Treadmill has a cooling fan to prevent you from overheating and a self-cooling motor to prevent it from overheating. The treadmill can be folded up for easy storage when not in use.
Nautilus T618 Treadmill
- Tread length: 60 inches
- Maximum weight capacity: 350 pounds
- Frame warranty: 15 years
The Nautilus T618 is a Bluetooth-enabled treadmill that has 26 workout programs and dual screens so you can track your metrics, like heart rate and weight management. The Nautilus is also rated to carry more weight than any other treadmill we recommend — up to 350 pounds. It also has a 15-year long frame warranty, 5 years longer than NordicTrack and the ProForm.
Nautilus’ companion app, Explore the World, allows you to choose from 27 routes in 19 locations, so you can run with other Nautilus owners in real time.
Xterra Fitness TR150 Folding Treadmill
- Tread length: 50 inches
- Maximum weight capacity: 250 pounds
- Frame warranty: Lifetime
The Xterra’s “price point is perfect for a budget-friendly individual who wants to get into running without breaking the bank,” said Crouchelli. The Xterra Fitness TR150 offers three manual incline settings and 12 pre-programmed runs, allowing readers to have variety in their home workouts. The treadmill also tracks your workouts and logs various information (your inclines, calories burned, distances, pulse and speeds) on its 5-inch LCD display screen. Since it folds, the TR150 should be simple to store, too. It comes with a lifetime warranty on its frame.
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How to shop for a treadmill
According to the fitness experts we consulted, the factors to consider when shopping for a treadmill are the same as any other substantial piece of at-home gym equipment. Athayde said to consider pricing above all, then how much space it will take up, its functionality, and finally the warranty and maintenance of your potential new treadmill.
When it comes to functionality, Athayde recommended looking at the length of the treadmill, whether it offers shock absorption, its maximum weight capacity, as well as its highest potential speed.
“When purchasing a large piece of equipment like a treadmill, we often forget the weight impact it has on your floors and surfaces,” remarked Crouchelli. He agreed with Athayde on looking for shock-absorption, because he’s found that “some treadmills are constantly shaking and rocking while in use, making the workout extremely difficult.”
Meet our experts
At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Rhys Athayde is the founder and CEO of Phantom Fitness
- Anthony Crouchelli is the master and founding trainer at Grit Bxng.
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