When temperatures drop or the forecast calls for rain, an at-home treadmill ensures that you can still achieve your fitness goals and get some cardio in no matter the circumstances. You may also prefer to run or walk on a treadmill regardless of the weather due to its low-impact surface and distance-tracking capabilities, according to our experts. However, like most exercise equipment, not all treadmills are created equal, so it’s important to do your research before you invest in one.
The right machine for you will depend on how you intend to use it. Treadmills for walking are easy to find and relatively affordable, so you’ll have plenty of options, says John Gallucci Jr., a physical therapist and the CEO of JAG Physical Therapy. A running treadmill, on the other hand, requires a stronger motor, a longer running deck and (more often than not) a bigger price tag, according to our experts.
To learn more about treadmills, we spoke to physical therapists, a certified personal trainer and other experts in the fitness equipment field. Below, you’ll find their treadmill recommendations and their general shopping advice.
SKIP AHEAD How we picked the best treadmills | The best treadmills for home gyms in 2024 | How to shop for treadmills | How to use a treadmill safely
How we picked the best treadmills
To pinpoint the best machines on the market, we interviewed four experts in the fitness and physical wellness sphere. They recommend keeping the following criteria in mind while shopping:
- Motor: First and foremost, your treadmill should be powerful enough for your needs — whether that’s relaxed walking or running on an incline. The motor size (measured in CHP) will directly impact the durability and capability of your treadmill, and the faster you move, the bigger the motor should be, according to our experts.
- Size: The right treadmill for you will suit both your body and your space. Make sure it’s large enough to accommodate your needs, but compact enough that you can place it somewhere accessible, according to our experts.
- Settings: Most treadmills have several speed settings and some allow you to adjust the incline. The more settings your treadmill has, the more you can vary your workouts and adjust the intensity as needed, according to our experts.
- High-tech features: While they’re not always necessary, high-tech features (such as metrics tracking, Bluetooth connectivity and a screen that streams live classes) may make your workout more effective and enjoyable, according to our experts.
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The best treadmills for home gyms in 2024
We chose these treadmills using guidance from two physical therapists, a certified personal trainer and a fitness store manager. Every item on this list is either a direct recommendation from our experts or a highly rated option from a well-known brand. For each model, we included relevant specs to help you make your decision.
NordicTrack T Series 8.5S
Andrew Hayes, a certified personal trainer and the founder and head of lifestyle at Alta Coaching (a fitness and nutrition coaching company), and Gallucci both recommend NordicTrack treadmills because they’re powerful and durable while remaining reasonably priced. The brand also makes many models, so you can find one that fits in your space, accommodates your exercise routines and stays in your budget, says Gallucci. The T Series has over 30,000 reviews on Amazon and in addition to adjustable speeds and incline, a foldable design and a 3.5 CHP motor for both running and walking. The 8.5S also has Bluetooth connectivity and a 10-inch interactive screen so you can track metrics and stream workouts. It comes with a 30-day iFit membership for on-demand studio classes.
Overall dimensions: 78.9 x 35.5 x 59.4 in | Deck size: 20 x 55 in. | Motor size: 3.5 CHP | Max weight capacity: 300 lbs | Max speed: 12 mph | Max incline: 12%
Lifespan GlowUp Under-Desk Treadmill
“For walkers and multitaskers, I recommend the Lifespan GlowUp,” says Hayes. The under-desk treadmill stays relatively quiet and is small enough to fit almost any setup, according to Hayes. It doesn’t have a console or incline settings, but it does have an integrated step counter and distance tracker, built-in shock absorbers to minimize noise and multiple settings so you can adjust your walking speed, according to the brand.
Overall dimensions: 58 x 28.5 x 7.25 in. | Deck size: 44 x 20 in | Motor size: 2.25 CHP | Max weight capacity: 350 lbs | Max speed: 4 mph | Max incline: none
Peloton Tread
“Peloton is great because it takes all the work out of planning and premeditating a workout,” plus it’s suitable for all fitness levels, says Dr. Elizabeth Stroot, physical therapist and founder and CEO of Core Wellness & Physical Therapy. This treadmill tracks your metrics and lets you adjust the speed and incline using knobs, but its 23.8-inch tilting touchscreen and built-in speakers set it apart from other brands, according to our experts. With a Peloton All-Access Membership (which costs $44 a month), you can access live and on-demand classes, create individual profiles for household members and track your workout progress over time. The Tread also connects to your devices via Bluetooth and has a USB-C charging port.
Overall dimensions: 68 x 33 x 62 in. | Deck size: 59 x 20 in. | Motor size: 3.0 CHP | Max weight capacity: 300 lbs | Max speed: 12.5 mph | Max incline: 12.5%
Sunny Health & Fitness Treadmill With Auto-Incline
It’s the lowest-cost option on this list, but with an overall 4.4-star rating from more than 5,700 reviewers on Amazon, it also still has many of our experts’ recommended features, including an adjustable automatic incline, adjustable speeds up to 8 miles per hour, a console that tracks your metrics (including time, distance, speed and BMI) and built-in speakers with Bluetooth connectivity. It also has a compact footprint and wheels that make it easy to fold up and move around, so it’s relatively portable and well-suited for small spaces, according to the brand.
Overall dimensions: 28 x 64.5 x 50.5 in. | Deck size: 49.5 x 16.5 in. | Motor size: N/a | Max weight capacity: 240 lbs | Max speed: 8 mph | Max incline: 12%
Sole Fitness F63 Foldable Treadmill
Stroot recommends Sole because the brand makes a spectrum of models that are powerful, foldable and portable. With 15 incline levels, this treadmill, which has 4.2 stars from over 600 reviewers, is suitable for both walking and jogging, according to our experts. It also has Bluetooth speakers for playing music, a tablet holder, a USB port for charging devices and a console that tracks your pace and pulse. The treadmill comes with a limited lifetime warranty and the brand’s fitness library that lets you access over 3,000 video classes.
Overall dimensions: 77 x 35 x 67 in. | Deck size: 20 x 60 in. | Motor size: 3.0 CHP | Max weight capacity: 325 pounds | Max speed: 12 mph | Max incline: 15%
Woodway Curve Treadmill
For elite runners, Hayes recommends Woodway treadmills: “These can be more expensive, but the slat treads make it feel like you’re running on a track. Woodways are also manually powered so you can run as fast as you want,” says Hayes. Stroot also recommends Woodways because they’re aesthetically attractive, yet sturdy enough to “handle a lot of miles and high-intensity intervals.” This Curve treadmill is manually powered (the belt moves as you run), so it requires no electricity, but it still tracks your time, speed, distance, pace and heart rate. The treadmill belt’s curved deck stimulates more muscles than a flat deck and is great for rehabilitation, HIIT and sprinting, according to the brand.
Overall dimensions: 67 x 33 x 66.5 in. | Deck size: 67 x 17 in. | Motor size: N/a | Max weight capacity: 800 lbs | Max speed: unlimited | Max incline: 5% curvature
Life Fitness F3 Folding Treadmill
Life Fitness makes commercial-quality machines that can handle more rigorous workouts due to their sturdy frames, says Stroot. The F3 treadmill is suitable for small spaces because of its folding design (which has four built-in wheels) and springs that make unfolding your treadmill a smooth process, according to the brand. You can choose between two console options, the more advanced of which has a holder for your devices and connects to fitness apps as well as your Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch. This treadmill also comes with a lifetime warranty on the frame and a 10-year warranty on the motor.
Overall dimensions: 78.5 x 34.5 x 58.5 in. | Deck size: 55 x 20 in. | Motor size: 3.0 CHP | Max weight capacity: 350 lbs | Max speed: 10 mph | Max incline: 12%
Echelon Stride-S Treadmill
The Echelon Stride-S treadmill has earned a 4-star average rating from more than 400 reviewers on Amazon. It’s designed for small workout areas due to its compact size and auto-folding mechanism, according to the brand. That said, it still has many of our expert’s recommendations, including adjustable speeds and incline levels, a cushioned running deck, handlebars with sensors to record your heart rate and a 10-inch touchscreen for live- and on-demand classes (though its membership is sold separately).
Overall dimensions: 69.3 x 31 x 49.2 in. | Deck size: 60 x 20 in. | Motor size: 2.0 CHP | Max weight capacity: 300 lbs | Max speed: 12 mph | Max incline: 10%
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How to shop for treadmills
First and foremost, your treadmill should be durable and powerful enough for your needs, especially if you are serious about getting your cardio in, according to our experts. After that, “focus on the four ‘size’ considerations: size of you, size of anyone else using it, size of your home and size of your budget,” says Hayes. Finally, decide how many settings and high-tech features you need for an effective, enjoyable workout.
Motor size
Measured in CHP (Continuous Horsepower), the size of the motor not only dictates how fast your treadmill can go, but how much weight it can support and how long it will last with regular use, according to our experts. For walking, a CHP of 2.0 will suffice, but Hayes recommends a minimum of 3.0 for occasional jogging and 3.5 or above for intensive running.
Size and weight
Before purchasing any piece of exercise equipment, shoppers should always check the dimensions and weight capacity to ensure that it suits their space and their body. Ideally, you want to find a treadmill that hits the sweet spot between sturdy and practical, according to our experts.
- Overall size: A larger treadmill may be more powerful — but if it’s too big for your home, it may end up in the garage, lowering the chances that you’ll use it, says Hayes. For those with a designated home gym, bulky dimensions may not be a nonissue, but compact, folding or under-desk treadmills are a better option for those with less space, according to our experts.
- Deck size: The deck is the walking or running surface underneath the treadmill belt. Longer deck sizes are beneficial for runners, while walkers can utilize deck sizes on the longer or shorter end, says Gallucci. If you’re a serious runner over 6 feet tall, you may want a deck that’s at least 60 inches long and 22 inches wide, but otherwise, a slimmer, 55-inch-long deck should suit most users, according to our experts.
- Weight capacity: Always check the maximum weight capacity of a machine to ensure that it can support your body weight and the body weight of anyone else who may use it. You shouldn’t experience any bouncing of the machine while walking or running, says Stroot.
Speed settings
Most treadmills have at least a few speed settings (measured in miles per hour), so you can walk, jog or run at varying intensities. For reference, the compact walking treadmill on our list has a maximum speed of 4 miles an hour, while the motorized running treadmills go as fast as 12.5 miles per hour. The more speed settings a treadmill has, the more you can customize the workout to your needs, according to our experts.
Incline settings
Measured in degrees, the incline adjusts the running deck so it’s tilted upward, which simulates the feeling of running uphill and makes your workout more challenging, according to our experts. “Incline training is popular among many treadmill users, as it allows the user to vary his or her workout,” says Mike Ellingboe, a senior store manager and fitness consultant for Johnson Fitness & Wellness, a retailer that sells treadmills. Typical inclines range from 0 to 15 percent, but some go higher or have negative declines to mimic outdoor climbs and descents, says Ellingboe.
Connectivity and other tech
“Many treadmills come with connectivity features so the user can manage their workout experience and personalize it to his or her workout goals,” says Ellingboe. Consoles with metric tracking may monitor your speed, time, distance, calories burned and heart rate, while Bluetooth, Wi-Fi connectivity or USB ports help you sync your trackers and fitness apps for further monitoring. Finally, a built-in screen can keep you entertained during your workout, and some even stream live and on-demand classes, says Stroot.
Budget and warranty
The best machine for you isn’t necessarily the most expensive one. Since a treadmill is only effective if you use it, you may benefit more from a practical, portable option that fits into your budget and lifestyle, says Hayes. Additionally, while high-tech features are nice to have, you can often achieve a similar effect using your phone, a device mount and an inexpensive wearable, according to our experts. Finally, “treadmills are expensive to buy but also to maintain,” says Hayes, so if possible, opt for a warranty that may save you money on expensive repairs down the line.
How to use a treadmill safely
To prevent injury while using a treadmill, our experts recommend that you choose a deck that’s long enough to accommodate your stride lengths and place your treadmill in an area with clearance on all sides. Instead of stepping off of a moving treadmill, let the belt come to a stop before you get off. Many models also have a safety key that you can pull to stop the belt if you fall.
“No matter which brand of walking treadmill you buy, I recommend avoiding ones with a built-in desk/table,” says Hayes. “The built-in desk makes it almost impossible to get the proper ergonomic setup which can result in neck, shoulder, or wrist injuries,” says Hayes.
Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- John Gallucci Jr., MS, ATC, PT, DPT, is a physical therapist and the CEO of JAG Physical Therapy.
- Andrew Hayes is a certified personal trainer and the founder and head of lifestyle at Alta Coaching.
- Dr. Elizabeth Stroot is a physical therapist and founder and CEO of Core Wellness & Physical Therapy.
- Mike Ellingboe is a senior store manager and fitness consultant for Johnson Fitness & Wellness, a fitness retailer with over 475 stores worldwide.
Why trust NBC Select?
Maria Cassano is an e-commerce writer, editor and consultant who has been writing about and reviewing products since 2015. You can find her wellness content in dozens of publications, such as Bustle, CNN, Food & Wine, The Daily Beast, Mic and Elite Daily. To inform this article, she interviewed four experts who specialize in fitness and fitness equipment.
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