How to Find the Best Treadmills

A treadmill is one of the best fitness investments you can build for your home. It allows you to exercise at your own pace without worrying about the weather and the commute to the gym.

A good treadmill is an excellent tool for tracking your fitness performance. A treadmill is an essential item for anyone who is training for a marathon or simply wanting to maintain their fitness level.

1. Motor Vehicles

When looking for a treadmill, opt for one with a powerful motor. If you intend to run more than 20 miles per week and doing intense interval training, you should choose one that has an unstoppable 3.0 horsepower motor with a deck that's 60 inches long. If you're a beginner or simply want to walk or jog on occasion, consider a more compact model that has a 1.75-2.5 horsepower motor.

Choose if you would like an intelligent treadmill that has a touchscreen as well as virtual classes, a console, or a simple model without one. Some models can be folded to make it easier to store.

The Peloton Treadmill is a sophisticated treadmill that has a sleek design with an impressive range features. It's more expensive than our top pick however it offers an effortless running experience with a user-friendly touchscreen and a wide range of workouts available on-demand from live and virtual instructors. The controls for incline, which are located on the handrails, make it easy to adjust speed and inclines during exercise. Unfortunately, the cups are the only ones available and are only able to hold water bottles. There's no fan on this treadmill.

Another treadmill to consider is the NordicTrack Commercial 2450. It's a bit less expensive than the Peloton Treadmill, but it has a good set of features. Its iFit integration allows you to access a wide range of virtual workouts from trainers across the globe. You'll need a subscription to access the app, which is free for 30 days and costs $39 per month after that. The treadmill comes with an interactive touchscreen of 22 inches as well as a cushioned deck. It has the maximum speed of 12 mph and has an incline range of between -3% and 15 percent for a more challenging workout.

2. Design

As with any piece of fitness equipment, the way in which a treadmill is designed is important. If you're preparing for a challenging outdoor race it is recommended to choose an exercise machine with the highest incline settings that mimic the terrain of the outdoors. If you love to follow the workout class, look for models that feature a large screen and iFIT compatibility which allows you to access classes that are studio-style as well as virtual coach programs. Explore the World scenic runs and other off-treadmill exercises.

Other design elements we consider include responsive speed and incline controls (on the handrails as well as the lower console) that adjust to your needs without needing to use the touchscreen, simple buttons, and a slick interface. We also take into consideration whether the treadmill is foldable and if it is the case, how long it will take to do so. We also look at whether the treadmill has to be put together and if it's a quick and painless process.

3. Technology

The technology used in treadmills can make a huge difference in how easy the machines are to use and whether they are prone to glitches. We look at touchscreens and intuitive controls, user-friendly interfaces and other tech features when evaluating a treadmill in this category. We also consider if treadmills are portable and folds with the touch of a button, which could be crucial for those who often move their treadmills around their homes or need to fit them in tight space.

We were impressed with the Nordictrack 1250 treadmill's responsive speed and incline adjustment based on past workouts, its long belt and comfortable cushioning, and the iFIT integration that provides access to virtual coaches, studio-style classes, Explore the World scenic runs, and off-treadmill training options (though it did occasionally have issues with Bluetooth connectivity). The treadmill was highly rated due to its 22" color touchscreen that has sharp, eye-catching graphics and the iFIT compatibility.

The ProForm Carbon T10 is another treadmill that scores high. With 10" screen, it offers live streaming and on-demand iFIT running, walking and jogging videos. We love the ergonomically-placed buttons that allow for rapid adjustments as well as the iFIT integration, which lets you to stream workouts via Zwift or Hulu Max with a subscription. The only issue is that there's no USB or headphone ports.

4. Comfort

The best treadmills should be comfortable for the people who use them. People with larger bodies and longer strides could be more concerned about the size of the deck, as well as the amount of space it provides to walk or run. Others might be more concerned with ergonomic features, such as well-placed controls for speed and incline. We also searched for additional features that make it a pleasure to use the machine, such as front-facing speakers and an USB charging port, a small cooling fan, as well as plenty of places to store your water bottle or other accessories.

We also considered the storage capacity of each treadmill, since not everyone has space in their homes for an entire treadmill. Fortunately, the majority of treadmills we tested fold up or have support arms to reduce their footprint when not in use. We evaluated the ease with which the machines could fold and store away and how long it took to set up, and whether they were easy to move on solid surfaces.

If you are planning to run lots of hills outdoors, you must take into consideration the maximum incline. This feature is important since it will allow you to prepare for more difficult outdoor climbs.

In terms of the technology on each treadmill, we looked for touchscreens that respond and easy to use during training, as well as an user-friendly interface. We also considered the design of the treadmill, and whether it was compatible with fitness apps that are made by third parties. This helped us decide which treadmills had the right features to justify its price. Having a quality home treadmill can eliminate the hurdles of weather or expensive gym memberships, and can increase your motivation to stay in shape.

5. Safety

If not handled correctly, a treadmill could be risky. It's a large and heavy machine that has a belt that can move at speeds of up to 10 or 12 miles per hour. Anyone who uses treadmills for walking and running should be careful not to lean on the hand rails since this could cause a loss of balance and cause injury. A cluttered space around the treadmill could also cause tripping hazards so it's important to keep it clean and clutter-free during use as well as storage.

The best treadmills will have security features like an adjustable safety magnet that is that is attached to the belt. The magnet will detach and stop the belt immediately in the event that a runner is unable to maintain balance. This feature could prevent serious injuries to the runner and other users. Treadmills at gyms are usually equipped with this technology, and home users ought to consider purchasing one to reduce the amount of accidents that occur when exercising at home equipment.

It's important that you listen for the "beep" when the treadmill belt starts moving. Do not jump off before the belt has stopped. Many people make the mistake of jumping off the treadmill before the belt has stopped. This can result in serious injuries. Also, make sure to familiarize yourself with the location of the emergency shut-off button is and how to use it.

It's important to ensure that the treadmill is turned off and unplugged when you're done with it. This will decrease the risk of accidental use by visitors or children. It is also possible to keep it in a separate location with an open space above and around it to stop other people from getting it in the wrong way.