Buying a treadmill is a big commitment. Even the more affordable models are pricey. They take up a lot of space, and if you’ve ever come across a busted belt or a broken screen, you know how frustrating they can be. That being said, having a cardio machine in your house that works makes exercising so much more convenient. I definitely run more (and stick to my marathon training plans better) throughout the winter months because of various treadmills I’ve had at home over the years. They can also make interval training a bit easier, and help you practice hills if you don’t have access to much challenging incline outside.
If you’re in the market for one, you probably know there are tons of options at all kinds of price ranges out there, and it can be hard to know what’s really worth splurging on. To help you narrow down your search, we tested all the treads below, seeing how they held up through countless long distance runs, hill workouts, and sprinting intervals. Here’s what you should keep in mind as you shop, and our top picks for the best treadmills of 2024. Don’t see anything you like? Don’t forget to check out the rest of our buying guides, including the Best Action Cameras and the Best Sunglasses.
Table of Contents
- How to Pick a Treadmill
- Best Overall: NordicTrack 1750 Commercial
- Best for Hill Training: Bowflex Treadmill 22
- Best Midrange Treadmill: Horizon Fitness 7.0 AT Treadmill
- Best Budget Treadmill: Sunny Health & Fitness Foldable Auto Incline Treadmill
- Best Streaming Workouts: Peloton Tread
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How to Pick a Treadmill
Of course, budget will probably be the biggest factor. Beyond that, here are a few other things that you might want to consider in your search:
- How much space do you have? Most companies recommend that you leave at least two feet of clearance on either side of the treadmill and six feet behind, in case you fly off while running at high speeds.
- What is the machine’s weight capacity?
- Which metrics do you want to measure? Do you want to measure pace, distance, or heart rate? Do you want a built-in display or do you have your own wrist computer?
- Do you want built-in fitness programming, or do you have your own workout plan?
- Do you need a machine that you can all-out sprint on, or one that will allow you to practice running on steep inclines and declines?
Best Overall
In SNL’s Stefon’s voice: This treadmill has everything. A solid top speed of 12 mph (a roughly five-minute per mile pace), incline and decline options, a springy running deck, fans, a 16-inch pivoting touchscreen you can use to stream shows, and two water bottle holders. Not only is this a durable, well-built machine, it has some seriously cool features in terms of programming. NordicTrack uses iFIT, which features a library of 10,000 workouts, including running, walking, hiking, and even off-tread activities like strength training and yoga. (You’ll need a subscription to access the majority of the workouts—there are two options at $15 or $40 a month.) You can follow a trainer through gorgeous mountain and beach landscapes, and you can opt to have the treadmill automatically adjust your speed and incline throughout the workout.
Another feature, called Smart Adjust, will tweak the speed and incline to match your fitness level over time, based on changes you made in your past workouts. Using the free wearable monitor that comes with the tread, your machine can track your heart rate, and Active Pulse can also auto-adjust your workout’s intensity to keep you in your ideal heart rate zones throughout. Even the fans can adjust automatically during workouts to give you more breeze when you’re really suffering. If you like workout variety and following along with digital training—versus running your own workouts—you’ll get a lot out of this treadmill.
When I tested the 1750, I was following a training plan for the Kerlingarfjöll Ultra, a trail series held in the Highlands region of Iceland, in which I was running the 22 km race. I did a lot of my own workouts on this tread, and it was well suited for manual training, too. I used it to do several interval sessions, and I appreciated how quickly it moved between speeds. You can change the speed and incline manually via up/down buttons on the front of the machine under the screen, and by pressing numbered buttons on the sides of the screen.
I would have loved to have the option of speed and incline dials for quicker and easier adjusting, but the buttons worked well enough. The fans are well-placed. The deck on the 1750 was also bouncier underfoot than other treads I’ve tested (in a good way). I got a good energy return without feeling unstable. It was also lighter and easier to fold and move around than many of the other options I tested, though still not exactly easy for me at 5’4”. The 1750 also just looks and feels really nice, even though it’s by no means the most expensive option out there. It’s the one I wanted to keep coming back to for workouts.
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