Treadmills come with a wide variety of features as well as price tags. We hit the running deck to select the best treadmills for your needs and budget.
If you’re in the market for a home treadmill there are a number of factors to consider. Your budget is obviously a major one, and your available space is another. But are you looking for a treadmill with an incline feature for hill training? Do you want on-demand content and classes? Or how about gamification to appease your competitive streak? Or do you just want a pure, simple, unadulterated running experience? Our pick of the best treadmills below address all these considerations, so read on and pick your perfect treadmill.
What is the best treadmill?
It’s hard to look beyond the Peloton Tread as the best treadmill available in 2024. The quality of its hardware is second to none and the range of workouts and instructors accessible on its large touchscreen is mind-boggling. If it weren’t for that steep price plus the membership fee, it’d be nailed on for five stars.
Other treadmill recommendations
| Best treadmill for small spaces | Though some treadmills like the Mobvoi are foldable, they don’t fold flat. That’s where the Echelon Stride Auto Folding Treadmill comes into its own, allowing it to be stored out of the way when not in use. |
| Best treadmill design | The sumptuous curves of the American Weights Curved Wooden Treadmill are a refreshing change from all the sleek black functional designs. It’s curved, screen-free design offers the purest, most comfortable running experience too. |
| Best budget treadmill | With every other treadmill on this list priced north of four figures, the Mobvoi Home Treadmill Incline stands out as excellent value. It’s by no means a budget build either, and its 15% incline is the best on test. |
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1. Peloton Tread
Men’s Fitness verdict
It’s hard to fault the hardware, and the range of instructors and workouts is seemingly endless. If you can take the cost on the chin, you’ll have one of the best cardio machines going.- Lots of varied instructors
- Good range of workouts
- Large, clear touchscreen
- No custom mode
- Expensive even before membership cost
With the Tread, Peloton’s move into the running space looks like it’ll be a runaway success. With its vast array of on-demand content, it’s not just something to run on: it’s a whole new workout world. There’s all the motivation and support you could want from instructor-led workouts. Or you can opt for scenic or guided runs – as well as bootcamps, interval runs, weighted workouts, yoga classes and much more.
We really like the auto incline feature, which adjusts the deck incline to match the session underway. The large touchscreen is also crisp and responsive, with excellent sounding speakers as well as Bluetooth connectivity. If you’re looking for an all-in-one alternative to gym membership, we don’t think you can get much better than the Peloton Tread.
- Read our full Peloton Tread review
2. Mobvoi Home Treadmill Incline
Men’s Fitness verdict
The smartwatch syncing is something of a gamechanger and, combined with its incline feature and competitive price, makes the Mobvoi Incline well worth seeking out, though the deck is a little cramped.- Substantial 15% incline
- Live data streamed to smartwatches
- Quiet 3HP motor
- Compact folding design
- Comparatively small running deck
- Max speed only 14kmph
- Doesn’t fold flat
Despite being what on paper looks like a ‘budget’ alternative, the Mobvoi Home Treadmill Incline punches well above its weight. It boasts a 15% incline feature – matched here only by the BowFlex BXT8Ji – and a compact, semi-foldable footprint.
The standout feature for us though is the Mobvoi’s ability to livestream data direct from your smartwatch so you’ve got useful stats such as heart rate and calories burned right in front of you. The Mobvoi reciprocates by sending workout data such as steps and distance to your wearable too. Given that the Mobvoi is at least half the price of any other treadmill on test, it’s an easy one for us to recommend.
- Read our full Mobvoi Home Treadmill Incline review
3. American Weights Curved Wooden Treadmill
Men’s Fitness verdict
American Weights’ treadmill oozes class and will elevate any home studio. Don’t expect touchscreen programmes or gamification – this is for the unadulterated joy of running, pure and simple.- Striking design
- Curved belt reduces impact on body
- Provides a better cardio workout than most treadmills
- Encourages a more natural running style
- Expensive
- No set programmes
- You can’t change resistance
The American Weights Curved Wooden Treadmill is a different beast altogether from the other treadmills here. Its svelte wooden curves wouldn’t look out of place in a penthouse apartment (though they might in a dusty garage) and the curved deck surface provides a less impactful, more natural way to run.
The fact that it’s an unpowered deck means you’ll spend more energy and therefore get a more effective cardio workout. There’s no touchscreen or interactivity – this is a treadmill for those who like to get lost in the simple pleasure of running.
- Read our full American Weights Curved Wooden Treadmill review
4. Echelon Stride Auto Folding Treadmill
Men’s Fitness verdict
You’ll need your own screen, the Echelon app and subscription if you want live content but overall it’s a good value folding treadmill ideal for those with limited space.- Good value
- Folds flat
- Quick adjustment
- No screen
- Costly subscription fee
- Limited top speed
If space it as a premium at home, you need a treadmill with a compact footprint that folds down flat. That’s where the Echelon Stride comes in. It folds down automatically to a size that can fit flush up against a wall or even under some beds, with a height of just 10in / 25.4cm. Despite this, the Stride gives you access to live and on-demand classes from the Echelon Fit app – you just need to bring your own screen.
Take part in the interactive leaderboards with family and friends or just sync the Stride to your third-party apps of choice. However you use it, Echelon’s treadmill is one of the most convenient and user-friendly ones around.
- Read our full Echelon Stride Auto Folding Treadmill review
5. BowFlex BXT8Ji Treadmill
Men’s Fitness verdict
The Bowflex BXT8Ji is great value and does the important stuff really well, with the option to use your own screen and the optional JRNY app for a more engaging experience.- Good value with 2-month JRNY membership
- Solid performance and useful 15% incline
- User-friendly with 26 workout programs
- Display is fairly basic
- Noise levels might limit use in shared spaces
BowFlex has eschewed superfluous tech to keep the price of its BXT8Ji treadmill decent value. Instead it’s concentrated on core functionality and ease of use – opting for solid, dependable functionality over bells and whistles. Still, there are 26 workout programs to keep you engaged.
Of course, you can connect your own digital device to the JRNY app if you want to get more involved. There’s a useful incline feature, giving you gradients up to 15% to work on your hill reps. And BowFlex’s clever hydraulic system folds the unit down, making it easier to move.
- Read our full BowFlex BXT8Ji Treamill review
How we test the best treadmills
Our product testers have years of experience testing and reviewing all kinds of fitness gear and products, from apparel and nutrition to watches to high-end home gym equipment. They applied the same rigorous process to testing the best treadmills as they would to any other fitness tech, using each product for at least a month and using the entire range of features – including incline settings, watch or heart rate monitor syncing and on-demand classes. They then marked each treadmill for features, build quality, ease of use (including portability and storage) and value – before formulating an overall score.
