With all due respect to machines all across the cardio deck, the treadmill is the largely undisputed ruler of cardio machines for a reason. It’s functional, it’s convenient. You can use them for relaxed exercise that barely feels like a workout or you can use them for high-intensity training that will leave you dripping with sweat. The only question that remains while you’re building your home cardio palace is: What is the best place to buy a treadmill?

Of course, you’re not just investing in any treadmill — you’re choosing amongst the best treadmills, so it stands to reason that you should invest in a quality retailer or other company to get the goods. Here at BarBend, we’ve tested over 40 of the greatest treadmills money can buy, so we know all about the best places to buy them. Read on for treadmill-buying advice from certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto, CPT, CSNC, CPS to find out where to make your next cardio purchase.

Where Should I Buy a Good Quality Treadmill?

Before you purchase a treadmill, there’s a lot you’ve got to consider. How much free space is available for your treadmill? How much money is in your treadmill budget? Do you have fitness goals that require your treadmill to have certain features that go above and beyond the norm? The answers to these questions can determine whether you turn to Best Buy, Life Fitness, or even if you search on Craigslist!

Regardless of the factors that guide your selection, Amanda Capritto CPT, CSNC, CPS — one of our BarBend fitness equipment experts — affirms that a treadmill is an excellent piece of exercise equipment to have in reserve for a rainy day (or any day, really).

“Even if you don’t use a treadmill daily, it’s a great item to have for instances in which you can’t or don’t want to walk or run outside, such as in bad weather, when the sun sets earlier in the day, or you can’t get to a safe route,” insists Capritto. 

Reputable Treadmill Retailers

You’re ready to buy, but you don’t know from where. When you’re considering what makes a treadmill manufacturer or retailer reputable, there is a degree to which your ethics may influence your choices about equipment providers. Depending on what you consider to be important about a company and its business practices, you may choose to consider any or all of the following things:

A wide selection of available treadmills to evaluate

A reputation for product quality and durability

Many thorough and thoughtfully written positive reviews

Evidence of sound and ethical environmental or labor practices

Whether the retailer or manufacturer is BIPOC- and/or women-owned

The length and quality of the warranties offered 

Convenient maintenance or product delivery options

Every manufacturer or retailer listed here has a reputation for some combination of quality, variety, service, and convenience. You’re encouraged to thoroughly research each treadmill source to identify which of them offers the package that most closely aligns with what you prioritize.

NordicTrack

Known for making some of the greatest treadmills on earth, NordicTrack is also owned by iFIT Inc. This means that NordicTrack treadmills arrive with iFIT personal training software capabilities contained within their hardware. 

Our tester walking at tallest incline on the NordicTrack X22i

Check out our full NordicTrack Commercial X22i Treadmill Review.

SOLE Fitness

The best SOLE treadmills may either be folding or non-folding treadmills, which all include access to the SOLE+ training app. This provides instant access to hundreds of training programs, making this a solid choice for newer athletes who want to be guided through their workouts.

Our tester using the incline on the Sole F80.

Check out our full Sole F80 Treadmill Review. 

Horizon Fitness

Horizon offers a range of treadmills from budget models to an upscale studio series. All models come with intuitive features, like dials that make it very easy to modify speeds and inclines via the hand controls. 

Our tester runs on a Horizon 7.0 AT Treadmill

Check out our full Horizon 7.0 AT Treadmill Review.

ProForm

Also owned by iFIT, ProForm treadmills have the same iFIT compatibility as their sister company NordicTrack. ProForm treadmills also have a reputation for comparatively lower price points and uniform foldability.

Our tester unfolding the ProForm Pro 9000 treadmill

Check out our full ProForm Pro 9000 Treadmill Review.

Life Fitness

Life Fitness offers industrial-grade treadmills that tend to be the pinnacle of durability. On the other hand, they are also prohibitively expensive, with prices for new models usually starting at $3,000 and reaching as high as $12,000.

Echelon

Echelon treadmills usually occupy the mid-range of treadmill price points, with their products typically falling between $1,000 and $2,000, coming with easy foldability and moderate durability.

BarBend editorial member and certified personal trainer, Kate Meier, walking on her Echelon Stride.

Check out our full Echelon Treadmill Review.

Sunny Health & Fitness

Sunny’s treadmills offer tons of options that can fulfill any requirement or price range, from a $179 manual treadmill and simple walking pads that are short on conditioning and tread, to premium treadmills that exceed $3,000 each. They are also a great place to find some of the best under-desk treadmills when you’re on a budget.

Costco/Sam’s Club

Whether you’re shopping online or in their brick-and-mortar stores, Costco and Sam’s Club frequently have at least one or two high-performing treadmills that may be just slightly outdated, but available at steep discounts for their members. This makes these stores a great place to look for some of the best budget treadmills.

Amazon

If you’re looking for an abundance of cheap home treadmill options to choose from, Amazon offers a little bit of everything, including remote-controlled under-desk treadmills. Sometimes, they’ll run you in the multiple thousands; but other times, you can find something more accommodating to a tighter wallet.

Our tester on the Sunny Health and Fitness SF-T4400.

Best Buy

Best Buy is known for offering high-quality treadmills that might be one or two generations old at discounted prices. Moreover, they provide you with an opportunity to view the treadmills personally before you make a purchase — not something we always get in such an online world.

Craigslist

Can you actually get good treadmills on Craigslist? It’s possible— you’ll just want to exercise due diligence. Make sure you’re asking to see the brand names on the item and a full array of photos if they’re not already featured. You want to know, as best as possible, exactly what you’re buying. 

So if you’re not fussy about cosmetic damage and maybe a little wear and tear, Craigslist can help you find people who are hoping to unload worthwhile treadmills at steep discounts, often just to free up space.

OfferUp

If you want access to people in your vicinity who are getting rid of their fitness equipment (or anything else, really) at steep discounts, OfferUp is one of the best places to turn to. Just be prepared to go pick up the treadmill yourself.

Our tester on a treadmill in a garage gym.

As with Craigslist, you can’t always be absolutely certain which model you’re getting, even if you can see the brand — the owner may just not remember, or may not share the information. If you’ve got needs around the machine’s weight capacity or other specs, you’ll want to be extra diligent about finding out which model you’re bringing home.

Treadmill Buying Guide: What to Look for When You’re Buying a Treadmill

In principle, the treadmill is a simple piece of gym equipment. It’s a cardio machine with a running surface that moves, either powered by a motor or with propulsive power generated by the user — aka, a manual treadmill. 

In practice, a whole lot is going on within the treadmill in terms of its size, its functionality, who it was designed to service, and how it came into existence. All of these can factor into which treadmill you bring home.

Price

The price of a treadmill reflects everything from the abundance of features and workout programs it offers to its size and durability, even extending to the reputation of its manufacturer. That said, just because a treadmill has a higher price does not mean it’s automatically the right treadmill for you. Also, honing in on a treadmill with a lower price tag may save you from paying for flashy features you simply don’t need. 

Our tester using a steep incline on the NordicTrack Commercial X22i.

“Budget-friendly treadmills specifically provide access to exercise for A) individuals with a lower income who know they are ready to commit to exercise and B) individuals at any income level to test the waters in this exercise category without spending thousands of dollars on a machine they may end up not using,” explains Capritto.

Check out our list of the best treadmills under $1,000.

Environmental Impact & Labor Practices

If you’re environmentally conscious or careful about only supporting companies with relatively ethical labor practices, there are still treadmills that can meet your standards. For instance, SportsArt treadmills are made domestically and include products that capture the energy generated by your workout and convert it into utility-grade electricity. In layperson’s terms, they make pretty eco-friendly machines. Less brand specifically, manual treadmills also reduce environmental impact simply by not requiring electricity to work.

Horsepower

An often overlooked treadmill characteristic is how much torque it can consistently deliver to your training, and how long it can sustain its uppermost speed. You wouldn’t expect a minivan to match a sports car’s acceleration, maneuverability, or top speed. Similarly, you also want to ensure that your treadmill can handle every element of the workout routine you intend to put it through. 

A person running on a treadmill.

“For the motor, continuous horsepower (CHP) is ideal, and runners who train at a high volume will want to look for a CHP of 3.0,” explains Capritto. “If you’re looking to save some dough, you’re likely going to be shopping for treadmills with a CHP of 1.75 to 2.5, since a lower-powered motor is less expensive. Still, these numbers will allow you to walk and jog a few times a week without issue.” 

Running Deck Size

All of the attractive amenities in the world won’t put you at ease if you’re constantly wary of stumbling or falling off of it. This is why the dimensions of your treadmill’s running deck are so important. Running on a treadmill of sufficient length and width will allow you to train without the nerves that you might trip, stumble, slide, and injure yourself.

The belt deck of the AssaultRunner Elite.

“People who intend to run or sprint on their treadmill should look for a running deck of at least 60 inches in length,” advises Capritto. “Walkers and joggers can get away with shorter decks, unless they are really tall individuals. Fifty to 55 inches can usually cut it for walking and light jogging. Regardless of length, a comfortable width is between 16 and 20 inches. A padded deck can be helpful for individuals with joint pain.”

Check out our guide to the best cushioned treadmills.

Incline Capabilities 

No matter what attracts you to the idea of training on an angle, walking or running on an incline adds to the challenge of your workouts. This can shorten your workout and make it more efficient while improving your running economy and greatly increasing leg muscle activation. (1)(2)

Our tester on the Sole ST90.

“If you’re training for something specific, like a hike or an outdoor 10K, you’ll probably want incline capabilities to better mimic the outside world…You will likely need to shell out additional cash for a machine that can mimic downhill running,” says Capritto.

Programming & Tech

You might be able to determine if your workout is challenging you enough simply by feeling your way through it, but why should you need to when you have access to precise workout information? Many modern treadmills have Wi-Fi connectivity and streaming training programs like iFIT. And, even if you think you don’t need it, the ability to binge your favorite Netflix series from your treadmill’s touchscreen may help to ease you through your workouts on some days.

A NordicTrack treadmill screen in the testing center.

“Look for, at a minimum, an LCD console that displays your current speed, time elapsed or time remaining, and distance covered,” says Capritto. “Additional perks include Bluetooth compatibility so you can get a more accurate heart-rate reading on-screen (the handheld optical heart rate monitors on treadmills are notoriously inaccurate).”

Warranty

You need to be very careful when evaluating a treadmill warranty — different treadmill parts are likely to have different warranties. On average, a treadmill will have a frame warranty of about 10 years, a motor warranty of 5 years, and a warranty on parts ranging from 3 to 5 years. You’ll need to pay close attention, though; some great warranties last a lifetime, but others may last as little as just a single year.

Reviews

It’s reassuring to see that the treadmill you’re eyeing has a slew of four- and five-star reviews, but to determine their true value, the devil is in the details. For example, if you’re planning to place your treadmill in your carpeted living room, you must find at least one review that evaluates how that treadmill performs on a carpeted surface. 

Our technician demonstrates how to fix a Nordic treadmill.

Of course, here at BarBend, our team of experts aims to give you exactly that kind of information for all of the hundreds of pieces of equipment we test and review.

Brand

It’s quite possible that your dream treadmill can come from a small, white-label sporting goods manufacturer that you’ve never heard of before. All the same, there’s a reason most of the major treadmill brands have been able to develop and sustain themselves over time. Usually, this is owed to some combination of quality, reliability, and ingenuity. Therefore, if you lean toward the treadmills offered by the major brands first, no one will blame you.

Availability

It’s often said that the best workout is the workout that you’re actually going to do consistently. Well, when it comes to treadmills, the best treadmill is going to be the best treadmill that you’re willing to use that is actually available. While you may be holding out for your favorite manufacturer to produce more of your favorite model so that you can own one, you’re probably better off with the next-best model that you can bring home and start running on today.

FAQs: Best Place to Buy a Treadmill

References

Ferley DD, Osborn RW, Vukovich MD. The effects of incline and level-grade high-intensity interval treadmill training on running economy and muscle power in well-trained distance runners. J Strength Cond Res. 2014 May;28(5):1298-309. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000274. PMID: 24172721.

Franz JR, Kram R. The effects of grade and speed on leg muscle activations during walking. Gait Posture. 2012 Jan;35(1):143-7. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2011.08.025. Epub 2011 Oct 2. PMID: 21962846; PMCID: PMC3262943.

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