At long last, you’ve decided to purchase a major piece of cardio equipment to ensure that you always have access to a heart-healthy workout within the comfort of your own home gym. After securing the best treadmill you could find, it occurs to you that you need to identify the best place to put it. All you really know is that you need a non-slip surface, which seems to rule out your home’s laminate floors and hardwood floors.
Once you narrow things down, your carpeted living room is starting to sound like a good spot. However, a question springs into your mind: Can you put a treadmill on carpet? The truth is there are a lot of factors that can make you regret putting your treadmill on a carpet without some additional protection. In this piece, we’ll answer the question of whether you should put a treadmill on carpet and discuss the best ways to protect your cardio machine and home flooring.
So, Should You Put a Treadmill on Carpet?
Certainly you can put a treadmill on carpet, but the real question is should you? The short answer is: “Not if you can help it.”
BarBend expert reviewer and certified personal trainer Kate Meier suggests avoiding placing a treadmill on carpet, “especially if you have a thick or shag carpet.” She continues, “If you have a very thin carpet or rug, you may be able to use it, but beware that it’s not recommended.”
Our tester on the ProForm Carbon TLX.
There are myriad reasons as to why a carpet is not the best place to put a treadmill — or any exercise equipment, for that matter. Placing a treadmill on a carpeted surface might damage the treadmill, compromise the quality of your workout, and even ruin the carpet. A better option would be PVC flooring, which is a common surface in most commercial gyms due to its durability and flexibility.
Aside from having all of your floors completely resurfaced with PVC flooring, the most cost-effective measure is usually a rubber mat. Specifically, you should look into buying a treadmill mat, like those made by brands like SuperMats. The best treadmill mats feature similar materials to what you’ll find on many gym floors, are often available on Amazon, and can help dampen the impact of footfalls on a treadmill.
Risks of Placing a Treadmill on Carpet
It’s understandable to think that a carpet would be a perfect place to put your new NordicTrack or Peloton treadmill. One might think carpet provides a natural cushioning that can dampen the impact of your feet and do less damage to the treadmill than a hard surface. The truth, though, is that you should always insert a treadmill mat between the treadmill and the floor — carpeted or otherwise — so that none of the following problems can ruin your workout, your treadmill, or your carpet.
Indentations
Carpets shouldn’t be looked at as a form of floor protection. Even if it’s made from the highest quality of materials, it’s not designed to bounce back from the magnified force that is driven into it by each foot strike that smashes down upon the treadmill while you run. (1) This can result in indentations in the carpeting that are often permanent.
“First of all, a heavy machine will absolutely take a toll on your carpet,” says BarBend expert reviewer Kate Meier, a certified personal trainer. “At best, there are indentations that take a while to bounce back. At worst, you’ll see tears, rips, possible stains, and even burns.”
Uneven Surface
Whether you are using one of the best under-desk treadmills or a commercial machine with multiple points of contact with the floor, it’s possible for carpet fibers to bunch up unevenly beneath it. When this happens, it can cause muscle imbalances as you run on a subtle slant. It can also be problematic for your treadmill belt.
BarBend’s Jake Herod cranking up the incline on a NordicTrack treadmill.
“If your treadmill is uneven, first of all, it may not be safe to run on,” cautions Meier. “Even if there isn’t a noticeable unevenness, it’s more likely that the belt will start becoming uneven as it rotates around the deck, causing potential damage and even an unsafe running surface for you.”
Overheating
Carpet can be rich in fibers and dander, which means it can attract additional debris to the inner workings of many types of cardio equipment. Treadmills are more susceptible to this debris than most ellipticals and rowing machines since they tend to have more moving parts and machinery in their design. Over time, circulating debris can creep into a treadmill’s motor, belt, and circuitry, creating friction that can lead to overheating.
Our tester walking on the Goplus 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill.
Some treadmill brands even make disclosures about their tendency to overheat when placed on carpeting. For instance, the GoPlus 2-in-1 treadmill arrives with an explicit warning that it should not be placed on carpet due to the fact that it will likely overheat. In some cases, using a treadmill on carpet can void its warranty.
Benefits of Treadmill Mats
“An easy fix is to put a treadmill mat between the machine and the carpet,” says Barbend expert reviewer and certified personal trainer Kate Meier. “This eliminates most concerns.” This simple prescription can turn back almost every threat posed to your treadmill by carpeting. However, even if you have no carpeting in your abode whatsoever, there are still advantages to be had by placing your treadmill squarely on a protective mat.
Floor Protection
Protecting your treadmill from the floor is one thing, but protecting your floor from the treadmill is also something to consider. A concrete floor might offer a sturdy, non-slip surface, but over time even a hard floor is likely to show scuffs, scratches, and dents from having the treadmill’s points of contact repeatedly driven into it. Treadmill mats protect both your treadmill and the floor.
Puzzle flooring is often made from EVA foam, which provides a thick cushion
If you’re looking for more than just a thick mat, however, check out our list of the best home gym flooring, which includes several solutions for ensuring your floors are protected against treadmills, dumbbells, rowers, and other types of gym equipment.
“Prioritizing proper gym flooring in your home gym means protecting your home,” says Barbend expert reviewer Amanda Capritto, a certified personal trainer. “By simply installing some rubber mats or tiles, you can minimize the risk of cracking concrete or causing other damage to your home’s foundation.”
Protects Your Treadmill
Carpet fibers may function as perfect magnets for the collection of dust and dander, but they can accumulate anywhere. Thankfully, a protective mat can reduce the likelihood that any of these troublesome obstructions take residence in your treadmill and pose a threat to its functionality.
Dampen Noise
A quality treadmill mat has the ability to spread the impact from your feet on the treadmill belt over a wider surface area. This redistribution of force is already an effective mechanism for physically protecting your treadmill’s structure. However, an additional benefit of this is that the noise caused by the pounding of your feet are also evenly spread out, which dampens the noise in the process. (2)
FAQs: Can You Put a Treadmill on Carpet?
Should you put something under a treadmill on carpet?
We strongly encourage placing a treadmill mat between your treadmill and your carpet. Doing so can protect your flooring, prevent debris from compromising your treadmill’s machinery, and maintain a level training surface.
What surface should a treadmill be on?
A treadmill should sit on a flat, durable surface that can absorb impact, while protecting both the treadmill and the floor in the process. A dense, foldable floor mat is recommended. While a yoga mat is often a thicker mat than a treadmill mat — which is often only 6 millimeters thick — a dedicated fitness equipment mat purchased from a retailer like Sunny Health & Fitness is stronger and heavier.
Where is the best place to put a treadmill at home?
Knowing where to position your treadmill in your home is key to making an informed purchase. For one, some treadmill warranties can be voided if you’re keeping the treadmill on carpeting or in a space that isn’t climate-controlled. It’s also important to consider a treadmill’s overall weight if you plan to place it on the second floor. Wherever you place it, whether it’s in your home gym, a spare bedroom, or a garage, placing it on an exercise mat can help protect both the machine and your flooring.
References
Nilsson, J., & Thorstensson, A. (1989). Ground reaction forces at different speeds of human walking and running. Acta physiologica Scandinavica, 136(2), 217–227.
Park, M, Park, HK, Shin, HK, Kang, D, Pant, B, Kim, H, Song, JK, Kim, HY. (2019). Sound Absorption and Insulation Properties of a Polyurethane Foam Mixed with Electrospun Nylon-6 and Polyurethane Nanofibre Mats. J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 19(6):3558-3563.
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