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Treadmills were the world’s best selling home fitness equipment for many years, and for a good reason. After all, if you got tired of using the machine or moved on to some other type of workout equipment, you could always do what many others have done – use it to hang your clothes.
Ellipticals, stationary bikes, rowing machines, stair-steppers and other equipment all have their proponents.
But treadmills still give you the most effective cardio workout for losing weight, as long as there aren’t shirts hanging on the machine. After all, as so many experts will tell you, the best piece of home workout equipment is the one that you’ll actually use.
If you are just getting started with treadmill shopping then please read our complete treadmill buying guide.
Here are our top 5 best treadmills for home use.
1. Nordic Track C 1650 Treadmill
The C 1650 has one of the largest collections of workout programs you’ll find on a moderately-priced treadmill.
There are 34 different built-in programs, each designed by a personal trainer; if you choose the optional iFit subscription, you can tie in to an unlimited number of online, “real-life” routes in conjunction with Google Maps. iFit also lets you easily track your workout and progress.
The track is large (60 x 20 inches), the cushioning is fully adjustable, the incline is either automatic (based on your program) or manually selectable from -3 to +15 degrees, and the DurX Commercial Plus 3.5 CHP motor lets you reach speeds of 12 miles per hour.
One feature that’s new to Nordic Track treadmills is a bracket into which you can insert your tablet, if you’d prefer to use your own device instead of the full-featured, web-enabled touchscreen – or if you simply want to read and surf while you work out.
All
of the other niceties you’d expect at a high (excuse us, moderate)
price point are included as well, such as MP3 compatibility with
speakers and headphone jack, and heart rate sensors on the handlebars
with additional Bluetooth chest monitor straps available as well.
In short, there’s nothing missing from the C 1650 that any home user could need.
Key specifications of the Nordic Track C 1650 Treadmill:
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2. ProForm PFTL99715 Power 995i Exercise Treadmill
The Mach Z Commercial Plus 3.0 CHP motor still lets you reach speeds up to 12 miles per hour, and while there’s no decline feature, the selectable or automatic incline of 0-15 degrees is what you’d expect from a complete home machine.
This ProForm is iFit enabled for full tracking and unlimited access to running or walking courses, in addition to the thirty included workout programs. There are heart rate monitor grips (with an optional monitor belt), MP3 compatibility, a cooling fan – and if you’re on the large side, the maximum weight capacity for the Power 995i is a full 350 pounds.
This is a very strong choice, at an attractive price.
Looking at the details of the ProForm PFTL99715 Power 995i Exercise Treadmill:
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3. Sole Fitness F80 Folding Treadmill
In many ways, it’s on a par with the Nordic Track treadmill the Groom+Style review team ranked at the top of our list of the top 5 best treadmills for home use; the primary reasons it ranks lower, though, are that it only comes with ten workout programs included, and the console/monitor are not built to be web/iFit compatible.
Just about everything else is terrific: the 3.5 CHP motor with a 12 mph top speed, 20 x 60 inch running area, 0-15 degree incline, and great cushioned padding on the track. The F80 also comes with chest-strap heart rate monitoring and a very large 7.5-inch LCD display.
Groom+Style like the Sole F80 a lot – just not as much as similarly-priced treadmills ranked a bit higher.
Key specs for the Sole Fitness F80 Folding Treadmill:
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4. Sunny SF-T4400 Health & Fitness Treadmill
To begin with, this machine does not have the power or features of the treadmills we’ve discussed so far. But its 2.2 HP motor can reach top speeds of nine miles per hour, and it inclines as much as 12 degrees (the bigger difference is that you have to make the incline adjustments manually instead of by simply pushing a button).
The 49 x 16 running deck is a bit smaller than on our top-rated models, but it probably won’t make a huge difference to you unless you’re a workout warrior or are quite tall and take long strides. There are nine built-in workout programs in the Sunny, with a functional but not flashy LCD display that tracks speed, time and calories burned.
This
isn’t the machine for serious runners or large runners (maximum weight
capacity is 220 pounds), but it’s just right for most people who just
want a regular workout in the comfort of their home.
Looking a bit deeper at the Sunny SF-T4400 Health & Fitness Treadmill:
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5. Precor TRM 211 Energy Series Treadmill
Here are some of the pros of the 211 Energy Series treadmill, and you’ll see that they’re slightly less than you get with the Nordic Track or Sole machines: 3.0 CHP motor for speeds up to 12 miles per hour (vs. 3.5 CHP), 0 to 15 degree incline (vs. -3 to 15 degrees), 20 x 57 inch track (vs. 20 x 60), six workout programs (vs. 34).
The Precor also doesn’t fold (although, to be fair, the manufacturer considers that a plus in terms of stability), and doesn’t accommodate iFit or Bluetooth.
The
TRM 211 is a well-built machine which will definitely hold up over the
long-term and let you get a strong workout. It’s just doesn’t have all
of the features it might for a treadmill at this price.
Important specifications for the Precor TRM 211 Energy Series Treadmill:
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