Smart-Review: Home Treadmill Buying Guide (2022-2023)
May 21, 2023 by SmartReview
Filed under Featured, Featured Treadmill, Treadmills
Treadmills provide a convenient way to regularly exercise in all weather conditions in the comfort and safety of your own home. Smart-Review limits reviews to only the Top Rated Home Treadmill Models. So you will not find all treadmill models on this site, but only those that meet our requirements, and the highest consumer ratings and reviews.
2022-2023 Treadmill Top Picks: Below are listed important treadmill features for comparison, an explanation of each feature, and our best rated and recommended treadmills listed under select features, such as maximum weight capacity, motor strength, and more. These are the highest rated home & commercial treadmills in their price range.
Best Rated Treadmills Under $600 – The following are our top picks in the sub $600 category.
- XTERRA TR150 Home Treadmill
- Horizon T101-5 Home Treadmill
- Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T4400 Treadmill
- Weslo Cadence G 5.9 Treadmill
Best Rated Treadmills Under $750 – The following are our top picks in the sub $700 category.
Best Rated Treadmills Under $1000 – The following are our top picks in the sub $1000 category.
- SOLE F63 Home Treadmill Best of 2023 Award
- Xterra TRX3500 Home Treadmill
- Nautilus T616 Home Treadmill
- NordicTrack T-Series 6.5 Si Home Treadmill
Best Rated Treadmills Under $1400 – The following are our top picks in the sub $1400 category.
- SOLE F65 Home Folding Treadmill Best of 2023 Award
- Nautilus T618 Home Treadmill
- NordicTrack T-Series T8.5s Home Treadmill
Best Rated Treadmills Under $1600 – The following are our top picks in the sub $1600 category.
- SOLE F80 Home Folding Treadmill Best of 2023 Award
- Bowflex BXT116 Home Treadmill
- Horizon 7.4AT Studio Series Treadmill
Best Rated Treadmills Under $2000 – The following are our top picks in the sub $2000 category.
- NordicTrack 1750 Commercial iFit Running Treadmill Best of 2023 Award
- SOLE F85 Home Runner’s Treadmill Best of 2023 Award
- NordicTrack T-Series 9.5 S iFit Home Treadmill Best of 2022 Award
- Bowflex BXT216 Results Series Treadmill
- 3G Cardio Pro Runner Home Treadmill
Best Rated Treadmills Under $2500 – The following are our top picks in the sub $2500 category.
- NordicTrack 2450 Commercial iFit Running Treadmill Best of 2023 Award
- SOLE TT8 Commercial Runner’s Treadmill Best of 2023 Award
- LifeSpan Fitness TR6000i Commercial Grade Treadmill
- Precor 211 Energy Series Home Treadmill
- Precor 223 Energy Series Home Treadmill
Best Rated Treadmills Under $3500 – The following are our top picks in the sub $3000 category.
- NordicTrack 2950 Commercial Grade Treadmill Best of 2023 Award
- 3G Cardio Elite Runner Commercial Grade Treadmill
- Life Fitness F3 Go Folding Home Treadmill
Best Rated Commercial Grade Treadmills – The following are our top picks high grade commercial treadmills.
- NordicTrack 2950 Commercial Grade Treadmill
- SOLE TT8 Commercial Grade Treadmill
- NordicTrack 2450 Commercial iFit Running Treadmill
- 3G Cardio Elite Runner Commercial Grade Treadmill
- Precor Fitness TRM 835 Commercial Treadmill

Treadmill Motor Size
If you weigh more, and/or will be doing jogging, running or very fast walking, you should get a treadmill with a more powerful motor. Running treadmills should be at least 3.0 horsepower. Its best to get a larger motor (with higher horsepower) as smaller motors that strain will burn out faster. Cheaper budget treadmills have weaker motors. Motors are rated by continuous duty horsepower. As a general rule, higher horsepower (hp) motors are better. All of our best rated treadmills have continuous duty motors which are designed to operate for extended periods of time.
Best Rated Treadmills with the most powerful motors include:
- NordicTrack 2950 Commercial Grade Treadmill (4.25 hp motor)
- NordicTrack 2450 Commercial Grade Running Treadmill (4.0 hp motor)
- SOLE TT8 Light Commercial Grade Treadmill (4.0 hp motor)
- SOLE F85 Home Treadmill (4.0 hp motor)
- 3G Cardio Elite Runner Commercial Grade Treadmill (4.0 hp motor)
- Bowflex BXT216 Results Series Treadmill (4.0 hp motor)
- Bowflex BXT116 Home Treadmill (3.75 hp motor)
- NordicTrack 1750 Commercial iFit Running Treadmill (3.7 hp motor)
- Nautilus T618 Home Treadmill (3.5 hp motor)
- Horizon 7.4AT Studio Series Treadmill (3.5 hp motor)
- Nautilus T616 Home Treadmill (3.0 hp motor)
Best Treadmills for Runners – Buying a treadmill for running requires certain features and a high quality treadmill to assure a good running experience. This includes a longer running deck, since your stride will be longer than jogging (we recommend at least 58-inches in length).
If you are a taller runner, go with a 60-inch deck or longer. The width of the deck is important too, at least 20 inches wide, while a 22-inch width is ideal. Another consideration is a stronger motor, at least 3.0 hp. If you have an under-powered motor, you could burn out the motor. One sign of a quality treadmill is a lifetime motor warranty. More expensive treadmills have better cushioning on the deck. A fixed (non-folding) treadmill will be more stable than a folding one.
Best Rated Treadmills for Runners:
- NordicTrack 1750 Commercial Grade Running Treadmill
- NordicTrack 2450 Commercial Grade Running Treadmill
- NordicTrack 2950 Commercial Grade Treadmill
- SOLE TT8 Light Commercial Grade Runner’s Treadmill
- SOLE F85 Home Runner’s Treadmill
- NordicTrack T-Series 9.5 S iFit Home Treadmill
- 3G Cardio Elite Runner Commercial Grade Treadmill
- Precor Fitness TRM 835 Commercial Treadmill
- Nautilus T618 Home Treadmill
- Bowflex BXT216 Results Series Treadmill
- Bowflex BXT116 Home Treadmill
- Horizon 7.4AT Studio Series Treadmill
- 3G Cardio Pro Runner Treadmill
Related Article: Best Rated Running Treadmills – Comparison & Reviews

Treadmills with Decline
- NordicTrack 1750 Commercial iFit Running Treadmill (3 levels of decline)
- NordicTrack 2450 Commercial Grade Running Treadmill (3 levels of decline)
- NordicTrack 2950 Commercial Grade Treadmill (3 levels of decline)
- SOLE TT8 Light Commercial Grade Treadmill (6 levels of decline)
- Precor Fitness TRM 835 Commercial Treadmill (3 levels of decline)
- Lifespan Fitness TR6000i Commercial Grade Treadmill 3 levels of decline)

Treadmill Running Deck
The taller the person the longer running deck you will need as a tall person has a longer stride. Runners will also need a longer running deck. Cheaper, budget treadmills have shorter running decks. Also important is the cushioning of the tread. More expensive models have variable cushioning, and thicker running belts. You can vary how much “bounce” the treadmill has so that you can make it more appropriate for your style of exercise.
Best Rated Treadmills with the longest & widest running decks include:
- 3G Cardio Elite Runner Commercial Grade Treadmill (22 x 62 inches)
- NordicTrack 1750 Commercial iFit Running Treadmill (22 x 60 inches)
- NordicTrack 2450 Commercial Grade Running Treadmill (22 x 60 inches)
- SOLE TT8 Light Commercial Grade Treadmill (22 x 60 inches)
- SOLE F85 Home Treadmill (22 x 60 inches)
- Precor Fitness TRM 835 Commercial Treadmill (22 x 60 inches)
- Bowflex BXT216 Results Series Treadmill (22 x 60 inches)
- SOLE F80 Home Treadmill (20 x 60 inches)
- Horizon 7.4AT Studio Series Treadmill (22 x 60 inches)
- NordicTrack T-Series 9.5 S iFit Home Treadmill (20 x 60 inches)
- Nautilus T618 Home Treadmill (20 x 60 inches)
- Nautilus T616 Home Treadmill (20 x 60 inches)
- Proform Performance 600i Treadmill (20 x 60 inches)

Related Article: Best Rated Home Treadmill Desks – Comparison & Reviews 2020-2021
Best Treadmills with a built-in desk:
- Lifespan TR1200-DT7 Treadmill Desk
- Lifespan TR1200-DT5 Treadmill Desk
- Lifespan TR800-DT5 Treadmill Desk
Treadmill Electronic Console – Most treadmills come with an electronic console and screen that tells you how long you have been on the treadmill, the level of difficulty, the speed, and even heart rate. The console contains the computer and the screen. More expensive treadmills come with a number of built in performance programs. There are two types of displays, the LED (usually red or green), and LCD backlit screens. Some cheap, inexpensive treadmills have no backlight, so are harder to read. We are seeing more LCD screens in the newer models.
You get what you pay for – This is especially important in treadmills. Lower priced, cheap treadmills will not be built as well as expensive ones. More expensive treadmills use heavy duty parts and are heavier in weight, should last longer, have stronger motors (more horsepower), and generally will have longer warranties. We have seen below average reviews for many of the “cheap” treadmills. Heavier treadmills (those weighing more than 250 lbs.) should feel more like gym treadmills and give more stability. The heavier the person, the heavier the treadmill you should buy. Buying a cheap treadmill may seem like a great deal, but is no bargain compared to better quality higher priced models.
Price of Treadmills – We have found Amazon.com to be very competitive on the prices of treadmills and other exercise equipment. (Savings up to 40% off). Most of the time you will find the prices to be much cheaper than local stores, and in many cases Amazon provides free shipping. We also list direct from manufacturer links on this site and at the bottom of this page, to offer very competitive factory direct prices. Keep in mind that most people will have a treadmill delivered even if they buy from a local store, as treadmills can weigh anywhere from 100 – 300 lbs and higher.
Manual Vs. Power Incline – Many treadmills come with an incline feature where the treadmill is tilted up in the front, simulating walking or running on a hill. With manual incline, you have to set it yourself before you start your workout. With power incline, you just press a button, and the treadmill will fall or rise whenever you want.
Related Article: Best Rated Home Treadmills with Power Incline feature.

Maximum User Weight Limit
Best Treadmills with the highest maximum user weight include the
- SOLE TT8 Light Commercial Grade Treadmill (400 lbs.)
- 3G Cardio Elite Runner Commercial Grade Treadmill (400 lbs.)
- Precor Fitness TRM 835 Commercial Treadmill (400 lbs.)
- Bowflex BXT216 Results Series Treadmill (400 lbs.)
- Bowflex BXT116 Home Treadmill (375 lbs.)
- Nautilus T618 Home Treadmill (350 lbs.)
- LifeSpan Fitness TR6000i Commercial Grade Treadmill (350 lbs.)
- Horizon 7.4AT Studio Series Treadmill (325 lbs.)
- NordicTrack T-Series 9.5 S iFit Home Treadmill (300 lbs.)
- Nautilus T616 Home Treadmill (300 lbs.)
Best Folding Treadmills – Most treadmills fold up so you can store the treadmill in a smaller space. A folding treadmill can accept someone who weighs up to 350 lbs. Some treadmills do not fold up, so once assembled, you generally do not move them. Some fixed treadmills can accept user weights of 400 lbs and more. Commercial public gym treadmills are most likely to be the fixed, non-folding type, and can add to somewhat more stability than the folding types. A new type of powered folding treadmill is available from Lifespan Fitness. LifeSpan has introduced the TR3000e Treadmill with eFold technology, which uses a motor to fold up the treadmill.
- Top Rated Folding Treadmills
- Top Rated Fixed (non folding) Treadmills
- LifeSpan Fitness TR3000e Treadmill (with eFold technology)

Fully Assembled Treadmills
- 3G Cardio 80i Fold Flat Home Treadmill (Fully Assembled)
Treadmill with Heart Rate Monitoring – Many of our top-rated treadmills have pulse monitoring in the grips of the treadmill. Some also have chest strap monitoring. A wireless chest strap is more convenient since you don’t have to hold the grips to get a heart reading. Telemetry enabled treadmills have a built-in receiver which is compatible with 3rd party chest telemetry straps such as the Polar brand. Many treadmills have a heart rate program that can set the pace to keep a target heart rate.

LifeSpan's Power Lift Folds and Unfolds Treadmill with a press of a button
Treadmills with Power Folding – Lifespan fitness has introduced a new feature for its folding treadmills. The new feature is called eFold technology which is an electric fold feature, that allows you to fold or unfold your treadmill with the press of a button. This makes it easier to store your treadmill without having to lift it yourself.
- LifeSpan Fitness TR3000e Treadmill (with eFold technology)
Commercial Treadmills – Commercial treadmills are high end machines that you typically see in your local gym or health club. They are well made, heavy duty, and made to last. Regular commercial treadmills are made to be used everyday, all day long. A “Light Commercial” Treadmill is meant to be used for less than 5 hours a day, typically used in Condominiums, rehab centers, hotels, corporate gyms, and for residential home use.
Related Article: Commercical Gym Quality Treadmills – Comparison and Reviews
Cheap & Inexpensive Treadmills – The term, “you get what you pay for” applies very strongly to treadmills. The lowest priced treadmills are not suitable for running, but can be suitable for walking and are more affordable. Many lower priced inexpensive treadmills have poor consumer reviews. Higher priced treadmills are made with higher quality parts, stronger motors, longer warranties, wider & longer running deck, and better features. They also have higher user weight limits. We recommend you spend as much as your budget will allow on higher priced treadmills to get a better machine which will last much longer, and run quieter. Most inexpensive and affordable treadmills are not the bargain you thought they were. Our Home Treadmill Buying Guide only lists those treadmills with the highest rating in their price category.
Related Article: Top Rated Treadmills for 2021-2022
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