The best treadmill for 2021 – CNET [CNET]

April 27, 2021 Thomas Giboney technology

Editors’ note, April 17, 2021: The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an “urgent warning” on April 17, 2021, telling people to immediately stop using the Peloton Tread Plus treadmill because of a potentially fatal risk to children and pets. The Tread Plus poses “serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures, and death,” the agency said. For more information, read our full story about the CPSC warning.

Whether you’re an experienced athlete or just trying to get some steps in, a treadmill can help you with your fitness goals. No matter the weather, a treadmill can give you the cardio workout you need from the comfort of your own home. And the best part is that buying one for your home is more cost-effective in the long run than a monthly membership at your local gym.

Luckily (and overwhelmingly), there are hundreds of treadmill options you can buy online, ranging from inexpensive machines that cost a few hundred bucks to expensive treadmills costing well over $15,000. You could get a walking treadmill, manual treadmill, running treadmill, smart treadmill, foldable treadmill, a treadmill desk and so many others.

Through my research, I learned what kinds of features to look for — speed range, max speed, shock absorption, the best kind of running surface, automatic incline and so forth — what price range is best and which are the best treadmill options for the money. Now I’m sharing that with you.

The treadmills that I tested are suited for all fitness levels and give you exercise options ranging from light jogging to an intense cardio workout to get your heart rate going and help you achieve your weight loss and fitness goals. So read on to find the best treadmill for you!

Best overall treadmill

Nautilus T618

$1,399 at Amazon

Best luxury treadmill

Peloton Tread

Read our Peloton Tread Plus review.

$2,495 at Peloton

Best for guided workouts

NordicTrack T 6.5 Si

$999 at Amazon

Best heavy-duty design

Proform Smart Pro 2000

$1,499 at Proform

Another good treadmill

Sole F63

$1,000 at Sole Fitness

Recommend, with caveats

Inexpensive, but small

Sunny Health & Fitness T4400

$420 at Amazon

Other treadmill options

Schwinn 870 Treadmill (Note: Out of stock)

$1,099 at Walmart

How I picked

I’m a casual runner who’s used her fair share of treadmills over the years and much prefers running on solid ground. I’ve been running for exercise off and on for about 10 years, and have participated in several races too. While I’m far from being an expert on running, I have about as much experience as the average person (not elite athlete or ultra marathoner) who wants to buy a home treadmill.

In narrowing down which treadmills to review, I picked the best value for the top brands — Nautilus, NordicTrack, Proform, Bowflex, Schwinn and Sole — which meant getting the treadmills with modern features but still within a price range of $1,000 to $3,000. I purposefully didn’t pick the highest-end option from each brand, because I reasoned most people want to spend less money and want to know if the cheaper option is just as good.

I threw in the ultra-cheap Sunny Fitness model as a wildcard because it is a best seller on Amazon and Walmart.com, and I thought it would be interesting to see exactly what you get for much less money.

How I tested

Over almost the entire summer, I had treadmills coming in and out of the CNET office for training sessions. I was primarily judging these machines on quality, features and usability. Did it feel stable, and well put together? Is it particularly loud? How easy is it to start a workout, and are the buttons or screen responsive when you’re moving? What kind of workout programs does it have?

For each treadmill, I did a few exercise sessions, both walking and running. I did free-form workouts and used at least one of the preprogrammed workouts, where available. I compared many of these models side by side, when I was able to have as many in the same room as possible.

For the most part, I did not consider the overall footprint of the machines in my reviews, because everyone is going to have different space restrictions for a home treadmill. However, all of these machines fold up when not in use and I did consider how bulky the machine looks and feels.