9 Best Folding Treadmills in 2024, According to Experts
With compact exercise equipment, you don’t need a ton of space to work out at home. Your office or bedroom can double as a gym with the best folding treadmills. These machines can easily be stored under your desk or against the wall when they’re not in use, and they unfold in a snap when you’re ready to hop on. Plus, they tend to be more budget-friendly than higher-end smart treadmills, like ones from Peloton or ProForm, but can be just as effective when it comes to reaching your fitness goals. To help you find the best foldable treadmill for you, we asked fitness experts for their recommendations and advice on what to keep in mind as you shop.
Our top picks:
- Best Overall: NordicTrack EXP 7i
- Best for Beginners: Horizon T101 Treadmill
- Best Budget: Goplus 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill
- Best Flat-Folding: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T7718 Pro Treadmill
- Best for Walking: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T7945 Walkstation Slim Treadmill
- Best Smart Model: Echelon Stride-S
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What to consider when shopping for a folding treadmill
- Speed settings: The treadmill’s speed range will dictate what kind of workouts you can do. “Some compact folding treadmills top out at just three miles per hour (mph),” Sean Penwell, MD, ACSM-certified personal trainer and CEO of Healthstar Co, tells SELF. For most people, that’s regular walking speed, so don’t expect to do anything brisker with those machines. “And if you’re already running an eight-minute mile, you’ll want a treadmill that can go at least 7.5 mph,” he says.
- Size: Be sure to measure the area where you plan to use and store your treadmill, then cross-reference those specs with the dimensions of the tread itself, Sydney Bueckert, NASM-CPT, lead in-house fitness instructor at Sunny Health & Fitness in California, tells SELF. That way you can enjoy the treadmill and tuck it away without hassle.
- Shape: You may need to put aside more room than you think, depending on how your machine compacts. “Very few modern treadmills fold completely up and will be more of a V-shape,” Garret Seacat, CSCS, head coach of Absolute Endurance in Manhattan, Kansas, tells SELF. That means you’ll need enough vertical and horizontal space to accommodate its shape. Models that fold flat, on the other hand, can fit under furniture or in narrow upright areas—these are especially easy to store in small living spaces.
- Incline Settings: Some home treadmills have a manual incline—meaning you’ll have to physically get off the treadmill to change the degree—while others can be adjusted automatically. Many folding treadmills don’t offer a huge range of incline levels, so if you’re hoping for a more challenging home workout, this is definitely a factor you’ll want to consider.
- Weight capacity: Folding treadmills often have lighter maximum user weight limitations compared to non-folding models, because they’re built for portability as opposed to sturdiness. Folding treads generally range between 200 and 300 pounds, whereas the weight capacity of traditional or higher-end treadmills can be up to 500 pounds, depending on the brand.
- Additional features: Dr. Penwall points to app compatibility, live-streaming classes, and access to online communities where you can share your progress with other users as nice-to-have features to look for. Convenient design elements like a device holder and a place for your water bottle or remote control may make your workout more seamless too.
The best folding treadmills
Now that you have a better idea of what to expect from a folding treadmill—and what’s worth buying for your individual goals—take a look at the very best options, below. We selected these from our experts’ recommendations and past SELF Home Fitness Award winners.
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