Folding Treadmills

It is fair to say that when these first came onto the market these types of treadmills were more gimmick than practical. Many featured bad design, weak features and poor durability but thankfully that is a thing of the past. Oh sure, you can still pick up a shabby model from your local Wal-Mart or other non-specialist store but there are also now many high quality products to choose from meaning you can get all the convenience of an easily stored fold up treadmill without compromising on quality.

So, how to you go about separating the wheat from the chaff and how can you buy a quality product without maxing out your credit card? The following section outline what to look for when choosing a treadmill and showcase some of the best rated folding treadmills by Amazon.com shoppers.

Not everyone has the same set of requirements for their treadmill and this is one of the reasons there are so many options out there and the price range varies so much. You can buy a folding treadmill for under $100 or you can spend upwards of $9,000 for one of the really heavy duty models out there.

For most of us however, a good folding treadmill can be picked up for under $1,000 if you really only intend to use it as a walking treadmill and from anywhere in excess of $1,500 - $2,500 for running.

Either way, there are several things to look at which will influence your buying decision and help you find the right machine for your needs.

There are also specific things to look at if you are set on buying a folding treadmill as opposed to a fixed frame treadmill and these are as follows:

Weight, Size and Storability Issues

Q. How much does a treadmill weigh?
A. A lot!

Folding treadmills are much lighter than their fixed frame counterparts, but still, this is an item you are going to fold up and store, pull out and assemble regularly so you will need to look at the weight and whether this is managable for you.

Mostly, storage is simply a case of lifting up the running bed and wheeling the now folded treadmill wherever you need it to go but if you have a physical condition which makes bending and lifting a problem then the weight issue becomes more relevant to you and you need to look more closely at exactly how moveable a fold down, portable treadmill is going to be for your own circumstances.

Stability and Durability

How stable is a folding treadmill? In the past the answer would have been - "not very" - now that is only true in the cheaper foldable treadmill models you'll find on the market. Cheap folding treadmills typically have somewhat flimsy frames and do not feel all that solid in their build quality.

This tends to get better with price but it is best to check treadmill reviews and opinions or to try the model out yourself to make sure your choice is a good one. The more stable the better as there is nothing worse than running on a machine which wobbles all over the place or makes annoying creaking and juddering noises whilst you are trying to work out.

Recommended Weight Limits

Be sure to check the weight capacity of your chosen treadmill as sometimes in the folding models this can be quite low - sometimes as little as 250 lbs. is recommended and you can usually figure this as being optimistic on the behalf of the manufacturer and take off an additional 25 - 50 lbs.

Customer Warantee and Treadmill Maintenance

If you want a good idea of how well made a treadmill is then take a quick look at the warrantee. You should see a good number of years on the frame, motor and treadmill parts and electronics.

Our top pick, the Smooth 5.25 Treadmill features a lifetime warrantee on the frame and motor with an additional 3 years on all other parts.

Cheap treadmills may offer as little as 90 days on parts and labor.

Recommended and Best Folding Treadmill Brands And Manufacturers

So, who makes the best foldable treadmills? Again, this depends on your requirements but typically you can expect a good, sturdy, strong running or walking treadmill from a manufacturer like Sole or Smooth who regularly receive good reviews from treadmill rating sites and home buyers.

Motor Speed and Quality

First off, you want a treadmill which does actually HAVE a motor! Manual folding treadmills do not have motors but instead you drive the belt using your own leg power. This means you sacrifice the ability to be able to run training programs through an electronics interface, set and maintain speeds and generally, get a much less rounded experience form your treadmill.

Basically - go motorised! The HP of the motor is important and should be one of the main things you look at when choosing a folding treadmill. This determines how long, how hard and basically, how much power your treadmill has. You will want at least a 2 HP or 2.5 HP motor with a good warrantee on it. One of our recommended foldable treadmills, The Bowflex Series 7 treadmill, has a 3 HP motor with a 10 year warrantee.

Length and Width Of The Running Deck

If you are only going to be using your treadmill for walking then you can get away with a short running deck. However, the wider and longer it is, the more comfortable it is to use without fear of falling off. Runners will need a treadmill with a long running deck and if you have a wide stance, or find you weave about whilst using a treadmill, then you'll need a wide running deck as well.

The old saying "you get what you pay for" generally holds true in all walks of life and in the world of treadmills this is no different.

However, if you are not too sure whether you will actually use your treadmill (yes, we all have grand fitness plans which often fall to the wayside when it comes to actually doing it!) or simple do not have it within your budget to spend 4 figures on a piece of exercise equipment then there are some models out there which receive some decent ratings.

Some of the main things to pay particular attention to if you are going to buy a cheap treadmill is the maximum weight limit (some are very low - sub 250lbs), the motor (if it even has one, many are manually powered and this you definitely do not want) and the overall sturdiness of the machine. If you intend to use a treadmill for running then buying cheap probably isn't the way to go but if you are looking for a good treadmill for walking then some of the budget treadmills might just fit the bill.