How to buy your ideal treadmill

Your treadmill is the one that suits your exercise and fitness needs the best.

Treadmills are a popular fitness choice, offered in a potentially bewildering array of qualities, capabilities and price tags. Choosing the right model is not necessarily a straightforward decision. Our Guide looks at questions you should ask, and offers tips on what to look for and what to avoid. Just click a topic below… click "Back to top..."

Take front-end ownership of your fitness plan
Treadmill power – Make sure it’s got the (right) horses!
What speed do you need?
Should your home treadmill be programmable?
Treadmill belts – Go wide and long
Treadmill deck – Firm but forgiving to your joints
Treadmills with incline – Power or manual?
Treadmill hand rails – Go for the comfort
Treadmills with Heart Rate Control (HRC)
What size treadmill?
Where to shop for your treadmill?

Take front-end ownership of your fitness plan
It’s the single most important piece of advice we can give! When you know what you want to achieve, you’re less likely to invest in more or less machine than you need. Equally important, your plan and our fitness specialist’s expertise will quickly narrow your search to treadmill models that best suit your specific need and expectations. Back to top

Treadmill power—Make sure it’s got the right horses!
Your treadmill needs a strong motor, but don’t believe all you hear about treadmill power. If a sales person, ad or product literature pumps up the “horsepower” of a treadmill, ask what kind of horses. “Peak HP” is the treadmill’s top power output, may last only moments, and cannot be sustained.

What you DO need to know is the CONTINUOUS-DUTY horsepower, the power a treadmill can sustain continuously, rated over 24 hours of non-stop use. High continuous HP typically means the treadmill can work efficiently and powerfully under more weight, and that it’s easier for the treadmill to maintain a steady speed with the harder impacts at higher speeds. Back to top

What speed do you need?
Treadmills typically run from 0 to 10 mph. If you don’t plan to run, there are models built specifically for walking. Again, it comes down to finding the model that suits your particular needs best. Do check that a treadmill has a low starting speed, so you won't be jerked off balance by a sudden start. Back to top 

Should your treadmill be programmable?
To program or not to program? As with so much to do with fitness, the only answer is your own. How will you use your treadmill? For example,if you've used one at a gym, did you use the programs? If not, you probably won’t need them at home. However,tread-mills offer a variety of pre-programmed courses to keep your exercise program interesting, motivating and challenging. Back to top

Treadmill belts—Go wide and long
The belt is a vital component of every treadmill. Belt size translates directly to a treadmill’s walking surface size. We recommend a belt at least seventeen inches wide, with plenty of length to accommodate a comfortable stride. Back to top

Treadmill deck—Firm but forgiving
You need a deck that’s durable, low-or-no maintenance, and shock resistant. A deck should be firm, yet “give” a little under your stride. This absorbs some of the shock normally transmitted to your ankles and knees. No-maintenance treadmills are usually self lubricating, which allows the belt to glide over the deck with ease, significantly reducing wear on the motor, deck, belt and rollers. Back to top

Treadmills with incline—Power or manual?
Power incline gets our vote over manual any day. The power incline motor lets you raise and lower your treadmill’s elevation while you’re walking or running – rather than having to stop, use a lever or crank, then start up again. Back to top

Treadmill hand rails—Go for the comfort
All treadmills have handrails—some just a rail in the front, others with rails from console to floor. It’s strictly personal preference, so choose what you feel most comfortable using. Back to top

Treadmills with Heart Rate Control (HRC)
Treadmills with built-in heart rate control not only allow you to monitor your heart beat—they can adjust their speed and incline to keep your body working in a specified heart rate zone. You can plan your treadmill exercise to give you optimal pay-back in weight loss, cardio, aerobic cross-training or endurance conditioning. Back to top

What size treadmill?
A smaller treadmill may suffice, but not if it’s also going to be used by a man 6-foot-plus and 280. Similarly, a folding treadmill may help if space is tight, but you may have to compromise on functionality and durability. Once again, it’s best to do your up-front planning, and have your exercise area thought out and tape-measured ahead of time to save guesswork in the store. Back to top

Where to shop for your treadmill
You can find treadmills in department stores, sporting goods stores and fitness equipment specialty stores. This may sound like a shameless plug, but the best place to buy a treadmill is at a store that specializes in treadmills and offers expert product and fitness knowledge—because what a box-store salesperson doesn’t know, or the brochures don’t tell you, can badly misguide your search for your ideal treadmill. Also be sure to check the warranties on any treadmill model, and quiz the vendor about post-sale support and service. Back to top

Come in and chat—and let’s talk treadmills
Make your local Leisure Fitness Equipment Store your personal fitness information centre. Bring your questions on treadmills—or any aspect of fitness and exercise. Our certified fitness specialists are walking encyclopedias of information and you’ll have all of their attention. They’ll be glad to share their knowledge and help you make informed decisions that will get you the results you want.