Congrats! You’ve decided your next piece of home gym equipment is a treadmill. But with so many options to choose from, and only so much space for a home gym, which treadmill is right for you and your home?
MANUAL TREADMILL
If you believe that the only person that can push you to workout is yourself, you’ll probably love a manual treadmill. Manual treadmills are a great cardio choice if you are looking for high intensity fitness equipment.
Manual treadmills work by having a running belt that engages with an internal flywheel mechanism. When you walk and push your leg back, that power is transferred from the running belt to the flywheel. The faster you move, the more momentum you give the flywheel, and the more speed you can maintain. However, the moment you slow your pace, the flywheel slows down and you will need to increase your effort to get it going again.
Some manual treadmills also have a resistance mechanism that can help you switch up your workout. This will make it more challenging to generate speed, but you’ll be able to burn more calories and condition your lower body even further. This applied resistance can also help you perform exercises like sled pushes with the support of multi-grip handrails. However, just because these treadmills have manual controls doesn’t mean they lack in incline. Some manual treadmills have various incline levels that you can adjust after you safely dismount the machine. Combined with magnetic resistance, this can elevate your workout challenge, so you can burn even more calories. While manual treadmills can be used for challenging workouts, they also make great exercise machines for light cardio exercise.
MOTORIZED TREADMILL
Motorized treadmills can do the same things as manual treadmills (and more), but they serve a different purpose. While a manual treadmill is good for building endurance for short, high-intensity workouts, a motorized treadmill is ideal if you are a runner aiming for distance. Simply put, you don’t have to make a conscious effort to keep your speed over a long distance with a motorized treadmill.
Motorized treadmills tend to be heavier than their manual counterpart, but they’re also more feature packed. You can track important variables like incline, heart rate and calorie count. Other treadmills are equipped with auxiliary inputs, like hand pulse sensors for tracking heart rate, dynamic workout program buttons, and in some cases loudspeakers for your favorite music. These treadmills are also capable of performing HIIT workouts. However, motorized treadmills are often best suited for individuals that are looking for a tool to train for long distances. The motor can help runners maintain speed during long runs, encouraging them to keep up the pace.
WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU GET?
Luckily, both types of treadmills can be beneficial to your workout routine. If you’re looking to start running, build endurance and practice high intensity interval training (HIIT), a manual treadmill will work best for you. However, if you find consistent speed, feature-packed setups and long-distance running more appealing, then a motorized treadmill will certainly boost your workout regimen. Below you will find detailed information on some of the top-rated treadmills for 2020 by Sunny Health and Fitness. This will make your treadmill purchasing decision easier.
Sunny Health and Fitness Top Treadmills
- SF-T7909 Optimal Incline Treadmill
- SF-T7951 Auto Incline Treadmill
- SF-T7917 Performance Treadmill
- SF-T7724 Energy Flex Treadmill
- ASUNA 8730 Space Saving Treadmill
- P8700 Pink Treadmill
- ASUNA 9700 Treadmill Workstation Desk
- ASUNA 7700 Cardio Trainer Manual Treadmill
- SF-T7971 Treadmill Trek Pad
- SF-T7857 Walking Treadmill
1) SF-T7909 Optimal Incline Treadmill
It’s not too often a treadmill comes along that provides a unique training experience. The T7909 packs a powerful cardiovascular routine while maintaining a slim design. The 1.5-peak horsepower motor will help you achieve speeds between 0.6 mph and 7.5 mph. Made for walking, running and climbing, it has 12 levels of automatic incline—up to a 12 percent increase. The handlebar controls will help you easily adjust speed and incline while walking or running. What sticks out the most on this performance treadmill is the front mounted, vertical climbing handles that help support high incline workouts. These allow you to keep a good position on longer climbs. For those of you with joint pain, this treadmill also softens impact on joints when your foot strikes the shock absorbing running deck. Creating an effective cardiovascular workout is a breeze—simply grab on to the pulse grips to register your heart rate. The onboard performance monitor will track time, speed, distance, calories burned and heart rate. You can stay up to date with your favorite media when using the convenient, built-in device holder, and charge your devices with the standard USB port. Bluetooth connectivity helps you play your favorite music through the built-in speakers, making your workouts more fun. If you are someone who struggles to create personalized workouts to help you meet your goals, the included body fat analysis and 12 pre-programmed workouts will help you target workouts with specific goals.
2) SF-T7951 Auto Incline Treadmill
The T7951 provides easy lift and lock assembly, right out of the box. This means you can avoid the multiple steps that many other treadmills require before starting your workouts. The T7951 is also extremely portable and folds flat for a low-profile design that won’t take up as much space as other non-folding treadmills. Just because this treadmill was built for convenient storage and portability, doesn’t mean it lacks in performance. Take your workouts up to 10 mph with 15 levels of automatic incline. The wide, shock absorbing tread deck will keep your workouts low impact as you stride towards your walking, jogging or running goals. The built-in tech will help you create an even more personalized workout experience that will help break up the monotony of running mile after mile. Bluetooth connectivity, built in speakers, a USB port for charging and device holder will make you fall in love with this treadmill.
3) SF-T7917 Performance Treadmill
Run, walk, or dash to your fitness goals with the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T7917 performance treadmill. You will notice the comfortable feel as you increase your stride length and speed. The spacious treadmill deck with built-in shock absorption technology eases impact to help you run, jog or walk longer. It also has a higher weight capacity, supporting users up to 265 LBS. The powerful 2.5-peak horsepower motor operates between 0.6mph and 10mph and can increase workout intensity, with 15 levels of automatic incline. Quick adjustments during your workouts are simple using the speed and incline handrail controls and the quick buttons built into the console. Want to mix up your workout? You can take advantage of 15 pre-installed workouts that automatically adjust speed and incline. Monitoring heart rate and workout intensity is also easy with the hand pulse grips. All your workout variables are easy to view on the large display. Track your time, distance, speed, pulse, incline and calories-burned on the built-in performance monitor. This treadmill also comes with Bluetooth connectivity, built in speakers and a device holder to help you stay connected to your portable devices.
4) SF-T7724 Energy Flex Treadmill
The T7724 will help change the way you build your cardiovascular fitness. It provides a responsive shock absorption system that new and experienced runners will enjoy when looking for relief from the jarring effects of outdoor running. The cushioned belt on the flex treadmill absorbs impact on each step, which can reduce stress on your lower-body joints. Designed for walking and running, this indoor treadmill can achieve speeds between 0.6mph and 10mph. You can control your workout intensity with 15 levels of automatic incline and track your cardiovascular performance with the built-in pulse sensor grips. Using the back-lit, color performance monitor will help you track your speed, time, distance, calories burned, pulse and incline level. Customizing your workout experience is simple when you use the 3 countdown workouts, 3 user-customized workouts, BMI calculator and 16 pre-set programs. You will also enjoy the convenience of built-in cup holders, soft drop tread deck technology and transportation wheels.
5) ASUNA 8730 Space Saving Treadmill
Winner of the Good Design Award 2019 in Japan, the ASUNA 8730 uses function, design and portability to give you a great workout. The space saving foldability will make storing easy and starting your workouts simple. Shock absorption technology is integrated into the tread deck that is powered by a 2.5-peak horsepower motor. This indoor treadmill can support walking & running speeds between 0.6mph and 8mph. You will enjoy using the 4-window display to visualize your workout performance. Adjusting your workout is simple by using the on-console quick buttons. A built-in pedometer will monitor your total steps during your exercise sessions so you can stay on top of your step goals. Workout entertainment is effortless when you mount your favorite smart device on the tablet holder. You can connect your favorite tunes using the onboard MP3 sound system.
6) P8700 Pink Treadmill
If pink is your style, the P8700 will match your taste and provide the workout you need to get started on your walking, jogging and running workout programs. For those that need the extra boost in workout intensity, you can manually adjust the tread deck to increase or decrease the incline of the treadmill. It also comes with a 2.2 peak HP motor that can get you going up to 9 mph. This treadmill has everything you need to track your workout efficiency. Bottle holders, pulse sensors, a device holder and 6-point shock absorption tread deck will work together to give you a complete training experience. 9 built in programs will also give you guidance if you need to mix up your workouts. You will find that transportation and storage are made simple with the foldable tread deck and transportation wheels.
7) ASUNA 9700 Treadmill Workstation Desk
The ASUNA 9700 blends performance and productivity in a way I have never experienced before. Not only can this commercial grade machine take your workouts up 40 levels of incline, the spacious tread deck powered by a 4.85 supports running workouts up to 7.5 mph. You can also transition from higher workout intensity to active productivity using the integrated workstation that can support a laptop and other essential work supplies. The convenient “SwitchPro” system makes stabilizing and transporting this heavy-duty machine simple. Multi-grip handlebars with integrated pulse sensors will help you monitor the effectiveness of your preset or custom goal workout programs on the backlit monitor.
8) ASUNA 7700 Cardio Trainer Manual Treadmill
If you are ready to take your cardiovascular performance to the next level, then this manual treadmill is what you need. It’s built to take a beating. With a 440-pound weight capacity, you can push through the toughest HIIT workouts all year long. The dual flywheels provide smooth responsive momentum to help you build up your running stride rate. You can switch immediately to a higher resistance training workout when you use the resistance adjustment level that will let you switch between 8 levels of magnetic tension. This tension is great for helping you increase your stride length and increase you heart rate to maximum levels. I also enjoy the simple incline adjustment stabilizers that will help you increase or decrease the angle of the tread deck for more customized workout experience. You can also vary your workout positioning when you use the multi grip handlebar system to match your desired grip preference. Simple folding and unfolding are available to help save space when storing and the transportation wheels help you move the equipment conveniently from room to room.
9) SF-T7971 Treadmill Trek Pad
While the T7971 can’t simulate the uneven, ever-changing terrain of your outdoor trekking, it can be a great substitute if you are unable to venture outdoors. The adjustable trekking poles will not only help those needing balance support but can also help user maintain good body position. They are also great for engaging the muscles in your upper back, shoulders, and arms. This arm movement when paired with the walking movement of your lower body will help you increase your calories burning potential when compared to your normal walking pace. The wide-angle display helps you keep track of your exercise stats. Another great feature is that this treadmill can fold down flat or upright for dual storage options. Transportation wheels are also standard to help with portability throughout your exercise space.
10) SF-T7857 Walking Treadmill
If you are looking for a more stable environment to restart your cardio activities, this manual treadmill is the way to go. Users that prefer easy mounting and dismounting will enjoy the low-profile tread deck. Users will also be surrounded with safety handrails that will provide a secure grip on the sides, front and top of the machine. The tread deck is designed with a wide tread deck to allow for a freer walking stride. Impact is also reduced with the integrated shock absorption technology. Simple workout monitoring is in plain view and adjustable floor levelers help stabilize your equipment across a variety of floor surfaces.
Walking, jogging and running are all great forms of exercise that can help you increase your cardiovascular health. No matter what form you choose, it is important to select a treadmill that will give you the performance and features you need to meet and exceed your goals. Check out the Sunny Health & Fitness website for more great treadmills.
