Testing Treadmills to Recommend the Best Options for a Home Gym

Updated: Jul 21

Recommended Treadmill For Home Gyms

Recommended Treadmill For Home Gyms (Under £1000)

Recommended Treadmill For Home Gyms (Under £500)

Introduction

So, why listen to me about my treadmill recommendations for your home? Surely, he's just trying to sell me stuff? What could he really know about treadmills?

Well, I have pulled this card a few times but I used to be a... half decent runner. Sub-16 5k, you know your local parkrun winner (unless one of the fully decent runners showed up). But, why should that mean that I know anything about treadmills? I mean, I know plenty of runners who were faster than me who know nothing at all about treadmills.

However, when I was young I used to live in a very hilly, often crappy weather, dark early in the winter part of England. If I wanted to do a tempo run- then a treadmill was the optimal place. Actually, there are more reasons than that- I did not like running on road because it was bad for my joints, so I stuck to grass. Well, what if we had bad weather and the fields were all boggy? Then I needed a treadmill. I needed a treadmill. I needed a treadmill!

You can imagine how sick my dad got of hearing that argument right?

So, one day he gave in! We would be getting one for Christmas. From that moment all I could think about was which treadmill it would be. I spent all my time figuring out which treadmill I wanted, learnt loads of things from specs, reviews, what is important and what the experts say.

I used that knowledge again when it came to getting a new treadmill a year ago.

So, through trying out various treadmill for this review, knowing what is actually important and having the knowledge- I feel qualified to give a recommendation. So, listen to me about my treadmill recommendations for home or don't. But, I know my stuff. Probably...

My treadmill recommendations for home use

The NordicTrack 1250 (Best Option)

£1799.99 or £74.96 for 24 months: nordictrackeu.sjv.io/Mm7DEM

Pros

Smooth and quiet ride
Perfect for smaller spaces- foldable and easy to move
Connect to bluetooth
Goes fast enough for hard workouts (19KPH max speed)
IFit enabled

Cons

Price tag
Screen only works with IFit

Specs (1):

10 inch tilt and pivot smart HD screen
Up to 19 KPH
Auto-breeze fan
-3% to 12% incline
Incline/Decline Response
Premium Audio Speakers
ActivePulse™ Technology
AutoAdjust™ Technology
30-Day iFIT Trial Included
Bluetooth Headphone & Heart Rate Connectivity
Google Maps™ Workout Technology
SmartAdjust™ Your speed and incline will follow the workout's terrain automatically
20 inch x 60 inch tread belt
Runners Flex

Now, this was my purchase from a year ago. Its not only bias that puts this treadmill at the top of my recommendations for home gyms, it was a lot of research that went into this purchase. Firstly, NordicTrack is probably the highest quality and most reliable treadmill brand in the world today, so immediately I turned to a Nordic track treadmill for my at home recommendations.

So, why the NordicTrack 1250? I have put a few hundred miles on mine over the winter and one thing I have to say is the reason I bought it, is not the reason I am keeping it. The reason I think that this is the best treadmill is that it is so damn quiet and smooth. The NordicTrack 1250 comes with something called a Quiet-Drive System, which I did not look into too much as many treadmills I have tested have claimed to have similar things. The difference? This one is actually quiet! No loud banging foot steps, and when I say this is smooth, I mean it. The ride you get on this treadmill is actually amazing, and maybe it is just in my head but I feel like my form is better when its smooth and I certainly enjoy it more.

£1799.99 or £74.96 for 24 months: nordictrackeu.sjv.io/Mm7DEM

My recommendations for at home treadmills (Under £1000)

The NordicTrack T-Series

Only £799.99 From Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bEs7xx

Pros

5 inch high definition touch-screen display with Ifit capabilities
Easily foldable
Auto-breeze fan
2 speakers
Bluetooth connection
Heart-rate monitoring
10% incline
Cushioning preferences (ability to turn up the cushioning on the belt to be 30% easier on your joints)
Price!!!

Cons

16KPH max speed (still very fast but if you are a very high level runner then this might not be the one for you)

Specs (2)

5 inch high-definition touch-screen display
Ifit capabilities
Bluetooth
Heart rate monitoring
Cushioning preferences
16KPH max speed
10% max incline
2 speakers
Auto-breeze fan
Foldable
Weight capacity 300 Lbs
Dimensions 73.5" L x 36" W x 54" H

As mentioned before NordicTrack are the leading treadmill brand in my opinion and this treadmill is far beyond any I managed to find for under £1000 and they could easily be charging £1200 for this specific treadmill. It felt amazing to run on, had a smooth ride and although it is not as quiet as the NordicTrack 1250, it was very quiet. You get certain features with this treadmill that you just do not find with any other treadmill in this kind of price range. If you are anywhere in this price range I would recommend this treadmill for home use over any below £1200.

Only £799.99 From Amazon: https://amzn.to/4bEs7xx

My recommendations for at home treadmills (Under £500)

CitySports Foldable Treadmill

£228.99 From Amazon: https://amzn.to/4c4pnsK

Pros

Bluetooth speakers + Device holder
Quiet and Powerful motor
Foldable
Can be an under the desk treadmill

Cons

Max speed of 12KPH

Specs

This product for this price is could actually be a really good deal, but that depends on who you are. If you are someone who wants to get fit, aren't the fastest runner and just want the ability to run without going outside, then you found your perfect fit. However, with the max speed being 12KPH, there is a limit on this for faster runner. An added bonus to this treadmill is the fact that it can be still on whilst folded down and be used under a desk, so if you work from home and want an easy way to get fit, then this is the treadmill I would recommend for home use.