ActiveRunningShould you buy a portable treadmill? Here are the pros and cons of investing in oneWhy should you buy a portable treadmill? Read on to discover the benefits of these handy exercise machinesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
ActiveRunningShould you buy a portable treadmill? Here are the pros and cons of investing in oneWhy should you buy a portable treadmill? Read on to discover the benefits of these handy exercise machinesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Why should you buy a portable treadmill? Read on to discover the benefits of these handy exercise machines
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty)
(Image credit: Getty)
Jump to category:What is a portable treadmill?Why should you buy a portable treadmill?What you should consider before buying a portable treadmillWhich treadmill is best for me?
Jump to category:What is a portable treadmill?Why should you buy a portable treadmill?What you should consider before buying a portable treadmillWhich treadmill is best for me?
Unfortunately, with more people working from home, it’s easier than ever to stay inactive during the day. To make matters worse, very few people have enough space for a full home gym setup, and it can be difficult to find time to get yourgym bagready, go to the gym, get a workout in, shower, and get back home.
This is where portable treadmills, such as thebest cheap treadmillsandbest folding treadmills, come in! They’re designed to take up as little space as possible and are conveniently situated in your home so that all of the pesky travel time disappears.
Would you like to do more research about treadmills? Have a look at T3’sbest treadmillandbest under desk treadmillguides for more info.
What is a portable treadmill?
With portable treadmills, there are two options: you can either go with an under desk treadmill or a folding treadmill. Under desk treadmills are designed to go under a desk (no surprises there), have no handles, and are simply the base and belt of a treadmill. This means they are easily stored, highly unobtrusive and quick to set up and put away.
(Image credit: Decathlon)
(Image credit: Decathlon)
Foldable treadmills, on the other hand, look just like a regular treadmill when they’re up and running, but can be folded for storage and are much more lightweight than traditional treadmills. They’re not quite as easy to move as under-desk treadmills but have their own advantages such as being able to produce higher speeds (compared to under desk treadmills) and having wider, longer running belts.
Many foldable treadmills are now as competent as their non-folding counterparts with brands like Bowflex, Echelon and ProForm leading the way. Don’t believe us? Read our fullProForm Pro 2000 TreadmillandEchelon Stride reviewsand see the features of these amazing folding treadmills yourself.
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Why should you buy a portable treadmill?
The currentUS Physical Activity Guidelinesrecommend that adults get between 150 and 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, i.e. anything that gets your heart beating faster.
This shows that simply walking more can hugely improve physical and mental health. It’s all too easy to get caught up in the same pitfalls of not having time to go to the gym, not having space for a home gym, or not being able to afford enough equipment.
(Image credit: Amazon)
(Image credit: Amazon)
With a treadmill in your home, you can eliminate all of the travel time to and from a gym, and if you find yourself with even 15-20 minutes spare, you can jump on the belt and get an easy 1,500 steps in - they really add up! It’s also much easier to motivate yourself when the ‘gym’ is right there. You can even walk on a treadmill while on a call or typing away.
Under desk treadmills usually take up less than 10sq ft. when in use, under 1sq ft if stored upright, or you can slide it under a couch when you’re not using it because they’re often only half an inch high! Portable treadmills are also much less expensive than full-spec commercial treadmills that you’ll find in gyms, and while the cheapest ones are pretty basic, some of the more high-end products have classes live and on-demand, though often require additional membership.
What you should consider before buying a portable treadmill
There are, however, downsides to portable treadmills. Because they’re designed to be lightweight, they often have limited speed and incline options and smaller belt sizes. These issues are more notable with under-desk treadmills, which tend to have a maximum speed of around 6mph, often have no incline capabilities, and have much lower maximum user weight capacities of between 220-240lb. Although, that is the tradeoff for a lighter, more portable, less expensive treadmill.
Even folding treadmills can’t quite match gym treadmills with maximum speeds of ~12mph (commercial treadmills often go as high as 15mph), and weight capacities of between 220lb - 300lb, compared to a 300lb minimum for gym treadmills. It’s also worth noting that under desk treadmills have no handles, and folding treadmill handles are less sturdy as they’re made to move in order to fold.
Which treadmill is best for me?
If you’re looking for something small and inexpensive to simply increase your daily step count while multitasking, then an under desk treadmill is a great idea. If you would prefer something a bit more sturdy to do higher intensity running or even some sprints, with the option of exercises classes, then a pricier folding treadmill is probably better for you.
Below you’ll find the best treadmill deals for today; don’t miss out!
Today’s best Treadmills deals$13.99View$299.99$199.99View$999.99$599.99ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Treadmills deals$13.99View$299.99$199.99View$999.99$599.99ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Treadmills deals
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