After walking and running on 29 Treadmills over the past six years, we’ve concluded that the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 is a dependable, versatile machine with a smooth ride and a sturdy build. It has a straightforward design that is easy to navigate, plus a large color touchscreen. An optional subscription for on-board workout content is available, too, if you want an extra dose of motivation.
Few things are as synonymous with indoor exercise as a treadmill. Loved (or loathed) by runners of varying skill levels, training on a treadmill is the best fill-in for going on a walk or a run when you’re faced with unfavorable outdoor conditions or commitments that keep you at home. And some people prefer using a treadmill to training outdoors.
This model is similar in look and feel to our top pick but has a smaller footprint, motor, and touchscreen. The belt is narrower, and it doesn’t decline.
This no-frills treadmill has a durable frame and an excellent warranty but lacks connectivity. It’s louder, too, and it’s heavier to fold than our other picks.
Sporting a more cushiony deck and lots of storage space, this treadmill has more controls for speed and incline than our pick, but they are less responsive. It also takes up a lot of space.
A treadmill takes up room. Determine how much space you need for the machine, even if it is a folding model.
The most important thing about a treadmill purchase: knowing yourself and what you want out of the machine.
The NordicTrack Commercial 1750 is dependable and versatile, accelerating smoothly within seconds to its top speed of 12 mph. The large color touchscreen has an excellent user interface, and the treadmill feels sturdy underfoot on a belt that offers ample room for even the tallest of runners. In our tests, it didn’t exhibit excessive shaking or screeching over time as other treadmills did, and it folds easily. It provides a quality experience even for runners looking to forgo the connected-workout options. NordicTrack’s warranty is solid, covering the frame for 10 years, the parts for two years, and labor for a year.
The Bowflex Treadmill 10 may seem intimidating on first look, but it is as comfortable to run or walk on as it is sturdy. Its belt provides basically the same amount of space as that of our top pick. The touchscreen is smaller than the NordicTrack Commercial 1750’s (a larger screen is available on the more expensive Bowflex Treadmill 22), but like our top pick, the Treadmill 10 offers a variety of immersive workout experiences that are accessible with an optional subscription. However, in our testing, some of this model’s buttons and controls weren’t always responsive, and the overall girth of the treadmill made some testers wonder if it would be a practical fit at home, even when folded up.
The Sole F80 is a solidly built treadmill that has the same size belt and the same maximum speed and incline as our top pick. We enjoyed running on the comfortable, responsive deck, and the basic LCD screen shows metrics clearly and has 10 built-in programs that do not require an internet connection or subscription. But we found that the F80 is one of the one of the loudest treadmills and one of the heaviest to fold, and unlike our top pick and runner-up, it does not decline.
The NordicTrack EXP 7i is similar in some ways to the company’s Commercial 1750, just in a slightly smaller package. Though it reaches the same top speed, its incline maxes at 12%, and it has no decline capability. The belt on the EXP 7i is 2 inches narrower than that of the Commercial 1750, and this model’s 7-inch touchscreen is 7 inches smaller than our top pick’s touch display.