How Much Does A Treadmill Cost?

The treadmill is recognized by health and fitness trainers as one of the most useful machines for anyone interested in having a healthy lifestyle and a constant way to exercise.

The question is how much does a treadmill cost? When considering getting a treadmill in your house this should be among the first questions you ask yourself.

The cost of a treadmill can be $200 or it can cost as much as many thousands of dollars. While researching we even found a professional treadmill priced at $25,000.

The things that will have the biggest impact on the final price of the treadmill are its features and capabilities.

Details on the Cost of a Treadmill

Expect the price of a treadmill to vary considerably depending on your actual needs. With an increase in price, these machines will be packed with stronger and stronger motors, longer, warranties, higher weight capacities, and more advanced programming. Below you will find a list when it comes to the best treadmills for a home, split into different price categories.

Discount Treadmills

Expect a cheap treadmill to be priced somewhere between $500 and $1,000. These will usually come with 55” tracks, a top speed of around 10 mph, and a rather weak motor. These are some of the reasons why they are only designed for light jogging or even walking, and not running.

Most budget treadmills will have an incline as well, although it might not be motorized, being manual instead, which might only go to about 10%. There are some exceptions as well, like the Horizon T103 that can reach a 12% incline.

Budget treadmills also have very basic displays. It’s not unusual for inexpensive treadmills to come with very limited versions, operating in manual mode and withing just a few program options. There are exceptions to this as well, as there are budget-friendly brands that have integrated pretty impressive programs. Some newer budget treadmills will also have grip heart rate monitors, which means that they can also show constant cardio data.

Mid-Priced Treadmills

Expect a mid-priced treadmill to have a price range between $1,000 and $2,500. Although some of these will come with 60” belts, needed for trainers and runners that are taller, most will only have treadbelts of 55” or 58”.

As expected, when compared to a budget treadmill, the mid-priced treadmills will offer a way better workout variety and higher weight capacities. Many can simulate hill training with motorized inclines. Some newer models can also use pulse information for workout intensity adjustments and also come with wireless heart rate monitors. Compared to less expensive models, they can also have a better cushioning level and even a handrail.

Expensive Treadmills

Expensive home treadmills can easily go over the $2,500 price mark. What sets them apart is usually a powerful motor, excellent shock absorption, as well as long 60” tracks. These qualities are required mostly by professional runners. These treadmills almost always have commercial-quality motors and can go at speeds of 12 mph. Most of them will also have extras like Internet browsers or cable TV, steep automatic inclines, and a great program variety.

Getting a luxury treadmill should mean basically no maintenance. Cheaper treadmills, in contrast, will periodically require lubricating, to ensure that the track has a long lifespan, and eventually, even with all the maintenance, will still need to be replaced. High-end treadmills, on the other hand, might come with lifetime warranties. When it comes to Landice treadmill warranties, these can even be transferable to a second owner.

There are Exceptions to this Rule

Searching enough will give you the possibility of finding cheap treadmills with high-end features, like NordicTrack, for example. Even so, it is very unlikely that you will find a combination of all the elements found on expensive treadmills while also having a warranty for durability when getting a cheaper treadmill. So while some cheap models will still have the 60” track and over 20 built-in programs, they might not have a longstanding warranty.

Manual Vs Motorized Treadmills

The difference between the motorized treadmills and the manual ones is the fact that the motorized ones have a motor that will move the belt, while the manual ones use your own momentum for the motion.

This is one of the aspects that will make motorized treadmills cost more than manual ones. You can get a manual treadmill for as low as $200 to $600.

One of their qualities is that they won’t take up as much space as motorized treadmills because they are smaller in size. Another pro of manual treadmills is that they don’t need electricity to work so you can place them anywhere you want. Also, they are easier to move around.

You can get a motorized treadmill for your home for as low as $800 to $8,000. These types of treadmills will last longer, being made to endure a lot more beating compared to the manual models. You will also have more fun with these treadmills, as they have a lot more helpful features to make exercises easier, harder, or more interesting.

As an example, you can use the commands to incline it or decline it, you can monitor your body’s functions like heart rate or pulse, or you can even watch TV on it or connect your iPod to listen to music. Each of the features will increase the final cost of the treadmill.

Treadmill Belt

Regardless of which type of treadmill you are interested in, always check its belt. The belt is the most important part of the treadmill and as soon as it breaks, your treadmill will stop working.

For the most comfortable exercising, you should look for a strong and thick belt that will move easily and is wide enough for you to run on it. This is where the cheapest isn’t an option anymore. If you’re a 200lb runner and want a treadmill with a good quality belt, expect to pay around $1,500 for it.

Weight

When figuring out the best treadmill for you and how much you’re willing to pay for it, think about how many people will use it, their weight, and the number of daily workouts.

Elders of around 120lbs in weight that will use the treadmill for walking won’t need a treadmill as complex as a 20-yr old runner that trains for marathons and needs to exercise daily. You should get a stronger treadmill if you know it will be used by multiple overweight people that go through daily workouts.

Most manufacturers of treadmills will overstate their weight capacity by at least 50 lbs, so don’t get one that barely supports your weight. This means that if you plan to use the treadmill and you weigh around 25 lbs you should get a treadmill that supports at least 300 lbs to make sure it lasts. Expect a higher cost for treadmills that support higher weights.

Motor

Another part of the treadmill that will affect the final cost will be the motor. Look for a motor that can easily move the tread belt. If you know that the treadmill you get will be used by multiple overweight users, check both the continuous duty rating and the peak rating.

Get a treadmill that has a continuous duty rating of over 1.5 horsepower if you weigh over 180 lbs. Also, opt for a treadmill with a long warranty duration. You won’t believe it, but some manufacturers offer a lifetime warranty.

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Alec Pow

Alec Pow is a thorough and methodical Financial and Business Analyst with over 15 years of experience in financial statement analysis, Foreign exchange derivative hedging instruments analysis, modeling, and risk management, with a long history of writing for big news publications like Forbes, MSN.com, Washington Post, and many more.