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Treadmills are a game-changing tool for runners. If you have one in your home, it opens up more opportunities to train and smarter ways to train. The trouble is, it can be hard to choose one to buy – especially as you often need to order without seeing it first.

Luckily, we’re here to share our pick of the best treadmills for the home.

• Best treadmill for live classes: Peloton Tread Treadmill
• Best cheap treadmill: Domyos Compact Run 100
• Best for connectivity: JLL Folding Treadmill
• Best treadmill for app-based workouts: NoblePro Elite 8.0
• Best treadmill for walking fitness: UREVO CyberPad

Keep scrolling for our in-depth reviews of each treadmill. If you’re still not sure on what you’re looking for, read our treadmill buying guide or learn more about the benefits of treadmill training below.

Treadmill Buying Guide

Treadmill cost

The first thing to consider when you’re buying a treadmill is the cost. A top-end treadmill with all the bells and whistles will set you back some thousands of pounds. But, depending on how often you’ll be using it and what specifications you need, you could be happily running from your front room for a few hundred quid.

If you see yourself using it regularly all year round, or have more than one runner in the family, then we recommend investing a little more in your treadmill. This will give you a more durable model that will be able to cope with the higher load and the options of connectivity to live classes and training tools that will help add more variety into your training runs.

Some treadmill features such as live classes and group training will require an additional subscription on top of the price of the treadmill itself. Peloton’s All Access Membership, for example, is £39 per month. So make sure you factor this in.

If, however, you plan to do most of your training outside and see the treadmill as a last resort when the weather is truly terrible, you probably don’t need the highest spec treadmill on the market. Save yourself some cash and spend it on another pair of great running shoes.

Treadmill size

The size of your treadmill is a big factor in which one you buy. Some treadmills will fold up and pack away if you’re short on space and don’t want it out full time. Others need to be up all the time. Make sure you triple check the measurements before you order.

Treadmill running area

Another key thing to think about is the running area of your treadmill. This is how much space you’ll have on the belt when you’re actually running. If you’re an averagely-sized person, most treadmills will have an adequate running area. If you’re taller than most, you’ll definitely want to investigate treadmills with a larger running area, as your stride length will undoubtedly be longer.

Treadmill speed

While you might not be planning to set any world records on your treadmill, make sure you check its top speed. You’ll need to make sure that it can cope with the fastest speeds you’ll be running at – remember to factor in sprinting intervals. You also ideally want to leave a bit of scope for improvement! If you’re not sure how your outdoor speed converts to treadmill speed, try a treadmill at a gym to note how fast you run.

Treadmill connectivity

Some treadmills are nice and simple: they allow you run, change your speed and incline. But if you want more from your treadmill, you need to check out what it connects to. These days, lots of treadmills allow you to use training apps such as Zwift or Peloton, which offer workout programming and motivation.

The benefits of treadmill training

Treadmills are more than just a convenience tool. They’re also a training tool that can help you execute training sessions that you’d find difficult to do outside. As the treadmill dictates your pace (once you’ve told it which pace you want to run, that is) it takes the guess work out of tempo runs and speed intervals. All you have to do is keep up. It might not make it easier to run at that pace, but it makes it simpler.

It’s possible that you’re finding your interval training hard because you’re going off too fast. Hit the treadmill and the pacing is taken care of for you. Many runners also struggle to slow down enough to make their easy runs truly easy and are therefore missing out on all the benefits of training in their aerobic zone. With treadmill training, you can get your pace perfect every time, and enjoy the benefits of that.

The benefits of having a treadmill at home

Having a treadmill at home is about more than just being able to avoid running outside in the winter. Though that is a big plus point! It gives you more freedom to train. If you have children or other caring responsibilities that mean you can’t be away from home, you can still get your run done. And if you’re concerned about your safety running outside, you can train in the comfort of your home.

Best treadmills for home training

Best treadmill for live classes: Peloton Tread treadmill

Technical details:

• RRP: £3,499
• Top speed: 12.5 mph
• Incline: 0-12%
• Size: H165 x W84 x D173cm
• Running area: 150cm x 50cm
• Max user weight: 130 kg

What our testers said:

“It’s not until you’re immersed in the world of Peloton that you truly understand how amazing it is. Interval work is a breeze, as you don’t have to stab at a button multiple times to increase or decrease the speed. The running belt is long so there’s plenty of space, and you don’t feel like you’re crushed up against the console. It has a max speed of 12.5mph (20kmph) which should be plenty fast enough for any recreational runner, and the max incline is 12.5%. The classes range from 5 minutes to 75 minutes in duration. You can enjoy bite-size sessions if you’re crunched for time, or stack them for a longer workout. I can’t speak highly enough of the instructors. They are encouraging, motivating, and the best at what they do.”

Want more info? Check out Alex’s full Peloton Tread review.

Best cheap treadmill: Domyos Compact Run 100

Technical details

• RRP: £499.99
• Top speed: 14kph
• Incline: None
• Size: H114 x W75 x D150cm
• Running area: 120cm x 45cm
• Max user weight: 130 kg

What our testers said:

“Whilst it is a budget buy, the treadmill felt quite solid and didn’t rock around too much when in use. The cushioning on the belt was good. Being 45 cm wide the deck provides ample room and the belt was grippy which minimises risk of slipping. It isn’t noisy and so this makes it suitable for those who live in close proximity to others, and want to minimise the risk of disturbance. It also makes it easier to listen to audio when walking/running as it isn’t drowned out by the sound of the treadmill.”

Want to know more? Here’s Holly’s full Domyos Treadmill review.

Best cheap treadmill: JLL Folding Treadmill

Technical details

• RRP: £498.99
• Top speed: 12kph
• Incline: None
• Size: 113H x 81W x 153D cm
• Running area: 122cm x 51cm
• Max user weight: 120kg

What our testers said:

“In use, this treadmill is quieter than I’d expected. The running deck is cushioned and comfortable to run on. The weight, which was a hindrance when setting the treadmill up, means it feels stable even when you’re running hard. At 51cm wide and 122cm long, the running deck is spacious for a short person like me, but if you’re blessed with long legs then moving up to one of JLL’s larger treadmills might be wise.”

Want more info? Here’s Hannah’s full JLL Treadmill review.

Best treadmill for app-based workouts: NoblePro Elite 8.0

Technical details

• RRP: £1599
• Top speed: 20kph
• Incline: 0-12%
• Size: 130L x 86W cm
• Running area: 152cm x 52cm
• Connects with: Zwift, Rouvy, Peloton, BitGym and Kinomap apps

What our testers said

“This clever treadmill has a higher price point than the others but for good reason: Kinni. No, that’s not a woman who will come to your living room and make you run (sadly), but it’s not far off. Kinni is an app that allows you to create your own running workouts. It controls your speed and incline automatically, so you can just get on and run. And it connects to a multitude of other apps to make your run easier, better and more interactive. There are loads of different settings to make the most of your training time. It’s also really easy to move around, but still sturdy enough to stand up to a sprint.”

Best treadmill walking fitness: UREVO CyberPad

Technical details

• RRP: £499.99
• Top speed: 4mph
• Size: 109L x 58W x 16H cm
• Max user weight: 181kg

What our testers said

“With a top speed of 4mph, this treadmill is best suited to walkers and it a couple of secret weapons which make it well worth a look.

First off, it has a 14% incline which isn’t something you expect to see on a standard walking pad. So you can work up more of a sweat than you would on your average walking treadmill, even at slower paces. The other standout feature is that it packs away easily. You simply lift it with a handle and stand it on its end, and it tucks away easily to the side of the room or in a cupboard.

The machine is quiet in use and the Hivetech Shock Absorption System makes it ideal for use in flats or during work calls – a really useful bit of home-office kit.”