Folding Treadmill – Buying Advice And Gotchas

In this article we will take a closer look at the benefits and gotchas when you are shopping for a folding treadmill.

When people think about treadmills, they automatically think about the large and sometimes clunky treadmills of the past.

Today’s treadmills do have better design and build quality, though that doesn’t mean that everyone can keep a standard treadmill in their home.

So, what should people do if they want to keep a treadmill in their home?

folding treadmill

It’s not that practical for people to dedicate an entire room to that treadmill, even if they do have the space. To accommodate that issue, many people settle for what’s known as a fold up treadmill.

Foldable treadmills are just as they’re described.

They’re treadmills that fold.

They usually have features like a security lock that keeps the treadmill in place when it’s folded. Some foldable treadmills even have an automated lifting and/or dropping system in place for raising and lowering the running machine’s deck. Besides those features, these treadmills are usually easy to fold and tuck away in a spacious closet.

If you’re thinking about getting a treadmill, you’re probably a good candidate for a folding treadmill for a wide variety of reasons.

Though, the main reason is, well, you probably just need a treadmill that doesn’t take up a lot of space!

Top Reasons To Buy A Folding Treadmill

Well, I’m interested! So, what are the main reasons why I should get a folding treadmill? What makes a folding treadmill better than a non-folding treadmill?

Well, we’ve already mentioned one of the biggest reasons why you should get a fold up treadmill—and, that has everything to do with saving space in your home.

treadmill women

If you have a smaller home or even a small hone gym, getting a folding treadmill is your best bet to conserve space. Another reason why folding treadmills work best in the home is the fact that they make cleaning around the home much easier.

If you need to clean the area where it resides, all you need to do is fold up the treadmill and clean that space.

Though, we can’t mention benefits without talking about some disadvantages.

Some people don’t get folding treadmills because of their build quality.

In fact, one of the most important traits of treadmills is build quality—and, if you don’t have a treadmill with good build quality, good luck getting that treadmill to last a long time!

A lot of folding treadmills actually can’t perform as advertised, more or less revealing their poor build quality. The folding frames of many folding treadmills also make them subject to build issues, since the foldable nature of their frames significantly affects their stability. You can actually avoid some of the issues with folding treadmills by buying one that’s already priced to match its build quality.

That’s usually in the $1,000 and up price range.

While that might be pricy, it’s the best way to ensure that you’re getting the best quality possible for your fold up treadmill. It also makes sure that, well, you won’t have too many of the aforementioned stability issues when you’re using it on a regular basis.

So, the main thing that makes folding treadmill better than non-folding treadmill is their foldable nature and their price, since they’re usually less expensive than non-folding treadmills.

Looking For A Fold Up Treadmill? Read My Buying Advice First

All right, I’m convinced! So, what should I look for in a folding treadmill if I’m planning to buy one? Are there certain factors I should look for in a folding treadmill?

That’s a good question!

To start, folding treadmills are actually pretty popular as workout machines, so you won’t have trouble immediately finding one.

The problem is that there are so many folding treadmills out there that it makes it difficult to narrow down your search to one. One way to narrow down your search is to set a certain price limit, preferably above $1,000. Even when you do that, you still have to deal with narrowing down that search from dozens of folding treadmills!

Though, it’s not that difficult to narrow down your fold away treadmill search. You just need to know what you’re looking for in a folding treadmill. So, what are the most important factors that you should look for in a fold away treadmill?

Some of the most important features lie in the treadmill’s ability to track your workout.

So, you usually want to find a folding treadmill with features like a timer and a display that can track your workout throughout the course of your time on the running machine.

Many foldable treadmills do have what’s known as a distance display, usually built-in to its own display, that tracks the revolutions of the treadmill belt. That helps track how many revolutions you walked, ran or jogged during a certain amount of time on the treadmill. In other words, it tracks how far you walked, ran or jogged on the treadmill.

You also want a folding treadmill that will let you set the speed. That’s an important feature for treadmill newcomers and/or people who need to set the maximum speed of their workouts to a safer threshold.

Having speed controls also helps people who want to keep their treadmills at a certain pace, making it easier for them to meet their workout goals.

Gotchas And Further Advice When You Are Shopping For A Fold Away Treadmill

All right, is there anything else I need to look for in a folding treadmill?

Being a running machine, any good folding treadmill should have a heart rate monitor for cardio-centric workouts.

women on sole treadmill

A heart rate and/or pulse monitor helps you keep track of your, well, heart rate and pulse when you’re working out. It’s also a great thing to have if you have health concerns that require you to keep track of your heart’s activity when working out.

Interestingly, there are fold away treadmill with calorie monitors, though they’re not that necessary.

Still, it’s good to have one aboard your folding treadmill to make keeping track of your burned calories easier than usual.

Lastly, you also want to check the incline grade of any folding treadmill.

The incline of a treadmill determines the types of elevation you can achieve when using the running machine. So, if you want to have a folding treadmill that can adjust at different inclines and/or angles, it’s important to check that out before buying.

While it’s not necessary to look for a folding treadmill that absolutely includes all of those aforementioned features, it’s still important to make sure that the treadmill that you want includes the features that you need.

Currently ([this-year]) I recommend the F80 Sole treadmill.

You can read my Sole F80 folding treadmill review here.