Portable Treadmills Review
Buying Guide

Are the small and portable treadmills the right solution for your workout? Find what the best portable or foldable treadmill is for your home gym and how its portable design can save you time and money while helping you build muscles and lose weight.

A treadmill is one of the most popular exercise machines for cardio workout, such as fitness, running and walking, and by buying a portable treadmill you can exercise at the same level as with the bulkier models, while experiencing some great advantages.

Advantages

Portable treadmills are made as compact and foldable, which are providing the right fitness solution for people on the move or living in small places, and don't have enough space for home type. For business people, having the portable treadmill is a convenient way to reduce the stress and keep the good physical and mental health. You as a business person can carry it on the road, bring into the hotel and enjoy full privacy during the exercise, easily fold it up, down and pack away.
Best portables are lightweight, movable, easy to set up and take down, store horizontally under the bed or vertically inside the closet.
You don't need a dedicated space to set the machine up and exercise. Buy a folding treadmill and keep it away when not using.
They are less expensive than heavy non-folding ones.

On today's market of sports and fitness equipment, there are some great treadmills for you to choose from; portable machines are still having variety of exercise programs for the beginners and more advanced workout.

Portable treadmills give you a great opportunity for the cardio workout; you can run and walk; you can change the speed and inclination level... some models are like standard ones found in sports or fitness clubs, with all the computerized features and quality level for an effective workout.

Buying Guide - What to look for

There are two types; electric and manual one, and several popular brands such as Horizon, Sole, Bowflex, LifeSpan...

Which one to choose?

It depends on what do you need it for. The recommendation is to visit the sports store and try few brands and models, search for the online treadmill reviews from professional and consumer side. Read both positive and negative reviews and made a selection of a few. After that, compare the prices, features and ratings and buy portable treadmill that will meet all your needs and your budget.

Meanwhile, use the following suggestions when buying a compact, fold up treadmill for your home gym:

Quality. A good quality treadmill is much better than cheap and poorly done machine, but your selection depends on your training needs and a budget. If the budget is tight, and you need a basic running machine, make sure that this machine is sturdy with the stable frame and belt system of a decent quality. Computerized features are not that important for the basic workout and they increase the price.
Power. Select a mini treadmill with enough horsepower and with a good size running surface, so you can exercise comfortably. Smaller collapsible machines are good for storing, but you need a machine that will meet your needs and support your weight and height.
Safety. Safety features such as locking mechanism are also very important for the worry free exercise.
Size. Since you are buying a portable treadmill, weight and size are important as you want to lift or move it around with less effort, and put it away easily when not exercising. Heavier machines (have stronger structure) with wheels are better solution than lighter with no wheels.
Features. Buying a good quality foldable treadmill, means more money, but also means lots of useful features such as; workout programs, the heart rate monitor, calorie counter, incline, front and side hand rails, wide foot rails on either side of the running belt. These programs are important for your safety, as well as workout progress, and to keep track of how well you are doing.
Warranty and Price. Warranty and money back guaranty are most of the time a "proof" that you are dealing with a company that stands behind their product and your purchase.

Important Features

Portable treadmills are small, compact and collapsible. The most important components to look for, when buying any kind of the treadmill, are motor and the deck size. If your budget allows, look for the model with the larger motor for better workout experience and larger deck for comfort.

The spring loaded deck can be pushed back and locked up. Wheels on the base are giving them additional portability and easy transport. The belt is small and is generally around 50”. They come with the simple consoles and few inclined options. More expensive portable machines come with the limited number of workout programs when compared to the fixed treadmills.

They are perfect for business people who travel a lot, so they can overcome stress at the office by quick workouts. Many of these machines are ready to be used right from the box, and they come with the wheels for easy transport.

According to some professional reviews, they are less stable for serious workout and quality of material used is higher on the standard type.

Manual portable treadmills are working with your own running power rather than electric machines running the belt for you.

If you are a runner, buy a treadmill that has at least a 2.5 HP motor and for walking or jogging save money with the 1.75 to 2 CHP motor. If you are taller, recommendation is to buy at least 55x20" deck size or 50x16" for walking only.