The best treadmill for 2021

The Nautilus brand owns Bowflex and Schwinn too, so there were similar designs and features in all three treadmills I tested (see the other two reviews below). Each home treadmill offers built-in workout programs and lets you have up to four different user profiles. Where the Nautilus gets its edge is in rock-solid build quality and premium design.

One thing I really liked about this electric treadmill is that the start, stop, speed and incline buttons are large, rubberized and easy to press. Button design seems like a trivial thing until you're running at high speeds on a motorized treadmill and need to adjust your speed easily. I also appreciated that the side rails are rubberized, so they're easy to grip and that they have built-in buttons to adjust the speed and incline of the running deck. The LCD display is easy to read. The machine also has a weight capacity of 350 pounds and a wireless heart rate monitor that straps to your chest to track your heart rate.

After every workout that lasts for more than 10 minutes or has a total distance of more than one mile, you'll see your Fitness Score on the LCD screen, a proprietary number based on an estimate of your VO2 max and calorie burn over your last five workouts.

You can also use the Pacer feature to compare your current workout session details, such as number of calories burned, to past runs or walks. It's a neat way to meet your fitness goal and see your progress, especially if you're focusing on weight loss or training for a specific program and time, like a 10K. 

You can sync all that data to the Nautilus Trainer 2 app, where you can set cardio goals and export your data to workout apps including Apple Health, Google Fit, MyFitnessPal and more.

Considering the quality of this treadmill model's features and the price, this is my overall top pick for the best treadmill.

At time of writing, this treadmill is currently out of stock online. We will update this post when it comes back in stock.

As of November 2020, the T 7.5 S model I previously recommended is now discontinued, but the T 6.5 Si is a worthy exercise machine replacement. It has a larger touchscreen and many of the same great treadmill features, for several hundred dollars less. I've left my review of the T 7.5 S model below.

The NordicTrack and Proform machines I tested have nearly identical features, because the exercise equipment brands are owned by the same company, Icon Health & Fitness. 

Both motorized incline treadmills have built-in 7-inch touch screens that let you use iFit, the company's on-demand workout streaming service. iFit was by far my favorite feature on both treadmill workout machines. You can pick from more than 16,000 guided workouts, including over 1,000 that were shot outdoors on courses all over the world where you follow a personal trainer as they walk or run. You also can choose to have the workout automatically change the settings on the treadmill to match the speed and incline set by the trainer. And of course, you can always override those settings at any time, especially if it moves beyond your comfortable max speed.

Never have I become so engrossed in my cardio workout until using iFit. I almost completely forgot that I was jogging on a treadmill while my personal trainer/guide took me on a hike in Costa Rica, coaching me along the way and throwing out facts about the rainforest we were hiking through. You get a free one-year membership of iFit with the purchase of the treadmill, after that it's $15 per month -- which is less than half of Peloton's $40 monthly class price for virtual training sessions.

The biggest knock against the NordicTrack treadmill is the build quality. Compared with the design of the other machines, this treadmill model felt less premium. At the seams where two plastic parts were supposed to meet, I noticed gaps and pieces askew.

That said, I was impressed enough by iFit that I could look past the lackluster fit and finish to rate it the best treadmill for guided workouts.

Since I initially reviewed the Proform Smart Pro 2000 in 2019, it's received a makeover. The new home gym model is much sleeker, but keeps the same features as the previous treadmill workout model, minus the dedicated tablet holder. While I haven't tested it yet, I'd still recommend it. I've left my original review of the Smart Pro 2000 below.

This Proform treadmill has all the treadmill features the NordicTrack has, and then some. That includes a -3% decline mode to simulate running or walking up and down a hill, a large fan to cool you off after an intense workout, and a tablet holder. 

The treadmill is a bit bigger, both in size and how bulky it feels, so if you're looking for a compact treadmill, it's not for you. The design seems like it's best suited for a home gym because of how heavy duty it is.

Like the Proform 2000, the killer feature on the NordicTrack is iFit. If you really dislike working out on a treadmill, the video-streaming running coach workouts can make the process of getting in your cardio and boosting your heart rate much more enjoyable.

Is a bigger machine with a decline function worth it? I think so, especially because the build quality of this machine is better than the NordicTrack.

The Sole Fitness treadmill has many of the same health fitness features you'll find on more expensive machines, for less.

It has a built-in tablet stand, making it a great treadmill for watching videos while exercising and is equipped with Bluetooth built-in speakers that connect your phone to play music. The rubberized handrails have built-in speed and incline controls and there are dedicated spots to put your feet when you want to step off the treadmill during intervals. Overall, this motorized treadmill feels stable and well built.

My biggest gripe with this exercise equipment machine is that the stats on the screen are a bit confusing to read while you're working out, but it's still the best treadmill when considering the value.

As a wild card for this list, I threw in the Sunny Health & Fitness treadmill because I wanted to know how it compared to thousand-dollar machines. I learned three key things about it.

1. It's not built for everyone. The entire machine is small, with a walking belt running surface that's 48-inches long and 15-inches wide -- all of the others I tested had a running belt surface that was at least 60-inches long and 20-inches wide. Walking and jogging on this budget treadmill felt cramped (my running shoe occasionally grazed the plastic cover at the top of the belt) and I'm only 5 foot 3 inches with a short stride. Also, the maximum weight this treadmill can handle is 220 pounds, or 100 kilograms. The max weight for all of the other treadmills on this list is at least 300 pounds (136 kilograms). 

2. It doesn't feel like an overtly cheap treadmill. The treadmill offers all of the home gym treadmill workout features you want -- it goes up to nine miles per hour, it has three treadmill incline options -- 0%, 2% and 4.37% -- and has nine built-in workout programs. The handrails have controls to adjust your speed and start/stop your workout, a feature you see in higher-end treadmills.

3. Assembly is required and the warranty is short. If you buy this treadmill online, by default it will not come with expert assembly, but putting it together was really easy. If you've ever put together Ikea furniture, this is easier. 

However, the warranty on everything but the structural frame of the Sunny treadmill is 180 days (four months). I haven't yet tested this folding treadmill machine long-term, but reviews on Amazon complain about its longevity.

Bottom line: If you are really short on space and dollars, and are willing to get rid of the treadmill if it dies in a year, go ahead and get this folding treadmill. But if you want anything more from your treadmill, save up for a better option.

The Schwinn 870 treadmill has the same features of the Nautilus, including the pacer and fitness score. You can sync all of your workout data to the Schwinn Fitness App, where you can set goals and sync your treadmill workout data to Apple Health, Google Health, MyFitnessPal and more. You can also export your data from the machine by plugging in a USB drive.

Beyond that, the treadmill is middle-of-the-road. Not terrible, but not particularly noteworthy. For around $1,000 (prices vary online), I'd opt for the Sole machine instead. At time of writing, it's out of stock anyway.