How Much Does a Treadmill Cost? +How Much You Should Spend

Want to get a good treadmill and aren’t sure how much treadmills cost and how much you should spend? Here is what you should know to not spend too much or too little.

Treadmills can cost anywhere from $270 to $10000+. For a domestic treadmill, paying $600 to $1000 will get you a decent mid-range treadmill with good build-quality, features and warranty. A high-end domestic treadmill costs $3000-6000 while commercial models are more expensive.

Find out the exact prices and what you can expect for your money below. Below you can also find a list of popular domestic treadmills and their price. 

Entry Level Treadmill Prices

Here we have the most affordable treadmills. There are some you can get cheaper but these are from brands that aren’t really all that reliable so they probably shouldn’t be considered. From $300 you can find some treadmills from decent brands. Buying from a known brand is going to be better for customer service, maintenance and finding replacement parts. 

The entry level treadmill prices range from $300 to $800

Brand	Model	Price
Lifespan	TR1200i	800
Xterra	TR300	800
	TR150	500
	TR200	550
	TRX1000	530
Horizon Fitness	T101	700
	T202	800
Schwinn	810	800
Sunny Health	SF-T4400	430
	SF-T7857	600

There is actually a very large difference between a treadmill you get for $400 and one for $800. The first is going to be quite basic. It’ll work but won’t be the sturdiest and be very light on features.

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The biggest drawbacks of entry level treadmills are going to be; weaker motor, weaker frame and not many controls and features. It will certainly work but it’s less comfortable to work out on because there is less built in damping. Money has been saved on materials and construction. For light use, these treadmills are fine. However, if you’re expecting a comfortable experience when using for an hour or more a day, you might be disappointed.

Of course when you shop on the upper end of this range, you’ll get a lot better. For $800 you can find a solidly built treadmill with some damping in the deck and sometimes even an LCD display for control.

Keep in mind you’ll have to keep some money in your budget for a treadmill mat. Click here to read why you need one.

Price isn’t the only thing to think about when buying a treadmill. Click here to find a complete guide of how to select a treadmill.

Mid-Range Treadmill Prices

This is the price range where you can find a good balance of price, features and quality. This is the range most people will find something that fits their purposes and wallets.

You can expect to pay about $800 to $2000 for a mid-range treadmill.

Brand	Model	Price
Sole Fitness	F63	1000
	F80	1600
	F85	2000
	F65	1400
	S77	1900
Bowflex	10	2000
Nautilus	T616	1150
	T618	1500
Lifespan	TR2000i	1700
	TR3000i	2000
	TR4000i	2000
3G	Lite Runner	1200
	80i	1800
	Pro Runner	1900
Xterra	TR300	800
	TR6.4	950
	TR6.6	1100
	TRX2500	900
	TRX3500	1000
	TRX4500	1200
	TRX5500	2000
Horizon Fitness	T303	1000
	7.0AT	1000
	7.4AT	1600
	7.8AT	2000
Schwinn	830	950
	870	1100
NordicTrack	EXP7i	1100
	EXP10i	1600
Sunny Health	SF-T7955	950
	7750P	890
	SF-T7917	810

In this price range, you can’t have everything. In general, you’ll have to make some compromises in this price range. It’s a tradeoff between build quality and features for the most part. Although things like customer service and warranty also come into play.

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You can get a treadmill with great build quality in this range but that model will be a bit light on features and vice versa. Of course there is still quite a big difference between a $900 model and a $2000 model. The latter will likely have better build quality AND more features than the cheaper one but there will still be some form of a tradeoff. A $2000 treadmill is going to be quite good but keep in mind commercial models usually cost upwards of $6000 so you can’t quite expect the same. 

That said, in this price range, you can find very good treadmills that have good build quality and all the features you want. It might not have every possible feature you can imagine but, do you really need all of those?

Most people will be satisfied with a treadmill somewhere in this price range.

When selecting a treadmill, the belt size is also important. Click here for an article on that topic

High-End Treadmill Prices

Now we get up to the high-end. This is the area where you pay a lot ($2000+) but you should also expect a lot. This is the range where you get all the bells and whistles combined with high quality and good customer service and solid warranties.

Brand	Model	Price
Life Fitness	T3	2750
	T5	4250
	F3	2750
Sole Fitness	TT8	2500
Landice	L7	4400-5000
	L8	5400-6100
BowFlex	22	2700
Lifespan	TR5500i	2600
True Fitness	M30	2300
	M50	2400
	Z5.0	4200
	Z5.4	5100
	Performance 100	3500
	Performance 300	3900
	Performance 800	4800
	950	6400
3G	Elite Runner	3500
BodyCraft	T800	3300-4300
	T400	3800-4800
	T1000	4800-5800

These treadmills tend to be built to a higher standard than the cheaper ones (as you would expect). The frames and motors are much stronger. Something that shows in the load limits. The treadmills that can handle more than 350 lbs. users, tend to be in this price range. It just takes more materials and better quality parts to make a treadmill stronger.

You’ll also have things like large displays that can be used for streaming movies or listening to the built in speakers. Of course there are tons of built in programs you can use but connecting to your favorite fitness app and trackers is usually also possible.

These treadmills tend to have better warranty conditions as the cheaper models but there are some exceptions. Customer service and repairs tend to be better and quicker with these brands as well.

This is the range you shop in when you want something solid and reliable with all the features you could want. Also, if you ask a lot from your treadmill, consider a high-end one.

If you need a treadmill with a high top speed, click here to find the best ones with 12 MPH or higher top speeds.

How Much Should You Spend On A Treadmill?

Above you can find the prices and different price ranges. The question of how much you should pay for a treadmill is a bit difficult to answer.

It really depends on a few factors;

• How much can you afford?
• What are your fitness goals?
• Which features do you want/need?
• Other factors like warranty

Most people will be best off with a mid-range treadmill ($800-2000) or even on the lower end of that. However, if you require a lot from your treadmill, paying more will be better in the long run. If you intend to use it intensively and for a long time, get the best you can afford. 

Let’s look a little more in-depth at the deciding factors for buying a treadmill. 

Budget

For most people, the amount you’ve got in your wallet is going to be the deciding factor. At least it’s going to be a very large part of the decision making process.

Don’t spend any money you don’t have. Sure, being healthy is more important than money but if you really don’t have the money, the financial stress will be more detrimental to your health than the treadmill is going to help it.

However, if you can afford it, I would certainly buy a treadmill that’s at least in the mid-range. They will feel better, last longer and have more features. Also, if you would want to sell it later on, a better model will be easier to sell than a bottom end one.

Goals

It’s also a good idea to think about what your fitness goals are. Different people expect different things from a treadmill.

Most people want the following;

• Improve cardiovascular health
• Lose weight
• Look better
• Increase longevity

Those goals can be accomplished on a simple treadmill as long as it works. However, there are tons of different ways to accomplish these goals even just involving a treadmill.

You can walk for 3 hours a day or do 15 minute HIIT sessions and everything in between. How you work out has an impact on the wear of a treadmill. Of course every manufacturer will claim that their treadmill is high quality and you can run on it 24/7 for the next 30 years (slight exaggeration).

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The reality is that treadmills are usually built to a budget especially the cheaper ones. That means money has to be saved by using cheaper parts and less material. This leads to some wearing out faster than others.

If you’re just starting working out and have no experience whatsoever, you might be tempted to get something in a low price range. And for a while, there will be nothing wrong with that. However, after a while you’ll improve to a point where you might want to get something better. If that’s within one or two years of getting your treadmill, it might actually turn out to become much more expensive.

So as you might gather from this, I would recommend beginners to get something from the upper end of the entry level or lower end of the mid-range. About $600 to $1000 should be able to buy you a good treadmill that will support your goals for years to come.

Intensive use

If you have a higher fitness level, you’re likely to use your treadmill more often and at a higher intensity. This means you’re asking more from the treadmill and one that’s meant for casual use might wear out quicker than you expect.

In that case it’s better to get a treadmill with stronger construction, stronger motor and better damping. However, that is going to cost more money, there aren’t really any shortcuts around it.

For HIIT, buying something a little sturdier is a great idea. Treadmills are great for HIIT but it does put a little extra stress on many components. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) This is a great way to burn more calories in a short period of time and also improve your cardiovascular health. A good interval timer is going to make HIIT workouts much more enjoyable.Check out the GymNext Flex timer. It’s super easy to set up and control contrary to most other interval timers making the set up for any workout a breeze.

Suggested post: Guide to treadmill maintenance

Features/specifications

Then there are the features and specifications of a treadmill. Maybe you want something very specific out of a treadmill. Some features can be found in entry level models but usually if it’s something special or out of the ordinary, you’ll have to pay extra.

Extra high incline settings, weight limits, top speeds or big screens are usually not available in the lower price ranges.

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Other

There are a few other things that come into play that could impact your decision how much you should/want to pay for a treadmill;

• Warranty: Looking at the warranty conditions of a treadmill you’re planning to buy is a good idea. Sometimes what seems like a good deal is a little soured by the warranty conditions. Check this post to find the treadmill brands with the best warranty conditions.
• Specific brand: If you’ve had good (or bad) experiences with a certain brand in the past, you might want to bas your decision making on that experience. This could force you to buy another treadmill that is more expensive.

List Of Popular Treadmill Prices

Here is a list of the most popular home treadmills and what they cost. These are treadmills from good brands with proper customer service, aftercare and parts availability. There are other (cheaper) brands available on the big online retail platforms but most of them are made cheaply abroad and don’t have the customer service and parts availability you really want.

A treadmill is an expensive piece of equipment so you don’t want to have to throw it away because you can’t find a simple replacement part.

The prices quoted here are MSRP. Of course it’s possible to find a good discount on some of these if you shop around. But discounts change all the time so it would be wrong to list them here.

In this list you will only find motorized treadmills. This is the type of treadmill most people are looking for. Manual treadmills can be had much cheaper but it’s

Brand	Model/Series	Price
Life Fitness	T3	2750
	T5	4250
	F3	2750
Sole Fitness	F63	1000
	F80	1600
	F85	2000
	TT8	2500
	F65	1400
	S77	1900
Landice	L7	4400-5000
	L8	5400-6100
BowFlex	10	2000
	22	2700
	T616	1150
	T618	1500
LifeSpan	TR1200i	800
	TR2000i	1700
	TR3000i	2000
	TR5500i	2600
	TR4000i	2000
True Fitness	M30	2300
	M50	2400
	Z5.0	4200
	Z5.4	5100
	Performance 100	3500
	Performance 300	3900
	Performance 800	4800
	950	6400
3G	Lite Runner	1200
	80i	1800
	Pro Runner	1900
	Elite Runner	3500
Xterra	TR300	800
	TR6.4	950
	TR6.6	1100
	TRX2500	900
	TRX3500	1000
	TRX4500	1200
	TRX5500	2000
	TR150	500
	TR200	550
	TRX1000	530
Horizon Fitness	T101	700
	T202	800
	T303	1000
	7.0AT	1000
	7.4AT	1600
	7.8AT	2000
Schwinn	810	800
	830	950
	870	1100
BodyCraft	T800	3300-4300
	T400	3800-4800
	T1000	4800-5800
NordicTrack	EXP7i	1100
	EXP10i	1600
	T6.5s	660
Sunny Health	SF-T7955	950
	SF-T4400	430
	7750P	890
	SF-T7917	810
	SF-T7857	600

This list is a large cross section of the home treadmills that are available on the market today. To make things a bit clearer, let’s split them up in different price ranges and what you can expect from these ranges. People that shop in the high end range are not interested in a low end model and vice versa.

These price ranges are arbitrary and are just to get an idea of what you can expect. The price ranges aren’t solid and sometimes you get a treadmill where the features don’t match up with the price range it’s in.

Find my recommended home gym treadmill here.