Exercising is hard enough when the equipment isn’t falling apart around you. So when your treadmill belt starts tearing and renders your treadmill useless, what do you do? Is it worth it to buy a new treadmill belt, or should you just throw in the towel and buy a whole new treadmill?
Replacing a treadmill belt can cost between $30 to $200, not including the cost for a repairman to install it. Depending on your chosen repair company’s hourly rate, you may be looking at an additional $100 to $200, making the cost of replacement anywhere from $130 to $400 total.
The cost to replace a treadmill belt depends on the make and model of your treadmill, as well as the quality of the replacement you chose (along with each treadmill company’s services offered for replacement and repairs). There are plenty of different options, both in cost and quality.
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Key Takeaways
Is Repairing a Treadmill Belt Worth The Cost?
So if the question is between replacing just the belt or the entire treadmill, we recommend just biting the bullet and replacing the belt. Belts are a wear item for treadmills and replacement should be expected.
Even if you have to pay the extra cost for a repairman to come in and fix it, it’s worth it. While replacing a belt isn’t cheap, especially if you let someone do it for you, it’s still a lot cheaper than buying a new treadmill.
Here are the 4 signs your belt has to be replaced.
If the treadmill is very old and is wearing out all around or you just want something new, this can be a good opportunity to buy a new one. While rollers, motors, and consoles can all be replaced, on old models it can be a problem to find replacement parts. And when a lot of things have to be replaced at the same time, the repair bill can actually get close to a new mid-range model.
Belt wear depends on many factors. User weight is one of those factors. Make sure your treadmill is rated for your weight so the belt doesn’t wear prematurely. Suggested post; Treadmill user weight limits and why you should care.
Suggested: 12 Tips for Buying a second-hand treadmill
Budget Treadmill Belt Replacement Costs
To trim the cost of replacing your treadmill’s belt, you can find a generic belt. These work with more models, and are cheaper, but they aren’t as great of quality. Using a generic belt can save you money at the moment, but might cost you more in overall replacement and repair costs over time. And depending on what kind you buy, they might not line up perfectly with your treadmill. Generic belts can cost around $20 to $50, and they’re usually sold on sites such as eBay. Amazon has very few options for generic belts
Suggested post: Are treadmill belts universal?
Belts are a wear item on a treadmill and therefore aren’t usually covered under the warranty.
In 2021, the cheapest treadmill models on the market cost around $400 to $800. Here are some of the best options in this price range;
Suggested Post: How much does a home treadmill cost?
The cheapest belt replacement offered for low-end treadmills on Amazon is $64.00, and most of the Amazon replacement belts hang around the $60 to $90 range. Most of Amazon’s belts aren’t even generic–they’re specific for the treadmill brand, and they still hang around the cheaper range.
The cost of installation depends on what your chosen repair company charges hourly, but you can cut this cost by installing the belt yourself or having a friend do it. It is a lot cheaper to replace the walking belt yourself instead of paying (and tipping) someone to do it for you. But you should NEVER try this if you don’t know what you’re doing– you’re more likely to break something than you are to fix it (hiking up the repair costs even more).
Preventative maintenance helps extend the lifespan of belts and other wear items. Read here what treadmill maintenance is necessary.
Middle-Priced Treadmill Belt Replacement Price
Most mid-range treadmills cost about $800 – $2000. You can see some of the best, most common mid-range treadmills in the chart below;
The average cost of a mid-range treadmill replacement belt offered on Amazon is $89.00.
The walking belt replacements cost around the same amount as the cheaper treadmills, hanging around $90, and none of these options are generic. They’re all brand-specific. The cheapest options for treadmill belt replacements in the mid-range are around $75.
However, one of the issues with going into the higher-price range for treadmills is that there are fewer options for belt replacements. The more expensive the treadmill is, the less of a chance that a replacement belt will be readily available for purchase and replacement on Amazon.
Suggested: Why doesn’t my treadmill belt move when I step on it?
Most Expensive Treadmill Belt Replacement Options
The most expensive treadmills on the market in 2021 cost more than $5,000. The average cost is around $2,000, and the most expensive model is a whopping $16,395. However, the treadmills in this price range usually stay around the $3,000 to $4,000 range, with the $16,395 treadmill being the one outlier, so most treadmills won’t cost nearly as much.
One of the most common expensive treadmills on the market (the Landice L7 Treadmill, which costs around $5095) has a replacement belt on Amazon that costs around $143.00. Yes, that is expensive, but not nearly as expensive as buying a whole new treadmill.
Most of the higher-end treadmill companies prefer to do the replacements themselves, which can drive up the belt costs to around $200 to $300, not to mention how much each company might charge extra for personal repair costs. Before you buy a treadmill, it might be beneficial to speak to the supplier and ask how they handle walking belt repairs (if they offer repairs or replacements at all).
Other Options
If you don’t need to replace your treadmill belt, but it’s still lagging or not functioning properly, there might be a way to repair it on your own without buying a new belt or treadmill. Check out this video from JTX Fitness to see how to adjust your treadmill belt before you get rid of it altogether.
To keep your belt in tip-top shape, make sure to keep on top of maintenance. Here’s a guide to treadmill maintenance.
Belts aren’t the only thing that has to be replaced on a treadmill although it will be the most common part. In some cases, you’ll have to replace the motor. Check out how much a treadmill motor replacement can cost here.
Favorite Cardio Accessories
Check out these accessories that improve a home cardio workout:
- Equipment mat: All cardio equipment should be put on an equipment mat. The Rubber-Cal mat (Amazon) is an affordable yet very high-quality choice.
- Interval timer: To time your intervals and workouts, there is no better choice than the GymNext Flex. It’s super easy to use and set up with a phone app.
- Tablet holder: Cardio can be boring. With this tablet holder (Amazon) you can follow along with on-demand workouts or just watch a movie on any cardio machine.
- Heart rate monitor: Monitoring your heart rate is very important while doing cardio. The Polar H10 (Amazon) connects to almost anything you can imagine and is very accurate.
To find which cardio machines I recommend for home gyms, click here.
