Best Treadmill For Home Under $500 – Buyers Guide

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It can feel like with every day that goes by, we have more and more responsibilities. Kids to pick up from school, work to get done, homes to clean, time to spend with family, meals to make… And exercise to get done. You know the drill. Getting “too busy” to make it to the gym or avoiding the drive because traffic is too bad in the afternoon.

Luckily and conveniently, the fitness industry is expanding alongside your to-do list, beginning to offer high-quality fitness products for at-home use that make getting a workout in so much easier, and at an affordable price.

Unfortunately, not all budget treadmills are good for us or have the same health benefits as more luxury kinds do.

Because buying a treadmill should be a step in the right direction for your health and not cause you more stress or headaches, this buyer’s guide is designed to make it easier for you to find the right fit for a treadmill under $500 so that it meets your budget and the specific needs you have for it.

If you’ve stumbled across this article but are actually interested in a treadmill on the higher-end spectrum for larger tread belts, higher top speeds, and incline options, as well as stronger motors and bigger weight capacities, check out our Best Treadmills For Home article.

For everyone else, let’s look at the best treadmills under $500.

This Sunny Health folding treadmill comes at an exceptionally affordable price for the value it offers. The device is rated 4.5 stars based on over 3,000 reviews, making it one of the best treadmills under $500.

What’s great about this treadmill? 

The Sunny Health and Fitness SF-T7515 treadmill is a smart treadmill that comes with 12 incline levels (0-12%), auto incline (an incline quick button), a speed range of 1-8 miles per hour, and Bluetooth wireless connectivity so you can listen to music or answer the phone while exercising.

The treadmill’s workout options are customizable, allowing you to choose between three countdown modes: time, speed, and calories, and 12 workout programs. Its LCD monitor further displays important metrics such as time, distance, speed, calories, incline, and heart rate (which is determined through the pulse grip heart rate monitoring system on the handles.)

Users of this Sunny Health Fitness treadmill appreciate that it has wheels and is foldable and portable, allowing them to move the machine to various places inside their homes and store the treadmill when it is not in use.

This Real Relax folding treadmill offers a walking mode and a running mode and comes with a remote control to easily adjust the speed of movement. Not only can it be used as a stand-alone exercise device, but with the handlebar down, it can also be used to walk while working on a computer, helping you get your 30 minutes per day of activity in while you’re hustling at your desk.

What’s great about this treadmill?

To protect your joints (especially knees and ankles), this treadmill uses suspension shock-absorption, which for its size and cost is quite decent and effective in offering shock protection.

Contrary to other machines that can be a headache to set up, this one comes essentially fully assembled, making things much easier for the user. When you don’t want the treadmill in your way, easily fold it up and store it away.

The LED screen on this Real Relax treadmill displays your most important exercise metrics, such as speed, distance, and calories burned so you can closely monitor your workout on the spot.

Due to the size of this treadmill and the smaller tread surface, we recommend it to walkers rather than runners.

Heavy and large treadmills are not always the nicest options for smaller individuals. If your main goal is to get a budget-friendly treadmill that you can easily move around and store away, this ZELUS foldable treadmill might be for you.

The integrated speed range of 0.6-6 mph does not make this the most ideal choice for runners. Due to this treadmill’s lightweight and material, this is a good option for those primarily looking for a walking treadmill.

What’s great about this treadmill?

The ZELUS foldable treadmill is easy to set up, move around, pack up, and work out on. It is a good choice for walkers who don’t require a large tread belt and enjoy built-in workout programs, which this treadmill offers 12 of.

Despite the smaller size of the treadmill belt, it has a 5-layer shock absorption function to prevent fatigue, reduce the impact on your joints, and provide stability.

The slight additional dollars this treadmill costs will pay off in its functionality and benefits for the user. Urevo’s foldable treadmill is much better equipped than the cheaper treadmills on the market, in terms of running surface, motor strength, speed range, and even weight capacity.

What’s great about this treadmill?

Something that is difficult to find in the $500 or less price range is a decent-sized treadmill belt. This is an issue for runners and taller individuals, as it makes the exercise experience less enjoyable, safe, and stable. This treadmill’s belt is significantly larger than other budget options, measuring 45.7″ in length. This is great as it enables safer and more comfortable running and prevents the feet from touching awkwardly while on the machine.

The treadmill’s LCD display allows you to conveniently keep track of time, distance, speed, and calories burned while you exercise on your own time or choose between 12 integrated workout programs.

With an average rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars over 1500 ratings, this is one of the best choices for budget treadmills.

This treadmill is both a walking and a running treadmill in one machine. When the handles are folded, it can be used as a walking treadmill at a 0.6 to 2.4 mph speed. When the handrail is raised, the running speed is up to 7.5 mph. Note, however, that this machine does not offer any incline options. The simplicity of the treadmill does make it very easy to install, which many reviewers are very happy about.

What’s great about this treadmill?

At 74 lbs, this treadmill is on the lighter side, even for foldable machines, which can make the setup, handling, and moving of the machine easier. Despite the lightweight of this machine, it has a good weight capacity for users (working fine for individuals up to 265 lbs).

The quiet motor and good shock and noise absorption make for a safer, less noisy, and overall better experience.

The LED display clearly shows time, speed, distance, and calories, monitoring your progress in real-time and keeping your movement data at a glance. Use the Bluetooth speakers to play music while exercising.

A nice feature of this treadmill is that it comes with a remote control that makes adjusting speeds and bringing the treadmill to a full stop convenient and easy.