Best Foldable Treadmills

A folding treadmill can be a good option for an apartment or a smaller home

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Sole F80, shown open and folded
The Sole F80 foldable treadmill ready for use (left) and folded up (right).
Photo: Sole

If you want to make sure you can always fit in a run—no matter the weather outside—a home treadmill can be a great investment, one that easily pays for itself over time compared with a gym membership. But fitting a treadmill into an apartment or smaller home can be a challenge. If you’re concerned about the footprint of a larger home workout device, it’s worth considering a foldable treadmill, says John Galeotafiore, associate director of product testing at Consumer Reports.

Some of our top-scoring foldable treadmills rate nearly or just as well as some of the top non-foldable options. And while foldable treadmills still take up space, they are generally about half as long when stored. Still, some folding treadmills can have a pretty large footprint, Galeotafiore says, so make sure to measure your space to see what will fit.

And remember that whether the machine folds or not, you will still need adequate room around the treadmill while it’s in use. For safety’s sake, you should have 2 to 3 feet on either side of the treadmill and 6 to 8 feet of space behind it.

More on Treadmills
CR's Treadmill Ratings & Buying Guide
Best Treadmills of 2021
Best Ways to Work Out on a Treadmill
How Many Steps per Day Do You Need to Improve Your Health?
How to Stay Safe on a Treadmill

A foldable treadmill isn’t right for everyone.

If you have a longer stride and want a treadmill primarily for running, for example, you might want to see if you can find space for a non-folding option. That’s because foldable treadmills generally have shorter decks, though the pricier foldable models tend to be somewhat sturdier, with longer decks. (All of our picks below have a deck at least 60 inches long, which should be adequate for running.) The more budget-friendly foldable options in our ratings may be better choices for people primarily interested in using a treadmill for walking.

Whether you are opting for a foldable or non-foldable treadmill, check whether assembly is included along with your device’s delivery—treadmill assembly can be tricky.

Here are four of our top-rated foldable treadmills.

Head shot image of CRO Health editor Kevin Loria

Kevin Loria

I'm a science journalist who writes about health for Consumer Reports. I'm interested in finding the ways that people can transform their health for the better and in calling out the systems, companies, and policies that expose patients to unnecessary harm. As a dad, I spend most of my free time trying to keep up with a toddler, but I also enjoy exploring the outdoors whenever possible. Follow me on Twitter (@kevloria). 
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