Best treadmill – KICKR RUN wins if it fits your home

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Wahoo KICKR RUN is the best treadmill here to run on, but it costs $6,999.99 / £5,999.99, needs its own electrical circuit, and adds 46 cm to your height at full incline, which is a problem with low ceilings. I didn’t buy one because of that last figure.

Horizon 7.8 AT is a good choice for most runners at about $1,999, and NoblePro Elite E8s is the pick for Runna in the UK and Europe.

I occasionally run on a very basic family treadmill at home during the winter (THERUN T15) and train every week on Technogym Artis Run and other gym treadmills, including for HYROX simulations.

Quick picks

Best for	Pick	Price
Runners	Wahoo KICKR RUN	$6,999.99 / £5,999.99 / €6,499.99
Value for runners	Horizon 7.8 AT	About $1,999; check UK and EU prices
Walkers	Spirit XT685	$2,699 to $3,199, check UK and EU price
Runna	NoblePro Elite E8s	Currently £1,599, UK and EU
Zwift and MyWhoosh	Wahoo KICKR RUN	$6,999.99 / £5,999.99 / €6,499.99
Under $1,000	Sole F50	$899.99, check UK and EU price
Upgrading a treadmill you own	NPE Runn	$124.99

What to look for

Motor power. A strong motor returns the belt to speed quickly after each footstrike. Compare continuous ratings because peak figures flatter a machine. My low-end treadmill advertises 3.5 HP, but its continuous rating is 1.25 HP. When I ran on it with the console showing 16 km/h, the belt was moving at 13.8 km/h, a significant difference.

Treat every continuous rating as advertised.

• A US 15A socket supplies about 2.4 HP, so a plug-in US treadmill can’t sustain 4.0 HP.
• A UK 13A socket supplies about 4.0 HP before losses.

Horizon’s own 7.4 AT listing says its rating does not reflect operational power in home use. Sole paid $3.65 million to settle claims that it overstated continuous horsepower on its treadmills.

User weight and incline. Many walkers use a treadmill almost like a stepper, so a high weight limit and a steep incline matter more than top speed. A brand’s “15 levels” usually means 15% and can even be stated as such, but I’ve measured inclines on several occasions and found differences of up to 5 percentage points, i.e., a 10% incline.

App control. Bluetooth FTMS lets a treadmill share data with apps, and on some machines it also lets apps change speed and incline. A treadmill listed as compatible may only do the first. Some basic treadmills transmit running metrics over Bluetooth but can’t receive control via FTMS.

Headroom. Add your height, the deck height at full incline, and 15 cm for bounce. A 180 cm runner on KICKR RUN needs a 241 cm ceiling. In the UK, a standard ceiling height is 240 cm.

Electrics. Plug the treadmill directly into the wall where possible. If the manufacturer allows an extension lead, use one that meets its rating, has a single outlet, and is fully unwound, because a coiled cable acts like a motor and heats up. In the UK, keep your RCD protection and ask an electrician if the circuit trips. Wahoo’s power requirements tell US KICKR RUN owners to use a dedicated circuit with a non-GFCI outlet and no surge protector or power strip.

Best treadmills by price

Prices are regular selling prices unless marked as current. “Check price” means I couldn’t confirm a UK or EU price. I left out iFIT treadmills such as NordicTrack because they are locked to iFIT.

Under $1,000

1. Sole F50, $899.99, check UK and EU price. It’s a folding treadmill for walkers and light joggers, with a quiet motor and no subscription.

What to watch out for: I found almost no owner evidence yet, so its reliability is unproven. The 2.0 HP motor, 55-inch deck, and 10 mph top speed won’t suit regular running.

2. Horizon T101, about $699 / £699. It’s a one-step folding treadmill for walkers and light joggers, and it connects to Zwift and other apps.

What to watch out for: The 55-inch deck and 10 mph top speed won’t suit regular running, and the 300 lb limit is lower than the other walking picks here. Horizon’s US site showed it as sold out when I checked.

3. THERUN T15, under $500. It folds to half the floor area and works with Zwift and MyWhoosh for recreational runners and walkers.

What to watch out for: Running speeds read high, the true incline is 10%, the deck is narrow at 17 x 47 inches, and there’s no tablet holder. Apps can’t control it. I wouldn’t use it for intervals beyond about 14 km/h.

$1,000 to $2,000

1. Horizon 7.8 AT, about $1,999; check UK and EU price. It has the biggest advertised motor at this price, a 22 x 60-inch deck, 15% incline, and a 375 lb limit.

What to watch out for: Don’t let Horizon’s own app take the Bluetooth connection, because owners say it then blocks other apps.

2. Horizon 7.4 AT, $1,507 to $1,799, check UK and EU price. It’s nearly the same treadmill with a smaller advertised motor and a 350 lb limit.

What to watch out for: Owners mention awkward assembly, and one reported the belt stuttering and stopping. The motor can lag slightly on interval changes.

3. Horizon 7.0 AT, about $1,099 / £1,399.99. It would rank higher on its running ability and its easy link to Zwift.

What to watch out for: Several owners report it stopping mid-session, and some needed console or motor replacements. One owner felt the belt slip at 15% incline.

$2,000 to $4,000

1. Sole TT8, $2,899.99, check UK and EU price. It has a non-folding frame, a 4.0 HP advertised motor, a 400 lb limit, and a -6 decline for downhill work.

What to watch out for: Sole’s US site showed it as sold out when I checked. Owners report motor and belt replacements, usually handled under warranty, but one waited 18 months for a resolution.

2. Spirit XT685, $2,699 to $3,199, check UK and EU price. It has the highest user limit here and a low step-up.

What to watch out for: Owners quoted in Sole’s own comparison describe it as loud, so treat that with some caution. It doesn’t fold.

3. Sole F85, $2,199.99 / £3,499 list. It’s the strongest folding option here for runners, with a 15.6-inch screen. Sole F80 is the cheaper folding alternative at $1,599.99, with a 350 lb limit and a 10.1-inch screen.

What to watch out for: The US model is advertised at 3.5 HP with no decline, while UK retailers list 4.0 HP with decline. One owner reported the belt losing speed above 12 incline, and another waited more than a month for parts.

Over $4,000

Wahoo KICKR RUN, $6,999.99 / £5,999.99 / €6,499.99. It’s the only treadmill over $4,000 that I recommend. RunFree mode changes the belt speed as you move forward or back on the deck, and Wahoo’s app sets pace and gradient for structured workouts. Wahoo discounts it during its sales, so check the current Wahoo deals before paying full price.

What to watch out for: It needs a dedicated circuit, 61 cm of headroom above the tallest runner, and a route into the house for 195 kg. One US delivery failed on the stairs and damaged the floor, and UK returns cost about £800. The user limit is 113 kg. The built-in display shows only pace and incline, and Wahoo’s structured workouts and route simulation need a Wahoo subscription after the first free year.

Best treadmill for runners

1. Wahoo KICKR RUN. It’s the best to run on, with a 15 mph top speed and instant pace changes. It is listed at 3.0 HP, lower than the Sole and Horizon figures, which shows how little those numbers tell you.
2. Sole TT8. It’s the strongest fixed-frame machine on paper, and the decline suits hilly race preparation.
3. Horizon 7.8 AT. It offers most of that specification for about $900 less.

Best treadmill for walkers

1. Spirit XT685. Its 425 lb limit is the highest here, and its 6.9-inch step-up is the lowest. UK retailers list it at 150 kg, so heavier UK walkers should look at NoblePro Elite E10i, which is rated to 180 kg.
2. Sole TT8. It has a 400 lb limit and full handrails.
3. Horizon 7.8 AT. It has a 375 lb limit and 15% incline at the lowest price of the three.

Best treadmill for Runna

Runna runs from your phone and sets speed and incline on treadmills with full Bluetooth FTMS control. On any other treadmill, it shows the targets, and you change the belt yourself. Some FTMS treadmills only share data, so check your exact model during the return period. Rolling and hilly long runs still need manual incline changes, and treadmill runs don’t count as personal records.

1. NoblePro Elite E8s, currently £1,599, UK and EU. NoblePro says Runna fully controls speed and incline on all of its treadmills. The E8s has a 16% incline and folds, and its physical buttons replace the touchscreen that causes the most owner complaints in the range.

What to watch out for: Owners report delivery problems and, in some cases, slow support, and one deck cracked at 3,434 km. Top speed is 20 km/h. I couldn’t verify US availability.

2. Horizon 7.8 AT. Horizon was named among Runna’s compatible brands, but I haven’t confirmed full control on this model.

3. Spirit XT685. It has Bluetooth FTMS, and Runna also named Spirit, with the same check needed.

Wahoo lists Runna control of KICKR RUN as coming soon, and I found no confirmation that it has launched. Runna can still guide the session on your phone while you change the belt.

Best treadmill for Zwift and MyWhoosh

Zwift running is free, while automatic incline needs a paid membership and works officially only on KICKR RUN. MyWhoosh is also free, and Wahoo says it controls the KICKR RUN gradient and receives speed data back.

1. Wahoo KICKR RUN. The deck follows the hills in Zwift and MyWhoosh while you set the pace.
2. NoblePro Elite E8s. It reports speed over Bluetooth and as a virtual footpod. It’s sold in the UK and EU only.
3. Sole F85. Sole says Zwift runs directly on its screen.

Best upgrade hardware

NPE Runn, $124.99. It clips to almost any treadmill and sends speed, incline, and cadence to Zwift and other apps. I used one to measure the T15’s belt speed. It’s simple to set up if you follow NPE’s instructions, including calibrating in ConfigurEZ rather than Zwift.

What to watch out for: Some owners still report dropouts and speed spikes. It reports data only, so Runna users still change the belt themselves.

Verdict

Buy KICKR RUN if you have the money, the ceiling, and the circuit. Otherwise, buy the Horizon 7.8 AT, or the NoblePro Elite E8s if you follow Runna in the UK or Europe.

Quick answers

Can Zwift control my treadmill?
Zwift can officially change the incline only on Wahoo KICKR RUN, and that needs a paid membership. It doesn’t set belt speed in free running.

Does Runna control Wahoo KICKR RUN?
Wahoo lists it as coming soon. Runna can guide the session on your phone while you change the belt yourself.

How much ceiling height do I need for a treadmill?
Add your height, the deck height at full incline, and 15 cm for bounce.

Can I use an extension lead with a treadmill?
Plug it into the wall where possible. If the maker allows a lead, use one that meets its rating, has one outlet, and is fully unwound.

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