Best Foldable Treadmills of 2022
A foldable treadmill can be a good option for an apartment or a smaller home
The Sole F80 foldable treadmill ready for use (left) and folded up (right).
By Kevin Loria
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 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, an associate director of product testing at Consumer Reports who oversees all treadmills testing.
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.
But 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 treadmill 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 five of our top-rated foldable treadmills. For shopping tips, consult our treadmill buying guide.
Best Foldable Treadmills
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