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The Good Housekeeping Institute has tried and tested the top models

Winter’s short days and unwelcoming temperatures can make lacing up your running shoes an unappealing prospect. Happily, the best treadmills provide an alternative way to stay in shape (that doesn’t involve braving the bitter conditions of Britain’s darker months).

Lower cost running machines should provide a stable running surface, allowing you to rack up the miles to your heart’s content. However, many modern treadmills are now jam-packed with innovative features sure to take your home exercise sessions to new heights. These include live-streamed classes, bright touchscreens and automatic incline settings, all of which combine to provide fun, engaging sessions to help you burn calories and boost your fitness levels.

If your fitness routine is in need of a shake-up, keep reading to find out more about some of the best treadmills on the market, as well as our top five tried and tested recommendations.

Our testing team at the Good Housekeeping Institute set about tracking down the best treadmills you can buy right now.

After a thorough testing process, these were the five running machines that met their stringent standards:

Even the most basic treadmill should provide a stable surface and smooth-moving belt to allow you to run comfortably. If the machine shakes considerably or the belt judders under foot while running, steer clear. We also like our running machines to provide a little cushioning or ‘bounce’, softening the impact on our joints as we stride.

Other traits we demand from all treadmills are that they are simple to set up and easy to use.

Beyond this, what you need to consider will very much depend on what you plan to use it for. If you’re just looking to get moving, our budget option (the Domyos Compact Treadmill Run 100) will probably be up to the challenge. However, if you’re looking to revolutionise your exercise schedule, an innovation-filled model (like our winner, the Bowflex Treadmill 56) is your best bet.

If you’re leaning towards the latter, you’ll want to look for an easy to navigate touchscreen and the ability to link to an app. The apps will usually require a monthly subscription fee, but they will grant you access to extensive workout libraries made up of live classes, virtual scenic rides and studio sessions. Some treadmills, like the Peloton Tread, will even offer non-running workouts like strength, HIIT, yoga and meditation sessions.

Our top five vary in price from £499.99 to £3,499. If you’re looking for a good quality motorised treadmill, we would set aside a budget of around £500. However, if you’re after a top-end model with premium features like a touchscreen and live classes, you’re looking at spending upwards of £2,000.

Each running machine was tested by five people of varying body shapes, fitness levels and running experience — from novices to seasoned athletes. Alongside paced runs and classes, they sprinted as fast as they could and tried running at different inclines to make sure the treadmills provided a smooth and stable surface with minimal wobbling, whatever the setting.

Each tester was asked to feed back on the performance of the treadmills in terms of comfort while running and the ‘bounce’ of their stride on the belt. They also rated each machine’s ease of use, design and functionality, as well as how easy it was to adjust the settings and find a workout suitable for them.

This data, alongside the value for money of each treadmill, was used to award scores out of 100 to each treadmill and decide our final rankings.

It might be quicker to list what this machine can’t do than what it can, so it’s no wonder the Bowflex Treadmill 56 was crowned our winner. It has incline settings up to 20% and even offers a -5% decline (something few treadmills can match). These allow you to really work up a sweat by simulating hilly running routes.

The touchscreen was fantastically easy to navigate, even for our less tech-savvy testers, meaning we could quickly find sessions to suit all abilities and goals. And, as well as offering engaging trainer-led classes and virtual routes via the JRNY app, the Bowflex goes one step further by providing personalised workouts which it formulates by tracking your fitness level and progress.

Although it can fold away upright, it’s still an undeniably big piece of kit, so we would recommend it for home gyms rather than living room use. Its large base does offer plenty of stability though — the machine didn’t shake at all in use — and the belt had plenty of cushioning to protect our knees. If this wasn’t enough, you can even watch your favourite shows during more relaxed runs as streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime come pre-installed.

Key specifications Max speed (mph): 12.4 Max incline: 20% Max decline: -5% Motor (CHP): 3.5 Running surface: 56cm x 152cm Screen: 22” App: JRNY Foldable: Yes Requires self assembly: No

Peloton may be synonymous with cycling, but the brand has done a fine job with its first foray into the world of treadmills. 

The Peloton App provides a seemingly endless supply of workouts — with running options available alongside alternative offerings like strength and yoga sessions — and creates a sense of community by connecting you with fellow members. There are live leaderboards to show how you compare with Tread users who have completed the same workout, other runners can send you high fives to congratulate you on a great effort, and classes are led by Duracell Bunny-like instructors whose infectious energy helped our testers push harder than they would if running alone.

It doesn’t fold away, so isn’t a good fit for smaller rooms, but we still liked the Peloton’s sleek overall design. The fact there was no plastic bumper at the front of the belt also drew praise as we caught our feet on this when using other models, and the use of adjustable speed and incline dials on the treadmill’s arms (rather than the usual buttons on the control panel) was a masterstroke. 

Key specifications Max speed (mph): 12.5 Max incline: 12.5% Max decline: None Motor (CHP): 3 Running surface: 50.8cm x 150cm Screen: Yes App: The Peloton App Foldable: No Requires self assembly: No

Have you ever been faced with a particularly steep hill when running? If so, you’ll know that summiting it can be a painful experience, but there’s nothing like it for getting your pulse racing. That’s why we were excited to try the NordicTrack X32i, which boasts an unrivalled range of gradients from 40% to -6% — and it didn’t disappoint.

Our testers said the added difficulty offered by the inclines, twinned with the huge number of workouts and immersive virtual running routes available on the touchscreen via the iFit app, kept them coming back for more. As an added bonus, the incline settings are programmed to change automatically during some classes, allowing you to focus on your run without being distracted by the usual fumbling for buttons. Beginners also appreciated the wide range of hiking sessions available, allowing you to burn calories without committing to the intensity of a run. 

Like the Bowflex, this is a big machine and, as such, would need its own dedicated space in the home. However, it was impressively sturdy, easy on our joints courtesy of its ample cushioning, and provided a roomy run thanks to its spacious belt. 

Key specifications Max speed (mph): 12 Max incline: 40% Max decline: -6% Motor (CHP): 4.25 Running surface: 55cm x 165cm Screen: Yes App: iFit Foldable: No Requires self assembly: No

The Echelon App was a favourite with our testers thanks to the huge variety of workouts on offer, including spin class-esque studio sessions and scenic outdoor routes — both far more interesting than the vista del wall of traditional treadmill training. 

One drawback of this running machine is the absence of a touchscreen, though it can be linked to a tablet to view the app’s follow-along classes. There is a shelf for tablets to be placed above the handlebars, though we found this covered some of our workout stats that are displayed on the light-up control panel.

This Echelon treadmill is more compact than our top three and can fold flat easily with just the press of a floor lever, making it a great option for smaller homes. And, despite its size, testers said they had no problems with wobbling, even when sprinting uphill. They also found the running belt allowed them plenty of room to move and absorbed the impact of their strides well.

Key specifications Max speed (mph): 12 Max incline: 10% Max decline: None Motor (CHP): 1.75 Running surface: 50.8cm x 140cm Screen: No App: Echelon Fit Foldable: Yes Requires self assembly: No

Our budget option might not have all the mod cons of more expensive models, but it still impressed our testing team with a solid all-round performance.

As the name suggests, the Domyos Compact Treadmill Run 100 is smaller and lighter than most. It folds away easily too, ideal for those that don’t want their running machine to take over their home, and proved sturdy for its size with no shaking at any speed. 

Our panel found the belt ran smoothly, providing a comfortable running surface, though they said the absence of any automatic incline settings was a big miss (you have to lift the machine up by hand to access its 3% maximum incline). The light-up control panel only shows basic information and the top speed is capped at just below 9mph, but there are 30 pre-set interval running workouts to make your way through.

Key specifications Max speed (mph): 8.7 Max incline: 3% (manual) Max decline: None Motor (CHP): 1.25 Running surface: 45cm x 120cm Screen: No App: No Foldable: Yes  Requires self assembly: Yes