Treadmills are a great way to get a workout when you can’t walk or run outside, or when going to the gym isn’t a good option. Plus a good treadmill will reduce the strain on your joints.
There’s a wide range of prices for treadmills. Buying a treadmill for under $500 usually means you’ll only be able to walk on it for short periods, it won’t have many options (such as workout programs to follow), and there’s a 90-day warranty (with a likelihood of it breaking down afterwards). We did a lot of research and testing and found a few gems that will keep you within your budget.
Most of our choices under $500 has a tethered safety key, wheels on the bottom to be able to move it, and most of them require very little assembly.
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Best Treadmills Under $500
Best Budget Treadmill Desk
- Belt is 42.1" long x 15.7" wide.
- Desk adjusts between 33.5" and 49.6", accommodating users from 4'1" to 6'5".
- Desktop is 26.2" x 11".
- Motor is 2hp, and silent, and the speed range is 0.6-7.5 mph.
- Heavy duty construction and cushioning on the deck, so it's better on your joints.
- Max weight capacity of 220lbs.
- 3 levels of incline to increase the intensity of your walking or workout (adjusted manually via a crank on the side of the treadmill).
- Has a safety mode for children.
- LED display gives the basics: speed, time, calories burned, and heart rate.
- 64 preprogrammed workouts.
- Connect your phone of tablet to the stereo-sound speakers.
- Folds up and can be moved via the wheels on the front.
- Some assembly is required.
- Assembled size is 53.5" x 26.2" x 33.5-49.6"
The main selling point of this treadmill is that it's a solid treadmill at a good price with a desk included-there aren't as many treadmills with desks attached available as in previous years.
Another unique feature is kid's safety mode where you can limit a user to only using the start and stop buttons, and the maximum speed is only 4 mph.
Best Budget
- Belt is 41.3" long x 16.5" wide.
- Motor is 2.25hp and maximum speed is 3.73 mph.
- Max weight capacity of 265 lbs.
- Item weighs only 60 lbs and has 2 wheels in the front to make it easy to move.
- The height is only 5.5" (14 cm), so this unit slides more easily can slide under a bed.
- Non-slip and anti-static walking surface.
- LCD display on the treadmill with speed, distance, time, and calories 12 pre-installed training programs with the option of purchasing a corded remote control.
- 90-day money-back guarantee.
- No assembly-just plug and play.
The main selling points of the Maksone is the beautiful wood design, and it's a high-quality product for around $300.
This is a great treadmill for walking, and with a max speed of 3.73 mph, you could do a little jogging as well.
It's also only 5.5" tall, so it can slide under a bed and doesn't take up a lot of space.
Goplus Folding Treadmill
BEST FOLDING TREADMILL
- .5-7.5 MPH.
- Only requires 4 bolts for assembly.
- 3 levels of manual incline.
- Soft drop folding system.
- You can download the G-Fit app on your phone and control the treadmill through your phone.
- G-Fit can also generate a training plan, as well as set reminders to exercise and track your running history when you input your height, weight, and heart rate record.
- 5" Blue-Ray LCD display.
- Ipad/mobile phone holder.
- Cushioned support.
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T7515
Steepest Incline (0% to 12%)
- 1-8 mph.
- 12 preset programs.
- 0-12% automatic incline.
- Body mass index calculator.
- Bluetooth wireless connectivity, you can take phone calls and sync with your smartphone for music; MP3 and microphone jack included as well.
- Soft drop system.
- Shorter track (39") which isn't good for taller users or runners with longer strides.
- 1 hp motor is designed for walking and not longer periods of jogging or running.
Working out on an incline will increase the intensity of the workout, but isn't recommended for people with back problems. When you walk or run on an incline, our posture is slightly bent forward and the muscles of your lower and upper back have to engage to keep you from falling forward. Over time this can aggravate muscles that are already tight, so it's recommended to limit time spent on an incline.
Guidelines for Buying a Treadmill Under $500
Here are some things to keep in mind when shopping for a treadmill:
- For treadmills under $500 the motors aren't designed to be used for long periods of time at high speeds. These treadmills have at max a 2.25 HP motor, which is good for this price range, but are designed for walking. Jogging requires a 2.5 CHP, and running 3.0. If you want treadmill that can handle running for long periods of time, you'll need to start looking in a higher price range. If you buy one of these treadmills and you plan on doing long periods of jogging and running, you're taking a chance with burning out the motor.
2. CHP motors (continuous horsepower) are higher quality motors for treadmills, as compared to HP (horsepower).
3. Running requires a longer track (50″), especially if you have longer legs.
4. It’s hard to find a warranty longer than 90 days in this price range, though we found a few.
5. Measure the space you have for your treadmill, and if you’ll be moving it, where you’ll store it. And if you’ll be moving it into another room, check the dimensions to see if it will fit through the doorway without having to disassemble it.