Choosing the best budget treadmill is tough. After all, you need the best durability, quality, and features at a low price range.
That endeavour can seem impossible.
But here’s the key: you want to know what you can sacrifice and what features are essential. That’s why we start this article by discussing nine key factors that will help you zero in on the right affordable treadmill for your needs.
Next, we’ll review five products that suit different needs. Besides understanding better how to judge treadmills according to your needs, we’re also pretty confident that you’ll decide on the right treadmill by the end of this article.
Read along!
Table of Contents
9 Things To Consider Before Buying
If you want the best cheap treadmill on the UK market, you’ll have to consider:
1. Materials And Durability
A reliable, affordable treadmill isn’t flimsy. So, make sure that you’re choosing a treadmill that lasts for years. Otherwise, you’d have to invest £200 each year – which brings you at a loss over the long term.
2. Folding Design
People looking for inexpensive gym equipment also generally want that equipment to take up as little space as possible in their homes. So, if that statement is valid for you, check if the treadmill you’ve chosen is foldable and portable.
3. Speed
The speed range is essential to work out according to your fitness level and goals. Some people are okay with 1-4 km/h speed, but advanced runners will want more.
But that point is obvious.
Here are two other speed-related issues that most people don’t take into account:
- If you’re a beginner or mobility challenged, you want smaller increments for speed changing, such as 0.5 km/h.
- Scaling up your fitness level. You may not think that’s possible yet, but you may be fit enough to run faster at some point. So, unless you dislike running or don’t think you’ll ever be that fit, consider the future before settling for a low-speed treadmill.
4. Incline
Adjusting up the incline makes your muscles work harder. So, you can lose weight faster even if you’re not running. But if you are running, you can burn those calories even quicker.
However, check the treadmill’s incline options:
- Beginners don’t need much tilt to feel a good burn, but advanced people need at least 15-20ᵒ.
- The angle increments are also crucial to ensure a challenging workout according to your needs. So, if you’re a beginner, you need 1ᵒ increments maximum.
5. Programmes
Programmes and app connectivity are best for:
- Keeping your motivation up
- Helping you find workouts you like
- Finding out what works for you
- Giving your muscles a chance to recover between workouts
- Targeting your muscles from different angles
However, some people are perfectly satisfied to step on the treadmill and start running while listening to music or watching their favourite show. If that’s you, many programmes can hinder your progress because you won’t know what to choose.
6. Stats
Keeping track of your stats is only essential if you want to reach a specific fitness goal quickly, such as:
- Lose weight
- Become a better runner
- Walk a particular number of steps each day
However, if you want to stay active, you won’t need a treadmill that displays all of these stats.
7. Running Area
The running area’s dimensions are essential to figuring out if a specific treadmill suits your needs. Sure, a wide deck fits everyone, but it’s not necessarily best if you’re space-challenged.
So how small is too small?
That depends on your size and speed.
- Petite people and those who aren’t running fast do fine with shorter running areas.
- Heavyset and people with poor balance need a wider running area.
- Tall people and those running fast need longer running areas.
8. Cushioning
If you have preexisting pain or are mobility challenged, you need a very cushiony deck. The same statement goes for people who run/ walk many hours each day – for example, getting a walking treadmill for your standing desk.
Conversely, high-tech cushioning won’t be essential if you’re healthy and not walking/ running for long periods. But even in this case, you do need some reliable shock absorbance to prevent future pain.
9. Silent Operation
Silent operation isn’t essential if some noise doesn’t bother you. However, if you need a treadmill for office use or have small kids, you want a treadmill that’s as quiet as possible.
Best Treadmills Under £200 Reviews
So now that you know which factors to consider, let’s see if you can find the best treadmill under £200:
Fnova Treadmill review: best budget folding treadmill
- CONVINIENT QUICK BUTTON - Use the adjusters to manually set...
- DIGITAL MONITOR - Fnova walking running machines equipped...
- POWERFUL QUIET MOTOR & SHOCK REDUCTION RUNNING BELT - With a...
The Fnova Treadmill is a reliable treadmill for beginners and intermediates who want challenging workouts thanks to the three incline positions and speeds between 1-12 km/h.
So as you can see, the maximum speed is enough for running, but it’s not high enough for an advanced runner’s standards. Also, you can raise the incline to increase the workout difficulty, whether you’re walking or running on this treadmill.
Alternatively, you can use the 12 preset programs and three count-down modes. These workouts will help you get a sense of your current fitness level and what works for you in terms of fitness.
The Fnova treadmill also follows excellent metrics for this price range, including heart rate and body-fat percentage. These indicators will help you reach your fitness goals faster because you always know exactly where you’re standing.
Besides, the treadmill sports a quiet 1.5HP motor and a shock-absorbing running belt with a multi-layer shield design. This cushiony belt sits on top of a steel frame that increases Fnova’s lifespan.
Check price and reviews on Amazon UK
Fit4home Healthmate JK-04 review: best cheap treadmill for beginners who want to scale up
- BEST PRICED TREADMILL WITH MANUAL INCLINE AND PULSE SENSORS!...
- Offering 3 level Manual Incline – 0.70%, 3.49% & 6.12% for...
- Select your speed easily with a speed range of 1-10km/h....
Fit4home Healthmate JK-04 sports similar characteristics to the Fnova Treadmill. One of these is the three-level manual incline that allows you to set the running band at 0.70ᵒ, 3.49ᵒ and 6.12ᵒ for a challenging workout.
However, these inclines aren’t that tough for intermediate and advanced levels. If you’re intermediate, you need at least 15ᵒ incline to feel a good burn when you’re walking. However, that 6ᵒ tilt can make a difference in calorie burn when you’re running.
Still, remember that the Healthmate JK-04 has a 1-10 km/h speed range. So even this speed range tells you the treadmill is best for beginners and intermediates.
That said, you can choose one of the 12 built-in programmes to find your mojo and work according to your goals. You also get one manual mode – whereas the Fnova Treadmill includes three.
And there are other disadvantages compared to the Fnova running band:
- The maximum user weight is just 100 kg instead of 120 kg
- The running surface area is 34 x 100 cm
Basically, the Healthmate treadmill is an affordable piece of equipment that targets over or standard-weight beginners who don’t plan to scale up their running speed. Also, this running band won’t suit people who are very tall and thus have larger steps.
Check price and reviews on Amazon UK
Dskeuzeew Under Desk Treadmill: best treadmill for standing desk
The Dskeuzeew Under Desk Treadmill is the best budget treadmill for under-desk use because it’s comfortable, easy to use, and slim.
For example, the shock-absorbing design gives your joints the cushioning you need so that you can stay active for longer. Thanks to a 5-layer non-slip design, you can burn more calories and condition your body during the workday.
That non-slip part is critical because the office is the last place where you’d want to fall while exercising.
Also, some people prefer to walk/ run without shoes, and if that’s you, you want to look for a grippy treadmill.
That said, the speed range is 1-10 km/h, so it’s enough to stay active while taking calls or reading but also to challenge yourself more during your lunch break.
You’ll also appreciate Dskeuzeew Under Desk Treadmill’s design for office use. This treadmill is slim, so it fits nicely under your standing desk. Besides, it only weighs 21.5 kg, which means you can transport it effortlessly to store it under a sofa while it’s not in use.
Bonus: it comes fully assembled.
On the downside, the Dskeuzeew Under Desk Treadmill can’t be used on a carpet or mat because those things cause the treadmill to overheat. Another possible disadvantage is that the treadmill has no handles.
Sure, this design makes this running band perfect for under-desk use, but you have no pulse sensors, and you also need a better balance. Luckily, that balance is what helps train your abs. So, this lack of handlebar situation is a double-edged sword more than a blatant disadvantage.
Check price and reviews on Amazon UK
Fit4Home JK02 review: best for beginners who simply want to stay active
- HOME ELECTRIC TREADMILL WITH 1 YEAR FREE WARRANTY: Enjoy a...
- HIGH SPEED: The JK02 comes with impressive specs including...
- SMART LED DISPLAY COMPUTER ON BOARD: Achieve your fitness...
Fit4Home JK02 is a motorised running machine that fits petite people or those who simply need a walking treadmill. You can gather that from two features:
- Firstly, the running area is 100 x 32.5 cm, so it’s pretty short and narrow for a heavyset individual or someone running fast.
- Secondly, the maximum speed is 9.9 km/h, which means you won’t be running very fast, to begin with.
We recommend JK02 to beginners who want to stay active throughout the day because of the two reasons above, but also because JK02:
- Has support handlebars that help you keep your balance
- Features 3 pre-installed workouts that help you find a suitable routine. However, intermediates or advanced runners would probably need more programmes and more customisation freedom.
Also, advanced people or those interested in their fitness progress would appreciate heart-rate measurements, which the JK02 lacks. However, you have basic, user-friendly features:
- Basic stats like calories, speed, distance, and time
- Bottle holder
- Stop key
- Folding design
Check price and reviews on Amazon UK
LONTEK Treadmill : best for easily bored people
- 【Foldable & Easy to Store】: The folding treadmill has...
- 【Powerful Motor & Low Noise】: 1.5HP pulse maximum motor...
- 【LED Display & iPad Stand】: Display time, distance,...
The LONTEK Treadmill is best for easily bored people thanks to its 12 programmes and app connection. These workouts will help you find the proper routine for your needs and keep your workout schedule varied.
The advantages are that:
- You’ll find out more about your body and what it needs.
- Mixing and matching routines helps you train your muscles better.
- You avoid injuries.
- You minimise recovery periods.
- You’re not getting bored of workouts.
Also, if you’re the easily bored type of person who doesn’t want to mix and match workouts, Lontek has an excellent solution for you too:
The iPad holder.
Set up your iPad to your favourite music, podcast, or show, and you can simply forget you’re walking. Alternatively, you can use that iPad to take phone calls from your office.
Besides, this Lontek treadmill is sturdy and quality. The motor is 1.5 HP at maximum power, and that’s the industry standard for the price range. You also get a 1-10 km/h speed range, which is good enough for beginners and intermediates.
The only possible problems are the relatively narrow walking area of 100 x 38 cm. However, notice that those 38 cm offer more in terms of width than what other cheap treadmills provide. So, you can maintain reasonably good stability.
Besides, the maximum user weight is 90 kg. While that’s an obvious disadvantage for heavyset people, it also means that the 38 cm width won’t be a problem for slimmer people.
Check price and reviews on Amazon UK
Conclusion
After reviewing the best treadmills under £200, you understand how to decide according to your goals. Figure out what you want out of your treadmill and then analyse different products through that lens.
Here’s a quick reminder:
- Fnova Treadmill: Best budget folding treadmill overall
- Fit4home healthmate JK-04: Best cheap treadmill for beginners who want to scale up
- Dskeuzeew Under Desk Treadmill: Best treadmill for standing desk
- Fit4Home JK02 Black: Best for beginners who simply want to stay active
- LONTEK Treadmill: Best for easily bored people
She had to trade the gym for home fitness equipment when her two little angels were born. But she successfully managed to make the transition, and sharing her vast fitness experience online is the engine that keeps this website going.
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