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The top treadmills for a home gym, according to Consumer Reports

A cheap treadmill can wear out fast or feel flimsy underfoot. Consumer Reports tested budget treadmills for durability and features

Magda Ehlers / Pexels

A treadmill that wears out fast or feels flimsy underfoot makes a home workout routine harder to stick with, no matter how good the intentions were at purchase. Motor power, incline range and workout programming vary widely even among folding models priced well under $2,000.

Consumer Reports tested budget folding treadmills for construction, ergonomics, ease of use and exercise range, so shoppers can find one built to last.

Credit: The Fitness Shop

The Horizon 7.4 AT costs $1,600 and earned Consumer Reports' top rating among folding treadmills, holding its own even against nonfolding models in CR's tests. CR found excellent scores across build quality, comfort, how easy it is to operate and the breadth of its exercise settings, powered by a 3.5-horsepower motor stronger than many competitors at this price and capable of a 14.2 percent max incline for plenty of room to keep challenging a workout. Testers highlighted Horizon's Sprint 8 high-intensity interval program alongside more standard........

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