If you’re looking for a great way to break a sweat, burn some calories, and improve your cardiovascular fitness, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better investment than a high-quality treadmill. While old-school machines didn’t have many bells and whistles, modern models feature plenty of tech capabilities and conveniences that can enhance your overall workout experience.
One brand that consistently delivers on both of those fronts is Echelon. Over the years, our team has tested multiple pieces of their cardio and strength equipment, including their popular Stride Series treadmills.
In this Echelon Stride 6s review (it’s now officially called the 6s-10), I’ll give you a thorough breakdown of how this machine performed during our in-depth evaluation process. By the time you cross the finish line, you’ll know its strengths and weaknesses well enough to decide whether it’s the right fit for your home gym.
Our Echelon Stride 6s-10 Review, Summarized
Earning an impressive overall score of 4.3 out of 5, the Echelon Stride 6s-10 includes a 10” HD touchscreen, a roomy running deck, and above-average speed and incline ranges. Space-conscious home gym owners will appreciate this treadmill’s compact design and hands-free auto-fold system that allows you to quickly collapse it for easy storage. We recommend pairing it with an Echelon Premier Membership ($39.99 per month) so you can explore the extensive library of live and on-demand classes.
How We Tested
Because they typically take up more space than most cardio machines, we give higher scores to folding treadmills like the Stride 6s-10 that take up less room when not in use. To earn a 3 in this category, one or two people can easily move the machine around using built-in transport wheels. Larger, more cumbersome models that are difficult to move receive lower scores.
A treadmill must offer an incline range of at least 10% and a top speed of at least 10 miles per hour to earn a 3 in this category. Models with more robust speed and incline ranges (the 6s-10 checks both of those boxes) receive higher marks. Although it’s less common, treadmills with decline capabilities give you even more customization options.
Does the treadmill have built-in programs that offer enough variety? We prefer models that pair seamlessly with platforms like iFIT that provide structured workouts, live and on-demand classes, and more. Treadmills earn a 3 in this category when they have at least a few built-in workouts, with higher scores going to models that pave the way for more engaging training.
Our team’s proprietary treadmill testing methodology uses a 1-5 scoring scale to rate categories such as tech capabilities, dynamic programming, customizations, and more. Our testers put each machine through multiple sessions—from steady-state to interval training workouts—to evaluate its performance at various speed and intensity settings.
The Garage Gym Reviews team includes certified personal trainers, marathoners, and recreational runners who understand how each design element can impact your experience. After testing more than 50 treadmills—including several from Echelon Fitness—we’re confident we can help you make the right choice based on your training needs, budget, and space.
The Echelon Stride 6 has all the features you’d expect in a heavy-duty treadmill, along with auto-fold technology and zero assembly.
What our tester says:
“It is very easy to move around, and that handlebar is a nice touch.”
Before You Buy
- While the $2,299.99 list price for the Stride 6s-10 seems steep, you should be able to find it on sale for less than $2,000. Check out our Echelon discount code page for other ways to save on the brand’s fitness equipment.
- Although Echelon only provides a one-year warranty, you get four years of additional coverage by signing up for a Premier Membership. The subscription costs $39.99 per month, $399.99 for one year, or $699 for two years, so budget accordingly.
- If the Stride 6s-10 is a bit too pricey, the Echelon Stride-6 is an affordable alternative that has essentially all the same specs, other than a less-powerful motor and a device holder instead of a touchscreen display.
- On the other hand, the Stride-8s is an upgraded version of the 6s-10 that features a much bigger screen (22”), more powerful motor, and wireless charging pad. Check out our full Echelon Stride-8s review for more details on the brand’s premium treadmill.
Echelon Stride 6s Video Review
Editor’s Note: The Stride 6s is now called the Stride 6s-10.
Is the Echelon Stride 6s-10 Worth It?
The GGR squad is intimately familiar with what Echelon brings to the table. Although they’re a bit more geared toward budget-conscious buyers, you can still get a solid set of features that won’t leave you feeling like you’re missing out.
The 6s-10 is the mid-range option in the Stride Series—offering better tech and a better motor than the more affordable Stride-6. Listed for $2,299.99, the 6s-10 is often on sale for just under $2,000. At that price point, it’s about on par with the average treadmill based on our research and testing data.
Is this necessarily the best treadmill we’ve tried? Given some of its drawbacks—namely the small screen, modest cushioning, and finicky adjustment system—we wouldn’t go that far. However, between its robust speed and incline ranges, convenient folding design, and dynamic programming via the Echelon Fit App, this machine can absolutely be a workhorse you depend on for your cardio training.
Before we dive into our testing experience, let’s take a quick look at the key specs and metrics for the Stride 6s-10.
Echelon Stride 6s-10 Treadmill: Key Features & Specs
| MSRP | $2,299.99 |
| Dimensions | 64.25″ L x 32″ W x 57″ H |
| Running Belt | 60” L x 20.5” W |
| Foldable? | Yes |
| Step-Up Height | 7” |
| Product Weight | 182.35 lbs |
| User Weight Capacity | 300 lbs |
| Speed Range | Up to 12.5 mph |
| Incline Range | 12 levels of power incline up to 12.5% |
| Motor | DC 3.0 Brushless Motor |
| Display & Programming | 10″ HD touchscreen; on-demand and live classes through Echelon Fit App |
| Warranty | 1-year limited warranty with extended warranties available; 5-year extended warranty included for active Premier members |
Experience Using the Echelon Stride 6s-10
Former GGR Everything Lead Reviewer Lindsay Scheele, CPT, CNC, conducted several workouts on this treadmill and had several independent testers try it to see what they thought, making sure our final scoring reflects a fair, unbiased testing process.
She was very impressed with the build quality and performance, especially for the price. However, Lindsay had some callouts about the cushioning, screen, and speed/incline controls that I’ll expand upon below.
Overall, though, she still loved using the Stride 6s-10 and believes it’s a good fit for most, but not all users. Let’s dive into her experience so you can get a better understanding of what to expect from this machine.
Space can be a big concern when shopping for a treadmill, especially for users who live in apartments or don’t have a lot of room for a large machine. The Echelon Stride 6s-10 alleviates that concern with its foldable design—and it has a lot of other great features to boot.
GGR Managing Editor Amanda Dvorak, CPT, CNC
Echelon Stride 6s-10 Treadmill Rating
Footprint and Portability
Unlike the Echelon Stride-8s, the Stride 6s-10 is a foldable treadmill, making it a much better option for space-conscious home gym owners. Measuring 64.25 inches long, 32 inches wide, and 57 inches high, it’s also far more compact than something like the NordicTrack Commercial 1750, which is 16 inches longer, 6 inches wider, and 8 inches higher.
The handle rails fold down, and the back of the treadmill has a built-in handlebar for portability. With the rear handlebar and built-in front wheels, tilting the treadmill to roll it around between uses is effortless for most healthy, fit people, so this compact treadmill is great for easy storage between uses.
Most importantly, if you’re trying to preserve precious real estate, you can use Echelon’s Auto-Fold feature to collapse the console and upright arms flat against the running deck. This reduces the total height to roughly 10 to 12 inches—aka the perfect height for storing the treadmill under your bed when you’re done.
Between its compact dimensions and folding feature, the Stride 6s-10 easily earns a perfect footprint and portability score.
Delivery and Setup
Although we can’t say there’s no assembly required, you don’t have to worry about a laborious setup process. In fact, you should be able to put the Stride 6s-10 together in about the same time it takes you to watch an episode of your favorite Netflix series.
“This is actually a very easy machine to assemble,” Lindsay says. “It takes one person maybe less than 30 minutes. All you really need to do is screw the handlebars in place and make sure they’re locked in.”
It’s worth pointing out that Echelon offers premium in-home delivery and setup through Hub Group for an additional cost of $299.99, where available. This full-scale service includes delivery to your room of choice, full unpacking, light assembly and installation, and disposal of all packaging materials.
Given how easy it is to put this treadmill together, we think you can afford to pass on this upgrade. However, it may be useful if you live in an apartment building and don’t want to deal with figuring out how to get the box from the ground to whichever floor you live on.
Durability
We assess a treadmill’s durability by examining its motor and weight capacity. The Stride 6s-10 earned a solid score of 4 out of 5 in this key category.
First, even though the 3.0 CHP DC brushless motor isn’t the most powerful, it’s an ideal choice for home gym owners.
“DC tends to be a little quieter and is better for home versus commercial gym use,” Lindsay explains. “The brushless motor essentially means that it’s not going to take away speed and is a little more efficient in its design.”
From a weight capacity standpoint, the Stride 6s-10 is not the best treadmill for heavy people. Actually, it falls 22 pounds shy of the average treadmill we test by supporting users up to 300 pounds. Still, that’s a decent figure that’s certainly nothing to scoff at.
Customizations
Our benchmark for customizations is at least a 10% incline and a max speed of 10 miles per hour. The Echelon Stride 6s-10 blows both of those out of the water by going up to 12.5% and 12.5 miles per hour, respectively.
This makes the Stride 6s-10 well-suited for incline treadmill workouts that provide a far greater challenge than level walking or running. In fact, a 2021 study1 showed that walking at a 10% incline increased total energy expenditure by a whopping 23%. So, if you’re looking to trim some extra pounds off your frame, you can take advantage of the Stride 6s-10’s incline capabilities to ramp up your calorie-burning efforts.
That being said, one minor callout is that while Echelon claims a top speed of 12.5 miles per hour, our testers found that the treadmill maxed out at only 12.4. This is a very small difference, but something that we noticed during our motor testing.
Lindsay also pointed out that it’s a little harder at first to navigate the buttons on the side to control the speed and incline settings.
“It does take a little getting used to, and if you are somebody planning to do a lot of intervals in your running, I probably wouldn’t buy this treadmill, to be honest,” she says. “It’s just not very intuitive and takes a while to catch up to that speed.”
Between these minor issues and lack of decline capabilities, we rate the Stride 6s-10 a 4 out of 5 for customizations.
Adjustability and Ergonomics
While there are many benefits of walking on a treadmill, many users are looking for a treadmill they can safely run on, without worrying about stepping on the front or falling off the back.
One of the features Lindsay loved the most is the waterfall design, which means the front of the treadmill isn’t covered by a large hood. For those with a longer stride, accidentally stepping on the front of the treadmill isn’t a fun experience, especially at higher speeds. We love that the Stride-6s doesn’t have anything to get in your way.
Lindsay also pointed out that the cushioning is very similar to the Peloton Tread (now called the Peloton Cross Training Tread), and feels similar to road running. Those who prefer extra cushioning may need to choose a different treadmill, but this is a nice choice for anyone who enjoys a more stable, solid surface. Plus, we appreciate that Echelon gave some extra real estate by making the running deck 20.5 inches wide—a half-inch upgrade over a standard deck.
RELATED: Best Treadmills For Running
Tech Capabilities
The Stride 6s-10 didn’t quite earn a perfect score for tech capabilities, but it still posted a respectable rating. Here’s a high-level overview of what you get with this machine:
- 10” HD touchscreen
- Bluetooth connectivity
- USB charging port
- Pulse heart rate sensors
Of course, one of the selling points is that you can stream third-party apps like Netflix and Disney+ or live and on-demand classes from the Echelon Fit App. However, while that sounds good in theory, it’s not quite as user-friendly as you might expect due to the small screen size.
“When we had some people come along and test this out with me, that was one of the biggest complaints,” Lindsay explains. “Even though you can clearly see the instructor, there are a bunch of metrics on the bottom of the screen, and when you’re running, it’s just a little harder to see. If you have poor eyesight, this might not be a good fit for you.”
Still, we like that you can sync Bluetooth-enabled devices like your Apple Watch, favorite fitness tracker, or dedicated heart rate monitor to the Echelon Fit app so you can keep track of your workout data. So, even though the small screen may not work for those with visual impairments, this treadmill certainly has enough tech features to justify the 4-out-of-5 score.
Conveniences
The Stride 6s-10 didn’t exactly blow us away in terms of conveniences. In fact, this is the only category in which it didn’t earn at least a 4.
Here’s what you get:
- Built-in rear handlebar for easier transport
- Center console with two water bottle holders
- Adjustable fan
- Storage compartment
Those are all fairly basic, and we’d be surprised if you didn’t get those conveniences at this price point. So, the Stride 6s-10 doesn’t stand out in any way in this category—at least not positively.
“The storage features are somewhat small, though, when compared to other treadmills we’ve tested,” Lindsay says.
Dynamic Programming
Echelon designed most of its equipment to work with its live and on-demand classes via the Premier membership, which costs $39.99 per month. You can save by purchasing an annual subscription for $399.99 or a two-year plan for $699.
The streaming classes provide thousands of instructor-led workouts. The Premium membership also unlocks scenic runs, live classes, Echelon Worlds gamified workouts, a five-year extended warranty, and integration with Strava, Zwift, Apple Health, and more. Here’s an overview of some of the different types of classes you can take:
- Cycling
- Rowing
- Running
- Meditation
- Boxing
- HIIT
- Strength training
Meanwhile, Bluetooth audio allows you to stream your music through the built-in speakers or sync with the Echelon app. Plus, one of the major benefits about investing in a Premier Membership is that you can register up to five users per account. This is a great way to make family fitness a priority in a fun, engaging way.
Value
Although it has a few shortcomings, we believe the Stride 6s-10 is a worthwhile investment, especially if you’re not looking for a true top-of-the-line treadmill that comes with a top-of-the-market price tag. Based on its $2,300 MSRP, we rate the value at a 4, and believe you get an even better bang for your buck if you find it on sale for a few hundred dollars less.
“I do like the overall design of this—it’s modern and clean-looking,” Lindsay says. “It does have a smaller screen though. For me, it wasn’t a deal breaker, but overall it is pretty tiny.”
Customer Experience
Unfortunately, the 6s-10 only comes with a one-year limited warranty. That’s certainly shorter than what we’d like to see, especially at this price point. However, the brand offers three extended warranty options:
- 1 year for $59.99
- 2 years for $119.99
- 4 years for $239.99
Furthermore, you can secure a five-year warranty by registering for an Echelon Premier Membership. That’s a valuable perk that provides peace of mind and protection for your purchase. Ultimately, we gave a 4-out-of-5 customer experience score because:
- Echelon offers a military and essential workers discount
- You can use HSA/FSA funds to purchase this treadmill
- There’s financing available through Bread Pay®
- You get a 60-day trial to determine if it’s the right fit
This uniquely long trial period allows you to test the treadmill out extensively and determine if it deserves a permanent spot in your home gym. As long as you contact Echelon within 60 days of delivery, you can request a full refund. The machine will be picked up from your home within five to 10 business days. Once it passes a warehouse inspection, your refund will be processed within 10 business days.
Customer Reviews
The Stride 6s-10 has earned an average rating of 4.4 stars based on 71 reviews on the Echelon website. Customers appreciate the quiet brushless motor, stress-free assembly process, convenient folding feature, and dynamic programming via the Echelon Fit app.
Here’s some direct feedback from folks who invested in this treadmill:
Echelon Stride 6s-10 Vs
While the Stride 6s-10 certainly deserves consideration, it’s far from the only option in this price range. If you’re looking to keep the cost to around $2,000 or less, here are two alternatives worth looking into.
First, runners who need more joint support should check out the ProForm Carbon Pro 2000. Earning a 4-out-of-5 ergonomics rating, this treadmill received a big thumbs up from Lindsay thanks to its spacious, supportive running deck made with ProShox cushioning.
“This is one of the more cushioned decks I’ve ever run on, so if you’re somebody with bad knees or shin splints, I would try this out,” she says.
Listed for $1,799.99, this budget-friendly model also has a 10-inch touchscreen that allows you to stream iFIT workouts and goes up to a 12% incline. You can check out our full ProForm Carbon Pro 2000 review for more details.
Another treadmill that compares favorably to the Stride 6s-10 is the Sole F80. It has a similar spec sheet that includes a 10.1” touchscreen, 20”x 60” running surface, and top speed of 12 miles per hour. However, the F80 is significantly cheaper, checking in at about $1,600.
Despite that wide price gap, the F80 actually has a better warranty (lifetime frame, 3-years motor, deck, parts, and electronics), more robust incline range (15%), and higher weight capacity (350 pounds). As a result, it’s a viable alternative to the more expensive Stride 6s-10. Check out our complete Sole F80 review for more details on our experience.
 |  |  | |
| Echelon Stride 6s-10 | ProForm Carbon Pro 2000 | Sole F80 Treadmill | |
Rating | |||
| Speed Range | Up to 12.5 mph | 0-12 MPH | 0.5 – 12 mph |
| Incline Range | 12 levels | 0 – 12% | 15 levels |
| Deck Size | |||
| Foldable? | |||
| Programs | Echelon Premier | iFIT | 10 preset workouts, 12 user-defined options |
| Display | 10″ HD touchscreen | 10″ HD touchscreen | 10.1″ touchscreen |
| Warranty | 10-year frame, 5-year motor, 1-year comprehensive | 10-year frame, 2-year parts, 1-year tablet, 1-year labor | Lifetime frame and motor |
Final Verdict of Our Echelon Stride 6s-10 Review
The Echelon Stride 6s-10 checks many of the boxes we look for in a top-rated home treadmill. You get a wide running deck, user-friendly waterfall front design, and sufficient incline and speed ranges for varied training. That said, the touchscreen is fairly small, which can make watching your favorite shows or following along with live or on-demand classes more challenging. Plus, you need an active Premier Membership to truly take advantage of this treadmill’s full capabilities.
However, signing up for a membership not only unlocks dynamic programming but also locks you into a five-year warranty—a major perk considering you only get one year standard. So, if you can snag the Stride 6s-10 for less than its list price, you can use those savings to secure a Premier membership.
- The Stride 6s-10 has an open front that means you don’t have to worry about knocking your feet against a motor hood.
- This treadmill isn’t geared for off-equipment workouts since the screen doesn’t tilt or pivot.
- If you need maximum support, check out our best cushioned treadmills roundup for better options.
Echelon Stride 6s-10 Review: FAQs
What are the pros and cons of the Echelon Stride 6s-10 treadmill?
Some standout qualities about the Stride 6s-10 include its quiet DC brushless motor, wide running deck, and tech capabilities. On the other hand, we wish it had a bigger screen and more intuitive controls to make speed and incline adjustments more seamless.
How does the Stride 6s-10 compare to other Echelon treadmills?
The Stride 6s-10 has essentially the same performance specs as the cheaper Stride-6, which only has a device holder instead of a touchscreen display. Meanwhile, the more expensive Stride-8s has a 22-inch touchscreen, more powerful 3.75 CHP motor, dynamic LED lighting, and a unique trackball adjustment system. Keep in mind that the Stride-8s has an MSRP of $2,999.99, while the Stride 6s-10 and Stride-6 check in at $2,299.99 and $1,999.99, respectively.
Is a foldable treadmill worth it?
Yes, a folding treadmill like the Echelon Stride 6s-10 is especially convenient if you have limited room in your home gym or training space. The folding mechanism allows you to reduce its footprint significantly, making for easier storage when you’re done training.
References
- Kim, J., Lee, H. J., Lee, S. H., Lee, J., Chang, W. H., Ryu, G. H., & Kim, Y. H. (2021). Correlation between cardiopulmonary metabolic energy cost and lower-limb muscle activity during inclined treadmill gait in older adults. BMC geriatrics, 21(1), 469. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02401-9
