Peloton Tread

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard of Peloton and its cult-like following in the world of fitness. Peloton has gained a fantastic reputation for its world-class instructors, motivating classes and immersive experience, all of which are accessed with the Peloton Tread.

Constructed from a carbon steel frame, the Tread is sleek, sturdy and able to support weights up to 300 pounds. The Tread features a 59 inch by 20 inch running belt, which is slightly smaller than those found on other treadmills in this price range. That said, it is plenty big enough for the majority of the population.

Notably, there’s no front hood housing the motor. Instead, the 3.0 horsepower motor is located in the deck, under the running belt area, which gives an overall roomier feel. Runners will benefit from the center red line located around the belt that encourages better running mechanics. While the Tread deck doesn’t have shock absorbers, users report it still feels good and has a decent bounce.

While running on this beautifully designed treadmill, users can interact with the 23.8 inch high-definition touchscreen to access workouts, leaderboards, fitness metrics and other training programs as well. Unfortunately, this does require a subscription and the Tread does not house any onboard workout programs.

The touchscreen includes a front-facing soundbar, camera with privacy shield, rear-facing woofers, a USB port and space for two water bottles. You won’t find a fan on this console, which seems a bit odd given the price but this certainly isn’t a deal breaker. The Peloton Tread has Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and supports speeds up to 12.5 miles per hour as well as an incline range of 0-12.5%. The Tread is missing a bit of functionality here as it does not offer a decline usually seen on a machine of this price. And, decline truly adds a level of variability and intensity so it would’ve been a nice touch.

The Tread is also noted to be a very quiet machine. Aside from any sound that comes from the speakers, you won’t hear much from the motor as you walk or run. It has several new safety mechanisms including an emergency stop button, safety key, stop-sensor technology in the belt and a “Tread lock,” which is a four-digit passcode to unlock the belt.

Buyers will want a dedicated spot to house the Tread. At 290 pounds, even with transport wheels it is not easily moved. And, while it’s relatively compact, it does stamp out a footprint of 68 inches long, 33 inches wide and 62 inches high so it certainly isn’t a spacesaver. Also, given the price of the Tread, the one-year limited warranty is quite disappointing.