A Folding Treadmill Or Non Folding Treadmills - Which is Best?
Treadmills are one of the most popular pieces of home gym equipment. If you’ve decided to invest in one you’re likely to be faced with a dilemma; a folding treadmill or a non-folding one? This foldable vs and non-foldable treadmill comparison will give you an outline of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of running machine and which is likely to be suited to your needs.
Firstly, before diving into our helpful buying guide, it’s important to understand the most basic of differences between a foldaway or fold up running machine :
A folding treadmill is one that has been designed so that the deck will fold upwards between the two hand rails. This will dramtically reduce the space it takes up. A non-folding treadmill is the running machine you’ll find in health clubs and gyms up and down the country where the deck does not move and is fixed. We now have a dedicated folding treadmill section.
Why Choose A Folding Treadmill?
As with everything, the purchase needs to suit your needs, or the needs of the gym space you have.
In most cases, where you compare treadmills from the same brand, if you check the actual features of the two version, they won't vary much. The consoles will work the same, the incline and speeds will be the same and most of the options will also be comparable. The main difference that any folding and non-folding treadmill comparison is likely to highlight, will be how stable and sturdy the deck is.
As a larger and fixed deck machine, a non-folding treadmill will operate at high speeds, with incline, with the heaviest of users, without wobbling or shaking. Folding treadmills used to be a lot less sturdy under maxcimum stress, although this does not mean that they are not sturdy (we only sell foldable treadmills that we know are sturdy and stable). Top of the range folding treadmills are also built to a very high standard and show no stability issues - and have the benefit of being more convenient for home or small PT studio users.
Simple Benefits
We highlight the key benefits below specifically to the treadmills that we sell. We know they have high quality components and come with the best folding mechanisms - that are robust and safe for families with children.
- Space Saving - More compact due to folding - ideal for limited space or multi-functional rooms
- Convenient - Easy to set up and store and suitable where no dedicated exercise space
- Portable - Folding treadmills usually have transport wheels, making them easy to move around
- Versatile - Suitable for all users, whether walking or running with incline
- Durable - Easy cleaning and maintenance and folding mechanisms are robust and user-friendly
- Feature-Rich - Workout programs, inclines, heart rate monitoring are all available
- Cost-Effective - In some cases folding treadmills are more affordable than fixed treadmills
- Ideal for Flats, Apartments or Small Homes - easy to install, carry up flights of stairs and with limited space
Why Choose A Foldable Treadmill?
The trade off in quality is for space. A folding treadmill can be packed up and stored in a cupboard or underneath your bed, whilst a non-folding model is bulky and is likely to take up a considerable space. Sure, if you have a home gym and plenty of room this is not an issue but, for the majority of users, filling a living room with a whacking great treadmill is not really an option.
Another point to consider is the ease of cleaning around a folding model. With inbuilt wheels and lightweight structure, they can easily be moved if you need to vacuum underneath. With the non-folding models, this is more difficult as a result of their size and weight.
Price Considerations
The non folding units tend to be more expensive, although this is largely due to their strength, stability and general quality of the treadmill.
The key to buying a treadmill is trying before you buy. If you’re concerned about space, check out the folding models. Just because they’re not as stable as the non-folding units doesn’t mean they aren’t suitable for your needs. Make sure you have a go on a model and, if it feels stable and you are comfortable with the machine, a folding option may well be adequate.
In Summary
In conclusion, for many home fitness purposes, a folding treadmill is a fantastic purchase. Whilst there is reduced stability, it is still possible to get fit and lose weight without investing large sums of money in a non-folding machine. Despite this, if you are serious about running and have the space to fit a non-folding model in, it may well be worth investing for the more stable unit.
