5 Best Treadmills Under $200 | for Budget-Friendly Workouts

Many runners love and use treadmills, but that doesn’t mean they are affordable.

As these exercise machines grow more advanced and technical, prices go up.

With this in mind, it’s important to identify some quality, inexpensive options for the runner on a budget.

1. Sunny Health & Fitness Manual Treadmill 

The Very Basic Treadmill but it gets the job done. Price wise, exactly where we said it would be and it is highly reviewed. 

This treadmill includes flywheels for easy movement and maneuverability.

The product does not require any electricity and doesn’t have a motor.

Instead, the belt is propelled by the user’s natural movement.

This treadmill made by Best Choice products, is another manual folding treadmill designed to be propelled by the body’s natural movement.

The screen does require two AA batteries to function.

The treadmill can hold a person who weighs a maximum of 250 lbs.

There are wheels so the treadmill can be moved around a room.

In general, it is comfortable and simple to use without breaking the bank, making it a popular option.

Price wise, it's very close to $200. 

3. TANGNADE Smart Digital Folding Treadmill

This is a fairly new treadmill on the market. 

I do like the table design and LCD screen built in above the motor. 

It has a horsepower: 0.75hp which truth be told is sh*t compared to the other treadmills. 

4. 1HP Under-Desk Walking Treadmill

This final low budget treadmill offers a rather large 41'' x 17'' walking/running area. 

There are no cup holders which is a bit of a negative but overall it's a good price for a solid machine.

Conclusion: Best Treadmills under $200

When seeking a treadmill under $200, I've found that there are a couple of different options.

Runners can choose between a manual or electric machine and can choose either an extremely simple option or one that has a few added comforts like padded handles, cup holders, and even a motor.

If you are looking for ones that have a little more to them or have a motor, these are the best ones under $400 and under $500 on the market

Treadmill History Lesson:

It's important when talking about treadmills to share the history of them so that when you are comparing them you have a foundational knowledge of how they got to the point we are right now and what makes them different.

Treadmills have a strange and complex history.

Their original purpose wasn’t actually as exercise machines, but as methods to utilize human energy and punish individuals by making them walk for hours on end for the benefit of someone else.

It all started in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, which were exceptionally difficult times to be alive.

 According to Mental Floss, an engineer named Sir William Cubit developed the original design for the treadmill, calling it a treadwheel. 

It was to be used in the overcrowded English prisons, where inmates deemed stubborn would be forced to step on the spokes of a large wheel, making it turn.

This wheel would crush grain to make flour or push water, which could be harnessed for energy.

The tread wheel became popular and quickly spread to the prisons of the United States. 

The prisoners suffered frequent injuries from their poor diets and constant exercise – imagine a starving individual being forced to use a stair climber for 8-10 hours a day!

Eventually, though, the wheel faded out of use by the end of the 19^th century, when it was deemed too cruel to be used.

But the story of the treadmill did not end there. In the 1960s, Medibank mentions that a physician started to study the tread wheel and developed the prototype of the first treadmill, designed to improve aerobic health. 

He made a model, slapped a patent on it, and the first treadmill for exercise was born.

Nowadays, treadmills are consistent features in gyms. 

They are, in essence, a moving belt that athletes can run and walk on to simulate normal aerobic exercises without having to move anywhere. Most individuals use them to run inside when the weather outside is too poor.

What Are the Benefits of a Treadmill?

Considering their popularity, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that treadmills possess a lot of benefits for the average runner. In general, they can improve cardiovascular health, muscle strength, stamina, and the runner’s ability to withstand the force of an impact with the ground. 

Spine Health mentions they can also improve spinal health and help an athlete build muscle without the need for outdoor exercise. We also share all of the benefits here. 

However, runners should be careful.

Sometimes, the impact of the treadmill can be too much and the athlete can damage their shins and knees.

It’s also possible to hurt the muscles in the back when running with bad form, so it’s important that treadmill users make sure they sprinkle in stretching, outdoor running, and other exercises to stay in shape.