Best Folding Treadmills in the UK | 2022 Buyer’s Guide

Ideal for people living in smaller properties, foldable treadmills save on storage space and are easier to transport. In addition to wheels on their bottom, folding treadmills are lightweight, so an adult person typically can lift them to clean or move around. The main drawback of most folding treadmills is that their frames may not be robust enough as compared to conventional models. I suppose we all realize that portability has its price. That said, high-end options tend to have sturdier frames and offer enhanced durability.

Foldable treadmills can be categorized into flat and upright folding models. The former folds flat to the ground and is designed to be stored horizontally, such as under a bed. Upright folding treadmills fold vertically and are typically stored in a closet.

Folding Treadmills Compared

You have several types of folding treadmills to choose from. First and foremost, these devices vary in terms of portability. The most compact flat folding model is the WalkingPad with a 180-degree folding angle. It features a smart ultra-slim design and is much smaller in size than many other competing products as it can be folded in half.

Additionally, it has two wheels mounted on the bottom, so you can easily move it from one place to another. On top of that, the WalkingPad with a double-folded frame is the most lightweight item on our list, with just 29 kg of weight. Despite its small weight, this treadmill is robust and features a powerful brushless motor with a load capacity of 105 kg.

Powered by a 745W motor, it has a maximum speed of 6 kilometers per hour, which makes it ideal for long endurance runs.

In fact, superior portability and ultra-compact design are not the only reasons why I recommend this product. This model is comfortable, efficient, and modern. It has a display panel with LED lights and an ergonomic remote controller that can be used to start, accelerate, stop, or change modes. As for the modes, you can select the needed one from two sports modes. And finally, the device features a comfortable 119 x 40 cm walking surface with a cushioning effect.

Reebok i-Run 3 is another good example of a compact treadmill. Its running area of 126 x 41cm is more than spacious enough for runners over 6’3” and provides a maximum user weight of 120kg. The soft drop folding technology allows you to fold the running deck up when not in use. With a weight of 67 kg, it is not bulky yet sturdy enough.

Powered by a 2.0HP motor, it has a maximum speed of 16 kph (16 kilometers per hour), which makes it ideal for both short, high-intensity sprints and long endurance runs.

Best under £400

A foldable treadmill WalkSlim 470 for under £400 has a clever folding design with built-in wheels allowing you to slot it under a bed or store it upright in a cupboard. But the belt area of this compact treadmill is the smallest one, only 100 x 36 cm.

Adjustability is another important thing to consider when buying a portable treadmill. Variable speed control and the choice of modes allow you to work out more efficiently. If you want to use this piece of equipment for jogging at a speed of no more than 4 km an hour, keep the riser folded. For running at a speed of up to 12 km an hour, the handrail needs to be raised.

Best-Selling Folding Treadmills in the UK | Comparison Table

Testing & Customers Reviews

We found reviews from real YouTube bloggers about the products from our article.

JuanBagnell: "I think a lot of us have dealt with some changes in our work home life balance trying to find a "normal" for keeping up with remote work and fitness. It's not always easy. Home fitness is kind of tricky if you're in a smaller apartment or condo like we are. We don't have the room for gym grade equipment. Our usual go-to has been a small exercise bike which just recently broke and is now being used to dry laundry. One of the major conveniences of a smaller treadmill like Mobvoi Home Treadmill is the ability to ship it almost completely assembled. It's a really simple layout designed to fold flat and be tucked away under a couch or bed and it achieves that really well. There are two modes of operation when the top bar is down you have a simple walking setup when the top bar is up the belt can drive up to 12 kilometers per hour. There are arms you can attach to the top bar but that prevents you from closing the treadmill. For our needs we went without those arms. We've got a sturdy little phone mount and simple controls. There's a colored step indicator that flashes for each of your footfalls but your time distance and calories burned that's thrown onto a little readout down by your feet. That information needs to be accessible whether the top bar is up or down.

There's something really handy about being able to take a 20-minute break from work, hop on the treadmill, bump up your step count for the day and hop right back off to get back to work. Again it's a smaller home unit so there is no hill or elevation. This isn't the kind of hardware I'd recommend for serious distance runners or sprinters but I wholly expect it to help my 5k time when I can get back into actually running. I deal with a bunch of small nagging hip and knee injuries so I always manage to hurt myself doing something stupid just as I'm getting back into better shape. Case in point I have harder footfalls while running. The first few times I ran faster on this treadmill. It took a little feel for how I should run on it. A smaller belt like this you don't want to crank the tension but you don't want it too loose and you kind of need to float the middle of the belt for the best foot feel. Also the top bar is at a height where the phone mount might not be a great ergonomic view for an extended workout. Right now we have the treadmill in our living room but when we get rid of that busted exercise bike in our bedroom that's where we're gonna put it and we've got a TV there that's more at eye level so that should be a bit better for keeping your chin up and getting some entertainment.

It's a little mini belt driven treadmill so the motor is not quiet but I was happy it didn't whine. I was worried a smaller treadmill like this would be annoying or high pitched a piercing sound. Now this is loud enough that small TV speakers are going to have an issue cutting through but with a good sound system you should be fine. I'd probably still recommend some good in-ear earbuds that seal up your ear better and that way you're not cranking the volume to hear music or a movie while you're working out. My main gripe after using it really has little to do with the treadmill itself and more the instructions. Mobvoi has done a great job including all the tools and a little bottle of lubricant to keep up the maintenance for the belt but looking at the instructions provided I'm not exactly sure where that should go because the photos included are way too dark to see anything. If you buy this I would follow up with Mobvoi directly to get better tips and tricks on long-term maintenance and care. This is not an impulse buy but it arrives conveniently assembled and ready to go at a price that shouldn't be too intimidating and I can give this a solid recommendation if your situation is a bit more like mine: space is at a premium and you're struggling to keep up the consistency of your workouts. Looking into the future my main suggestions for Mobvoi if they ever consider a gen 2 of this product I'd like a way to mount a tablet higher that would be nice keeping a larger screen closer to eye level."