Running inside on a treadmill may not give a similar rush as you’d get when running outside.
Thankfully, today’s treadmills pack some cool interactive elements, powerful training tools, and many performance features that make them more appealing.
Plus, they’re convenient and offer more safety especially during winter conditions.
While the price of a solid treadmill with several interactive and programming features can set you back some bucks, you’ll reap more from your investment in years to come as you bank the workouts and miles you may have missed out on.
We put some of the best treadmill for big men up to 500 pounds to their paces to find the top 10 performers based on features, quality, and performance.
Whether you’re searching for your first treadmill, or want an upgrade for your older one, one of these ten will suit your needs.
Why A Treadmill Is Good To Have For Your Home
There are several benefits a treadmill offers that you won’t necessarily get when running outside. These include:
Safety and convenience
Treadmills spare you the icy surfaces during winter and wet paths in the rain, and you don’t have to warm up your body too long because your home or gym is warm already. Plus, you don’t have to run when it’s dark outside in the morning or evening, so there’s no need to strap on a torch or headlamp as you run.
May help you hit intended goals and achieve your form
Compared to ground running, a treadmill can help you reduce stride lengths and have higher turnover (stride frequencies). It can also help you hit your time goals on speed workouts as you don’t have a choice but to run at the set speed you entered into the machine. (Just remember to attach the safety key so you’ll be safe in case of a slip as the treadmill will automatically stop).
Stimulates your race
A treadmill can mimic your regular running course especially if it comes with an incline setting. Newer models can even let you pre-load real course profiles and adjust up and down automatically to follow the incline, or even show a course preview of the entire route.
Saves on costs
Having your own treadmill helps you save time and money that you’d have spent going to the gym regularly. If you have a running or walking habit but your home area has frequent bad weather, a treadmill will be a great alternative to the outdoors. It’s also good if you’re recovering from an injury and just need a controlled surrounding while in recovery.
The main drawbacks with treadmills are that you have to prepare your home for the new equipment, especially if you have pets and kids in the home. This means you have to get a separate space or room to keep it to avoid any injuries.
Treadmills are also not easy to setup and get working. A special delivery window needs to be scheduled, plus you have to move up heavy boxes to the separate room and assemble it yourself, or pay someone to do it for you.
Treadmills In 2020: What’s New
Today’s treadmills are featured packed with virtual coaching and entertainment options, delivered via touchscreens on the consoles.
We’re in an era of connected fitness, which resembles or replicates the experience of a studio class, unlike the previous treadmills that had an LED representation of the track with a dot that blinks to signal completed laps.
Whether at budget level or higher, you can get larger displays that allow you to leverage video workouts, or watch live trainers in fitness studios and footage of various locations. Sometimes, there are coaches that serve as tour guides so you can get a high-intensity workout and beat the boredom at home.
Here are our top ten picks for the best treadmill for big men up to 500 pounds.
1. ProGear HCXL 4000
It comes with a 1.5 horsepower high torque motor that uses the Quiet Drive technology to reduce any noise when you’re walking or jogging on the tread.
Its LCD display window displays your current target heart rate, distance walked, elapsed time, calories burned, pulse, and speed monitoring.
You can adjust speeds up to a maximum of 4mph using the speed control buttons on the handle bars, so you can jog on for a vigorous workout.
Also included are extra long safety handles that are 18 inches long, plus the reinforced frame can accommodate superior weight capacity. There are on/off buttons on the handlebars plus a two-position manual incline feature for convenience.
The treadmill belt measures 40 inches in length by 20 inches wide, and you can fold up the machine when not in use to free up space or move it to storage via transportation wheels.
The machine comes with a 5 year motor warranty.
2. Woodway Treadmill
It’s generally more comfortable to run on compared to other machines, but it doesn’t give the same feeling you’d get running in the great outdoors.
In terms of weight capacity, the Woodway fits all runners and walkers, and has a user weight limit of up to 400 pounds on higher speeds, while it can take up to 800 pounds for speeds under 4mph.
It also has a big modern entertainment system, but you won’t find quick keys like that of the Peloton tread that let you jump from different speeds. However, you can program your workouts in advance and it’ll adjust incline and speed pretty fast.
The touchscreen allows you to stream videos from Netflix, YouTube or Hulu. Plus, you can select to run in virtual worlds or “real” locations. It doesn’t come with a fan or speakers though, but you can use your own.
3. LifeSpan Fitness TR4000i
The ultra-spartan console on the treadmill has start, stop and pause buttons, plus incline and speed functions so you can adjust by increments of even numbers or tenths.
Its top speed is 12mph like the Smart Pro 2000, but incline adjusts up to 13 percent, which is 3 percent more than that of the ProForm 505 CST treadmill. This is enough to give you the outdoor feel of running or walking downhill. Plus, the horsepower motor toggles between speeds easily, though some users think it felt slow during adjustments.
The treadmill counts steps too, which is unique to other treadmills, plus its deck is flush and smooth. There’s a seven-inch color touchscreen that displays your workout in graph, gauge or track dashboard modes.
Also included are two deep water-bottle holders on each side, an inch-wide slot where you can place your phone, tablet, or a book between the controls and screen.
You can connect to your phone via Bluetooth and listen to audio loudly enough via its speakers. A variety of programs are available including 21 workout menu items grouped into categories like cardio fitness, weight loss, healthy living or sports training.
The screen will display the time, distance, heart rate, calories, steps, pace, speed, incline and elevation gained. With this treadmill, you can wirelessly transfer your data to popular fitness apps or save it to a thumb drive to chart at the brand’s official club website.
The treadmill can support a weight capacity of up to 350 pounds, and it’s foldable too so you can easily pack it away in its space around your home. A generous warranty is available for lifetime (frame and motor), two years labor and five years for parts.
4. ProForm 905 CST
This no-frills, sturdy treadmill features an easy-to-navigate interface, with a belt that’s 60 inches long and relatively quiet.
It also has an incline and speed function like those of high-end treadmills, and it’s easy to use, and comfortable. Its deck is long enough for most runners and walkers. It inclines to 12 percent, goes up to 12 miles, and comes with a simple display plus 30 workout programs, which most runners would find enough for a difficult workout.
There’s no decline mode though, neither does it offer a touchscreen, or connectivity features like ability to upload workouts to a third party app or sync your wireless earphones. However, it supports an iFit subscription.
Two large water-bottle holders and two media shelves are available, plus an integrated tablet holder. The shelves can support your device or a magazine, headphones, or a small snack.
Its simple backlit display shows speed (in Mph), distance, time and calories, but it isn’t a touchscreen. Buttons are logically laid out such as the preset and arrow buttons on the console to adjust speed or incline.
There’s also a set of speakers at the bottom, plus a stop button to pause the workout or stop altogether, so you can pause and break to stretch, check on something and return. This is a nifty feature you may not find in all treadmills.
It can hold a weight capacity of 350 pounds, and offers 10-year frame, three-year parts and one-year labor warranties.
5. ProForm Smart Pro 2000
This treadmill has a color touchscreen, longer deck, more powerful motor, 50 onboard workouts, extra incline and speed functions, and a decline function too.
It’s great for taller runners, and takes a weight capacity of up to 300 pounds. It’s also ideal for people seeking a wide range of training options.
The belt is longer too, plus there are integrated connectivity features on the simple console. Its key elements are intuitively placed, and you can quickly control incline and speed using the buttons on the treadmill.
A pair of water bottle holders is available, plus a pair of two-speed fans, and foot-long panel above them. There’s also an elevated tablet holder that can accommodate a device the width of an iPad so you can listen to podcasts or watch streaming video services like YouTube or Netflix.
The SmartPro 2000 also provides iFit subscription but for one year compared to the ProForm 505 CST, whose subscription is optional and isn’t included with the treadmill.
This treadmill doesn’t offer connectivity features so you can’t connect to wireless Bluetooth headphones to it if you want to listen to your workouts through them. However, you can use the auxiliary input port and stream your own audio via the two speakers on the treadmill.
It’s foldable, light, and has a 10-year frame, two-year parts (motor included) and one-year labor warranties.
6. NordicTrack Commercial 1750
This treadmill comes with a 60-inch belt that’s 22 inches wide for more room, 3.75 horsepower motor that attains a 12mph speed, and 15 percent incline that dips to -3 percent.
It also has a 10-inch touchscreen that’s large and shows calories, incline, time elapsed, distance, and pace. The machine can fold to save on some space, and it offers convenience options like quick keys to jump speeds and one-tap incline.
Underfoot, its running surface offers enough space for higher speeds while maintaining a stable deck as you increase the speed. You can also adjust the cushioning underfoot from bouncy to a bit firmer if you prefer.
It’s a heavy-duty treadmill that can support users with a weight capacity of up to 300 pounds.You also get a one-year subscription to iFit, 50 preloaded workout programs, and a warranty that covers parts for two years, frame for 10 years, and one year for labor.
7. Exerpeutic TF1000 Treadmill
This treadmill is smaller and lighter than others on the list, but it’s meant for walking only. It has a minimum speed of 4mph, but you can walk briskly though if you’re planning to do more like a jog, it’s not ideal for that kind of situation.
Its motor is quiet because the engine is small and delivers only 1.5 horsepower. You can even watch TV while walking on this treadmill owing to its quiet nature.
The handrails are extra long for heavy people, especially those with mobility problems. They’re sturdy enough so you can rely on them if you have trouble walking.
The running belt is 20 inches in width and 40 inches in length, which is enough for taller users to stride on the tread, and comfortable for most walkers. Plus, the side rails are wider so you can straddle the tread belt comfortably if you need a break.
Its LCD display is simple and basic, but shows you time, calories, distance and pace, plus it monitors your heart rate. It also has two manual incline positions.
The warranty isn’t the best as it only offers five years on frame and motor, and 90 days on labor and parts. The weight capacity is 400 pounds, which is higher than other treadmills we’ve listed here.
8. Sole F85 Treadmill
This treadmill is robust and built like a tank, with a weight capacity of up to 400 pounds which is enough to support big guys.
It’s great for running, and it is future proof too as it can bear your weight as you walk or run. Plus, its powerful yet sturdy motor is quiet, and comes handy when you want faster speeds on the tread.
Once assembled, you can fold it up and move it easily to save a lot of space. The wide running surface lasts a long time because it’s a two-ply tread belt, plus it makes it more comfortable for you to run on.
It also offers great cushioning, and is designed to be ergonomic as it cushions your joints up to 40 percent more than running on the road would, especially because your joints are already strained by weight.
The display is 10.1 inches and shows your time, speed, pulse rate, distance and calories burnt. You can put a book, tablet or magazine on the lip near the display, and if you want to listen to audio, you can plug in any MP3 player like your iPhone or iPod.
It also offers a quarter mile track feature with a Peaks and Valleys graph, plus 8 different programmable exercise options. A heart rate program is included to tell your target heart rate once you key in some basic information about yourself.
Its weight capacity is 400 pounds, and it offers a lifetime warranty on the frame, motor and running deck. A five-year warranty covers parts and electronics, while a two-year warranty covers labor.
9. Sole F63 Treadmill
This is another great treadmill from SOLE that’s feature-filled like others on the market. It comes with niceties like a high powered motor, speakers, heart rate monitor handles, and other bells and whistles you desire in a treadmill.
The F63 is an outstanding option if you want a treadmill that’ll deliver the same experience as what you’d find in a commercial gym.
It’s motor provides a range of speeds – through a strong 3.0 continuous duty horsepower – including the 12mph top speed.
It also has Bluetooth audio speakers from which you can listen to audio from your smartphone and other smart devices from the console.
An integrated tablet holder lets you use your smart devices freely to follow your workout routines or watch shows.
It also has 15 levels of incline so you can get the right challenge whether you’re a runner or walker.
Other features include the quarter-mile track and Peak and Valley graph for different programs, and you can run up to six preset programs including fat burning and cardio training.
Safety features like a large stop switch are also available, plus cooling fans and incline controls on the arm rests.
Its user-friendly console displays information such as speed, time, distance, incline, calories, pulse and pace.
10. NordicTrack T Series
This NordicTrack treadmill helps you escape workout monotony thanks to its endless training options and interactive personal training at home powered by iFit.
You can access interactive trainer-led, on-demand, global and studio workout programs through the one-year iFit membership, and get information on the immersive smart touchscreen display about your run, jog or walking progress.
The belt is spacious, and the motor is quiet with self-cooling technology and a 2.6CHP DurX Commercial Plus motor. It also has the Innovative SpaceSaver with EasyLift Assist feature that lets you fold up the machine when you’re done so you can store it away.
What To Look For In A Treadmill For Big Men Up To 500 Pounds
Size: This determines the space the treadmill will occupy in your home. Measure the place you’d like to put it in and buy one that’ll fit in properly.
Ease of usage: The treadmill should be easy to use any time, with well labeled buttons to avoid any confusion.
Weight capacity: The machine you pick should accommodate at least 50 pounds more than your current weight so no breakage occurs when using it.
Features: There are different features depending on functions, but get one that’ll suit your needs. Some have workout programs to help you along.
Track size and speed: This determines the space you’ll be walking or running on, plus maximum speed you can adjust to for comfort and enjoyment.
Cushioning: Your choice should have good cushioning to minimize impact on your knees.
Final Thoughts
With such a vast array of treadmill models and brands to pick from, it’s very easy to get overwhelmed. Fortunately, these ten picks offer the key specifications most users look for in terms of performance, speed, quality, warranty, workout options, plus extras like connectivity and great displays.
The best treadmill for you isn’t necessarily the one you see at your local gym or fitness branch. If you’re looking for advanced features, you can still find a home and commercial treadmill model that fits the bill, though such features aren’t necessarily for everyone.
However, with connected fitness gaining traction today, these treadmills are becoming increasingly popular.
They’re also innovative models from top and upcoming fitness equipment manufacturers, which makes the research process a little bit easier for you.
Diana Paul is a certified nutritionist who writes for leading health blogs. She is a master herbalist, yoga teacher, forager, and wild-crafting writer She is focused on helping people transform life blocks to opportunities. Based in NYC, she often holds health seminars and lectures.