Not all treadmills are safe for seniors. Some models are much better suited for elderly users than others, and we’re here to help you find the right one for you. The best treadmills for seniors need to be safe and comfortable to use, gentle on the joints while still allowing you to get the workout you want. The guide below will introduce you to 8 of the very best treadmills for seniors available today with the EXERPEUTIC TF2000 as our top pick, rated and reviewed by our experts.
While reviewing these senior-friendly treadmills, we considered a range of factors, including the type, workout programs, speeds, inclines, weight limits, and more. We looked at both manual and motorized treadmills at a range of budgets to suit every user, along with treadmills offering varied speed and incline settings to help you enjoy an effective and efficient home workout. Read on to learn more about the best treadmills we found, and keep in mind, that some of these models are also considered to be the best treadmills on the market today in general, adopted for any age use.
More features: 49” Full length walking assistant hand rails with foam padding, 10 shock absorbing deck cushions with extra reinforcement, 5″ Low deck height, 3-year frame warranty, 5-year motor warranty, 90-days parts warranty, 4 adjustable stabilizers
First off our list of the best treadmills for seniors is the EXERPEUTIC TF2000. Coming from one of the top brands in the business, this model is made from high quality materials and designed to last for years of repeated use. The first thing you notice about the EXERPEUTIC TF2000 is its full length hand rails, stretching out from the front of the machine right to the back.
The full length hand rails of the EXERPEUTIC TF2000 are a hugely important safety feature, especially for senior users. They make it easy to step onto the machine and give you a firm and comfortable handhold while you’re walking or jogging along, ensuring that you always have something to help you keep your balance and remain upright, minimizing the risks of any accidents.
Safety is clearly a big part of the EXERPEUTIC TF2000, as it also comes with 10 shock absorbing desk cushions that help to minimize the impact of exercise on your joints, providing a more gentle and body-friendly workout that elderly folks will appreciate.
In terms of settings and key features, the EXERPEUTIC TF2000 offers incremental speed adjustments up to 5mph, as well as a large LCD display window that shows a lot of different data, plus a couple of accessory holders too for your convenience. The only real downside of this model is that it’s very heavy and may require a few people to carry and set up in the home.
More features: super compact; remote control included
As well as full-size treadmills with rails and LCD displays, you might also take an interest in under desk treadmills. As the name implies, the Goplus Under Desk Electric Treadmill is able to be placed underneath a desk. It doesn’t come with big rails and handles like a typical treadmill. Instead, it simply features the belt and motor, letting it slot underneath a desk or table and let you walk in place while working or browsing the internet on your computer. It’s ideal for both home and office use, coming with three different workout modes and 12 preset programs too.
There’s even an LED display on the Goplus Under Desk Electric Treadmill, with very large numbers that are easy to read, even from a distance, and it ships with a remote control for easy operation. The remote control is the best way to use this device, as the touchable screen buttons can be a bit tricky at times, so it’s wise to keep track of the remote and ensure that it remains in perfect working order.
The Goplus Under Desk Electric Treadmill features a shock proof design with comfortable foot pad and rubber struts that help to minimize the vibration and impact on the knees. It also comes with a key safety feature: an emergency brake button that allows you to stop the machine instantly, if needed, which can be very important for elderly users. Overall, there’s a lot to love about this under desk treadmill.
More features: longer handles; 1-year warranty
Some people think that you need to spend several hundred dollars to get a good quality treadmill, but the ProGear 190 helps to prove that if you shop around, you can find top quality exercise equipment at very affordable prices. This model is pretty basic, without a huge LCD display or lots of different speed settings, but it’s available at an amazing price, making it a great choice for those on a budget.
The ProGear 190 supports users of up to 230 lbs in weight and is very easy to set up. It’s a manual model too, so you won’t need to worry about the motor potentially breaking down or anything like that, and it’s very lightweight and portable too. It’s also fitted with a small but useful LCD display showing off time spent exercising, distance walked, calories burned, and other information.
The lightweight nature of the ProGear 190 is a good bonus for elderly users who plan on moving the treadmill around from room to room, and it comes with an impressive array of features for a manual model, including two incline levels ranging from six and 10 degrees, plus oversized belt rollers for a really smooth and consistent walking experience. The steel frame and wide, padded side rails help to provide comfort and safety, making the ProGear 190 a great budget choice for the senior shopper.
More features: extra-long handles; 5-year motor and 1-year frame warranty
Next up on our list of the best treadmills for seniors, we come to another terrific model from one of the best rated brands in the business: Exerpeutic. The Exerpeutic TF1000 stands out mostly for its impressive weight capacity. This treadmill can handle up to 400 lbs of weight at any one time, so it’s got one of the highest weight capacities of any treadmill on the market right now and is by far one of the best models you can choose as a heavier person.
In terms of features and functionality, the Exerpeutic TF1000 can offer speeds of up to 4 mph, allowing you to adjust the speed in gradual increments of 0.1 mph as needed. It’s a shame that the model can’t reach higher speeds for those who like to run and jog, but for most senior users who simply want to walk on their treadmills, 4 mph is a sufficient maximum speed. The belt of this treadmill is particularly wide at 20 inches, and it also comes with extra long 18 inch safety handles too, for your comfort and convenience.
There’s a central LCD display on the main control panel of the Exerpeutic TF1000 which tracks distance walked, calories burned, current speed, and even your pulse rate, and the whole thing comes with an impressive warranty policy too. You get 5 years of coverage for the motor and a year of coverage for the frame, so the manufacturer, Exerpeutic, will be able to cover the costs of any repairs or replacements that may be needed during the initial years of usage.
More features: multi-layer running belt
Next up, we come to the best value treadmill for seniors on our list, the MaxKare Folding Treadmill. The first thing to note about this model is that, as the name suggests, it’s fully foldable, meaning that it can be very quickly folded up for easy carrying and simple storage. This makes it a good choice for those with minimal space who don’t want to leave a big treadmill set up at all times.
In terms of other features and functionality, the MaxKare Folding Treadmill comes with a very wide and impressive 17″ tread belt. The width of the belt helps to make this device really safe for seniors, as it minimizes the risk of you accidentally tripping over or stepping on the sides, rather than the belt, as you walk or jog along. The MaxKare Folding Treadmill also comes with a powerful copper motor that can provide speeds ranging from 0.5 mph for a gentle walk to 8.5 mph for a speedy jog.
There are also several incline options with the MaxKare Folding Treadmill, allowing you to adjust and adapt your workouts to suit your needs, and it comes with some great little bonus features like a cup holder for your comfort and convenience. It’s easy to assemble and fitted with a large and clear LCD display too. On the downside, some senior users may be put off by the very small handles that can be a little tricky to grab onto.
More features: 9-inch color LCD display; SoftDrop technology
Treadmills come in many shapes and sizes, and if you want a model that offers premium performance in every aspect, the Bowflex BXT216 is the one for you. It costs a little more than many of the other treadmills for seniors out there, but it’s worth the price tag when you start to look at its amazing array of features, beginning with super strong motor that can offer speeds of up to 12 mph for serious workouts.
The Bowflex BXT216 comes with a wide and comfortable running belt that has been carefully designed to provide smooth and consistent movement with surprisingly low amounts of noise, letting you watch TV or listen to music in the background with no issues. It’s easy to use and comes with thick, reinforced, comfortable grip handles too, plus incline options up to 15% and plenty of speed settings to choose from too. The Bowflex BXT216 also features a huge backlit LCD screen to help you choose between the 11 different workout programs and monitor your progress over time.
Not only that, but it can connect to the Bowflex JRNY system which offers personalized coaching and custom workout generation just for you. It even provides personalized feedback to push you through your workouts and help you hit your targets, like having your own personal trainer right there inside the treadmill. Overall, the Bowflex BXT216 is a high end model with a lot of fancy features you’ll love.
More features: easy installation; emergency stop; LCD display
Next up, we come to the Murtisol 1100W Folding Treadmill, another great treadmill for seniors that comes with some impressive safety features. For example, it features an emergency stop switch on the main control panel that can be easily activated to instantly stop the machine if needed. It also features curved, comfortable handles and is fully foldable too, letting you fold it up and store it away whenever it’s not in use.
The Murtisol 1100W Folding Treadmill is ranked as one of the easiest treadmills to put together. After opening the box, you can have this treadmill up and running in just 20 minutes, and it only takes one person to put together too, thanks to its lightweight design and simple step by step construction. The Murtisol 1100W Folding Treadmill also features an LCD display that is able to track and monitor your health and performance over the course of each workout session, and it comes with 12 different workout programs and a powerful motor too.
Overall, there’s plenty to enjoy about the Murtisol 1100W Folding Treadmill, from its compact and convenient design to its built-in workout options, unique safety features, and padded deck cushioning to minimize impact and pressure on your joints as you walk or jog along. The only real downside is that the running belt is a little on the narrow side, so you need to be extra careful where you place your feet.
More features: 2-in-1 option, Bluetooth connection, wireless remote controller, phone bracket
Last but not least, we come to our final entry on the list of best treadmills for seniors, the OppsDecor Under Desk Treadmill. This model is totally unique when compared to all the others, as it’s actually a 2-in-1 treadmill, meaning it functions both as a regular treadmill with handles and an elevated control panel, and as an under desk treadmill.
You can actually fold down the handrail and control panel part into the base, allowing the OppsDecor Under Desk Treadmill to slip under a desk for home or office exercise, and then you can pull the rails and handles back out when needed if you’d prefer some extra support during your workout. This flexibility really gives the OppsDecor Under Desk Treadmill a unique advantage of other models, letting you use it however you like.
While in under desk mode, the OppsDecor Under Desk Treadmill can offer a maximum speed of 4 mph, but that rises up to 12 mph when the handles are extended, and it comes with an LED display to track time walked, current speed, calories burned, and distance traveled too. The OppsDecor Under Desk Treadmill even comes with a remote control and the option to connect to your phone via bluetooth. You can then position your phone in the holder provided and watch videos or play music while you exercise, adding to the treadmill’s versatility and functionality.
Treadmills are an excellent piece of home exercise equipment, especially for seniors, giving you a great way to enjoy low-impact exercise without even needing to leave your house. But there’s a lot to think about before buying a senior-friendly treadmill, especially if you want to make the right decision and choose the best possible model for you. This buying guide will introduce you to senior-friendly treadmills and assist you in finding one you can comfortably use for the years to come.
Most people know what a treadmill is: it’s a relatively simple piece of exercise equipment that can be either manual or motorized, allowing you to walk, jog, or run in place on a moving belt. Often, treadmills come with different speed settings, incline angles, and even preset workout programs to try out too, but what makes a treadmill senior-friendly?
Well, the best treadmills for seniors put comfort, stability, and safety first. Elderly people can still remain in great shape with regular exercise, but their joints and muscles are often not quite as flexible and hardy as they once were. Treadmills for seniors are therefore designed with aspects like cushioned grip handles, full-length side railings, tread belt cushioning, easy-to-read LCD displays, and large, simple buttons with easy-to-use, intuitive controls.
If you’re looking for the best treadmills for elderly people, the key is to focus on these main aspects, trying to find a model that can provide a senior user with an effective workout, while also maintaining high levels of safety and comfort.
We don’t recommend simply diving right in and buying the first treadmill you find. There are a lot of different models out there, and they’re not all made equal. They come in different sizes and styles, with vast differences in speeds, inclines, price, weight, and overall design. You need to think about which factors or features matter the most to you and bear those things in mind when shopping for your own senior-friendly treadmill. Read on to learn more about each individual factor and why it matters.
One of the first questions to ask yourself when buying treadmills for seniors is which type of treadmill you’d like to get. Treadmills are divided up into two main types: manual and motorized. The ProGear 190 is an example of a manual treadmill, actually one of the best in its price range of the treadmills under 600$, while the Bowflex BXT216 is one of the best motorized treadmills for seniors you can buy today.
Manual treadmills for seniors, as the name implies, are powered manually, using the actual motion of your legs and feet to move the belt around and generate motion. They don’t have motors or electrical components, so they’re often a lot cheaper, lighter, and less likely to break over time too. However, they don’t have all the fancy features and speed settings of motorized models.
Motorized treadmills, meanwhile, have a motor inside which is used to move the belt around, so you can just flick a switch or hit a button and start the belt moving without needing to use your legs to start it up. Motorized treadmills are usually more expensive and the electrical components can break down and need repair, but they have the advantage of offering a range of speed settings and workout programs.
If you’re looking for a senior-friendly treadmill, safety features and rail length are very important features. Rails help to provide support and stability to the user of the treadmill, and this is particularly important for elderly people, who sometimes need a little extra support in order to keep their balance.
The Exerpeutic TF2000 is one of the best models in this category, as it comes with full-length rails that you can use to step onto the treadmill and support you throughout your workout session, as well as helping you step off the machine when you’re finished.
Every treadmill has its own maximum weight capacity too. This tells us the maximum weight that the treadmill can take without breaking. Some treadmills have quite high weight capacities of 400 lbs, like the Bowflex BXT216, for example, which is also the best in this category among the treadmills with 400 lb weight capacity. Others have lower maximum weight capacities, close to 200 or 220 lbs.
Larger and heavier people may not be able to safely use certain models, depending on the weight capacity, so this is definitely something to bear in mind if you have a high body weight.
One of the key features of most treadmills is an array of different speed settings. These settings can be adjusted during your workout, letting you choose between walking at a gentle pace and jogging at a much faster pace, depending on how you want to exercise. The more speed settings a treadmill has, the more flexible and varied workouts it can provide.
For seniors, lower speed settings are the best, as most elderly users prefer simple walks and light jogs on their treadmills, rather than speedy sprints.
If you’re choosing a motorized treadmill over a manual treadmill, it helps to pay attention to the type and power of the motor inside. A high quality motor, as seen in the Bowflex BXT216, for example, is able to provide higher speeds and more consistency than weaker or lower quality motors seen in other models. The stronger the motor, the longer it should last and the more power and performance it will be able to provide for your treadmill too.
Many treadmills come with adjustable incline settings, allowing you to change the angle of the belt slightly to make it seem like you’re walking or running uphill, for instance.
The more angles you have, the more varied and different your workouts can be, and working out at an incline can help to burn more calories and develop higher levels of stamina and strength too.
As well as the overall functionality of your treadmill, you need to think about the size as well. Treadmills can come in all kinds of sizes, from huge models that take up quite a lot of space in your home to much smaller and compact models, like the Goplus Under Desk Electric Treadmill, which slots right under a desk.
Small treadmills for seniors have the advantage of taking up less room in your home and therefore being easier to store away while not in use. Larger treadmills, meanwhile, usually need to be either folded down for storage purposes or simply left set up at all times.
Along with the overall dimensions of your treadmill, it’s absolutely vital to take a look at the running surface dimensions too. Trying to run or walk on a very narrow treadmill belt can be a real challenge, and if you accidentally step on the sides, rather than the belt, you can fall or injure yourself, so it’s very important for seniors in particular to find a wide running surface.
There’s also the weight to take into account as well. Some treadmills, especially the smaller models like the Murtisol 1100W Folding Treadmill, can be very lightweight, while others tip the scales at several hundred pounds. You need to look at your own situation and decide whether a light or heavy treadmill is right for you.
If you have a home gym and plan to leave the treadmill set up at all times in the same place, with no real need to move it around, you won’t really mind a heavier model. If, however, you don’t have too much free space and want to store your treadmill away when not in use, it makes sense to have a smaller and lighter option.
Some treadmills, like the OppsDecor Under Desk Treadmill, for example, are foldable. This means that you can fold them up when not in use, which drastically reduces their overall size, allowing them to be safely and easily stored away for your convenience. Again, a foldable treadmill is a good choice for someone who wants to store their treadmill away when not in use, but will be less important to someone who plans on leaving the treadmill set up at all times.
A lot of modern treadmills come with a digital display on the central control panel or dashboard area. This shows you a range of data, including how long you’ve been using the treadmill, how much virtual distance you’ve traveled, how many calories you’ve been burning along the way, and other details too.
A digital display can be a useful tool on a treadmill for keeping track of your progress and monitoring the effectiveness of your workouts. It’s always helpful for seniors if the display is large, clear, and easy to read, like on the Exerpeutic TF2000.
Another important factor you may need to think about when buying a treadmill for seniors is the price. Prices of treadmills can vary quite wildly from one model to the next. Some of them are surprisingly cheap and simple, like the ProGrear 190, for example, while others can be much more expensive, you can as well encounter treadmills under 2000$.
When it comes to treadmills and prices, you tend to get what you pay for. So if you pay a more expensive price, you’ll probably get a model with more speed settings, a stronger motor, different preset workout programs, and fancier features. Cheaper models, meanwhile, will usually be more simplistic, but still perfectly fine for home workouts.
One more factor that is definitely worth bearing in mind is the warranty. This can vary from one manufacturer to the next. Some of them offer quite lengthy warranties on the various parts of their treadmills, while others offer little to no warranties at all.
The Exerpeutic TF1000, for example, comes with a 5-year motor warranty and 1-year frame warranty, which is a really great deal as it means that the motor will be covered for repairs and replacements if it breaks down any time during the first five years of use.
Overall, our top-rated treadmill for seniors is the EXERPEUTIC TF2000. With its full-length handrails and deck cushions, it comes with a lot of terrific safety features that can strongly appeal to elderly users. It also offers gradual speed adjustments up to 5mph and an easy-to-read LCD display.
The next entry on our list of best treadmills for seniors is the Goplus Under Desk Electric Treadmill. It lacks the large rails and handles of a standard treadmill. Rather than having big rails and handles, it simply contains the belt and motor, allowing you to walk in place while working or surfing the internet on your computer. It’s suited for both home and business use with three different workout modes and 12 pre-installed programs.
One more our third favorite senior-friendly treadmill is the ProGear 190. By far one of the most affordable treadmills for seniors on our list, it’s available at a great price and provides all the simple functionality and strong build quality you need to enjoy effective and efficient home workouts.
