Today, friends, I want to talk to you about all things treadmill.
Let’s face it, treadmills are probably the most popular piece of equipment at the gym. I know at my local gym, there is often a line of people or a signup sheet for those waiting their turn. You can avoid all that by having your own treadmill.
There is a treadmill for every budget, space, and need, including manual treadmills, under the desk treadmills, automatic incline models, and super heavy-duty commercial treadmills.
If you’ve been shopping around, you might be thrilled by all the fun gadgets treadmills have today, but what about the weight?
You might wonder whether you can safely put a commercial treadmill on the second floor, and does the weight of a treadmill matter at all?
Do very heavy people need a treadmill frame that can handle higher user weight capacity?
Are you moving or shipping your treadmill? Weight costs money, right?
In this article, your good friend Kathleen is going to explain everything you need to know about actual treadmill weight, treadmill weight ratings, and much, much more.
Grab some coffee, friends, we’ve got a lot of ground to cover!
How Much Does a Treadmill Weigh?
Let’s get down to brass tacks, shall we?
The weight of a treadmill will depend on the model and the features it has.
A motorized treadmill, for example, will weigh considerably more than a manual treadmill.
The average treadmill weight is 210 pounds for motorized treadmills and about 60 pounds for manual treadmills.
Keep in mind that these numbers are general averages, and each machine’s weight will be different.
Comparing Treadmill Weight by Brand
The following chart will compare the weight of some of the more popular brands of treadmills.
| Treadmill Brand/ Model | Manual or Motorized | Treadmill Weight | Max User Weight |
| Peloton | Motorized | 430 Pounds | 300 Pounds |
| Precor TRM211 | Motorized | 227 Pounds | 300 Pounds |
| NordicTrack T-Series | Motorized | 198 Pounds | 300 Pounds |
| Sole F85 | Motorized | 301 Pounds | 400 Pounds |
| ProForm Pro2000 | Motorized | 260 Pounds | 300 Pounds |
| Sunny Health and Fitness SF-T1407M | Manual | 47 Pounds | 220 Pounds |
| Xterra Fitness TR150 | Motorized | 108 Pounds | 250 Pounds |
| NordicTrack 2450 Commercial Grade | Motorized | 84 Pounds | 265 Pounds |
| GoPlus 2 in 1 | Motorized | 84 Pounds | 265 Pounds |
| Urevo 2 in 1 | Motorized | 58 Pounds | 265 Pounds |
Interesting stuff, isn’t it?
I’ve always thought that heavier treadmill weights would equal heavyweight capacity treadmills, but as you can see from this chart, this isn’t always the case.
You probably should take into consideration, however, the size of the motor. The larger the motor, the better quality the treadmill is, and it should last longer since the motor doesn’t have to work as hard.
This is especially true if you are a big person. The larger the motor, the more easily it can handle the weight you put on it.
If you’ve got an iFit subscription, you will love these iFit-ready treadmills. Don’t you just love iFit when using a treadmill?! I know, I do!
How Heavy Is the Lightest Treadmill?
A manual treadmill is going to be the lightest, and one without a screen or even handrails will be lighter still.
The lightest treadmill that I was able to find is the Sunny Health and Fitness SF-T1407M. This manual treadmill weighs only 47 pounds! The guardrails even fold, so you can probably store this under your bed.
That being said, remember that the treadmill deck is smaller than a motorized treadmill, but for a casual workout, you really can’t beat it.
I bet my grandkids could move this without any problem!
How Much Does a Gym Quality Treadmill Weigh?
I don’t know about the gym you go to, but do you notice that even though motorized treadmills are in use nearly 24/7/365, they almost never fail?
I’ve been to some really large gym facilities with more than 30 treadmills. People are running and doing high-intensity workout, even really heavy people are using these treadmills, and I have rarely seen one with an ‘Out Of Order’ sign on it.
The brand doesn’t seem to matter so much as the motor weight. A sturdy treadmill has a high-quality frame and is made to withstand heavy users and high speeds.
If you look at the chart above, the two commercial heavy weight-capacity treadmills weigh 430 pounds (Peloton) and 339 pounds (NordicTrack).
These machines are heavy, to be sure, but you will get the ultimate workout!
Yes, those are too heavy to think about moving daily or even monthly! But if you are speaking about a motorized treadmill that will really last, that’s the price you need to pay.
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Does the Weight of a Treadmill Matter?
How much a treadmill weighs really only matters for two reasons:
- The weight of the user
- If you plan on moving the treadmill frequently
If you weigh 180 pounds, you can use any treadmill you like. The lowest weight capacity of the treadmill that I could find was 220 pounds, and many treadmills can handle 300 pounds, with a few that have no problem with a 400-pound user.
However, once you cross that 220 pounds mark, you need to check that your treadmill can handle the weight, and that you don’t exceed the weight limit.
If you’re going to put your treadmill in your garage, or if you plan on leaving the treadmill wherever you decide to place it and never, ever move it, then a heavy weight doesn’t really matter.
The weight of the treadmill will only matter if you plan on moving it frequently from room to room or if you change your address frequently.
It’s a good idea to consider the overall weight of the treadmill, especially a heavy-duty treadmill, if you will need to move it frequently.
What If I Plan on Using the Treadmill on a Second Floor?
Placing your treadmill on a second story and even using it with a heavy person won’t be a problem unless the structure is 100 years old or more. We have a detailed on if it is safe to put a treadmill upstairs – be sure to check it here.
Modern-day building codes won’t have any issue supporting the weight of a 200 or even 300-pound treadmill and the user.
The trick here is actually moving a 300-pound treadmill up to a second or higher floor of a building without an elevator.
If you have a very heavy treadmill, you might want to use some professional movers to get your treadmill up the stairs safely. Watch these pros do it easily.
Even if your treadmill is an average weight, you may find that lifting 200 pounds upstairs is a bit much, even for two people.
Move everything out of the way first to ensure that you don’t bump into something or damage another piece of furniture.
Put your treadmill mat down where you want to place the treadmill.
If you think you can manage it, have the stronger person take the heavier end (the motor) of the treadmill. One person walks backward, pulling the treadmill up the stairs while the second person helps to lift the bottom and push it.
Stop and take breaks if you need to! Moving a treadmill upstairs is a commercial-level workout!
Are Heavier Treadmills Better?
How much a treadmill weighs matters if you need to move it frequently or if you are a very heavy user.
There is one more thing to consider with the weight difference between treadmills for your home gym: the motor.
Heavier motors will last longer than lightweight models. A heavy-duty treadmill should weigh more because it has a larger, heavier motor. The same is true with commercial treadmills. Most commercial treadmills weigh more because they have larger motors and larger decks.
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Yes, most people find a treadmill bulky and a heavy treadmill even more so, but when speaking about motorized treadmills, in my opinion, heavier is better because the motor should last longer.
Even some folding deck treadmills can be quite heavy. Premium quality treadmills may weigh more and cost more initially, but they should last you for years, if not decades.
Do I Need a Heavy-Duty Treadmill?
You may not.
If you weigh less than 150 pounds, if you only plan on using your treadmill for daily walking or even running but you only use it two or three times a week, you will most likely be fine with an average weight treadmill.
For those of you who only want a treadmill for walking and you weigh less than 150 pounds, you might even be OK with a manual treadmill.
Consider your needs before you spend a lot of money on one of those premium, heavy, folding deck treadmills that weigh twice as much as you do.
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Are There Benefits to Having a Heavy Weight Capacity Treadmill?
A sturdier, more robust treadmill will often offer a wider running board to run on. This can prevent accidents. I’ve often found that heavier treadmills have a better quality belt, which prevents you from slipping, and the belt will last longer with less maintenance.
While most average home treadmills have max speeds of 10 to 12MPH, you might find that heavier treadmills can reach speeds of 25MPH.
I doubt that you will ever be able to run that fast, but what do I know? Usain Bolt ran 27.5MPH in 2009 during his 100-meter dash!
How Do You Move a Treadmill?
Assuming that you want to move a treadmill to another room, it’s probably easier than you think.
Most treadmills are folding deck treadmills. You simply unplug it from the wall, secure the cord so it’s out of your way, and then lift the deck of the treadmill from the back toward the front (the motor) of the unit until you hear it click into place.
Move to the other side and carefully grab the handrails. Pushing the bottom portion forward with your foot, you should be able to engage the transport wheels. Roll the treadmill to the location where you would like to place it.
If you’re changing your residence, you might want to consider hiring professional movers, depending on the weight of the treadmill and the distance that you’re traveling.
For moving a treadmill upstairs, see the section above. Otherwise, you can probably follow the same instructions above, only you will roll the treadmill up a ramp to the moving van.
Again, if you are hiring movers, let them do the heavy work. Isn’t that what you paid them for?
Will Treadmill Weight Matter If You Are Shipping It?
That would depend on whether someone is shipping it to you or you are shipping it elsewhere.
Let’s tackle the first part.
Chances are that whatever company you’re buying the treadmill from will offer free shipping.
If they don’t, maybe you should shop around!
Otherwise, if they do charge for shipping, the weight may or may not matter, depending on the company. Some companies have a flat rate fee for shipping weight, others will charge more for a heavier machine.
If you are shipping a treadmill elsewhere, yes, the weight will matter.
Treadmill weight, like any other package, will cost you more if the machine weighs more.
Many shipping companies also go by different weight values, so you should know the difference.
- Net Weight refers to the actual weight of the treadmill without the box
- Tare Weight refers to the weight of the box, shipping peanuts, paper, and all shipping materials
- Shipping Weight refers to the weight of the entire package, meaning what the treadmill weighs in the box, with all the packaging.
You should always check which weight the shipping company wants (usually the shipping weight) before you start checking prices.
You will also need the measurements. Take the measurements in both feet, inches, and centimeters, since some companies only want to use one particular set of measurements.
Most people don’t bother to ship a treadmill because of the weight, but if you need to do so for whatever reason, you might want to check out several shipping companies in order to get the best rate.
The Final Takeaway
The TLDR version for how much does a treadmill weigh is basically
- Treadmills weigh, on average, between 60 and 210 pounds
- The heavier the treadmill, the heavier the motor and the longer it will probably last
- Manual treadmills weigh far less than a motorized treadmill
- You can move most treadmills using the wheels but be aware that some are very, very heavy (300 pounds) and that might be too much for a single person
- Two people can move a treadmill to the second floor, and it is perfectly safe to use these machines on second or even third stories
- Treadmill weight varies by brand
- Shipping prices vary and the more your treadmill weighs, the more it will cost
Take note about just how big a treadmill you really need. Most people can get by with an average-weight treadmill, and it should last you for years.
Heavier people or those who plan on using their treadmill every day should consider buying a treadmill with a larger motor.
Regardless of what type of treadmill you have or plan on buying, the best thing you can do is to use it regularly and safely for improved fitness.
Stay healthy and happy friends! Life is too short for anything else!
Written by Kathleen Langdon – TheHealthPot.com Founder
Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES)
Kathleen, a mother of two, struggled with ongoing weight and health issues. She created this website after she turned her life around. She built Thehealthpot.com to help inspire and motivate others with their fitness goals. Read more about Kathleen here.