Best Folding Treadmills in Canada

How to Choose a Folding Treadmill for Canadians

A folding treadmill can be a great investment for your home, but how do you know which one to choose? With so many different features (and quality levels), it can be difficult to choose. The following considerations, features, and factors can give you a solid foundation as you shop for the best folding treadmills in Canada. 

Consider Your Fitness Goals

Before you can start looking for the best foldable treadmill in Canada, you need to consider how you’ll use it. Consider your fitness starting point and your goals. Where do you want to be? How can you use a foldable treadmill to reach your goals?

Are you looking to burn calories and improve your heart health? Or do you just want to stretch your muscles a few times a week? The intention is everything, especially when it comes to exercise equipment.

Once you have an idea of how you want to use the treadmill, it will be easier to choose an option that works for you. Look for features like the ones we’ll mention below to determine which type of treadmill will work best for your lifestyle. Consider the options here, and you’ll be able to make a decision that best supports you.

Treadmill Size

Youu are probably purchasing a foldable treadmill because you need to save space in your home. This means the size of the treadmill is extremely important. While a folding treadmill can be the answer to your space problem, even folding treadmills come in a range of sizes. Here are the two size options you should consider when purchasing a folded treadmill: running deck size, and unfolded size.

Running Deck Size

The size of the running deck can determine what your treadmill can be used for. Longer decks are best for running, while you should walk on shorter decks. Running on a deck that isn’t long enough for your stride can be dangerous. You should choose a treadmill with a deck size that makes it possible to do the type of exercise you need.

Here is a quick guide to tell you which running deck size (or treadmill belt size) you need for your favourite activity.

• Walking: Minimum of 51cm (20”) wide, 127cm (50”) long
• Running: Minimum of 56cm (22”) wide, 139.7cm (55”) long
• Tall Runners (over 6′ tall): Minimum 56cm (22”) wide, 152cm (60”) long

To ensure that you don’t get injured while using your treadmill, make sure to stick to these guidelines. If you are a taller Canadian, you should consider purchasing a treadmill with an extra-long deck.

Unfolded Size

The unfolded size of the treadmill can determine where you can put it in your home or apartment. You want to choose a treadmill that does what you need it to do, but make sure that you have enough room to work out when the treadmill is unfolded. This is an easy thing to overlook, especially when considering the size of the deck. Make sure to check the unfolded size of the foldable treadmill before you decide to purchase it. 

The main reason you would choose a folding treadmill is for the smaller size or convenient storage. 

Speeds

How many speeds does the treadmill have? If you want to slowly ramp up your fitness, the number of speeds might not matter to you. However, if you are already at a great fitness level and want a challenge, you might want a treadmill that features many different speeds. A larger number of speeds is important for progressive fitness.

However, the number of speeds isn’t as important as the top speed, especially if you want to run or jog on your treadmill. For running and jogging, you need a treadmill with a higher maximum speed. If you want a treadmill you can jog on, choose an option that goes up to about 12kph, or 7.5mph. If you want to run, choose a treadmill with higher-speed options. Keep in mind that the size of the deck can determine if you should run on the treadmill or if it’s best for walking and light jogging.

Display and Metrics

The display, or console, is one of the most important parts of a treadmill. A display allows you to choose settings and change options like speed or incline. The display also tracks your metrics. Metrics like heart rate, speed, incline, distance, steps, calories burned, and more can help you track your fitness goals. If you track these metrics over time, you can determine how you are improving and identify areas where you still need to improve.

No matter what metrics appear on the display, the type of display on your treadmill matters. Some treadmills only have a small LCD screen, which showcases a few important metrics and not much else. On the other end of the spectrum are treadmills with full touchscreen displays with graphs, multiple metrics, and options you can swap to track exactly the type of progress you want to see.

Treadmills with larger HD displays will be more expensive. If you want to use your own devices for a display, look for a treadmill that features device integration with different apps and options.

Incline

The incline is one of the ways you can increase the intensity of your workout. The incline settings on your treadmill tilt the deck upwards, mimicking the feel of walking uphill. Some treadmills have incline options built into the control panel, allowing you to increase the incline without stopping the treadmill. These are best if you want to vary the difficulty of your workout on an individual basis.

Most often, foldable treadmills will include manual incline options. To change the incline, you must stop the treadmill and manually change the level with a mechanism on the bottom of the treadmill. It might be a hassle, but it’s built specifically for those who don’t want to change the incline during their workout.

The type of workout you want to do can determine what type of incline you want to use, or if you want to use them at all.  The incline is measured in degrees. The high the degree of incline, the more difficult your walk or jog will become. A good maximum incline is around 20%.

Hydraulic Folding Mechanisms

Treadmills are heavy, and the heaviest part of the treadmill is the deck. Foldable treadmills require you to lift the deck to fold it flat, which can pose a problem. That’s why some foldable treadmills use hydraulic folding mechanisms to make them easier to fold. Hydraulic options help take some of the weight of the deck, making it simple to lift without exerting much force at all.

Of course, some foldable treadmills have better folding mechanisms than others. If you know that you won’t be able to lift the deck, consider treadmills that specifically use hydraulic options to make it easier. Some treadmills may have special ‘easy raise’ or ‘soft lower’ systems to make it easier, so look for foldable treadmills that have these types of assistance options.

Presets and Programs

If you go to the gym to use a treadmill, you might find yourself trying some of the presets and programs that are integrated into the treadmill. These tracks increase speed, resistance, and incline to maximize your workout. If you enjoy this type of workout, you should choose a treadmill that includes presets, programs, and other routines so you can target your workouts.

Some treadmills use subscription-based fitness apps to deliver programs and preset, while others have them built right into the treadmill. The type you should choose depends on which option works best for you. If you’re already using a fitness app that is compatible with your treadmill, you can use it to access programs through the app integration.

If you aren’t using a fitness app (or want a simpler, streamlined experience), choose a treadmill that comes with a variety of presets. Between 8 to 12 presets will give you plenty of variety to choose from and work towards during your exercise sessions.

Device and Program Integration

Most Canadians use devices while working out. Those who are serious about their fitness goals may have subscription fitness services, such as iFit, Peloton, and JRNY. These services offer training, preset programs, customized tracks, and metric tracking over time.

Some treadmills allow for flawless integration with apps. Standard treadmills sometimes come with their own touchscreen displays you can use with your streaming services, fitness apps, and more. However, foldable treadmills use Bluetooth integration with your devices more often. This means that you can track your stats and load up programs on your phone or tablet.

You must make sure that you have the right applications and subscriptions for the treadmill you choose. If you don’t want to use a fitness program, you can also choose treadmills with device compatibility systems. These treadmills have device holders and may have media ports or built-in speakers so you can use your devices without the additional fitness apps.

Pulse Monitoring

Pulse monitoring isn’t rare when it comes to foldable treadmills. That doesn’t mean that every treadmill monitors your pulse in the best way, or in real time. Most have you hold your palms to the pulse sensors on the handlebars. If you’re trying to run or jog, this can be extremely inconvenient.

If you plan on jogging a lot, or if you don’t want to hold onto the pulse monitor points constantly, investigate a treadmill that uses other pulse monitoring features. Some might include a chest belt or armband that tracks your pulse. Others might integrate with fitness watches and other devices you may already own.

Pulse monitoring is important for working out. You need to know when you hit your peak heart rate, which is when your workout is most effective. Thankfully, it doesn’t have to be difficult to track your heart rate. You should choose the pulse monitoring method that works best for yoevaluate