Peloton Tread/Tread+ Review

In a latest bit of big news, we’re seeing a new pricing strategy for the Peloton Tread. Marked down significantly in April 2022, the price was raised back up $800 to $3,495 in the U.S. by early August. Meanwhile, the Tread+ remains on recall as the company considers safety concerns raised last year. Per Peloton though, the Tread+ is being re-worked and should return to the market soon with added features. And we’re excited for that return.

What We Like:

• Tread Belt Durability: On par or superior to any tread belt on the market, the Peloton Tread running surface is extra-long at 59” and features a red centerline and step-off safety rails.
• 23.8” Display: A 23.8”-diagonal HD touchscreen is your portal to virtual NYC studio training whenever you please. The large view along with audio helps create immersive training experiences. The size has a more practical benefit too, as the wide screen lets you clearly see demonstrations of off-treadmill exercises.
• Good Speed and Incline: The Peloton Tread can adjust from 0 to 12.5 mph and incline up to 12.5%.
• High Quality Audio: The Peloton treadmill console has a powerful sound system that delivers respectable sound quality. During live classes, Tread instructors can address riders by name for extra guidance and motivation. The high fidelity system also helps make the most of workout music. The Tread provides a Bluetooth connection, a wireless headphone connection, as well as a jack for wired headphones.
• Incline and Speed Controls: Another Tread benefit is uniquely smooth adjustments for incline and speed. Peloton introduced a new way to adjust these settings, letting you turn a dial for very fluid change. You can also press a button in the center of the dial to adjust slope and speed by whole integers at once.
• Live Workouts: Live and on-demand workouts have been key to Peloton’s success with home exercise bikes, and Peloton Tread owners will get the same “virtual studio” experience. Peloton owns a boutique fitness studio in NYC’s West Village, and from there a three-woman team of videographers captures courses for Peloton members around the world. Step aboard the Tread anytime of day or night for live cardio workouts led by world-class instructors, including Peloton’s own Vice President of Fitness Programming. Class types include:

1. Walk workout classes for low-impact cardio and building your endurance
2. Run workout classes for the whole spectrum of runners, from new runners to marathon trainers
3. Total Body workout sessions that mix treadmill cardio with off-treadmill strength training exercises
4. Floor workout classes focused on strength, flexibility and toning exercises. During live class broadcasts a Peloton instructor can communicate with participants through the Tread camera and soundboard. A leaderboard compares performances to give you extra motivation; classmates can compete. As a Peloton member you’ll have on-demand access to previous classes as well.

• Manual Treadmill Mode: The Peloton is motorized but can be used in manual mode too. Manual mode provides a new type of muscular challenge because the track can only move with your bodyweight.
• Performance Tracking: Peloton members can use the company’s mobile app for iOS. The Peloton app tracks your workout history, makes it easy to choose from thousands of on-demand classes, provides a workout scheduler and has other features to help maximize your progress.
• Assembly Included: Professional set-up is included with purchase.

What We Don’t Like:

• Price: At $3,495 the Peloton Tread is one of the priciest home treadmills on our review site.
• Warranty: Given the price, we’d expect at least a 10-year frame warranty rather than just 5.
• Additional Monthly Fee: Building out the home gym typically means cutting out a gym membership, whereas the $39/month fee for Peloton’s live training classes still leave you with a monthly bill—granted, for a pretty cool service if you commit to using it.
• No Android App: The Peloton App for scheduling and tracking your workouts is for iOS devices only.

Peloton Tread/Tread+ Treadmill - Key Specs:

Across the entire Peloton brand, prices and features continue to change, so we encourage fans of the brand to stay tuned. The Peloton tread comes in at a still steep $3,495, fitted with a textured running belt, and a smaller but still large 23.8″ HD touchscreen display, rather than 32″ found previously on the Tread+. Its footprint is also a reasonable amount smaller, measuring a modest 5.5′ long and 2.75′ wide. Initial complaints about the now-Tread+ being a bit too larger and too expensive for apartment dwellers, this new version of the Tread aims to solve the majority of those problems.

Starting at $4,295, the Peloton Tread+ did live high in the upper register of the treadmill pricing scale. While not as expensive as some of our favorite selections for hardcore runners, a sticker price north of $3,000 meant that this high spec treadmill would set you back more than double the cost of the treadmills we favor in just about every other category. With that in mind, the NordicTrack 2450 is a fantastic treadmill that is much more reasonably priced. Living in this obscure upper-middle ground of the market gives it a slight upper hand if you’re in the market for the kind of treadmill a pro marathon or Ironman competitor trains on, though it’s definitely a much tougher sell to the majority of runners out there.

Following the Peloton bike formula for success, the Peloton treadmill combines premium machinery with superior training software. As detailed below in “What We Like,” the Peloton Tread is actually quite well constructed —as one would hope for the price. This holds true from its 59” textured tread with a red center line, to its 23.8” HD touchscreen with high definition. All told these are solid upgrades, but where Peloton tries to set themselves apart is through its training software, and connecting owners directly with Peloton’s fitness studio in NYC’s West Village.

Peloton’s city studio never sleeps—classes run ‘round the clock—allowing owners of the Tread+ to log in and join a class at any time. A team of three camera operators in the studio basement helps make it possible. This setup allows you to communicate directly with the instructor and compete with your classmates. As far as virtual “just like being there” experiences go, this ticks just about all the boxes (without any of the potential unpleasant aromas). This key selling feature is not included in the Peloton’s sticker price, but instead comes as a $39/month fee. While an added monthly expense typically isn’t what treadmill shoppers are after (considering a home treadmill helps you ditch that pesky gym membership), but it’s also a nice perk to gain access to this kind of real-world training from the comfort of your home.

In addition to real time metrics and a global leaderboard, the Peloton Tread offers personalized workouts based on muscle groups worked and keeps track of personal progress. There’s no question the Peloton community is hot. Fans of the brand explain their loyalty with their memberships. Heart rate monitoring can be coordinated with any ANT+ monitor and/or Apple Watch. Designed with the idea of competing with traditional gyms, the Tread will connect its owners with a wide variety of Peloton studio classes both live and on-demand. Different styles of treadmill workouts are scheduled for all ability levels, including options that add strength training to cardio exercise. Peloton refers to these cross-training treadmill workouts as “boot-camp” sessions. A sample format is 10 minutes of treadmill running followed by 10 minutes of exercises for the abs, arms and glutes. Additionally Peloton members can take part in classes focused entirely on off-the-treadmill exercises for flexibility, toning and strengthening the whole body. Access to more than 4,000 video classes for use with the Peloton bike is part of Tread purchase too.

One thing to note about warranties, the Peloton Tread offers a 5-year warranty on the frame, 3 years for the motor and belt, and 12 months for the screen and other components. This is short considering the price point here. The NordicTrack 2450 offers 10 years on the frame, 2 years for parts, and 1 year for labor and is considerably less expensive a unit.

That said, Peloton has proven to be quite successful since its launch in 2012. Round the clock live training is a hot ticket now, and the fact you can use the Peloton membership on their bikes too is a big plus.

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Our Verdict:

Since being discontinued, the Peloton Tread+ remains on our radar, but obviously we can’t recommend a purchase right now. It was a high-end unit to begin with and the safety concerns just did it in. At least for now.

That said, the Peloton Tread model at $3,495 is a high-dollar unit and we’d offer up the NordicTrack 2450 priced at $2,299 as a comparison. Before the price jump in August, we’d have said they were roughly equivalent, but it’s hard to justify the price difference here. Other units in this price range offer decline as well as incline and more heart rate features. Franky, it looks like you’re paying a premium for the Peloton name. The iFit treadmill workouts that come with NordicTrack allow the trainers to control the machine’s resistance and incline and offer comparable features. Maybe most exciting is how an iFit treadmill can work with Google Maps to show paced street views of routes around the world. Members get access to a library of standard video workout classes too, with a selection that’s more diverse than what Peloton now offers.

The Tread is a luxury buy and it’s strongest selling point seems to be the Peloton community. Until the Tread+ comes back on the market, and given the price increase in the Tread, we’d recommend shopping around.

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Recent Updates

• Dec 5, 2023: Updated specs and review
• July 13, 2021: Added some FAQs to the page.
• August 19, 2022: Updated pricing and information pertaining to the Tread+ recall.