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Though the end of summer is upon us, so is Labor Day, an oft-underrated holiday that gives us one last breath of fresh warm air before the cold months come. Better yet, it’s rife with sales, including plenty on major purchases like treadmills, a centerpiece of many a runner’s home gym. Whether you’re looking for an opportunity to keep your legs moving during the winter, or you just want more control over variables in your workouts, this coming weekend presents some of the biggest opportunities of the year to save money on a quality model.
We’ve tested countless treadmills on our own homes and at Runner’s World HQ in Pennsylvania, ranging from the fanciest do-it-all machines on the market to humble walking pads stowed under our desks. On our search for some of the best deals coming your way this Labor Day, we came across plenty of familiar models. The options we have listed here are all ones we’d recommend buying at any point, even at full price—that said, getting to save upwards of a grand on one isn’t a bad thing.
Whether you’re looking for a heavy-duty, long-term workhorse to knock out some tough tempo training or a simple machine for the occasional indoor jaunt, these deals have you covered. And while some of these discounts might look small as a percent-off figure, you’re still saving at least $100 on all of them. Read on to see why these picks are great treadmills and even greater deals.
Rated as our best overall treadmill from our own testing, this NordicTrack has stayed on the throne for more than two years, and it’s now $300 off. Its staying power comes from its notably quiet operation, sizable display, and spacious deck that can handle inclines of 12 percent and declines of -3 percent. Plus, like many other NordicTracks, you can preset pace and incline settings to access them on the fly, which keeps you from fussing around with buttons mid-interval session.
You can enjoy follow-along training programs that put you behind another runner as you, say, cruise along the mountaintops of the German countryside. You can access those programs through the brand’s iFit service for free for your first 30 days.
2
A Big Display and a Bigger Deal
NordicTrack Commercial Series 2450 Treadmill
Now 17% Off
A step up from the 1750, the Commercial 2450 presents you with two major perks: Most immediate is the much larger 22-inch screen, but you also get SmartAdjust, which allows you to surrender your speed and incline controls for your iFit workouts to handle automatically. In other words, if you want a more immersive follow-along experience, you can let this treadmill change the incline for you when you encounter a virtual hill.
Beyond those upgrades and a slightly higher $500 discount, this model isn’t a departure from the tried-and-true quality of its more affordable sibling. It has the same deck size, incline range, and max speed, all of which can accommodate most runners’ workout preferences and stride styles.
3
Easy Mid-Workout Controls
Horizon Fitness 7.0 AT Smart Treadmill
Now 55% Off
We have this Horizon treadmill in the workout room of our office right now, and we love it for its clever adjustment knobs that sit right at hand-level while you’re running. No need to fuss with small, flat buttons while you’re pushing a precarious pace—if you want to change your speed on the fly, you can safely grab onto this treadmill’s handles and turn the knobs with your thumbs.
Even more notably, this ’mill has the biggest discount on a tester-recommended model we’ve seen this week: $1,200. The 7.0 has pretty consistently had a discounted price throughout the year, but we’re thrilled to see it this low in the lead-up to Labor Day.
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Though the screen on this treadmill from Sole is relatively low-tech compared to others we’re recommending here, we picked this model as one of our favorites because of its simplicity, incredibly stable ride, and side rail-mounted controls that allow you to lift yourself off the deck and change your speed at the same time. Plus, you can fold the deck up when not in use to save some space in a cozy room.
The F80 is also $200 off this week and weekend—not the craziest discount we’ve found, but we certainly wouldn’t sniff at an opportunity to keep 200 bones in our pockets. That’s more than enough to let you score a new pair of shoes to go with it.
If you get stir-crazy sitting at your desk all day, you might find some respite in an under-desk treadmill, which you can tuck under your workstation to get some easy miles on your feet while you crank out your work. And if space is a concern, models like the R1 Pro from WalkingPad fold into impressively small packages to seamlessly tuck behind your desk, under your couch, or into your closet. This model is $100 off right now, too, and it’s one of WalkingPad’s sturdiest folding models with one of its strongest motors.
Adam Schram
Adam Schram is an Assistant Editor of Commerce at Runner's World, though you might see his byline on Bicycling and Popular Mechanics, too. A lover of all things outdoors, Adam's writing career comes after six years as a bike mechanic in his hometown of State College, PA. His journalism experience is steeped in cycling and running gear reviews, and he's also a published creative nonfiction and satire author. When he's not writing, riding, or running, you can catch Adam at home mixing co*cktails, watching Star Wars, or trying in vain to do the Sunday crossword. You can check out his latest work below.
