What is the Best Manual Treadmill For a Small Apartment?

If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best manual treadmill is for a small apartment, then I’d recommend the Confidence Fitness Magnetic Treadmill as the best one.

Regardless of where you live, trying to find time to go to the gym can be a real chore. Some days, even getting there is an impossibility due to scheduling conflicts.

It’s one reason why so many people purchase exercise equipment to workout at home.

But just because you live in a small apartment doesn’t mean that you can’t get your cardio in. One of the best tools you can use for this purpose is a Manual Treadmill.

Here are the best manual treadmills we’ll be reviewing:

• Confidence Fitness Magnetic Manual Treadmill
• ProGear 190 Treadmill with Twin Flywheels
• Exerpeutic 100XL High Capacity Magnetic Resistance Treadmill
• Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T1407M Manual Walking Treadmill
• Fitness Reality TR1000 Treadmill

So What is a Manual Treadmill?

As you would imagine, a non-motorized treadmill is an exercise machine that isn’t powered by electricity. These devices work through a combination of gravity and your own footsteps.

Basically, a manual treadmill is adjusted so it sits on a slight incline. By stepping on the belt, your body exerts a further downward force that causes the treadmill to start moving.

In this way, each step you take moves the belt along until you find yourself at your preferred pace.

What is more fascinating is that this study shows that people who utilized manual treadmills used up around 30% more energy when compared to motorized versions.

One thing to keep in mind though is that these types of cardio machines are meant to be walked, rather than ran, on.

Curved Belt Manual Treadmill

This offshoot of the standard non-motorized treadmill uses a specially designed concave shape that allows users to run instead of walk.

Despite the extra expense it costs to purchase one of these machines, curved belt treadmills are quickly becoming a popular tool for home use.

Besides not requiring electricity to run, these machines are also designed with the natural running and walking gait of the human body in mind.

This important feature allows a person to train on a product that is made to provide a comfortable running experience.

On top of this, these devices also keep the strengths of their less advanced cousins.

These features make this treadmill design a favorite for athletes.

One research article shows that a runner who used a curved belt treadmill, had a heartbeat that was higher by 20 beats on average when compared to running on a motorized machine.

The Advantages of a Manual Treadmill

The first major advantage this type of treadmill provides is the ability to do cardio without requiring an outlet.

Another reason that is relevant to this topic is that the device is powered entirely by your own movements.

And because you’re the one doing all the work, you’ll end up burning more calories walking at the same pace as you would on a traditional treadmill.

The second advantage is their small size when compared to their motorized competitors.

As manual treadmills are designed with a walking pace in mind, the belt is shorter, and the space where a motor would be housed can be left out to further save room.

Another benefit of this design is that they are inherently safer than a powered treadmill. These exercise machines require you to power them, so if you stop, the treadmill stops.

This facet of a manual treadmill means it is incredibly unlikely that you’ll be falling off the end after failing to hit the emergency stop button.

This also means you’ll have to worry less about the elderly, children, or pets hurting themselves while using, or playing near, a treadmill.

These machines are also less expensive than motorized versions with most selling for just several hundred dollars.

There is, however, the caveat that curved belt treadmills usually have a price point in the lower thousands.

That said, curved treadmills are in high demand for interval training due to their ability to rapidly go from a walking pace to a run.

You can easily do sets of sprints followed by brisk walks in a very natural imitation of the real thing.

The Disadvantages of a Manual Treadmill

A huge disadvantage of a standard non-motorized treadmill is that you can’t run on it. Well, you can, but it isn’t advisable.

Treadmills of this type not only tend to have shorter belts, but they are also flimsier in their construction.

And because it takes a bit of force to initially get moving, this type of machine can cause difficulty for those who suffer from lower body arthritis.

Another downside is that you’ll have to get off the treadmill to steepen or lower the incline.

A common issue that many people have is that they initially set the incline of the treadmill at too high a level.

This naturally causes users to hold onto the handles, which is the very opposite of what you want to be doing when using a treadmill.

Finally, these muscle powered machines don’t come with a whole lot of bells and whistles.

Given that they don’t run on electricity, you can’t expect a non-motorized treadmill to come stacked with all sorts of crazy goodies like preset apps or workout routines.

More often than not, the most advanced piece of tech you’ll get on these machines will be a battery or human powered display showing basic workout data.

My Top Five Manual Treadmills

The following is a list of my top five manual treadmills.

Among some of my personal favorites, I’ll be going through them one by one before coming to a decision regarding which machine is the one most suited for use in a small living environment.

Confidence Fitness Magnetic Manual Treadmill

As quiet as you’d expect from a non-motorized treadmill, this product uses magnetic resistance to keep your pace consistent and smooth.

Instead of having to change around the incline, this setting remains fixed and you instead use the magnets to increase your workload.

The treadmill has eight adjustable resistance settings and also comes with a multi-function computer that calculates distance, speed, time, calories, scan, and contains an odometer.

Along with these functions, this machine is able to be folded up into a storage mode, perfect for making extra space in a small apartment.

Pros

• Can be used by people who weight up to 220 lbs.
• Offers a 12 month warranty.
• Folded size is quite small at 48 x 7.9 inches.
• It doesn’t weight much either at 46.9 lbs.
• The display makes it easy to keep track of your workout goals.
• Being able to switch the resistance level via magnets instead of an incline, makes this a wonderful option for those who don’t want to stop mid workout to change the intensity.
• The fixed 5% incline makes it unlikely for any accidents to occur.
• The built-in wheels are great for transporting this device from the closet to your workout area of choice.
• If you find space to be a major concern, I would highly recommend this device.

Cons

• Sadly, this design may be too fragile for taller and heavier men.
• Taller individuals may also have difficulty with committing to longer strides on this machine.
• The handles on this machine are on the wobbly side, despite tightening the screws as much as possible.
• The magnets have a tendency to suddenly tighten if you start moving too fast for the current setting to handle.

ProGear 190 Treadmill with Twin Flywheels

This is another great foldable design that use extra wide side rails to maximize your safety. The ProGear 190 is rated for up to 230 lb users and comes with oversized belt rollers.

These large rollers are used to provide a smooth walking pace regardless of the speed you’re walking at.

As for resistance adjustments, this machine comes with two preset options that allow you to quickly switch from 6 and 10 degrees of incline.

Great for people who lack space in their homes, this treadmill is also equipped with a simple, single button display, that measures scan, speed, distance, time, calories, and contains an odometer.

Pros

• The long handles really add an extra layer of security when you’re getting on or off this treadmill.
• Folded size is quite small at 21 x 23 x 51 inches.
• At 49 lbs, this treadmill isn’t all that difficult to move around.
• The display is simple to use, and makes keeping track of your information, easy.
• The built-in wheels work quite well in moving this treadmill in and out of storage.
• If space is something you worry about, this is one cardio machine I wholly recommend purchasing.

Cons

• Anyone over 6 feet is going to have some trouble using this machine as intended.
• Only having two incline settings means you’ll have to keep a set intensity for your workouts.

Exerpeutic 100XL High Capacity Magnetic Resistance Treadmill

This extra beefy foldable design is well suited for heavier individuals. Rated for up to 325 lbs of weight, this treadmill makes use of dual flywheels to make your workouts as smooth as possible.

On top of that, this model also comes with wide side rails that provide safety as well as assistance in mounting and dismounting.

The display also comes with pulse pads that accurately measure a user’s heart rate, and it also measures standard data such as speed and distance.

Pros

• This robust design is able to handle larger physiques comfortably.
• The extended length and width of the tread makes this machine especially compatible with taller individuals.
• The extra long handles adds an extra layer of security to this device.
• This design is a little heavier and larger than others, but it is still able to be kept out of the way due to its folding design.
• The intuitive display is easy to use and quickly informs you of all the information you need.
• The built-in wheels are great for moving this larger treadmill into and out of storage areas.
• Has three incline settings at 8, 10, and 15 degrees.
• Provides further resistance options with 8 levels of magnetic tension.
• Contains a 3-year limited warranty.

Cons

• When it comes to space, this machine’s overall size might be a deal breaker to some.
• Transporting this treadmill around can be difficult due to its unwieldy size.

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T1407M Manual Walking Treadmill

Able to handle a max weight of 220 lbs, this treadmill also comes with an LCD monitor that tracks time, calories, speed, steps, and has a scan option.

Another excellent feature of this machine is that it can withstand up to a slow jogging pace.

While the hand grips aren’t the longest, they provide sufficient stability for slowing down and stepping off the machine.

Like the others, this folding design works well in smaller living spaces.

Pros

• Uses dual flywheels to smooth out your steps.
• The slip-resistant foam handrails are a nice touch and are easy to clean.
• Built-in transportation wheels make wheeling this out from under your bed super easy.
• This is one of the more compact designs on the list if you’re really hurting for storage space.
• The non-slip running surface keeps a firm grip on the bottom of your running shoes.
• This is the most affordable design on the list.
• A great entry-level product.

Cons

• The incline can’t be adjusted at all.
• It does everything you expect a non-motorized treadmill to do, but it’s a very minimal design.

Fitness Reality TR1000 Treadmill

This treadmill from Fitness Reality is able to handle up to 230 lbs of user weight. With an LCD display that shows time, distance, calories, speed, and scan, this machine is also a solid entry-level option that provides everything you actually need from a treadmill.

As with every other machine on this list, this product is foldable with its dimensions being 21 x 23 x 51 inches.

With two fixed inclines at 6 and 10 degrees, you’ll get a little more out of this machine than the previous treadmill on the list.

Pros

• Comes with a 1 year warranty.
• The built-in rollers are smooth and have no problems with providing a means to lug this machine around the house.
• Another compact design, if you’re hurting for space, the TR1000 is an affordable purchase that’ll save you space.
• The LCD display uses a single button to work and even comes with the two AAA batteries you need to run it.

Cons

• Taller individuals with longer strides are going to have trouble using this machine.
• Depending on your walking gait and foot placement, you might end up scraping your shoes outside the boundaries of the belt.

The Winner of the Roundup

There were plenty of good products to choose from, each edging towards their own specific niche.

But after considering which of these devices fit most of my criteria, I’ll have to go with the Confidence Fitness Magnetic Treadmill.

Besides providing multiple resistance levels without having to manually change the incline, this treadmill also is small enough to fit in my closet or under my bed.

The only other treadmill on this list able to provide such a large range of resistance settings was the treadmill from Exerpeutic.

The only problem is, that particular model is too large for me to easily stow away.

It’s for these reasons that Confidence Fitness’ non-motorized treadmill takes first place in this contest.