The Best Incline Treadmills to Feel the Burn During Your Next Cardio Workout

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Treadmills are one of the most popular pieces of home workout equipment. They are versatile, user-friendly and approachable to people of all fitness levels. However, many cheap electric treadmills and most manual treadmills don’t offer the ability to adjust the incline of the machine, limiting the versatility of the workouts that you can do. Using an incline treadmill allows you to replicate uphill running or walking, which increases the efficiency of your workout by burning more calories, increasing your heart rate and strengthening the muscles in your legs.

In this article, we share our top picks and reviews of the best incline treadmills to help you find the machine that will be optimal for your fitness level, training goals, budget and needs. We also provide a comprehensive buying guide for how to choose the best incline treadmill for your needs, the benefits of incline treadmill workouts and how to use an incline treadmill to help you reach your fitness and weight loss goals.

Our Picks for the Best Incline Treadmills in 2024:

• Best High-Incline Treadmill: NordicTrack Commercial X32i 
• Best Budget Incline Treadmill: Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill
• Best Incline Treadmill for Tall Runners: Sole Fitness F65 Treadmill
• Best Slat Belt Incline Treadmill: Sole Fitness ST90 Treadmill
• Best Folding Treadmill with Incline: Echelon Stride-4s
• Best Incline Treadmill for Interactive Training Sessions: ProForm Pro 9000

Best High-Incline Treadmill: NordicTrack Commercial X32i

Key features and specs

• Incline levels: -6 to 40 percent
• Speed levels: Up to 12 miles per hour
• Dimensions: 76.5 inches L x 40 inches W x 73 inches H
• Machine weight: 462 pounds
• Max recommended user weight: 300 pounds
• Running area: 60 inches L x 22 inches W
• Warranty: 10-year frame warranty, 2-year parts warranty and one-year labor warranty

If you’re looking for something that puts the incline in incline treadmill, the NordicTrack Commercial X32i could help you reach your steepest fitness goals. We think this is the best overall incline treadmill for hill training, because it has a maximum incline level of a whopping 40 percent. This much higher than the typical treadmill on today's market, which may have a top incline of 12–15 percent. In case you want to mix in some downhill training, the decline can go as low as -6 percent.

This heavy-duty treadmill is no basic, high-incline machine. It includes an enormous 32-inch smart HD touchscreen display that provides truly immersive interactive training with iFIT on-demand workout classes and virtual Explore the World courses.

Like all of the best NordicTrack treadmills, elliptical machines and exercise bikes, the NordicTrack Commercial X32i features automatic adjustability with the speed and incline of the treadmill according to the workout you are following. There is Bluetooth connectivity for headphones or you can listen to audio through the integrated speakers.

Testing notes:

Our expert tester who tried out the NordicTrack Commercial X32i cited the 40 percent incline as one of the standout features, along with the 32-inch touchscreen that helped make the iFIT workouts feel immersive. She also liked the treadmill's sturdiness and stability, although the sheer size makes it less than ideal for small apartments and other confined spaces.

What we like:

• Impressive automatic incline and decline ranging from -6 percent decline to 40 percent incline allows it to function as an incline trainer or treadmill
• Large, 32-inch smart HD touchscreen display; compatible with interactive iFIT workouts
• 50 built-in workout programs
• Powerful 4.25 CHP DurX Commercial Plus Motor
• Roomy cushioned running deck and sturdy frame

What to consider:

• Expensive and must pay for ongoing iFIT subscription to stream interactive workout classes
• Very heavy with a large footprint and non-foldable frame

Best Budget Incline Treadmill: Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill

Key features and specs

• Incline levels: Up to 10 percent
• Speed levels: Up to 10 miles per hour
• Dimensions: 77 inches L x 34 inches W x 57 inches high
• Machine weight: 180 pounds
• Max recommended user weight: 300 pounds
• Running area: 55 inches L x 20 inches W
• Warranty: Lifetime frame and motor warranty and 1-year parts and labor warranty

Most of the best incline treadmills can be quite costly, so if you’re on a tight budget, it often feels like you have to resort to buying a cheap treadmill on Amazon that may or may not have the functions, durability and versatility you are actually looking for in your home cardio equipment. The Horizon Fitness T101 Treadmill is designed to be an affordable, no-frills incline treadmill that’s actually built to withstand years of high-intensity cardio workouts. In fact, there's even a lifetime frame and motor warranty, so this durable, inexpensive treadmill will withstand heavy-duty use. It’s a folding treadmill, which is great for people with limited space, and the automatic incline reaches a maximum of 10 percent grade.

The Horizon T101 Treadmill has a basic LCD display with a handful of preset workout programs. Workout metrics include distance, time, calories burned, speed, incline and heart rate. There are Bluetooth speakers, water bottle holders, a device holder, shock-absorbing three-zone cushioning to help reduce joint impact stress and a USB charging cord so that your device doesn’t run out of juice during even your longest running workouts.

Testing notes:

The expert tester who tried out the Horizon Fitness T101 noted some similarities with comparably priced treadmills, but she sees the Variable Response Cushioning System as a true standout feature that those rivals don't offer. Although the T101 doesn't compare with high-end treadmills in terms of high-tech smart features, it does offer a much lower price tag.

Pros:

• Folding treadmill saves space
• Good value for the price and much better built than most budget treadmills
• Bluetooth speakers and tablet holder
• Good shock absorption

Cons:

• Backlit LCD screen rather than large touchscreen display
• No decline features and max incline is only 10 percent grade
• Basic LCD console is easy to read but does not have a touchscreen
• Max speed is only 10 miles per hour, and the smaller belt size may not make this a good option for taller runners and more advanced runners

Best Incline Treadmill for Tall Runners: Sole Fitness F65 Treadmill

Key features and specs

• Incline levels: Up to 15 percent
• Speed levels: Up to 12 miles per hour
• Dimensions: 82 inches L x 35 inches W x 66 inches high
• Machine weight: 254 pounds
• Max recommended user weight: 325 pounds
• Running area: 60 inches L x 22 inches W
• Warranty: Lifetime frame and motor warranty, 3-year warranty for running deck, parts and electronics and 1-year labor warranty

The Sole Fitness F65 Treadmill is a workhorse of a machine, with commercial-grade specs. The Sole F65 offers 15 incline levels, with smooth, quiet and quick automatic adjustment between levels. The powerful 3.25 HP motor supports speeds up to 12 miles per hour, making this a great incline treadmill for beginners and advanced runners alike. 

We especially appreciate that, unlike most budget-friendly home treadmills, which make compromises on the deck size, the Sole Fitness F65 Treadmill has a roomy treadmill belt, measuring a full 60 inches long and 22 inches wide. This means that larger and taller walkers and runners will have plenty of room to stretch out with a full stride length. Another nice design feature is that the hood at the front of the treadmill that houses the motor and electronics has a very low profile, so that there’s little risk of kicking it or impeding your stride when running at high speeds or when using the incline.

The F65 doesn’t have a touchscreen, but there is a 7.5-inch backlit LCD display that shows workout metrics like speed, distance, workout time, incline, calories, pace and heart rate. There is a basic graphic of a running track that shows your progress for every “lap“ completed. The console also has six preset workout programs, built-in Bluetooth speakers, a tablet holder and a USB charging port to keep your device powered up.

For more on the Sole F65, see our Sole Treadmill brand overview.

What we like:

• Excellent warranty
• 15 incline levels with quiet and smooth adjustment
• Great value for the price
• Integrated tablet holder, Bluetooth speakers and USB charging port
• Large running belt is ideal for taller or larger runners
• Heart rate monitoring in the handrails or using a chest strap

What to consider:

• Backlit LCD screen rather than large touchscreen display
• No decline features

Best Slat Belt Incline Treadmill: Sole Fitness ST90 Treadmill

Key features and specs

• Incline levels: Up to 15 percent 
• Speed levels: Up to 12.5 miles per hour
• Dimensions: 70 inches L x 33.5 inches W x 65 inches high
• Machine weight: 376 pounds
• Max recommended user weight: 330 pounds
• Running area: 60 inches L x 20 inches W
• Warranty: 5-year frame and motor warranty, 3-year warranty for running deck and electronics and 1-year parts and labor warranty

Slat belts are generally only found on manual treadmills, but the unique Sole Fitness ST90 Treadmill is a motorized incline treadmill with a rubber conveyor belt-style slat belt. This design is said to increase safety and comfort by providing a smooth running surface, reducing the wear and friction on the belt and absorbing shock for a more low-impact cardio workout. We like that the roomy belt measures a full 60 inches long, supporting a full stride length for runners of all heights. 

Although there is only a basic LCD monitor, rather than a fully immersive touchscreen, the console has several preset programs and displays all of your important workout metrics such as time, distance, speed, incline, calories burned, pace and heart rate. With the integrated tablet holder, you can use your own phone or tablet to watch whatever media or workouts you want to follow, giving you the flexibility to subscribe to a treadmill app of your choice or enjoy entertainment instead. There are integrated pulse sensors in the handrails and you can also use heart rate monitoring via telemetry with a chest strap heart rate monitor.

What we like:

• Slat running belt is said to provide a low-impact cardio workout and increase the lifespan of the belt by reducing the wear and friction
• 15 incline levels with quiet and smooth adjustment
• Great value for the price point
• Integrated tablet holder, Bluetooth speakers and USB charging port

What to consider:

• Backlit LCD screen rather than large touchscreen display
• No decline features

Best Folding Treadmill With Incline: Echelon Stride-4s

Key features and specs

• Incline levels: 12
• Speed levels: Up to 12.4 miles per hour
• Price: $2,299
• Dimensions: 74 inches L x 31 inches W x 53 inches H
• Weight: 105 pounds
• User weight capacity: 325 pounds
• Display: 22-inch HD touchscreen
• Warranty: 1-year limited warranty
• Features: Foldable, handle controls for incline, speed, and volume, screen tilts, swivels, and rotates 180 degrees

We all can’t have a dedicated workout space. If you need a treadmill that can hide in the corner or against a wall, the Echelon Stride 4S is one for your shortlist. This two sets of transport wheels on this folding treadmill make it easier to move it in and out of your workout space.

Related Post: The Best Walking Treadmills

It also includes a 22-inch HD touchscreen that swivels and rotates 180 degrees for use with off-treadmill workouts. However, you need an Echelon Premier Membership to access the 15,000+ workouts and on-demand classes. Membership also extends the dismal one-year warranty to five years. While the five-year warranty is better, it’s not stellar for the price of the treadmill.

Yet, it still offers 12 incline levels and a top speed of 12.4 mph. You can access controls using the handles for easier adjustments while running. Plus, it has built-in heart rate sensors to keep tabs on your workload.

Pros:

• Front and back transport wheels for moving the treadmill
• Folding design to take up less space when not in use
• Large, swivel screen for doing workouts off the treadmill

Cons:

• Short one-year warranty unless you get the subscription

Best Incline Treadmill for Interactive Training Sessions: ProForm Pro 9000

Key features and specs

• Incline levels: -3 percent to 12 percent
• Speed levels: Up to 12 miles per hour
• Dimensions: 77.3 inches L x 35.3 inches W x 60 inches H
• Machine weight: 263 pounds
• Max recommended user weight: 300 pounds
• Running area: 60 inches L x 20 inches W
• Warranty: 10-year frame warranty, 2-year parts warranty and 1-year labor warranty

Like all ProForm and NordicTrack cardio exercise equipment, the ProForm Pro 9000 incline treadmill is compatible with iFIT classes and Explore the World virtual courses with a subscription. The ProForm Smart Pro 9000 Treadmill is a high-quality treadmill for at-home running workouts for beginners and experienced runners alike. It features a large, 22-inch high-definition touchscreen display, and has interactive training with automatic adjustment of your machine based on the workout.

The Pro 9000 treadmill has ReBound Pro cushioning, which is the brand’s most advanced cushioning system. We also like that it’s designed to put less stress on your feet, ankles, knees and hips, allowing for a more comfortable run.

This premium incline treadmill supports running speeds up to 12 miles per hour and has an adjustable, automatic incline that ranges from -3 to 12 percent, allowing even competitive runners to perform high-intensity running workouts.

Testing notes:

One of our expert testers likes the Pro 9000's interactive training capabilities—as long as you don't encounter the same Wi-Fi connectivity problems she did. Once you are connected, though, you can take advantage of iFIT training sessions that include automatic adjustments of incline, decline and speed. Overall, she thinks the features-to-price ratio is favorable.

What we like:

• ReBound Pro Cushioning reduces joint impact stress
• Offers decline and incline training to maximize versatility and muscles targeted
• Large, 22-inch smart HD touchscreen display and compatible with iFIT workouts
• Foldable treadmill with easy lift is ideal for small spaces

What to consider:

• Expensive and must pay for ongoing iFIT subscription to stream workout classes
• SmartBeat Forearm Heart Rate Monitor for wireless heart rate monitoring is sold separately

How to Choose the Best Incline Treadmill for You

Whenever you buy fitness equipment for home use, it’s important to think carefully about the features and functions that matter most to you so that you’re happy with your purchase. Choosing the best treadmill with incline involves not only looking at the incline settings and capabilities of the machine, but also evaluating the other performance specs, features and functions of the treadmill and weighing the importance of these criteria according to your own personal needs and training goals. 

Important factors to consider include:

• Whether it's an auto-incline treadmill or manual
• Price of the machine
• Top speed
• Footprint or dimensions of the unit, including whether it's a folding treadmill
• Type of display (LCD vs touchscreen)
• Types of training programs offered (subscription to on-demand classes or preset programs)
• Maximum weight capacity
• Size of the treadmill belt surface
• Strength of the motor
• Warranty
• Technological features and connectivity
• User reviews

Here's an important note about the auto-incline vs. manual-incline question. A treadmill with auto-incline lets you adjust the angle by simply pushing a button, while a manual-incline treadmill requires you to change the angle using knobs or levers at the base of the machine. Although an automatic model costs more, it also means you won't have to interrupt your workout and get off the treadmill to adjust the incline manually.

Benefits of Using an Incline Treadmill

A treadmill that allows you to walk at an upward or downward angle isn't just a gimmick, like the rarely used ground-view camera feature on a luxury car. Here are some of the concrete advantages of an incline treadmill:

Expanded capabilities

Using an incline treadmill increases the versatility of the machine because you can do different types of running and walking workouts and HIIT workouts.

More vigorous workouts

Walking or running up an incline helps target different muscles, elevates your heart rate and burns calories more efficiently than level running or walking workouts.

Help with a notorious problem area

Sore knees are a fairly common side effect of cardio training that involves running or jogging. However, research suggests that incline walking can improve the health of your knees, helping to reduce knee pain, improve cartilage health and decrease the risk of osteoarthritis.

Incline Treadmill Workouts

There are a wide variety of workouts you can do with an incline treadmill, says Noam Tamir, NSCA-CSCS and founder and CEO of TS Fitness in New York City. He suggests the following two, which can be completed by a wide variety of fitness and ability levels by tweaking the duration, speed and incline used. 

1. Incline Treadmill Interval Training Cardiovascular Workout

"This workout is great for someone who wants to increase their endurance, burn calories and even add on as a metabolic finisher at the end of a strength training workout," Tamir says. "This is also beneficial for someone who plays sports that require short bursts of energy."

Starting with a brisk walk for five minutes at 0% to 1% incline to get the muscles warm and blood flowing, and activate the nervous system to prepare your body for exercise.

Once you're warmed up, you'll begin alternating high-intensity intervals (so, sprinting or jogging fast) with periods of walking to rest. During the high-intensity interval portion, set the incline to 4 to 5 percent for between 30 to 60 seconds, and push yourself by sprinting or jogging fast—whichever makes sense for your current fitness level. During the recovery period, lower the incline to 0 to 1 percent at a walking pace for one to two minutes. Try to keep a 1:2 ratio of high intensity to recovery to be able to maximize your high-intensity portion. So, if you're sprinting for 30 seconds, give yourself 60 seconds of walking to recover. 

Complete between 5 to 15 cycles of sprinting and rest, for a workout that takes about 20 minutes. 

2. Incline Treadmill Steady State Cardiovascular Workout

During this workout, you'll aim to complete about 20 minutes of inclined walking or running at a steady pace. It'll get harder as the workout goes on, so make sure not to start out too fast. "This is great for a beginner or someone who has lower body limitations or injuries," Tamir says. "This helps to build strength and endurance in the lower body, especially the glutes, hamstrings and quads. This will also work your core. Over time the body will adapt to this workout so you will need to adjust to keep the workout beneficial in increasing your endurance and strength."

Start with a light walk, slowly increasing into a brisk walk for five minutes at 0 to 1% incline to get the muscles warm and blood flowing, and activate the nervous system to prepare your body for exercise. Make sure to keep a good upright posture and avoid leaning forward or slouching.

Set the incline to a difficulty level of your choosing. Between 8 to 10% would be a good place to start, but if that's too hard or easy, feel free to adjust. You're aiming for a 6-8 rate of perceived exertion (RPE) out of 10. So on a scale where 1 is as easy as possible and 10 is all-out, as hard as you can go, you'll want to be in that 6 to 8 range. Begin walking or running at a pace that you can maintain for 15 to 20 minutes. There's no need to change pace or incline—just sweat it out for your chosen time. 

Always follow these workouts with a five-minute cool down to allow the blood to continue to circulate throughout the body.

How We Chose the Best Incline Treadmills

To choose the best incline treadmills, we began by looking at top-rated treadmills with incline from reputable manufacturers such as Sole, NordicTrack, FreeMotion, XTERRA, Bowflex, Peloton and Sunny Health & Fitness. Then we narrowed our focus to criteria including:

• Maximum incline and decline range
• Horsepower and maximum speed
• Overall dimensions and size of the running deck
• Quality of materials and design
• Tech features
• Warranty and price
• User reviews

In the end, we weighed the pros and cons of the machines and tried to choose the best incline treadmills with different attributes to meet the needs of walkers and runners with different budgets and priorities in home exercise equipment.

For more details about how we evaluate fitness equipment and other products, see our product review process.

Incline Treadmill FAQs

What’s a good incline treadmill for beginners?

Any incline treadmill can be great for beginners as long as it's user friendly and is sturdy enough to support your body weight.

Is it better to walk or run on an incline treadmill?

You can walk or run on an incline treadmill, depending on your fitness level, fitness goals and physical limitations. Running will provide a more intense and efficient cardio workout, but incline walking can also be a fantastic aerobic workout. Using the incline during either activity will increase the calorie burn and strengthen the muscles in your legs, especially your glutes, hamstrings and calves.

Does an incline treadmill build muscle?

Using the incline on a treadmill is a great way to add resistance training to your cardio workouts to build muscle. Walking or running up an incline forces your muscles to work against gravity, helping to strengthen the muscles in your lower body, such as your glutes, hamstrings and calves. In addition to these posterior chain muscles, incline walking or running will also strengthen your quads and core muscles.

What is the 12-3-30 workout?

The 12-3-30 workout is a treadmill workout routine that gained prominence through a video that went viral on social media. The three numbers refer to the parameters of the workout:

• Set the treadmill at a 12-degree incline
• Walk 3 miles per hour
• For 30 minutes

The influencer who popularized "12-3-30" says doing the workout five times a week helped her lose 30 pounds. Some personal trainers and other experts say it could have additional benefits, such as improving endurance and strengthening the hamstrings, glutes and quads.

If you want to try this workout yourself, all you really need is a 12-incline treadmill, a 30-minute window and some patience. It's a low-intensity, low-impact workout geared more toward long-range goals than instant gratification.

Final Thoughts

Incline treadmills increase the versatility of the workouts you can do by helping you target different muscles and get a more intense cardio workout. Some of the best incline treadmills offer both decline and incline adjustability, but even if you are working on a tighter budget and can only get a treadmill that has adjustable incline, there are tons of great options to choose from. Consider factors such as your budget, desired maximum speed and maximum user weight capacity, available space, types of classes and workout metrics provided, warranty and the features and functions that matter most to you.

Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.