1. Sole F85 Treadmill
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The Sole F85 has a 3.5 HP continuous duty motor, which is one of the most powerful in its price range (around $2000). It has a wide 22-inch deck and comes up to 60-inches long. It is rated for users up to 400 pounds. The Sole F85 has both grip EKG and chest heart rate monitor readouts. It comes with 6 Standard, 2 User Defined and 2 Heart Rate programs. It has cooling fans and a speakers with a port for your iPod or other MP3 player. TreadmillDoctor.com calls it "one of the best fold-ups on the planet."
2. Smooth 6.75 Foldup Treadmill
Courtesy of Smooth
This is an update to the top-rated Smooth 6.45. It is a stable folding treadmill with a powerful yet quiet 3.0 HP motor. For folding and unfolding, it has gas shock assist for easy-up and soft-down. It has heart-rate controlled workouts with a handgrip pulse monitor, with an option to use a chest strap monitor. Plug in your iPod, MP3 or CD player and listen through the built-in speakers.
3. NordicTrack Elite 9500 Pro
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4. Freemotion 750 Treadmill
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This treadmill comes in at a bargain price, under $1500. The 3.25 continuous duty commercial-grade motor is powerful enough for heavy use. It has a long 60-inch belt and is rated for users up to 350 pounds. The interactive features are excellent, with 24 programmed workouts. It is also ready for the iFit Live wireless module to bring you customized workouts and update your workout records on the web. It not only has incline up to 15%, but also you can walk downhill with a decline of up to -3% It was one of the runner-up picks for folding treadmills at TreadmillDoctor.com
5. Sole F80 Folding Treadmill
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The Sole F80 was already well-rated, but they improved it in 2011. Now the motor is a 3.0 HP continuous duty motor and it will run up to 12 mph and accommodate users up to 350 pounds. It runs quieter and smoother than before. It has both wireless chest strap heart rate monitor control and pulse grips. The workouts include six standard programs, two heart-rate programs and two user-defined programs. It's a best buy in the $1500 price range according to TreadmillDoctor.com
6. Bowflex 7-Series Folding Treadmill
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A leading consumer magazine ranked this a best buy in 2006. It has a weight capacity up to 300 pounds. It has 15 programs and both grip pulse monitor and wireless heart rate monitor. Readouts: speed, time, distance, incline, calories, heart rate. It has a 3.0 HP motor.
7. Smooth 5.65 Folding Treadmill
Photo Courtesy of Smooth Fitness
This model is an update to the top-rated budget buy of the Smooth 5.45. It is very quiet, very solid, and has a powerful 2.5 HP motor. It folds up easily enough, but I love the hydraulic-braked unfolding. You press a lever and it slowly unfolds itself, giving your pet plenty of time to clear the area. It has six workouts and stores nine user profiles. The Smooth warranty is excellent - lifetime on the frame and motor, three years on parts and a year of in-home servicing.
