High-tech indoor cycling brand Peloton already has a cult following of ardent cyclists, but this year, it began to recruit another type of athlete: runners. Peloton is courting runners of any and all skill levels with Peloton Tread, a high-end treadmill that offers many of the same perks as its bikes (think ten daily live guided classes via the 32-inch HD touchscreen, real-time stats to fine-tune your run and a leaderboard that encourages your competitive side to run wild).
But with a $4,000 price tag plus the required $39 per month class subscription (the OG bike starts at $2,245 with a $39 per month class subscription), it's important to know how it compares with your average gym treadmill. We got the scoop from two PureWow editors, both passionate runners, and one dedicated Peloton bike user, all of whom tested the Peloton Tread. Here’s what they had to say.
“Before trying it out, my ankle had been hurting me, so I’d backed off of running for a couple weeks. But the treadmill was so low impact that it didn’t hurt during or afterwards. I also loved how the knobs made it fast and easy to change the treadmill speed and incline. The instructor was realistic and one of my favorite aspects was the way she’d anticipate people’s common form errors and explain how to correct them. My one critique was that the music was as loud as the instructor’s voice, so it was sometimes hard to hear her.” – Heath G., food editor
“My favorite thing about the Peloton bike is that you can stream the classes right to the bike, either live or on your own time, and the leaderboard that encourages me to use my competitive spirit to get an even better workout. The Tread classes work in exactly the same way and are just as engaging and varied as the bike classes. The controls are easy to use and pretty intuitive, even for someone like me who hasn’t been on a treadmill in years. Overall I’m really excited to add this to my home gym and start switching up my cardio for some much-needed cross training.” – Molly F., avid Peloton user of 3 years
“I typically loathe running on a treadmill indoors, but sometimes struggling through heavy snow or freezing temperatures just isn’t worth it—I have run on a few high-end treadmills that weren’t so bad. This treadmill was right up there with the best of the best, and I could definitely see myself hopping on to run without feeling bitter about being stuck inside. The Tread itself was about as low impact as running can get and my run felt super smooth. I instantly became obsessed with the knobs for controlling incline and speed because they are infinitely easier than pressing a button over and over and allowed me to keep running as my speed changed instead of hopping off to focus on the buttons. I didn’t like the fact that there was no safety clip or the fact that you pretty much have to run along to a guided class (the only other options are to use the free run mode, which is more of a resistance workout in which you use your leg power to move the belt along the track, or to turn on a guided class and simply ignore the instructions). Although the classes themselves are great, sometimes I’d prefer to just do my own thing. By the end, though, I very much wished I had both the space and the money to afford the Peloton Tread. Maybe for Christmas?” – Abby H., associate editor
