The Best Manual Treadmill [March 2020]

A manual treadmill will give you a completely different workout than motorized one and though most people are just looking for low maintenance and reliability, the workout you get from one of these machines is the best reason to buy one.

With no motor to move the belt under you, these treadmills work with an incline. The incline keeps the belt moving so you’ll need it in order to walk or run.

The biggest advantage in the workout you get from a manual comes down to the effort you’ll expend to make the treadmill work. It will give you a higher intensity resistance workout than any electric treadmill would.

That’s not to say they are prohibitive to some users, they are an equally good choice for beginners and more experienced athletes alike – these machines are capable of both low and high-intensity workouts.

Though you can run on a manual, you’ll generally need to grip the bars for stability and support. But there are no limits to your speed. You can walk at a slow steady pace or ramp up the intensity to increase your cardiovascular and muscular fitness.

You could say, there’s nothing ahem …pedestrian about them.

This guide will help you choose the right one. The first two manual treadmills we’ll be looking at are more high-end than most out there, but for those who are serious about their fitness (especially if you already regularly workout), they are by far your best option.

We’ll then also look at an affordable basic option, that may be more suitable for some.

A manual treadmill has no motor to pack up the minute your warranty runs out – it should give you years of good use and you’ll no doubt want it to become an essential piece of equipment in your daily routine so it’s important that you choose the right one. This guide is here to help you.

Reviews of Our Top Picks for The Best Manual Treadmill

Editor’s Award	Brand
Best Overall Choice	Sunny Health & Fitness ASUNA 7700 Hi-Performance Cardio Trainer
Best Mid Price	Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T7878 Manual Treadmill
Best Budget Choice	ProGear 190 Manual Treadmill

In This Guide:

• Best Overall Choice
• Best Mid Price
• Best Budget Choice
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Other Ones We’ve Reviewed

Best Overall Choice: Sunny Health & Fitness ASUNA 7700 Hi-Performance Cardio Trainer

You see there may be no motor to break down or faulty console to flash ERROR at you, but that doesn’t mean they’re all pretty much the same.

For example, without a motor to assist you by moving the belt along for you, it’s down to you to do all the hard work yourself and it’s then that you find out just how much the ability to adjust the resistance and incline settings matter.

If you buy a machine that’s fixed with no adjustable settings, you could find yourself stuck with something that’s not comfortable to use or doesn’t challenge your fitness level beyond that at which you start out.

That’s a long-winded way of saying if this treadmill wasn’t adjustable we wouldn’t recommend it but, of course, it is. The settings can be tailor-made to suit individual workout sessions, making it ideal for both low and high-intensity workouts.

In practical terms, that means 8 levels of resistance created by the conveniently placed adjustable magnetic tension lever located on the left arm of the frame and 6 – 10 degrees of incline, which is adjusted by turning the feet cushions while the machine is in the folded | upright position. These two settings combined, offer variable workout intensities, targeting both cardiovascular and muscular fitness.

Where this model leaves others in the dust, however, is its ability to target upper body strength and endurance as well as lower body strength.

The ergonomic bars on the ASUNA are designed to accommodate more than 8 different hand grips. This gives your arms and upper body a variety of challenging resistance workouts as well as providing you with stability while running or walking.

Now cheaper manuals are generally only suitable for waking. Why’s that? Well, you see, the slow reaction of the belt which is caused by friction is something an electric motor would easily be able to overcome, but in a manual, friction is an ever-present force to reckoned with and if you combine that with a weak or flimsy frame and the inevitable incline of the deck, running feels unnatural if not outright precarious.

ASUNA solves this problem in two ways, firstly the heavy-duty frame is made with thick high-grade steel. It’s so heavy-duty, in fact, that the machine is capable of taking an ultra-high weight capacity of 440 pounds. The treadmill also has dual solid steel flywheels to achieve maximum belt responsiveness by minimizing friction. These flywheels also maintain the momentum for you, keeping the belt running smoothly and quietly. Adjust their tension, and they also create different levels of resistance for you.

The 7700 lets you walk, run, or sprint if you wish, and those soft-grip, non-slip rubber-coated handlebars allow you to lean in for added speed and stability.

There is no console on this machine but there is a large tablet holder so you can easily track your stats via your own a tablet or phone app.

It also has a pretty cool feature that’s more than just a side note. It can be folded away to conserve space if you’re not using it. But that doesn’t mean it’s a pain to set up again. It has a soft drop system -a hydraulic mechanism that gently lowers the deck to the floor when you’re ready to workout. You can see it in action in the video at the top of this section.

The Machine requires no assembly other than to fix the tablet holder onto the front bar and to lubricate the belt (lubricant include) before first use.

What We Like:

• Ergonomically Designed Bars – They’re designed to accommodate more than 8 different hand grips, giving your arms and upper body a variety of challenging resistance workouts as well as providing you with stability while running or walking.
• Strong, Heavy-Duty Frame- This is what makes this machine such a good choice The frame is made with thick high-grade steel. It’s way more heavy-duty, that most, it’s capable of taking an ultra-high weight capacity of 440 lbs.
• 8 levels of Resistance – these are created by adjusting the magnetic tension lever located on the left arm of the frame.
• 6 – 10 Degrees of Incline – The incline is adjusted by turning the feet cushions while the machine is in the folded | upright position. Good for variable workout intensities, targeting both cardiovascular and muscular fitness.

Things to Consider:

To adjust the incline you have to fold the treadmill first. It’s easy to do, you just turn the Feet Cushions at the bottom of the treadmill counter-clockwise to increase and clockwise to decrease the incline. The downside is that with others you generally only need to lift the deck up a few inches so it doesn’t interrupt your workout as much.

While it does cost considerably more than manual treadmills generally do, it’s still way cheaper than a decent motorized regular running or under desk one.

Specifications:

Warranty:

Structural Frame – 5 Years
Other Parts and Components – 180 Days

Check the latest price for ASUNA 7700 on Amazon.

Best Mid Price: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T7878 Manual Treadmill

The newer, lighter SF-T7878 model even has additional features that you don’t get with the ASUNA 7700 model and that’s why it’s our high-end alternative pick.

For a start, it has double the range of adjustment settings for resistance – 16 to be exact. Allowing for progressively more intense workouts to increase your stamina and strength.

The bar, while not as ergonomically designed as our last choice or as versatile in the range of grips it will accommodate, does allow for several grip positions. That’s something you just don’t get with cheaper models which generally only offer one.

It also has built-in pulse sensors to monitor your heart rate. The readout is displayed on the battery-powered LCD display which is attached to the front bar.

It doesn’t set the resistance or incline as it would in an electric treadmill, but it does track speed, distance, time, calories burned, and heart rate.

There are 3 levels of incline on this treadmill and they’re more convenient to adjust than the ASUNA model. You can increase or decrees the incline without having to fold the treadmill upright first, you simply lift the back legs to adjust the height. You can see the incline mechanism in the photo below left. The incline range is 7%, 8%, and 9%.

Cheaper models often have poor resistance to friction but this model has dual 11 lbs fly-wheels which gives the belt momentum allowing you to pick up your pace from a walk to a jog or run.

The construction is sturdy too, giving the machine a weight capacity of 300 lbs but it’s also foldable. And when you’re ready for your next workout, it has that same soft drop system feature that the 7700 model has. A hydraulic mechanism that gently lowers the deck to the floor when you’re ready to workout.

This model also needs no assembly so you can relax and put the screwdriver back in the draw. Like the 7700, it will just need belt lubrication before you begin.

What We Like:

• Good Value for Money – This is a high-end heavy-duty manual and it’s almost $200 cheaper than our top choice.
• 16 Adjustable Resistance Settings – That’s double the range of the ASUNA model.
• 3 Levels of Incline – You can increase or decrees the incline without having to fold the treadmill upright first, you simply lift the back legs to adjust the height.
• Digital Readout – It tracks speed, distance, time, calories burned, and heart rate.

Things to Consider:

If you are looking at this price range, you’d have to decide if it’s worth paying extra for an even heavier-duty machine and those 8 hand grip position bars.

Specifications:

Check the latest price and for the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T7878 on Amazon.

Best Budget: ProGear 190 Manual Treadmill

You get two levels of incline on this model but instead of the choice being between that’s too steep and seriously that’s too much for me, you have a choice between a gentler 6 degrees or a more challenging 10 degrees.

You can see in the photo to the left the simple adjustment mechanism using a locking key.

Update: Recently users have said they’ve received an updated model with three levels of incline between 7 and 9 degrees. Either way, these are levels of incline are in that sweet spot and are a good indicator that the deck doesn’t have to be set to a ridiculously high angle just to get the belt moving and indeed this machine has dual cast iron flywheels to help keep up the momentum of the belt.

The treadmill itself is more light-weight than our first two choices but the powder-coated steel frame is sturdy enough to take 220 lbs. It’s also foldable, you simply lift the deck up when you want to store it away and lock it into place with the locking mechanism on the side.

The Progear has a simple user-friendly LCD display too which shows elapsed time, distance walked, calories burned, speed, and scan.

All in all, it’s a decent machine and good value for money if you want something to stay in shape with, and remember for this low price tag you’ll burn more calories than walking flat on any high-end motorized treadmill that you could buy.

What We Like:

• Low Price – It’s a good option for those who just want the basics and it’s excellent value for the price.
• Adjustable Incline – The incline is easily adjusted by lifting the deck up a few inches and altering the adjustment mechanism using the locking key. The high-end choice requires you to fold the machine completely. The incline is not too steep on this model.
• Digital Display – The Progear has a simple user-friendly LCD display too which shows elapsed time, distance walked, calories burned, speed, and scan.

Things to Consider:

• Requires Some Assembly – It’s not complicated and the instruction manual is actually available on amazon under their product details.
• Not for Heavy-Duty Use – This machine is great for walking to build fitness and stamina and you’ll get a much better workout than you would with a similar session on an electric one but you’ll need to hold onto the bars to run. But that’s true with all of them, its not specific to this model.
• No Resistance Settings – It’s a basic model but if that’s what your looking for, the incline will be more important than resistance to you anyway.

Specifications:

Check the latest price and color options for the ProGear 190 on Amazon.