What To Look Out For In a Smart Treadmill

Why Buy a Smart Treadmill?

I’d mainly consider a smart treadmill if the connected features will genuinely improve how you train rather than simply give you a more expensive screen. They’re particularly useful for:

Who is a smart treadmill suitable for?

• Runners who enjoy interactive training – virtual routes, structured sessions and trainer-led workouts are a lot more motivating than staring at a wall for an hour!
• People who already use apps such as Zwift or Kinomap – a compatible treadmill can send live workout data straight into the app rather than making you enter everything afterwards.
• Anyone who values automatic adjustments – some treadmill and app combinations can change speed or incline as the workout changes, which is particularly handy for intervals and simulated hills.
• Households with different training preferences – an open connected treadmill can give one person guided classes while another uses virtual running or straightforward manual sessions.

Interactive Features to Consider

What does ‘smart’ actually mean?

One manufacturer’s definition of “smart” can differ from another. Some might just mean that you can transfer data directly from the treadmill to an app, while with other treadmills it may be more two-way, with things like the speed and incline being controlled automatically by an app. So don’t be lured in by the magic word ‘smart’ or ‘Bluetooth’, check the following:

• Which apps can it connect to? If you have a favourite training app you like using – will it be compatible? E.g. Zwift, Runna, Kinomap.
• What live data is transferred from the treadmill to the app?
• Can apps control the settings on the treadmill? E.g. does it change speed or incline in line with the on-screen workout? This is particularly handy when following interval and hill-climb workouts, instead of manually following prompts.
• If a treadmill comes with a subscription, what happens if you don’t renew? Are you left with just a plain ol’ treadmill if you let your subscription expire? Are there still built-in workout programmes available that don’t require a subscription?

App compatibility and platform lock-in

Some treadmills are designed to work with several third-party apps, while others are built mainly around the manufacturer’s own training platform.

That is not automatically a bad thing if you like the platform, but it can be restrictive if you later want to use Zwift, Kinomap or something else. The NordicTrack T Series 10, for example, is built around iFIT. NordicTrack confirms that manual mode still works without a paid membership, but its trainer-led workouts and automatic smart features depend on iFIT.

FTMS, proprietary Bluetooth and other alternatives

FTMS – Fitness Machine Service

FTMS (Fitness Machine Service) is a Bluetooth standard designed specifically for fitness equipment. It allows compatible treadmills to share workout data such as speed and incline with compatible apps and devices. For me, the big advantage is flexibility – instead of being tied to one manufacturer’s own app, an FTMS-compatible treadmill has a much better chance of working with third-party platforms too.

Proprietary Bluetooth

Some treadmills use a manufacturer or model-specific Bluetooth protocol rather than the standard FTMS protocol. These can still work perfectly well with third-party apps if that particular treadmill is supported, but compatibility may vary from one model to another – even within the same brand. I’d therefore check your exact treadmill model in the app’s compatibility list rather than relying on the Bluetooth logo alone.

ANT+ and FE-C

ANT+ is another wireless fitness system used by watches, heart-rate monitors, sensors and some fitness equipment. The ANT+ Fitness Equipment profile can transmit treadmill data such as speed, distance and incline. ANT+ FE-C also supports two-way control of compatible fitness equipment, although the exact controls available depend on the equipment and app.

For a treadmill buyer, I’d treat ANT+ as another compatibility route rather than assume it replaces FTMS. The treadmill, receiving device and app still need to support the same functions.

Footpods and compatible watches

If your treadmill isn’t smart, you can still use an app like Zwift with a compatible footpod, watch or treadmill sensor that sends your running speed to the app.

That is useful if you already own a perfectly good treadmill that isn’t Zwift compatible. However, although a footpod or watch solves the data problem, it does not suddenly give the app control of the treadmill’s speed or incline.

Retrofit treadmill sensors such as Runn

The NPE Runn Smart Treadmill Sensor attaches to an existing treadmill and broadcasts belt speed, incline and cadence over Bluetooth and ANT+. NPE lists integrations including Zwift and Kinomap, so it can be a practical way to add connected data without replacing the treadmill.

Again, it is mainly a data solution. It does not turn a locked touchscreen into an open tablet or guarantee that a third-party app can control the treadmill.

Live data and automatic treadmill control are different things

A treadmill can be compatible with an app at several levels. At the simplest level it may only send speed. A better connection may also send incline, distance, cadence or heart rate. Some systems go further and allow the app to change speed or incline during the workout.

Do not assume that app compatibility automatically means full two-way control. If automatic adjustment is important, check that feature separately for the exact treadmill-and-app combination.

Built-in touchscreen or your own phone and tablet?

A large built-in screen is convenient because everything is in one place, but it also ties more of the treadmill’s value to the manufacturer’s software. A simpler console with a proper tablet holder can be less glamorous and more flexible because you can change apps or replace the tablet without replacing the treadmill.

If you do want an integrated touchscreen, check whether it only runs the brand’s platform, whether third-party apps can be installed, whether casting is supported and what the screen does without an active subscription. Fancy graphics can wait until those questions are answered.

Subscriptions and what remains without one

Some smart treadmills include a training platform membership for a limited period and then require a paid subscription to keep the full experience. You can choose not to renew, but you may lose the trainer-led sessions, scenic routes, personalised programmes and automatic adjustments – possibly what you primarily bought that treadmill for!

NordicTrack currently states that its treadmills can still be used in manual mode without a paid iFIT membership, while while many of the connected features that distinguish them from a standard treadmill require an iFIT membership. I would always check the current non-subscription mode before buying rather than assuming every platform works the same way.

Workout syncing is not the same as live treadmill connectivity

A treadmill platform may sync a completed workout to Apple Health, Garmin Connect or Strava without allowing those services – or another training app – to receive live belt data or control the machine during the workout.

When comparing machines, separate live machine data, automatic treadmill control and after-workout account syncing. They are three different jobs that are often bundled together under the word connected.

The core treadmill still matters more than the smart features

Once the connectivity checks out, go back to the boring-but-important stuff: running area, motor suitability, maximum user weight, speed, incline and how heavily the treadmill will be used. I cover those in my main treadmill buying guide.

Practical Things to Consider Before Buying a Smart Treadmill

Check the Wi-Fi and account requirements

A connected treadmill is part fitness machine and part consumer electronics. Streaming workouts, software updates and online routes need a decent internet connection, so if the treadmill is going in a garage, outbuilding or spare room, check the Wi-Fi signal there rather than beside the router.

I would also want a straightforward manual workout if the internet is down. Check whether a free account is required to activate the treadmill and what you can do offline.

Think about software support as well as the mechanical warranty

The frame and motor of a good treadmill can potentially outlive the technology in its console. Touchscreens, operating systems and online services move much faster than steel frames do, so check how firmware updates are delivered and whether replacement consoles or control boards are available in the UK.

This is one reason I like having physical speed and incline controls as well as a touchscreen. If the clever bit throws a wobbler, you still have a treadmill rather than a very heavy login screen.

Make sure your phone, tablet or TV setup actually works

If you plan to use your own device, check the holder is large and stable enough and does not cover important controls. If you want to cast to a television, confirm the platform and TV support the same method rather than assuming every smart treadmill can mirror its screen.

Bluetooth can also get fussy when the treadmill is already paired to another phone or app. In a shared household, make sure everyone knows how to disconnect properly rather than leaving one phone upstairs quietly hogging the connection.

Shared households can expose account limits

Check how many user profiles the subscription allows, whether workout history stays separate and whether each person can connect their own apps or wearable. One shared profile quickly turns personal bests and recommendations into a family soup of everybody’s sessions.

UK support matters more on a smart model

A basic treadmill mainly gives customer service mechanical and electrical problems to solve. A smart one adds accounts, firmware, Bluetooth pairing, Wi-Fi and touchscreen issues, so I would favour a brand or retailer with proper UK support for both sides of the machine.

What if a smart treadmill is not quite right?

If you already own a treadmill you like, a compatible footpod, watch or belt sensor such as Runn may get you into virtual running for much less money. If you are buying new but do not care about interactive apps, a conventional treadmill with a device holder may give you better hardware for the same budget.

If your needs are really about the treadmill itself rather than connectivity, head back to my treadmill buying guide and choose the machine on its core specifications first.

Smart Treadmill Buying Checklist

Ask yourself	What to check
Does it support the app I actually want to use?	Check the exact treadmill model, not just whether the console has Bluetooth. FTMS is useful, but verify the app too.
What happens when the included subscription ends?	Check which workouts, screen features, programmes and automatic adjustments remain without a paid membership.
Does it send workout data only, or can the app control the treadmill?	Check live speed/incline data and automatic speed/incline control separately.
Is the console open or mainly tied to the manufacturer’s platform?	Check third-party apps, casting and whether you can use your own phone or tablet instead.
Is the treadmill itself suitable for everyone using it?	Check running area, motor suitability, maximum user weight, speed, incline and total weekly use.
Will the connected setup work in the room it’s going in?	Check Wi-Fi strength, Bluetooth pairing, charging and any phone, tablet or TV setup you plan to use.
What support is available if the smart features go wrong?	Check the UK warranty, software support, firmware updates, replacement console availability and spare parts.