The Best Folding Treadmill For Home Use Under $200

That’s right, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you. I found you the best folding treadmill for home use FOR UNDER $200.

For those of you who have considered buying a treadmill but didn’t think you could afford one, allow me to introduce you to the Merax JK1603E Easy Assembly Folding Electric Treadmill.

Treadmills vary in price and quality. Typically, the more you pay, the more bells and whistles you get.

Like all things in life, you get what you pay for. But sometimes, just sometimes, you can beat the system and find a real deal.

And trust me, getting a motorized treadmill for under $200 (that is brand new and actually works) counts as a real deal in my book. The Merax JK1603E is easily the best treadmill in it’s price range and before you finish reading this review, I’m sure you will agree.

What Does $200 Normally Get Me?

When it comes to fitness equipment, the fact is, $200 isn’t much. I know it’s sad. The times, they have changed. Especially in the world of home exercise equipment. When it comes to treadmills, you are actually pretty lucky to find something decent under $1000.

Even stationary bikes, which historically have been the most affordable pieces of home exercise equipment, can easily cost ya $300 and up for a decent model. Have you seen the commercials for the Peloton spin bikes? Those bad boys are $2000. Now that’s a high end cycle with a lot of bells and whistles, but I think you get my point. Comparatively speaking, getting a quality piece of fitness equipment for under $200 is difficult.

And if you do find something for that price, odds are it is going to be a flimsy piece of junk. Or, it’s only able to handle walking. Or it doesn’t have a display screen or any built in workouts.

A few more examples:

• Decent home gym machine at least $300-$400 and up
• Decent rower $400- $600
• Set of Bowflex dumbbells ~$300
• About 4 months of a gym membership ~$200

When it comes to treadmills, the under $200 category normally means one thing: manual. That is, no motor. The only thing propelling that belt is the energy you are putting in. Anyone else thinking hamster wheel?

I don’t mean to give manual treadmills a bad name. You can get a decent workout on one, and if that is all your budget allows then you gotta do what you gotta do. But let’s be honest, if given the option, everyone would choose a motorized treadmill over a manual treadmill.

Fact is, they are just nicer. Luckily, with the Merax Electric Treadmill, you get a motorized treadmill for a manual treadmill price!

Ok, ok. Let’s get to the product. Allow me to introduce you to the…

Merax JK1603E Easy Assembly Folding Electric Treadmill

Best Price: Check on Amazon

Dimensions: 58″ (L) x 25″ (W) x 44″ (H)

Max User Weight Capacity: 220 lb

Warranty: 1-year frame and motor

Average Rating: 4.3/5

The first thing that stands out to me about this treadmill (besides the fact that is under $200 and has a motor and a display screen) is the size.

This is a small, compact machine that would be perfect for a small space. An apartment or small bedroom maybe? And the above dimensions are for the unfolded position. This treadmill also folds for storage when not being used.

A few words about the Merax company, because I think it’s important to know a little bit about the manufacturer when considering buying stuff. Merax has been around since the mid ’90s.

It was founded in LA, but has offices in Europe and China as well (that might be why it’s distances are in km). Merax produces affordable fitness equipment, as well as home, office, and travel products. Overall, the consensus is that Merax is a pretty trusted brand.

Back to the product at hand. This bad boy has a 500w electric motor, 3 incline positions (manual), an LCD display screen, and a cushioned deck to make exercising comfortable on the joints.

Pros

• Price
• Quiet motor
• LCD screen displays speed, distance, heart rate, calories burned
• Emergency stop key
• Compact size, perfect for small areas
• Portable- light weight (70 lb) and with transport wheels
• 3 built-in workouts
• 3 levels of incline
• Grip heart rate monitor
• Easy assembly

Cons

• Max user weight of only 220 lb
• Max speed of 10 km/hr (6.2 mph)
• Running surface only 14″ x 44″

Final Thoughts

I know you are shocked after reading the above description, but yes, I definitely support the Merax JK1603E Folding Electric Treadmill. I know, awful name, but awesome product. Actually, if you look on Amazon, the full title includes “Motorized Running Machine” afterwards. That seems a little redundant to me, I figured everyone knew that a treadmill was a “running machine”.

Anyway, silly name or not, this is a solid machine for the price. The fact that you get a motor, a display screen, and built-in workouts is pretty impressive for this price range.

But you have to make sure that this treadmill is going to meet your needs before you purchase. The max user weight is only 220 lb- sorry, but the bigger guys out there are not going to be able to use this machine. Also consider the running surface. It’s only 14 in wide and 44 in long. That’s a small running area that is going to make it hard to run for the taller folks out there.

Speaking of running, if you didn’t notice the max speed is only 6.2 mph (10 km/h). That is not fast enough for a fast paced runner.  It’s awesome that this treadmill has a motor, but the motor it does have is not that powerful.

So what is this treadmill good for? Well, if you are walking or jogging and fit the weight requirement, you should be fine. For the price, it’s a well designed machine that is highly rated. It does have an average rating of 4.3/5 on Amazon with over 100 user reviews.

I know I keep repeating the phrase, “for the price”. That’s because you really have to compare this product to similar products in it’s price range. You can’t compare a $200 treadmill (even a nice one) to a $1000 treadmill. Just isn’t fair. The more expensive treadmills are nicer (I know you’re shocked). That’s why they cost more.

When you step on this treadmill, it will feel different than the commercial treadmills at the local gym. Don’t be surprised. I always hate it when I read a review of a product like this and the user is complaining because it “doesn’t feel like the one the gym has”. Well, that’s because that commercial gym paid $7000 for their treadmill. You paid $200…

The Merax JK1603E Folding Electric Treadmill is the best folding treadmill for home use under $200, without a doubt. If you would like to learn more about this treadmill, click below.

 

I hope this review was helpful. If there are any questions or comments, hit me up and I’ll get right back to ya.