Why we love it: As a Peloton loyalist, being able to take walking, running, and hiking classes on the 23.8-inch screen with my favorite instructors at home was great. Brisk walking and interval training allow you to enjoy the steepest incline of 15% (up to 12.5% on normal tread), which is ideal for strengthening your posterior chain (the muscles at the back of your body) if you have knee or joint problems.
The touchscreen layout, familiar to anyone who has used the Peloton Bike, offers clear measurements and data. I loved being able to set my pace goals in advance, allowing me to set “bright” and “recovery” speeds for each workout. The variety of classes is a huge plus, and filters let you select a workout based on instructor, duration, class type, music, difficulty level, and pace goals. Bootcamp classes combine running and strength training for additional options.
The volume is excellent and the custom control music to voice ratio is an added bonus. Stability feels solid, and the 37-inch tread width is nice, especially for taller athletes (the Tread Plus has more running room than the standard Tread). The Plus’ large accessory tray is ideal for holding a phone, water bottle, and other items.
The Plus’s Peloton IQ motion tracking and hands-free voice controls could be beneficial for those who want a camera monitoring system for strength training, although the program may be a bit flawed. Keep in mind that Peloton instructors already do a great job correcting form, giving tips, and helping you with exercises, even when they can’t see you. With the swivel screen available on both machines, you can easily follow a workout without the camera watching you.
Who is it best for: The Tread Plus is ideal for an active, dedicated Peloton member who runs, walks, hikes, or workouts regularly (or all) and also engages in strength training and other physical activities. It is ideal for households with a large space (a basement, garage or extra room) dedicated to training.
It’s a perfect machine for busy, goal-oriented, competitive types who want motivation at home, appreciate variety, and also want the simplicity of one machine for a variety of fitness options and classes. You can also use Peloton Entertainment to stream from providers like Disney Plus, YouTube, and Kindle.
Although the Peloton IQ feature isn’t set to track form while running or walking on the Tread Plus itself, it would be a bonus for anyone who wants automated form correction, rep counting, and suggested weights for other fitness classes using the screen.
Who shouldn’t get it: The Tread Plus is not ideal for anyone who enjoys unguided fitness or prefers to pace themselves with their own listening entertainment (music, audiobooks, etc.). Athletes who prefer to run outdoors or at the gym, or who don’t want to pay an extra membership fee ($50 per month) for an all-access fitness app, are better off using standard equipment.
The Tread Plus would not work for households with limited space or requiring compact or foldable exercise equipment. The machine is heavy (the Tread Plus weighs 460 pounds, compared to 286 pounds for the regular Tread) and cannot be easily moved to accommodate more space. To benefit from using the Peloton IQ for motion tracking, there must be sufficient space around the machine.
Runners who prefer tactile buttons for speed and incline might have difficulty adjusting to the rotary knobs. It’s hard to remember which direction to roll them (forward or backward) to increase or decrease speed or incline. The buttons work well when making a huge jump (like from 12% to 1% incline), but it felt like a subtle art to master the 0.5 increments by just moving them up a notch.
— Laura Michelle Davis, editor-in-chief
