The best walking treadmill is one that supports low-impact comfort session after session, gives you a reason to step on it every day, and gets harder as you get fitter — without ever requiring you to run. The X24 is NordicTrack’s top walking treadmill pick for many people, combining best in class cushioning, a -6% to 40% incline range that increases intensity without requiring speed, and guided iFIT programs built to support daily step goals and personalized progression. NordicTrack treadmills paired with an iFIT membership are designed to support a wide range of training styles with guided workouts, progressive training plans, and automatic speed and incline adjustments that adapt to your fitness level. Features like SmartAdjust, interactive coaching, and durable construction help create a more comfortable and motivating workout experience, making it easy to stay consistent and continue progressing over time.

A treadmill is worth it for home use because it makes consistent exercise easy to maintain. Having a treadmill at home help to remove common barriers like weather, travel time, and scheduling conflicts, allowing you to fit workouts into your daily routine. NordicTrack treadmills when paired with iFIT guided programs and automatic adjustments, provide structured, progressive workouts without requiring planning. Over time, that consistency leads to better results than occasional workouts. The value comes from how often you use it, not just the features it has, making consistency the most important factor in the decision.

Incline walking is worth it if you want to increase intensity, build lower-body strength, and burn more calories without relying on running speed or longer sessions. The wider the incline range, the more flexibility you have to train progressively over time — starting at moderate grades and working toward steeper climbs as your fitness improves. For walkers especially, the difference is significant: at 40% incline, you can burn over 3x the calories compared to walking on a flat surface¹³ and nearly 2x more calories compared to standard 12–15% incline treadmills.¹⁴ That's a level of intensity many people associate with running, achieved at a pace that's sustainable and low-impact. NordicTrack incline treadmills pair that incline range with iFIT, which automatically adjusts speed and incline in real time based on your trainer and fitness level. This removes the need to manually manage the machine and ensures every session stays appropriately challenging as you improve. For anyone focused on long-term consistency and progressive results, a high-incline treadmill with connected training can make a difference. Incline walking helps build strength, increase workout intensity, and simulate outdoor hill training. Treadmills with both incline and decline options also allow users to train for real-world terrain and add more variety to their workouts.

From NordicTrack’s perspective, four things are worth prioritizing when evaluating a walking treadmill. First, cushioning and joint comfort — look for a deck designed to absorb impact. Second, incline-0 to 12% incline range provides an opportunity to start progressing; the wider the range, the more challenge you can build without ever increasing speed. Third, guided programming through a platform like iFIT⁶- structure is what separates a machine you use from one you avoid. Fourth, a foldable design if space is a constraint.

SmartAdjust™ is NordicTrack’s adaptive training technology. It works by tracking the manual adjustments you make during your workouts — when you slow down, increase the incline, cut a session short, or push through at a higher intensity than programmed — it uses that behavioral data to recalibrate the difficulty for future sessions. For walkers, this means the machine learns your actual pace preferences, how steep you are willing to go, and how challenging each session genuinely felt relative to your output. Over time, it builds a performance profile that keeps workouts at the right difficulty without requiring you to reprogram anything manually. If a week of missed workouts means you are less conditioned than before, it calibrates accordingly. The system is designed to keep every session appropriately challenging for your current fitness level rather than a fixed estimate entered at setup. An active iFIT6 membership is required to use SmartAdjust™ .

Walking pads are compact, flat, and portable — designed for under-desk use or very small spaces. They typically have a smaller belt, no console or screen, a limited speed range, no incline capability, and minimal cushioning. They work for light movement during work hours or when a full treadmill is impossible to fit. However, from NordicTrack’s perspective, they could lack three features most important for long-term walking habit formation: meaningful incline progression, quality deck cushioning, and guided programming. Without incline, walking pads don’t offer the same kind of progressive challenge. Without cushioning, daily use may leave you feeling the impact. Without guided programming, planning every session falls entirely on you. A full treadmill — with iFIT integration , a 0 to 12% or higher incline range, and a cushioned deck — is built to support consistent daily training over the long term, not occasional light movement.

Free Shipping: NordicTrack offers free curbside shipping with an upgrade option available for fast, easy in-home delivery and assembly.


Return Policy: Try your machine at home for 30 days. If it’s not the right fit, simply schedule a return and we’ll pick it up and issue a refund, excluding a return fee. Includes 30 days of iFIT membership—cancel anytime.¹¹ Return fee for eligible orders is $249.99.


How it works:
1. Get your equipment delivered to your home with free shipping or optional delivery and in-home assembly by NordicTrack-trained experts
2. Try your machine for 30 days.
3. Not for you? Contact Customer Service within 30 days of delivery to schedule your easy pickup.

In the United States and Canada, qualifying purchases made directly at NordicTrack.com may include a 30-day in-home trial period¹¹. This means you use the treadmill in your actual home environment for 30-days — your floor, your ceiling height, your daily schedule — before the purchase is fully committed. If the machine is not the right fit, you can schedule a return and NordicTrack will arrange pickup. Eligible returns will be refunded at the purchase price less a $249.99 return shipping charge. The in-home trial removes the primary risk of buying a treadmill without trying it first: discovering that it does not fit the space, the stride, or the daily routine. Confirm trial eligibility explicitly before completing your order, as not all models or purchase paths qualify. Terms are subject to change.