Sunny Health & Fitness Foldable 12% Auto Incline Wi-Fi Treadmill

Why it's worth it

This Sunny model gives you 15 motorized incline levels up to 12% and a 16-by-50-inch cushioned deck, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to the free SunnyFit app. It's the pick if you want hills and app tracking without a recurring bill.

Fifteen incline levels is more granularity than most treadmills near this size offer, and the quick-adjust buttons mean you can jump to a gradient mid-walk instead of holding a button and waiting. Incline is the simplest way to make a slow walk hard. If your knees don't love running but you still want your heart rate up, this is the machine that gets you there.

The app costs nothing, and that's a real advantage. SunnyFit connects over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, tracks your sessions, and pairs to a smart TV, all without a membership. Compare that to the ecosystems where half the hardware sits idle unless you're paying monthly. You may not use the guided routes forever, but you're not locked out of your own treadmill if you stop.

From our review of 7 foldable treadmills for small spaces, by Eleanor Vance, Health & Beauty Editor

What we like

• +Fifteen incline levels is more granularity than most treadmills near this size offer, and the quick-adjust buttons mean you can…
• +The app costs nothing, and that's a real advantage
• +This is far and away the most-reviewed machine here, and the long-term owner feedback is unusually consistent
• +The 16-by-50-inch deck with shock absorption is comfortable for walking and steady jogging

What to know

• –The 2 HP motor sets the honest ceiling
• –Owner reports include units that ran well for a couple of years and a thousand-plus miles before a component gave out
• –At over a hundred pounds and more than five feet long, this folds but it doesn't get small