In the fitness world, treadmills have long been a staple for enthusiasts looking to stay active, improve their cardiovascular health, and achieve their fitness goals. However, amid the global demand for exercise equipment, the origin of these treadmills often goes unnoticed. In recent years, there has been a resurgent interest in supporting local manufacturing and promoting products made in the USA.
If you’re looking for an American made treadmill, look no further. This article will cover all our findings from top to bottom!
Complete List of Treadmill Brands Made in the USA
Tuff Tread manufactures all of its treadmills in the United States with a mixture of both domestic and foreign materials. They do not outsource the manufacturing, so the company independently assembles and ships everything direct from the factory. This is awesome because you can typically get your treadmill very quickly, and their customer service is very responsive.
Landice is a third-generation family business that produces high-quality treadmills. They have been a home fitness company since 1967, and their treadmills are reliable and durable and are known to last many years. The standout feature of Landice treadmills is that everything from the moving tread to the electronics is assembled in Randolph, New Jersey. But keep in mind that not all parts are 100% sourced in the US, as the company uses both domestic and foreign materials.
Precor is one of the biggest treadmill manufacturers. While many of their treadmills are produced abroad, a few of their models are assembled in the USA. The 400, 600, and 800 series treadmills, in particular, are assembled in the US with foreign materials, so if you’re set on getting a Precor treadmill, look specifically for these models. It is also important to note that Precor was bought by Peloton in 2021. Peloton is headquartered in New York but makes most of its equipment in Taiwan.
TrueForm produces unique curved manual treadmills. However, only the TrueForm Runner model is manufactured in the United States. Unfortunately, they do use some global materials, but it is almost impossible to find an American treadmill manufacturer that doesn’t use at least a few imported materials. The TrueForm Trainer series is made in South Korea, so if you are looking for a US-made treadmill, be sure to go for the TrueForm Runner.
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Treadmills
How to Find Treadmills Made in the USA
If you’re looking for a good old American-made treadmill to add to your home gym, you might wonder: How do you even begin the search? With production for most products nowadays taking place overseas, finding a US-made treadmill seems like a real challenge.
Here’s our guide for finding treadmills made in the USA if you’re doing your own research.
What Does Made In The USA Mean?
First, let’s define what it means for something to be made in the USA. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), “made in the USA” means that “all or virtually all” of the product is made in the United States. This includes every part of the manufacturing of the product, including the materials used, assembly, and packaging. The “virtually all” part of this phrase means that products with minimal parts sourced or manufactured elsewhere can still claim to make their products in the USA.
If you’d like to learn more about the FTC’s guidelines for this, check out our “made in the USA” shopping guide.
Materials
When looking for an American-made treadmill, you need to look at the materials used. Understanding where the materials come from is a huge step in finding true USA-made products.
It is important to note that while it is possible to find treadmills manufactured in the USA, you may have more trouble finding treadmills made from 100% US parts; this is because many of the electronic parts of treadmills are only manufactured abroad. So, when looking for a treadmill made in the USA, your best bet is to look for one manufactured in the USA and uses as many domestic parts as possible.
There are many parts that make up a treadmill, so let’s go over the major parts and learn what these parts are usually made of.
Frame
Most treadmill frames are made of steel or aluminum. Between the two, your best option is to go for a steel-framed treadmill. Finding US-made steel is relatively easy, as the USA is one of the world’s top steel manufacturers. The USA ranks fourth in terms of total steel production, only behind China, Japan, and India. So, US-made steel treadmill frames should not be too difficult to find. In fact, when it comes to quality, the US reigns supreme, with American steel considered three times stronger than Chinese steel.
On the other hand, aluminum is mainly produced in China, and the USA imports a significant portion of aluminum for goods. So, steer clear of aluminum if you are looking for a treadmill made in the USA.
Deck
The deck is the base on which you run on the treadmill. This part of the treadmill is typically made of medium-density fiberboard (MDF). The United States is not a major producer of the material—quite the contrary, as the USA is considered one of the top importers of MDF. The top producer of MDF is China. Some manufacturers may use particleboard for the deck. Particleboard is similar to MDF, but it is constituted of larger chips of wood. The USA is also the top importer of particleboard, so it is unlikely to find a treadmill with a particleboard deck made in the USA.
Sometimes, but rarely, a treadmill deck may be made entirely of wood. But since a smooth sheet of solid wood is quite hard to find, it is unlikely to find. Wood treadmill decks are more likely to be made in the USA.
Belt
The treadmill belt can be single-ply, 2-ply, or multi-ply. While each of these has slightly different materials (especially as more layers are added on), the base of a belt is made of rubber. The USA produces roughly 35 million tons of rubber every year, two-thirds of which are synthetic. So, when looking for treadmills made in the USA, it may be easier to find one with a synthetic rubber belt rather than a natural one.
Mechanical Components
There are, of course, many mechanical components to a treadmill. For a treadmill to be truly considered “made in the USA,” even the hidden mechanical components, microchips, and electrical parts must be made and produced domestically.
Labeling
To find treadmills made in the USA, look at the product’s label or packaging. Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the US Code states that all foreign products must be labeled as such. This is why you will see the “made in China” or “made in Taiwan” labels on your products. When looking for US-made products, look specifically for the FTC-protected label “made in the USA.”
There are many parts that make up a treadmill, and due to its complexity, finding a true American-made treadmill that is “all or virtually all” made in the USA is quite difficult (if not impossible). So, in this case, the best thing to do is to look at how much of the product is sourced and made in the USA.
Unfortunately, the “made in the USA” label does not have a pre-approval process, so relying on this label by itself is not without its faults. This is why further research is always recommended.
Furthermore, some companies may use tricky wording to confuse consumers into thinking their products are made in the United States when they are not. Examples of such phrases include:
- Made in America: This label can mean the product is made in Canada or Mexico.
- Assembled/Designed in the USA: This label means only a part of the production takes place in the USA.
- Made in the USA with imported materials: This means the product is made with foreign, non-American materials.
Another thing to watch out for is the usage of the American flag on labels. Just because you see the flag does not mean the product is American-made.
Other Tips
Here are some further tips to help you find treadmills made in the USA.
Check The Website
Check the company’s website and look at the “About Us” page or the product page. If the product is truly made in the USA, you should find this advertised on the website somewhere since it’s a huge selling point.
On the other hand, if you can’t find any information regarding the country of origin, it’s likely the product is made abroad. Companies are not required to state the products’ country of origin on their online or promotional materials, so silence normally means the product is made elsewhere.
Check Amazon
Online shopping websites such as Amazon can contain helpful information in the Product Description section of the product page. You may find the country of origin listed there. If you can’t find it, you can also check the FAQ.
Call the Company
If you’re still not sure, simply contact the company. A representative should be able to help answer your questions regarding the country of origin of the treadmill.
Treadmills Not Made in the USA
These treadmill brands are not made in the USA. We will continuously update and build on this list!
- Proform – Made in China
- NordicTrack – Made in China and the USA
- Schwinn – Made in China
- Peloton – Made in Taiwan
- XTERRA Fitness – Made in Taiwan
- Sunny Health and Fitness – Made in Taiwan and China
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