This folding treadmill is a space-saving Peloton alternative that's only worth buying if you're happy to pay a subscription

There are a lot of reasons for investing in one of the best treadmills for your own home. Perhaps you need a way to keep marathon training during the cold winter months, or you want to save some money on a costly gym membership. Either way, the Echelon Stride-6s-10 is an appealing mid-range treadmill that boasts a fast enough top speed of 12.5 mph for serious runners, but won't break the bank when compared with some of its rivals.

Like the standard Echelon Stride-6 or original Echelon Stride, this treadmill features an innovative auto-folding mechanism that makes it easy to pack away quickly when you're in a hurry. It's a really useful feature and, combined with the fact that this treadmill folds completely flat, makes it an ideal option if space is at a premium.

The standard Echelon Stride-6 requires you to use your own tablet or phone as a display, but if you choose the 6s-10, you'll get a 10-inch HD touchscreen fitted as standard. That's really the only differentiator between the two, but the screen serves as the gateway to Echelon's plentiful amount of training content. If you are planning to ditch the gym membership and want to focus on improving your running on your own terms, this is a viable alternative. Let's get into it.

Echelon Stride 6S review: Price and availability

Right now, the Stride-6s MSRP is listed at $2,299 on echelonfit.com, but at the time of writing, it's currently reduced to $1,999 for a January sale. Similarly, you can find it at Walmart even cheaper for just $1,350.

If you're reading this in the U.K., you can find this treadmill for £1,599 at echelonfit.co.uk, but it's likewise currently reduced to £1,299. You can find it listed for the same £1,299 price at Currys.

That makes it quite a bit more affordable than the $2,495 Peloton Tread but more expensive than the $1,299 NordicTrack T Series, which also has a 10-inch touchscreen but doesn't fold flat. The Stride-6s-10 is more pricey than budget folding treadmills like the $459 DeerRun A1 Pro, but in my opinion, it's well worth the extra investment because this treadmill will give you much more over the long run. Pun intended.

When discussing cost, you'll want to factor in the monthly membership to Echelon Fit. This is $39/£29 per month for the Premier tier that unlocks the likes of on-demand classes and scenic routes, as well as support for up to five different profiles. If you pay for the $399/£299 annual subscription, it works out slightly cheaper at $33/£25 per month. You also get a month free with the purchase of the treadmill.

So, how does that compare? Well, Peloton's membership is more expensive at $39 per month. But you can also subscribe to an alternative like Apple Fitness+ for $10 a month, which also offers trainer-guided treadmill sessions. If you'd prefer that route, then I'd suggest investing in the standard Stride 6 for $1,999 (currently discounted to $1,699) and use one of the best iPads instead.

Echelon Stride 6S review: Design and Performance

Echelon doesn't mess with what works and keeps the design of the Stride-6S functional and minimalist. The treadmill is matte black, with light-up scroll wheels on each handlebar that let you control your speed and incline. To the left and right of the 10-inch touchscreen display are the numbers 1-10, which also correspond to speed and incline. If using the toggle wheel is too cumbersome, you can use these as shortcuts.

Below the screen, you'll find the cooling fan and readouts telling you your speed, distance, and heart rate if you grip the sensors along the front bar. This front bar is where you'll also find the red pull-out lanyard that's connected via magnets to an emergency stop. The treadmill won't start unless this safety measure is put in place. Finally, there's an accessory tray with space for tablets and/or phones and two drink holders.

The running deck itself is nice and wide at 20.5 inches across, which gives you a little bit of freedom when running. I've used smaller, more compact treadmills in the past, and you definitely feel like you're running along a particularly tight corridor. Not so with the Echelon Stride-6s-10. I also didn't need to worry about my stride length as the deck measures the standard 60 inches in length. I'm a shade under six feet with a medium stride length, but I don't think this running belt would be uncomfortable for someone taller.

The running deck itself also feels springy and not like you're going to put a foot through the floor. It feels stable and secure while running, but although it doesn't move around, I'd still recommend laying it on an equipment mat to protect your floor.

Speed tops out at 12.5mph, which is more than enough for most runners (it's around a 4:47 minute-mile). Engaging the incline is smooth — although it does take a while to get there — and the brushless motor is pleasingly quiet during operation.

During my time with the treadmill, I came across two build quality issues I need to pass on. Firstly, the decal on the side of the struts started to peel away after a while, and, more seriously, the plastic guard on the bottom of the left one cracked and fell apart during delivery.

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Neither of these affects the overall performance or design of the treadmill, but it does leave me feeling a bit disappointed in the build quality and overall presentation. I never felt like the treadmill was going to give way beneath my feet, but I also wouldn't be surprised if it cracked easily when dropped or knocked by mistake.

Echelon Stride 6S review: Features

One of the Stride-6s-10’s hallmark features is the auto-folding process, which makes storage a cinch. Furthermore, the treadmill actually folds flat, as in — it doesn't have the handlebars jutting out awkwardly when folded, as I've seen with other folding treadmills. The Stride-6s-10's overall footprint is 64.25" L x 32" W (163 x 81.28 cm), so you'll need a bit of space but not much.

To fold the Stride-6s-10, you rock the console right back on its hinge, press the release button underneath each handlebar, and fold that back against the struts. Then you just step on a lever, and those struts automatically lower down to the running track.

At the back end of the running track is a handle so you can lift the entire treadmill and place it against a wall. It weighs 182.35 lbs (82.7 kg), which shouldn't pose much of a problem, but if you'd rather stash it under some furniture, it's got transport wheels to make moving it around your house or apartment easier. In my case, I chose the wall option.

Other features are nice-to-have without being ground-breaking. There's an adjustable fan and metal strips on the handles that can pick up your heart rate if you hold them while you walk or run. The fan didn't make a big difference to me in practice and if you've got one of the best fitness trackers on your wrist, you'll get all the heart rate data you'll ever need from that.

Echelon Stride 6S review: Echelon app and membership

Purchasing the Stride will mean you need to sign up for an Echelon Fit membership. And I do mean need. You can still use it as a standalone treadmill, but in order to access anything at all on the touchscreen after I'd switched the equipment on, I had to log in to my Echelon account. And you can only get an Echelon account with an Echelon Fit membership. Oh, and you can't sign up for an account/membership through either the treadmill or the app — you'll need to do it on the website, just like the good old days.

Once I was finally signed up and good to go, I unlocked the real power of the Echelon-Stride-6s-10. There's a vast array of training classes, from gentle walks to HIIT and full-on sprints that will get your heart racing and your sweat dripping.

The treadmill will keep a log of all the classes you do (you can join live ones or pick on-demand options) and store it all to your profile. Navigating through the on-screen options is extremely intuitive, but I did notice plenty of lag when skipping through the menus. I don't know what kind of processor is tucked away inside this treadmill, but I'd bet good money it doesn't have "Nvidia" or "AMD" stamped on the side.

As a follow-on from that point, every time I powered on the Echelon Stride-6S-10, I either had to wait a long time for it to pick up my Wi-Fi password or shortcut it by re-entering it manually to get it connected faster. I'm frequently up against the clock to get a run in, so this was a real pain to be faced with each time I started it up.

If you're not interested in a class, then you can load up a scenic route to walk or run through. You can take in the sights of California's San Clemente Beach from your own living room and get all the usual stats on distance, calories, and performance on the screen while you do so.

There are some drawbacks. The screen can only be used with the Echelon app — don't expect to fire up Netflix or Hulu and use it watch your favorite shows. Likewise, the built-in speakers sound tinny and underpowered. If you're going to be pounding the running deck, chances are you want some bass in your sound. Well, you won't find it here.

But leaving that aside, there's a lot of content here to make your way through. Strangely, there's the option to view classes for Echelon's other products, like rowers and bikes, should you wish. Finally, I don't know how often Echelon adds new classes, but if you're new to virtual fitness classes, you won't be lost for things to try out during your membership.

Echelon Stride 6S review: Verdict

As someone who doesn't live in a palatial mansion, I'm a big fan of folding treadmills. There's something truly awesome about unfolding your own personal stretch of running track and hopping on for a quick 5K without having to wait around. When you're done, away it goes, and you carry on with your day.

The Echelon Stride-6s-10 hits the sweet spot when it comes to the basics: it's fast enough for seasoned runners not to feel like they're cruising, folds totally flat with a brilliant mechanism for maximum space-saving, and it doesn't cost as much as that fancypants Peloton equipment.

The drawbacks are that the build quality doesn't feel great and the bells and whistles aren't that great: the fan is ineffectual, the speakers are lousy, and the touchscreen unit has laggy performance.

Here's the real crux of the issue, though: if you're not prepared to pay for a membership to the Echelon Fit app, don't buy this treadmill. Save your money and buy the regular Echelon Stride-6 instead. You get all the same benefits: 12.5mph top speed, auto-folding mechanism, and that wide, cushioned running belt for less money.

I would only recommend picking up the Stride-6s-10 if you're happy to unlock its full potential by paying to access performance tracking and exercise classes. If you take that as a baseline requirement, I think you'll be well satisfied with this folding treadmill.

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