Treadly’s next-gen compact treadmill is ideal for small spaces and features app-based social workouts – TechCrunch

With the ongoing global pandemic, it is becoming increasingly important to have options to stay active at home. Treadly is a startup focused on building a home treadmill that is compact, convenient, and has smartly connected features that drive engagement. The company recently released its second generation product, which is very compact and features hardware improvements that increase the weight limit for users and add cooling benefits that increase exercise times.

Basics

Treadly’s design is likely a lot smaller than expected – it’s only 3.7 inches tall for the base and weighs just 77 pounds. The entire deck is only 56 “long by 25” wide, and there is a folding handle that you can extend out for when you want to jog faster while folding it away for rigorous workouts.

A display is built into the deck itself that provides a simple but easy-to-read black and white display of key stats, including speed, total steps, time and distance. The handrail has manual controls, and the Treadly 2 can either be controlled using a dedicated remote control for the base model or via the Treadly app (iOS only now, Android coming soon) via Bluetooth for the updated Treadly 2 Pro version.

The Treadly 2 also has a built-in Bluetooth speaker that you can use to connect your smartphone and play music via any app. The Treadly iOS app also offers iterative community training and live video integration. Treadly is also introducing new group features to the app so users can create their own communities, as well as new challenges users can face each other, such as: B. Step count records and more.

Design and functions

The design of Treadly is, as already mentioned, very compact and the perfect size for small spaces. Thanks to its low height, it slides easily under most sofas and can also be stored vertically if you want to put it against the wall or in a larger closet. The design is also attractive and minimalist, which makes it more inconspicuous than most exercise equipment, even when it’s not visible.

The built-in display in the deck itself is a nice accommodation to keep the dimensions compact while giving all the feedback you would expect from a home fitness machine. It would be easier to regularly check that it is mounted in the fold-down handlebar, but that would definitely add more bulk. Also, for many people, it’s probably better if the stats are a little elusive, as focusing on these can make a workout harder than it needs to be.

For the base model, the remote control is effective and compact, with an included wristband so you can easily follow it while using the treadmill. The built-in bluetooth speaker isn’t amazing as you might expect, but it’s more than good enough to provide a soundtrack when you don’t have other speakers or earbuds on hand.

Credit: To step

The experience of actually using the Treadly 2 for running or walking definitely has some limitations: First of all, don’t expect this to provide a true indoor running experience. While it definitely has an impressive weight capacity for a treadmill of this size, its top speed is 8 km / h, which for most people is a low-intensity jog. When the handrail is pointing down, this drops to only 6 km / h, which is a brisk walk.

For something so compact, that’s actually still very impressive – especially since there is no time limit on how long you can use the treadmill at 8 km / h thanks to the new and improved cooling system of Treadly 2. To avoid a sedentary lifestyle while staying mostly indoors, the Treadly 2’s speed settings are more than adequate, and this is likely enough for most users, except for advanced fitness fans.

Bottom line

The Step 2 is a connected treadmill that offers a great mix of convenience, social features, guided use, connected control, and space-saving design in an affordable package starting at $ 749 for the Basic and $ 849 for the Pro with special New Years prices. It’s like the peloton that most people are actually more likely to work long term, and it’s a great way to stay active during the long winter months in our unprecedented times.