Incline vs flat treadmill
Written by Jamie Miller, Founder & EditorLast checked
Incline is the single feature most worth paying extra for, and a flat-only treadmill is a genuinely more limited tool for anyone training seriously — but it is also simpler, usually cheaper, and entirely sufficient if incline is not something you would actually use.
What incline adds
Raising the deck angle increases effort substantially at the same speed, particularly at walking pace — this is why incline walking has become a standard recommendation for a harder workout without running's impact. See incline treadmills for what different percentages actually mean.
What a flat-only machine still does well
- Simpler mechanically — one fewer motor or mechanism to maintain.
- Usually less expensive for equivalent motor and deck quality.
- Perfectly sufficient for steady-state running or walking at a set pace with no incline training goal.
Motorised incline vs manual incline
Where a machine does have incline, whether it is motorised (adjustable from the console mid-session) or manual (stop, reposition a pin, restart) makes a real practical difference — a manual incline in practice gets set once and left there, which is a different feature from what the spec sheet implies. Not established, checked 18 Sept 2026
Our view, stated plainly
If budget allows and you have any interest in incline training, it is worth having even if you do not use it constantly — retrofitting it later means buying a different machine. If you know you only want flat walking or running at a fixed pace, paying for incline you will not use is a genuine waste of budget better spent elsewhere, on deck length or motor rating.
We have not measured injury rates or fitness outcomes comparing incline and flat-only use.How we review.