Mobvoi Home Treadmill: a treadmill that fits your life without demanding sacrifices

Mobvoi makes a treadmill? The brand is best known for making some of the best Wear OS-based smartwatches on the market. They also make a very capable range of headphones. In each case, they came into the market with an inexpensive solution that worked well then continued to improve. Each year a new version or new model hits the market and it's a consistent update to an already quality product. 

As that cycle of innovation has played out, there's also been a subtle shift of focus. Over the years there have been more and more health and fitness features added. The Mobvoi smartwatches aren't the pinnacle of fitness-focused wearable tech but they are capable for casual users. They work great as a way to quickly transition from working out to working. The story for the headphones is similar. There are more serious fitness-focused headphones but Ticwatch makes products that are well rounded. They come very close to being the best for fitness while also being able to transition to other uses. 

A treadmill might not be the first thing to come to mind when thinking of a wearable tech brand but it does make a certain logical sense. Mobvoi already understands the needs of a certain type of athlete so why not take the concept one step further? The Mobvoi Home Treadmill is that next step. Read on to find out how it might fit into your life.

The Mobvoi Treadmill is also featured on T3's best cheap treadmills guide!

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Mobvoi Home Treadmill: price and availability

 The Mobvoi Home Treadmill is out and available now in the US, UK, and Europe with a price of USD $449.99/GBP £399.99/EUR €449.99. It's not currently available in Australia. US buyers can purchase directly from the Mobvoi website.

 Mobvoi Home Treadmill: setup 

There's no white glove experience or anything particularly unique about getting the delivery. The Mobvoi Home Treadmill comes in a plain cardboard box and weighs about 80lbs (36kg). The UPS delivery driver carried it – without a partner or mechanical help – up to my front door and placed it down, without much fanfare. I had a bit more trouble dragging it inside but mostly because the wide flat box is somewhat awkward. 

Once you've got the thing inside the most difficult part of setting it up is getting the packaging out from under it. It's wrapped in plastic and surrounded by foam inside the box. Drag it free a bit and stand it up. Having someone holding it steady makes it easy to pull the packaging free of the unit. Set it back down and you are almost completely done. 

There is very little that needs assembly. You could summarize the great majority of it by simply saying: plug in the unit and remove the battery protection from the remote. There's a little bit more if you plan to use it in the running mode but even that involves very little. For the running mode, there's a lock on one side. Flip the handle away from the machine and you can open the folding run bar. Close the handle to lock it again. It works just fine without doing anything more but there is a plastic phone holder and two additional handles if you want them. 

The fact that there isn't much to set up is a very good thing, given the quality of the directions. The text feels a little like a Google Translate project. It certainly was not translated by someone fluent in both languages. Given the limited assembly needed it works but an online video might have been a better solution.

 Mobvoi Home Treadmill: the running experience 

The delivery was unremarkable, the setup was easy with bad instructions, but that stuff isn't what matters. What matters is the running experience and it's here that Mobvoi gets it 100% right. You do have to qualify that statement a bit though. Mobvoi nails the running experience for the target market. 

There are actually two modes. If you only want to walk, then keep the riser bar folded down. There are no controls you can get to so you are going to be using the remote to control speed. The safety cord connects behind, and below, your position so you also won't be using that. It has to be there but there's no reason to connect it to you. If you fell, it wouldn't stop the belt until you had been flung off the back. Although the controls aren't reachable there is an LCD screen at the front of the machine that shows speed, distance, calories, and time. 

While in walking mode, the speed tops out at 4km/h. It's a pretty gentle walk but there's nothing in your way. The height of the Mobvoi Home Treadmill, while in walking mode, is only 4.4 inches. It's easy to fit under a standing desk if you want to walk while you work. This mode also makes it easy to store. 

If you'd prefer to run, just open up the latch on the riser bar and flip it up. Once it's open you've got access to a touch screen control panel. There are buttons for changing speed as well as an on and off button. The remote still works and the safety cord now attaches in front of you and makes sense to use. 

Top speed in running mode is 12km/h. A bit of math tells me that's about an 8-minute mile. While I normally keep my stride short and under me, at the top speed of the belt I do stretch out my stride. Even at top speed, the small 400mmx1000mm / 15.75x39.37-inch belt area is plenty of room. If anything is going to be an issue it's that it's a little narrow. Those with wider hips may find themselves conscious of the edges on either side but no one I let test it had an outright issue. 

If you plan to leave the Mobvoi Home Treadmill set up in the running mode then there are some accessories you can attach. There are grab handles that attach on the left and right and there's a phone holder. These pieces aren't perfect. The grab handles are great but when attached you can't fold the riser bar down for storage. That issue is the same with the phone holder plus it only works for holding a phone in landscape mode. The limited size means no tablets. There's also a speaker you can use by connecting to it via Bluetooth. 

If you want to walk on it then the Mobvoi Home Treadmill works great. There's not all that much that's remarkable in that statement though. There are other options in the same price range that do the same thing. Change things a bit and put it into running mode and it's more remarkable. It's fast enough for a good workout and there's no reason it wouldn't be perfect for anything between short low-intensity runs and long-distance runs. The only running it wouldn't be great for is short high-intensity interval workouts.

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Mobvoi Home Treadmill: verdict 

There's a couple of ways to look at the Mobvoi Home Treadmill. It has two distinct modes and, when considering how good of a product it is, you have to think about both. As a walking treadmill, it's a well-designed option in a crowded market. If you are looking for something you can put under a desk and walk while you work, the Mobvoi works. There are other options that are similar but Mobvoi is a trusted brand name with a support network. 

Fold up the riser bar and put the Mobvoi Home Treadmill in running mode and the equation changes a bit. Looking at it as a runner's treadmill you really want to start with the price. This is a bargain option that in some ways reflects that. Not everything is perfect. There are small design missteps and I can't tell you that it feels perfect in every way. What I can say is that it works for a certain type of running. 

As a runner's treadmill it's a quality piece at a great price. You aren't going to do full-out sprint intervals and there's no rise for simulating hills. It works for running though, and it actually works pretty well. If you are just starting out and want something that will fit into your home without a huge cost then the Mobvoi home treadmill is perfect. It's also perfect if you like to run long distances but need something when it's dark and cold but aren't willing to commit lots of space.

 Mobvoi Home Treadmill: Also consider

When it comes to treadmills at this price point there are a lot of unknown brands. Much of what is available looks kind of the same with different names printed on the side. One of the reasons the Mobvoi Home Treadmill gets a look is because Mobvoi has positioned itself as a trusted name over the years. If you have trouble, they are there to help you out. 

A great alternative option is the Viavito LunaRun Fold Flat Treadmill. This compact running machine folds flat, has a decent power incline and a slightly wider and longer deck than the standard small treadmills. It’s great for runners with limited storage space and ideal for those who are not comfortable setting up a treadmill on their own.

Are you willing to spend a bit more money on your next treadmill? Check out the NordicTrack Commercial 1750. It's an elite folding treadmill that will aid any user in reaching their personal fitness goals. It’s built to last with endless workouts to choose from the iFit Coach workout library. An easy machine to use and recommend for both beginners and the experienced embarking on their fitness journeys