Treadmills are one of the most popular choices for the home gym. But before you drop a few thousand on your dream machine, you should know that not all treadmills are created equal. Here's how to get the best one for your money.

Treadmills come in two basic versions: motorless and motorized. Though they only cost a couple hundred dollars, non-motorized treadmills, which require you to push the walking belt along with your feet, are not a good choice. It's nearly impossible to get the belt moving unless you incline the machine and, at faster walking speeds, the belt tends to catch and stick at irregular intervals causing you to stutter-step along. Treadmills that use a motor to power the walking belt move at a smooth, consistent speed that you can vary with the touch of a button. Even though you'll have to spend between $1,000 and $5,000 for a motorized mill, this is definitely the way to go. Unfortunately, we can't in good conscience recommend those bargain priced treadmills you find in Kmart or Wal-Mart. Department store models, fold-up mills, and machines with arm poles, are generally poorly designed and cheaply made. Once they break, you're out of luck; there is no service department to fix them. Good treadmill brands include Trotter, Star Trac, Landice, True and Precor. The best brand we've found for under $1,000 is Icon but we don't recommend it if you're very heavy, plan on doing a lot of running, or tend to slam your feet down when you move. Checklist
Before you buy, look for the following features: