Horizon T101 treadmill review: the walking treadmill most people should buy
The Horizon T101 is the walking treadmill we'd tell most people to buy: light, short, quiet at a walk and covered for life on the frame and motor, often for around $650. Skip it if anyone in the house plans to run.
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70 × 34 in openHorizon T101 Treadmill
Our take: For walking and light jogging, it's the best thing you can put in a spare bedroom for the money.
Usually $649 to $999 (list $999). Prices change often, so the retailer has today's.
Pros
- Lifetime frame and motor warranty
- Light for a full treadmill, about 180 lb
- 70 in long, short for its class
- Powered incline to 10%
- Simple one-person assembly
Cons
- Not built for regular running
- 55-inch belt is short for tall joggers
- Only one year on parts and labor
- 10% incline falls short of 12-3-30
We haven't bench-tested our own Horizon T101 yet. This review is built from the published specs, the warranty and how the machine is designed. When our measurements are in, they'll appear on this page and the update history at the bottom will say so.
Is the Horizon T101 worth it?
Yes, if you mostly walk. The Horizon T101 is the treadmill we recommend to more people than any other, because most people who buy a treadmill walk on it. It has a 2.5 CHP motor, a 20 x 55 inch belt, powered incline to 10%, a hydraulic fold, an LED console with a tablet rack and Bluetooth, and a lifetime frame and motor warranty. Prices range from $649 to $999. Near the low end, we can’t think of a better way to spend that money on indoor cardio.
It isn’t a running treadmill, and Horizon doesn’t pretend it is. A 160 lb person jogging at 6 mph is well within what it’s built for. A 200 lb runner at 9 mph isn’t.
We haven’t bench-tested our T101 yet, so this review is based on Horizon’s specs and what we know about machines like it.
Walking and jogging on it
At a walk, the T101’s cushioned deck is softer than the Sole machines’, and over an hour of incline walking your knees will appreciate it. The incline motor reaches a rated 10%. That’s plenty for a hard walk but short of the 12% the popular 12-3-30 routine asks for. You can do the routine at 10% and still get a good workout. Our walking treadmill picks include machines that go steeper.
Jogging at 6 mph is fine. The belt is long enough for a shorter stride and the motor holds a jog. Top speed is 10 mph, but at 8 mph with a 200 lb runner, a motor and frame this size are working at their limit. That’s the real edge of the machine, and it’s well above where most owners use it.
The console is an LED display with buttons, a tablet rack and Bluetooth to Horizon’s app or others you already use. It starts instantly, never asks for an account, and holds a full-size tablet at a height you can read.
Space, noise and setup
The T101 is the lightest full-size treadmill we recommend. Horizon quotes about 180 lb, 70 to 100 lb less than the Sole machines, and the deck arrives built: bolt on the uprights, set the console on the mast, plug in one connector. We expect it to be one of the quickest builds we time, and one person can manage it.
Open, it measures 70 by 34 inches, the shortest full treadmill we recommend, and it leaves most of a 12-by-12 room free. Folded, Horizon quotes 46 inches from the wall. There’s less deck to lift than on a Sole, so folding takes less effort, and one person can roll it across a hard floor.
Quiet is where it should shine. Light 2.5 CHP machines are usually the quietest full-size treadmills at walking speed, and we’ll put a number on this one at a walk and a jog. On a mat, it’s the treadmill we’d choose for an apartment with neighbors below.
Where it falls short
Running, as above. If anyone in the house will run three times a week, the Sole F63 costs about $400 more and is built for it.
Height. The 55-inch belt suits joggers under about 5 ft 10 in. Taller walkers are fine, but taller joggers should look at the Horizon T202 and its 60-inch belt.
Parts coverage. The frame and motor are covered for life, but parts and labor get one year, shorter than the three years Sole gives the F63’s deck and electronics.
Against the XTERRA TR150
The XTERRA TR150 is what people buy when they aren’t sure they want a treadmill, and at $399 to $549 it’s a fair bet. It has a 16 x 50 inch belt, a 2.25 HP motor, a manual incline and a 250 lb rating. Next to it the T101 is in a different class: 5 more inches of belt length, powered incline, 50 lb more rating and a frame built to jog on. If the extra $200 or so is there, the T101 is the better buy by a distance.
What we’ll measure
Once our retail unit is built in a 12-by-12 spare room, we’ll measure noise at 3 and 6 mph from three feet with a 200 lb walker and jogger, the real incline at 10% with a digital level, belt speed against a calibrated wheel, watts at the wall, the folded footprint and one-person assembly time. Then we’ll use it daily for a month, folding it every night. How we test explains the method. For more choices at this price, see our budget treadmill picks.
How we rated the Horizon T101
- Motor and deck
- 3.6
- 2.5 CHP, 20 x 55 in belt, 300 lb limit
- Incline and features
- 3.6
- 10% incline, 10 mph top speed
- Warranty
- 4.5
- Lifetime frame and motor cover
- Fits a home
- 4.1
- 70 x 34 in open, folds
- Value
- 4.3
- Fair for what you get
Our rating is out of 5 and uses the same formula for every machine in a category: motor and deck, features, warranty, how well it fits a home, and value for the typical price. Until we bench test a machine, the score comes from its published specs. How we rate
What we measure
Bench test scheduledWe haven't measured this one yet. When our unit is set up, it gets the same checks as every machine, and the results go here:
- Noise from 3 ft at 3, 6, 9 and 12 mph
- Incline at the top setting, with a digital level
- Watts at the wall, idle, walking and running
- Assembly time for one person
- Folded size, measured with a tape
Floor plan, from the maker's dimensions
Who should buy the Horizon T101
Buy it if
- Daily walkers and 12-3-30 fans
- Apartments and spare bedrooms
- Anyone setting it up alone
Look elsewhere if
- Runners over 170 lb who train above 8 mph
- Tall runners with a long stride
Usually $649 to $999 (list $999). Prices change often, so the retailer has today's.
Horizon T101 specs
| Specification | Horizon T101 |
|---|---|
| Motor | 2.5 CHP |
| Belt | 20 x 55 in |
| Speed | 0.5–10 mph |
| Incline | 10% |
| User weight limit | 300 lb |
| Footprint (L × W × H) | 70 × 34 × 55 in |
| Folded | 46 × 34 × 61 in |
| Machine weight | 180 lb |
| Console | LED console with tablet rack and Bluetooth |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame and motor, 1 yr parts and labor |
| Status | Current model · 2011–present (current generation 2020) |
Manufacturer's published specs. We check dimensions with a tape when our unit arrives.
How it compares with its closest rivals
Swipe sideways to see every model
| Horizon T101(this review) | Sole F63 | XTERRA TR150 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 4.0 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 | 3.2 / 5 |
| Typical price | $649–999 | $1,099–1,399 | $399–549 |
| Motor | 2.5 CHP | 3.0 HP DC | 2.25 HP |
| Belt | 20 x 55 in | 20 x 60 in | 16 x 50 in |
| Top speed | 10 mph | 12 mph | 10 mph |
| Incline | 10% | 15% | 3% |
| Weight limit | 300 lb | 325 lb | 250 lb |
| Footprint | 70 × 34 in | 77 × 35 in | 64 × 28 in |
| Folds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame and motor, 1 yr parts and labor | Lifetime frame and motor, 3 yr deck/electronics, 1 yr labor | Lifetime frame, 1 yr motor, 90 day parts and labor |
Manufacturer specs. Measured noise is added once we've tested a machine.
Usually $649 to $999 (list $999). Prices change often, so the retailer has today's.
Is the Horizon T101 right for you?
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Horizon T101 questions, answered
Is the Horizon T101 good for running?
For jogging under 7 mph, yes. For regular running, no. The belt is 55 inches, the motor is 2.5 CHP and the frame is rated to 300 lb, so a 170 lb runner at 8 mph is already near the edge of what it's built for. If anyone in the house will run several times a week, the Sole F63 is the step up.
How loud is the Horizon T101?
We haven't measured ours yet; we'll test at a walk and a jog from three feet. Light treadmills with a 2.5 CHP motor are usually the quietest full-size machines at walking speed, which is a big part of why we recommend this one. It's the treadmill we'd put in an apartment, ideally on a rubber mat to soften foot strike for the people below.
How much does the Horizon T101 weigh?
Horizon quotes about 180 lb assembled, which is 70 to 100 lb lighter than the Sole treadmills we recommend. Two people can carry the box in without a hand truck, and once it's built, one person can tilt it onto its front wheels and roll it across a hard floor. That makes it one of the easier full-size treadmills to live with.
Can one person assemble the Horizon T101?
Yes. The deck arrives built, the uprights bolt on with a handful of fasteners, and the console sets onto the mast with one connector. It's the simplest build of any full-size treadmill we know of, and one person can manage it without help. We'll time our own one-person build and publish the number once our testing is done.
What incline does the Horizon T101 have?
It goes from 0 to 10%, powered, and we'll check the top setting with a digital level. That's enough for brisk, sweaty incline walks. It isn't quite enough for the 12-3-30 routine as written, which calls for 12%, but plenty of people do it at 10% and still get a solid workout. The Horizon T202 reaches 12% if you want the full version.
Does the Horizon T101 need a subscription?
No. The console works with buttons, and Bluetooth connects it to Horizon's app or other fitness apps you already use, but nothing on the machine is locked behind a membership. Put your own tablet on the rack and stream whatever you like. For a treadmill at this price, that's exactly how we think it should work.
Does the Horizon T101 fold?
Yes, with a hydraulic assist that lowers the deck slowly. Horizon quotes about 46 x 34 x 61 in folded, and because the whole machine weighs around 180 lb, it's light enough to roll on a hard floor without much effort. The deck is also easier to lift than on the heavier Sole treadmills, so folding it every day isn't a chore.
Horizon T101 or XTERRA TR150?
The T101, unless your budget really stops around $450. The T101 has a longer belt, a stronger motor, powered incline instead of manual, a 300 lb rating against 250, and a lifetime motor warranty where the TR150 covers its motor for one year. The XTERRA is fine for someone testing whether they'll use a treadmill at all, but it's a clear step down.
Horizon T101 or T202?
The T202 adds a 60-inch belt, 12% incline and a slightly stronger 2.75 CHP motor for about $250 more. It's worth it if you're over 5 ft 10 in or plan to jog often, since the extra belt length gives a longer stride more room to land. For someone who mainly walks, the T101 is enough, and the savings are better spent on a mat and shoes.
What is the Horizon T101 weight limit?
The rating is 300 lb for walking. For jogging we'd treat about 250 lb as the practical limit, because each jogging stride hits the deck much harder than a walking step does. If the heaviest regular user is close to that and plans to jog, the Sole F63, rated to 325 lb with a stronger motor, is the safer choice.
Ready to buy the Horizon T101?
For walking and light jogging, it's the best thing you can put in a spare bedroom for the money.
Usually $649 to $999 (list $999). Prices change often, so the retailer has today's.
Update history (2)ShowHide
- November 5, 2026Rewritten for clarity. Added key takeaways, pros and cons, and our rating.
- October 18, 2026First published, written from the manufacturer's specs ahead of our bench test. Test figures are illustrative until our measurements replace them.