Curved Treadmills are becoming increasingly popular for three main reasons.

They are excellent for speed training and interval training
They reduce the impact on your body
You can burn up to 30% more calories when running on a curved treadmill

The key focus for this post is to identify the Best Curved Treadmill available at this moment in time. It ultimately boils down to a four horse race, between some very reputable brands.

Assault Fitness AirRunner

The Assault AirRunner is one of the top curved treadmills available right now. Apart from being manufactured by an excellent brand (Assault Fitness) on of its standout features is the 150 000 mile warranty. Basically, it will outlast any car you plan on owning. And the one after that.

In terms of speed training, medium paced running, jogging and walking, the AirRunner matches every other treadmill in this roundup. It will give you solid, honest performance, mile after mile, for years and even decades to come.

Like other curved treadmills featured in this post, it opens up the following benefits:

Up to 30% higher calorie expenditure than a normal treadmill at a given speed
Very low impact on the body (that’s why it’s called the AirRunner)
No maximum speed – You can push it as fast and as hard as you can
Excellent for interval training
Can be used to improve your running mechanics

All in all, the AirRunner is a very solid choice, and it’s the only high quality curved treadmill that’s currently available on Amazon.

To find out more about the AirRunner, you can check out all the reviews on Amazon here.

Rating - 8.5/10

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Key Update: After spending more time on the Assualt AirRunner, the Technogym Skillmill and the Woodway Curve (all of them are available at my gym, and all of them are featured in this roundup), I’ve found myself choosing the AirRunner by default.

There’s one main reason for this choice. Running on the AirRunner feels the best. It might not have the low drive technology of the Skillmill or the pretty dashboard of the Woodway curve, but it makes up for these minor drawbacks with a really pure feel that’s ridiculously smooth. When you run fast, it literally feels like you’re flying. For that reason, I’ve bumped up the score to 8.5/10.

Technogym Skillmill Curved Treadmill

At this moment in time, the Technogym Skillmill is the arguably the best curved treadmill in the world. Apart from being manufactured by one of the most reputable treadmill companies on the planet, the Technogym Skillmill also has two unique features that none of the other curved treadmills in this roundup can compete with.

Unique Benefit 1 - You can alter the resistance of the treadmill

The Skillmill gives you the option to change the resistance of the treadmill, using Technogym’s multidrive technology.

This technology is very similar to what you would find with an indoor rowing machine, where you can change the resistance from 1-10.

In the case of the Skillmill, you can essentially choose from 4 settings:

1 Low resistance
2 Medium resistance
3 High resistance
4 Maximum resistance

Unique Benefit 2: Low Drive Training

On the surface, this might not seem like a big deal, but if you play any kind of sport, this feature can be hugely beneficial.

The dual handlebars give you the ability to get into the position that a sprinter would assume at the start of a race. The picture shows the position that I’m referring to.

There is nothing else on the market that allows you to practice running in this position. In my mind, this could be extremely useful for anyone who plays contact sports and wants to improve their pace off the mark. It’s also great for people hoping stimulate their quads, calves and glutes in at totally unique way.

Rating 9/10

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Woodway Curve

The Woodway Curve is very similar to the Assualt AirRunner in terms of functionality, build quality and price. It also has a 150 000 mile warranty, so you honestly don’t have to worry about the treadmill breaking down for decades.

The design of the Woodway curve is elegant and smooth, and the handle bars allow you to perform a range movements including lateral shifts and even backward running.

One of the main advantages that the Woodway Curve has over Assault AirRunner is the dashboard which displays all your running stats. There’s nothing wrong with the AirRunner’s fairly simple console, but the Woodway curve is a bit more polished in this regard.

In addition to robust handlebars, a good looking computer console and the 150 000 mile warranty, the Woodway Curve also boasts the following benefits:

Displays your running power in Watts
Excellent for High Intensity Interval Training
No maximum Speed
Up to 30% more calories than running on a normal treadmill at the same speed
Made by a very well-known and trustworthy treadmill brand

Rating 8/10

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TrueForm Runner

The Trueform Runner is another excellent curved treadmill that is great for speed training and improving your running form (hence the name, Trueform Runner).

Totally Unique Feature - Customizeable Surfaces

The TrueForm Runner is the only curved treadmill that gives you the option of field turf and running track treads. This is a pretty signficant benefit if you run track or you play soccer or american football.

The main benefit of the custom surfaces is that it allows you to use different types of footwear. For instance, you could comfortably use:

American Football Cleats
Soccer Boots
Rugby Boots
Sprinting Spikes

This is definitely the standout feature of the Trueform Runner.

As far as warranties go, the TrueForm is the weakest treadmill in this list. The frame is covered for 10 years, while the treads are only covered for 5 years, and the LED display is only covered for 2 years. To put that in perspective, let’s recall the belt warranty for the other treadmills in this list:

Assualt AirRunner – 150 000 Miles
Woodway Curve – 150 000 Miles
Technogym Skillmill – 10 Years
TrueForm Runner – 5 Years

In terms of actual performance, the Trueform runner is just as good as the other curved treadmills in this roundup. In other words, it gives you:

Up to 30% more calories – They actually say 44% on their website. I’m calling BS. 30% is about as high as you can expect, according to the research.

Enhanced Running Form – The name of the treadmill says it all here. The big promise of the TrueForm Treadmill is that it will actually improve your running form over time. Interestingly, there are plenty of physiotherapists that back this claim.

Ideal for High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – The TrueForm also excels at HIIT. There is no way to perform speed training indoors. Electric treadmills just can’t match curved treadmills in this respect.

No maximum Speed – Your body is the only limitation here.

Rating 7/10

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Final Thoughts

Which one would I buy if I had to choose today?

Even though the Technogym Skillmill has the most features and excellent build quality, it’s also frightfully expensive. So for me, this is ultimately a choice between the Woodway Curve and the Assault AirRunner.

Both of them offer 150 000 mile warranties on the belt, and both of them have elegant handle bar designs. Ultimately though, I would actually go for the AirRunner. As I mentioned earlier in the article, the console of the AirRunner isn’t as pretty as the Woodway Curve, but the feel of the curve and treadmill belt most definitely is. In fact, I found the Woodway curve a bit spongy in comparison.

To cut a long story short, the AirRunner gives you the best combination of feel, features and warranty conditions. The Woodway Curve comes in a close second. Regardless of which one you choose, it’s hard to go wrong with any of the option in this roundup.

Is there a compelling reason to opt for the Technogym Skillmill?

To be perfectly honest, no. The Technogym Skillmill is a super high quality product that will serve you well if you want a curved treadmill. However, I’m not convinced it’s worth paying the extra money when you could get the AirRunner or the Woodway Curve instead.

In my opinion, it would be better to keep those dollars in your pocket and go for one of the mid range options that are literally just as good for running.