Folding the Echelon Stride is easy and one of its most prominent selling features. Simply fold the console down and push a pair of red buttons located under the handlebars to flatten them. Stepping on a lever on the left side of the machine folds the rest up easily. When folded, the treadmill is very compact.

Using the treadmill is fairly straightforward, too. A simple panel on the treadmill displays and tracks your time, speed, distance, and heart rate. A Bluetooth-enabled heart rate monitor strap comes with the Echelon Stride.

One reason the Echelon Stride is more affordable than other high-end treadmill models, such as Bowflex Treadmill 10 ($2,300), is that it does not have its own touchscreen. Instead, you must sync your phone or tablet with Bluetooth to use the app.

Although the app adds a ton of value, it’s not necessary for using the treadmill. Our tester skipped the app and opted to stream his own workouts from other platforms.

If you do choose to use the Echelon United app, you’ll have access to on-demand and live programming with workouts for running, strength training, and yoga, among others.

The incline and speed are simple to control by using an easily accessible button on the treadmill’s handlebar.