Best Treadmill Accessories Worth Buying

1. Our Picks at a Glance

If you buy only two things, make them the mat and the lubricant: they are cheap and they protect a machine that cost far more. The rest depend on how you train and where the treadmill lives. The fan pick matters more than it looks; our guide tostaying cool on a treadmill explains why.

2. The 7 Treadmill Accessories Worth Buying

Each card names its category first, then the product we would buy in that category and who it suits. Where a category has its own full guide on this site, the description links to it, because the right choice in some of these — lubricant and surge protection especially — depends on your specific machine.

3. How We Chose These Accessories

We have not tested these products. They were chosen from published specifications, manufacturer listings, warranty terms and independent coverage, and the claims on this page stay within what those sources support.

We started from the jobs an accessory can actually do for a treadmill owner — protect the floor and motor, keep the belt and deck healthy, measure heart rate and pace honestly, manage the electrical risk, keep the user cool, and keep the machine clean — and picked one product for each. In every category we preferred a product from an established maker, currently sold, with a published specification we could check against a retailer and, where possible, an independent review.

For the categories with safety or compatibility implications we held the picks to the treadmill makers' own requirements rather than to general advice. The lubricant had to be 100% silicone, because that is what most home treadmill manuals specify. The surge protector had to meet the kind of requirement treadmill manuals set out — a UL 1449 listing, a voltage protection rating of 400 volts or less, a 15-amp rating and a status light — and to plug directly into the wall. Where a figure varied between sources, we left it out of the specification line.

We deliberately left out several popular categories, and the section on accessories we would skip explains why.

4. What to Buy First

If you are buying for a new treadmill, the order matters more than the brands, because two of these protect the machine and the rest improve the experience of using it.

1. A mat, before the treadmill arrives. It is far easier to lay a mat on an empty floor than to lift one end of a 250 lb machine later. On carpet it keeps fibre away from the motor, and on any finished floor it prevents dents and scuffs. Ourtreadmill mat guidecovers sizes for every machine and floor.

2. Lubricant, within the first few months. Many new treadmills arrive with the deck already lubricated, and some come with a small bottle. Check the manual for the type and interval, then buy the right product before the first application is due. A dry deck makes the motor and controller work harder, and that is what wears them out.

3. A fan, as soon as sessions get longer than 20 minutes. Indoors there is no airflow, and heat builds quickly. A fan is the single cheapest way to make longer sessions tolerable.

4. A chest strap or foot pod, when the numbers start to matter. If you are training to heart-rate zones or running to pace targets, the treadmill's own grip sensors and speed display are the weakest data you have. Buy whichever one matches how you train.

5. Surge protection, only after reading the manual. This is the one accessory where the manufacturer's instruction overrides general advice, in either direction.

5. Surge Protection: Read the Manual First

Treadmills are one of the few household appliances where plugging into a surge protector can be the wrong thing to do, and manufacturer guidance genuinely splits.

Some manuals recommend or require a surge suppressor and set out what it must meet. A typical specification, found in several ProForm manuals, is a single-outlet, UL 1449-listed unit with a suppressed voltage rating of 400 volts or less, at least 450 joules, a 120-volt, 15-amp rating, and a light showing it is working. Other manufacturers tell owners to plug the treadmill directly into a grounded wall outlet with nothing in between, usually because a protector or strip that trips or overheats under a motor's starting current causes more trouble than it prevents. Many treadmills also want a dedicated circuit, and some need a 20-amp outlet with a matching plug.

So the order is fixed. Read the manual's electrical section. If it says to plug directly into the wall, do that and buy nothing from this category. If it permits or recommends a surge protector, buy one that meets its stated requirements, plug it directly into the wall, and plug only the treadmill into it — no fan, no phone charger, no second device. Never use an ordinary power strip or an extension cord, and never use an adapter to fit a 20-amp plug into a 15-amp device.

Our pick, the Panamax MD2, has two outlets, so if your manual specifies a single-outlet device, leave the second outlet empty or choose a single-outlet unit that meets the same ratings. Our full guide totreadmill surge protectorscovers joule ratings, clamping voltage, when protectors wear out, and when whole-house protection or a dedicated circuit is the better answer. Anything involving wiring, a new circuit or a warm or discoloured outlet is a job for a licensed electrician.

6. Lubricant: Check Your Deck Before Buying

Lubricant is the accessory most likely to do harm if bought on autopilot, so it is worth a separate check.

Most home treadmills have a standard deck that needs periodic 100% silicone lubricant — typically every 40 to 50 hours of use, sooner for heavier users or dusty rooms. Some decks are pre-waxed or described as maintenance-free, and silicone on those contaminates the surface. And a few manufacturers specify their own product. The manual settles which you have in two minutes.

What you should never use is a household lubricant. Petroleum-based sprays, multi-purpose oils and belt dressings break down the belt's underside and the deck surface. If the label does not say 100% silicone, or the specific product your manual names, it does not go under a treadmill belt. Ourtreadmill lubricant guidecovers bottle versus aerosol applicators, how much to apply and the signs a deck has run dry.

7. Heart Rate and Pace: Getting Honest Numbers

Two of the picks exist because the treadmill's own data is weaker than most owners assume.

Heart rate. Grip sensors on the handrails only read while you hold them, and holding on changes how you walk or run. Optical sensors in watches are reasonable at steady effort and less reliable during intervals. A chest strap reads the heart's electrical signal directly and is the reference standard for training at home. Check how it will connect: most current treadmill consoles and apps use Bluetooth, many watches and older head units use ANT+, and some machines accept only their own or a specific type of strap. A strap that does both covers almost every combination. Ourheart-rate monitor guidecompares the alternatives.

Pace. A treadmill's displayed speed comes from the motor, and it can drift from the belt's real speed, especially on older or budget machines. If you train to pace, or run in Zwift on a treadmill that does not broadcast its own speed, a foot pod measures pace from your stride instead. It is the universal answer for any machine, but it needs a moment's thought about calibration and pairing. OurZwift treadmill guidecovers the set-up and the common fixes.

Neither is needed for easy walking. If you are not training to zones or pace targets, spend the money on the mat and the fan instead.

8. Setting Up and Looking After the Kit

Accessories bought well can still be undone by how they are set up. A few habits keep them doing their jobs.

Plan the outlets before the machine arrives. The treadmill wants its own wall outlet, ideally on a circuit it does not share with a heater or other heavy load. The fan, a phone charger and anything else go on a different outlet. Route every cable away from the rear of the deck, where a cord can be caught by the belt or crushed when a folding machine is raised, and never run a cord under the mat or the machine.

Keep the mat clear at the front. The motor draws cooling air from around the front of the machine. Do not park the fan stand, a water bottle crate or a laundry basket against the motor hood, and vacuum the mat's front margin when you vacuum the room.

Look after the strap. Rinse a chest strap's fabric band after sessions and let it dry before putting it away; dried sweat stiffens the band and corrodes the contacts over time. Detach the sensor when the strap is not in use, which also saves the battery on many models. Replace the coin cell at the first sign of drop-outs rather than waiting for it to die mid-session.

Calibrate the foot pod, then leave it alone. Pair it, run a steady session at a known speed, and compare. Most pods let you set a calibration factor in the companion app or on the watch. Once pace agrees with a trusted reference, stop adjusting it to match the treadmill console, which is often the less accurate of the two.

Date the lubricant and the surge protector. Write the date of each lubrication on the bottle, so you can count hours instead of guessing. Surge protectors wear out as they absorb surges; if the protection light goes off, or the device is several years old and has been through storms, replace it.

9. Accessories We Would Skip

Several products are sold as treadmill accessories and are either unnecessary or counter-productive.

Power strips and extension cords. The most common accessory mistake and the one with real consequences. Most treadmill manuals prohibit extension cords, and an ordinary strip is not built for a motor's starting current.

Thick foam floor tiles. They compress under the machine's feet and let the frame rock. Use a proper treadmill mat.

Generic lubricants and sprays. Covered above: anything that is not 100% silicone or the product your manual names stays away from the deck.

Disinfectant wipes and harsh cleaners on the belt. Bleach, ammonia, solvents and oily wipes can damage the belt and leave it slippery. A damp microfibre cloth and, where needed, a little mild soap handles nearly everything. Our guide tocleaning a treadmillhas the routine.

Clip-on desks and heavy console add-ons. Anything that hangs weight off the console or handrails can stress parts that were not designed to carry it, so check the manual before attaching anything. If you want to work while walking, an under-desk walking pad at a proper desk is a better arrangement.

10. Who Should Buy Something Else

If your treadmill shipped with a mat, lubricant or a chest strap, use those first. Bundled straps in particular are often matched to the console, and a third-party strap only helps if the machine accepts it.

If you walk at an easy pace, you do not need the chest strap or the foot pod. The mat, the lubricant, the fan and a cloth are the whole list.

If your treadmill broadcasts its own speed to Zwift or your training app, a foot pod adds little except a second opinion on pace. Check whether your machine is supported before buying one.

If your manual says to plug the treadmill directly into the wall, skip the surge protector entirely, and read oursurge protector guidefor the alternatives, including whole-house protection fitted by an electrician.

If you own a walking pad rather than a full treadmill, most of this still applies, but buy a smaller mat — ourmat guidehas a walking-pad size — and check the pad's manual for its lubricant, because some are different from full-size machines.

11. Frequently Asked Questions