The best treadmill reviews you can trust
The Echelon Stride-8S has all the tech you need to have a great run and workout. Read our Echelon Stride-8S Treadmill review to learn what the experts think.
Updated: February 29, 2024
Is the Echelon Stride-8S just a Peloton dupe, or does it stand on its own? Our experts weigh in with this review of the Echelon Stride-8S treadmill. If you thought the Stride-8S looked familiar, you are not alone. However, it has features that many other treadmills in its category lack. With Echelon’s updated platform, complete with training classes, racing games, and entertainment, this treadmill has a lot to offer. Echelon takes a stride ahead of the pack with more diverse content options on this powerful treadmill.
The Echelon Stride-8S has a more robust build than their more affordable models. It is designed for running. While this build is not as compact as many of Echelon’s other treadmill options, it appears on par with other premium treadmills from NordicTrack and Sole.
The frame is a non-folding frame. It has two angled uprights that create a z-shaped frame like many treadmills have adopted. The treadmill can support a maximum user weight of 300 lbs–the industry standard.
While Echelon states that the Stride-8S could be folded flat for storage by unscrewing bolts, this does not make the treadmill a folding treadmill. Disassembly is not typically what we look for when considering a treadmill in the folding category. The Stride-8S is best for users who have a dedicated space for the treadmill. It weighs 315 lbs and can be lifted onto its transport wheels from the back of the deck. Most users will find that leaving the treadmill in a permanent location is much more practical.
The Stride-8S has a 3.75 continuous horsepower motor. This size of motor is suitable for walking and running. It can even be used for long-distance running. This makes the Stride-8S a great option for a user sharing their treadmill with others in their household and training daily.
The treadmill deck is 20 inches wide by 60 inches long, which is the standard size for home treadmills. You will have plenty of room to run at the treadmill’s maximum speed of 12 miles per hour if desired.
The Echelon Stride-8S has 12 levels of incline. Levels are not the same as incline grade. In our experience with Echelon, 12 levels of incline translates to a maximum incline grade of 10%. However, we cannot be sure without measuring the Stride-8S’s grade. This treadmill does not decline.
The Echelon Stride-8S is one of Echelon’s best treadmills when it comes to features. From its large display to its storage, The Stride-8S is pretty impressive. In fact, this is one area that it deviates from Peloton. It doesn’t strive for an overly simplistic console by sacrificing important features.
With its large touchscreen display, the Stride-8S does not need nearly as many buttons as found on Echelon’s more affordable treadmills. It has a couple of buttons for adjusting the volume and fan. It also has a button for turning the screen on. There are also really great trackball controls for the speed and incline. I really like this design. Peloton and Horizon have both used spinning dials for setting their performance settings, and they are some of my favorites. This appears to be another variation on that same concept which feels really intuitive and easy to use while walking or running.
With so few controls off of the screen, you will need to look to the onscreen controls to adjust more of your settings and features.
A 22-inch touchscreen display makes this treadmill quite the premium option. This screen size creates a more cinematic feel for your training content. It also makes the treadmill much easier to navigate while on the go because the buttons aren’t so small.
The screen rotates for off-treadmill viewing. This is a great feature if you want to take a boot camp class that mixes strength moves off the treadmill with treadmill segments. You can also access Echelon’s other categories of classes like strength and yoga while using the Stride-8s as a display.
The Stride-8S has a few audio options. There are front-facing speakers at the bottom of the console. There’s also an audio jack at the bottom of the console to plug in wired headphones and earbuds. Echelon does not specify that the Stride-8S has Bluetooth audio. I strongly suspect that it does have Bluetooth for connecting compatible headphones and earbuds.
There is a built-in fan under the screen. I can’t speak to how powerful the fan is, but it is a convenient feature to have.
There are two cup holders and two storage compartments. This is a decent amount of storage for the Stride-8S.
One last storage feature is the wireless charging pad. This is a convenient place to rest your phone while also keeping it charged. The pad is textured to keep your phone from moving around. I haven’t tried the Echelon Stride-8S, so I cannot say whether the pad is suitable for storing your phone while the treadmill is inclined. It does have a bit of a ledge to keep your phone from toppling out.
There are EKG pulse grips in the stability bar to either side of the safety key. It is unclear whether the Stride-8S has Bluetooth heart rate monitoring. I hope that it does because I expect it for this price and most treadmills in this category have it.
The Stride-8S has color-changing light rails along the inside of the treadmill. The light color will change color with your speed. It’s a cool and unique feature. I think it would be fun for HIIT workouts. It doesn’t add to the performance of the treadmill at all, but it gives the treadmill some style.
I haven’t had the opportunity to run or walk on the Echelon Stride-8S treadmill yet. When I get the opportunity, I will update this review. So far, I am very interested in the performance of this treadmill. The treadmill is more expensive than many of Echelon’s other treadmills, but it has a significant increase in motor size and features for that price. If you have the space and budget to dedicate to a larger machine, this is a great pick for a dedicated runner and Echelon subscriber.
Echelon creates treadmill classes that are guided by upbeat instructors. The classes are set to music. Some of Echelon’s popular treadmill class categories include hills, intervals, and boot camp classes. With the Stride-8S, you can swivel your screen for off-treadmill viewing, which makes training with the boot camp classes easier. You can also take strength and yoga classes. Echelon also makes content for other cardio equipment. One membership gives you access to all of it.
Echelon doesn’t just make trainer-led classes. They also have entertainment content. Echelon Worlds is a Zwift alternative with gamified racing content. There are also streaming entertainment apps like Netflix and social media apps like Instagram.
It is very difficult to order or use an Echelon treadmill without an active membership. You, at least, need a free Echelon account to do either. It’s one of my least favorite aspects of the Echelon brand and why I only recommend the Stride-8S and other Echelon treadmills to Echelon subscribers.
The Echelon Stride-8S Treadmill is a powerful running treadmill that pairs with Echelon’s smart training service. Echelon provides trainer-led content set to music that is suitable for new to experienced exercisers. It has unique features like the light rails along the insides of the deck that change colors with your speed. The large touchscreen display is a premium feature paired with front-facing speakers, a wireless charging pad, and trackball incline and speed controls. If you are looking for a Peloton alternative, this is a great treadmill to consider.
