Sole F85 vs. Peloton Tread Comparison | A Runner’s Choice

Dimensions/Storability

Being running treadmills for home use, the Sole F85 and Peloton Tread have pretty sizable dimensions. The F85 is slightly larger at 82.5″ L x 38″ W x 66″ H compared to the Tread’s dimensions of 68″ L x 33″ W x 62″ H. Even though the Peloton Tread takes up a little less space, it doesn’t fold up.

The Sole F85 folds up and can be moved around fairly easily when folded.

There are four transportation wheels under the front part of the treadmill, so you can push it around when needed. Considering this treadmill is 294 lbs, this feature helps many users be able to move it.

The deck is also easy to fold because it has a lift assist. The assist kicks in when you lift the back end of the deck to fold it up, so you don’t have to lift the entire weight of the deck. This feature is common among home treadmills, making the F85 suitable for most homes. Plus, with a pull of the yellow handle under the deck when folded, it slowly releases to the floor.

The Peloton Tread weighs 290 lbs, but it’s harder to move.

It has two front wheels, so you have to lift the deck to move it around. It’s best to keep this treadmill in the space where you plan to use it. This is a good rule of thumb for the F85, too. However, you can push the F85 out of the way more easily.

Along with enough floor space, it’s important to have a tall enough ceiling no matter which treadmill you decide to buy. Both models have 8″ high decks, so we recommend at least an 8.5-foot tall ceiling if you’re a 6-foot-tall runner.

Onboard Workouts & Apps

A treadmill’s content is a big contributor to the overall workout experience. For some, having an instructor guide you through a workout is a must, while others prefer streaming Netflix and doing their own thing. You can do both on the F85 and Peloton Tread; however, they are still very different to use.

Here’s everything you need to know about each treadmill’s content selection.

Sole F85 Content

The Sole F85 has many content options on the 15.6″ touch screen. Trainer-led workouts from the Sole+ App are integrated directly onto the screen, and there are a good number of these. All are filmed in studios, each featuring an instructor who guides you through the workout. These workouts aren’t quite the same quality as Peloton’s workout videos, but they’re included for free.

If you prefer not to take a workout video, there are ten onboard workout programs, which are standard and customizable. You can also take fitness tests and use manual mode to control the F85 as you go and do your own thing.

We appreciate all of these workout options and that the F85 includes 12 streaming apps. These include Netflix, Hulu, Max, YouTube, Spotify, Disney+, Prime Video, Peacock, ESPN, CNN, Audible, and Kinomap. To start streaming, you just need to log into your account for each app.

Screen mirroring is another feature that’s included on the Sole F85.

Once you pair your device to the treadmill, you can screen mirror content to the touch screen. If you want to stream workouts from the Peloton App, you can do so on the Sole F85. You don’t need the Peloton Tread to take Peloton’s workouts.

Peloton Tread Content

You do need the Peloton Tread to utilize other features that are available with the Peloton All-Access Membership. These features include a leaderboard, Lanebreak, and Netflix streaming.

Peloton’s membership is extremely popular.

Even if you haven’t taken a class, you probably know exactly what I’m talking about. You can picture one of their mini-celebrity instructors standing in front of a camera, running, or riding a spin bike.

Although it’s the same format as the Sole+ App workouts, Peloton’s content is elevated due to the star-packed roster of instructors and unique curated playlists. Live and on-demand workouts with an ever-growing library don’t hurt either.

Peloton also creates a sense of community with its members because of its popular leaderboard. Whether the leaderboard taunts you with your rankings among other members or you like to give and receive virtual “high-fives,” there’s no doubt that Peloton has done well with its training content.

Outdoor-filmed workouts are also available on the Peloton Tread.

The number of these is slowly growing, too.

Peloton Lanebreak is another fun feature. These workouts consist of games featuring an avatar that moves down multiple lanes to hit targets for points. You adjust your intensity by increasing and decreasing the Tread’s speed.

You also adjust the incline setting to shift between lanes to hit the targets. Like the trainer-led workouts, these are structured as complete workouts with built-in warm-ups and cool-downs.

Under the “Entertainment” section are streaming apps. These include Netflix, YouTube TV, Max, Disney+, and the NBA App. Like the F85, you’ll log into your account for each to stream. Unlike the F85, though, you need to subscribe to Peloton’s membership to access these apps on the Tread.

None of these features and only a couple of trainer-led workouts are available without a membership. You must pay the $44 monthly fee to utilize these features.

Sole F85 vs Peloton Tread Console

When testing premium treadmills like the F85 and Peloton Tread, we expect the consoles to be functional and easy to use. They should each make adjusting the treadmill easy. We went in with these expectations when we first hopped on each treadmill.

Here is what to expect from each treadmill’s console.

Sole F85 Console

The Sole F85 features a 15.6″ touch screen. It is a good size—not overly large, but not small and hard to see either. One thing to keep in mind is that the screen is in a fixed position, so it’s not adjustable. While running, it can be a little hard to use the screen because it is angled back. It’s best to have your workout or streaming content ready to go before you start running.

Adjusting the Sole F85 is convenient.

There are numbered adjustment buttons on either side of the touch screen. If I press the five on the right side of the screen, the F85 adjusts to 5 mph. A few levels are missing from both the speed and incline/decline settings, but these buttons are nice to have.

There are also switch buttons on the front handle to adjust to specific increments like 5.4 mph.

The speakers project at you. I wish the console had a button to adjust the speaker’s volume. To increase/decrease it, press the small icon on the touch screen. The speakers are clear and offer plenty of volume for streaming content. You can also play content from your device through them.

There are two fan vents; however, the air points to the sides of the treadmill rather than at you. We suggest plugging in a fan of your own when using the F85 to cool off.

The F85 has a wireless charging pad below the touchscreen for devices with that technology. The pad also works as a phone holder to keep your phone within reach while running. On top of the console, there is an adjustable device rack for larger tablets and phones.

The F85 features two cup holders and two smaller pockets for storage. These are for your water, phone, and whatever else you need nearby.

Peloton Tread Console

The Peloton Tread‘s console primarily consists of the 23.8″ touch screen. This screen is really lovely and of excellent quality. It features an anti-glare so overhead lights don’t reflect on the screen. It is one of the nicest touch screens we’ve used on treadmills.

It tilts up and down but doesn’t pivot to the side. Pivoting to the side would be helpful for off-the-treadmill Peloton workouts, but this screen is large enough to see Peloton’s content at the back of the treadmill.

There are limited adjustment buttons on the console.

Peloton has stuck with a very streamlined design here. The adjustment buttons are roller buttons to roll your palms over when adjusting the speed and incline. These are a little hard to land on specific levels. You can press the inner parts of the buttons to adjust by 1.0 mph and 1% incline levels, too.

During Peloton’s workouts, there is an Auto-Incline feature that adjusts the grade of the deck to match the format of the class. There are also 3 preset levels to adjust the Tread to on the screen.

The speakers are clear and have a great volume range. They adjust on the screen or with two buttons on the side of the touch screen. There isn’t a fan on the console, so you’ll need to use your own.

For storage, there are 2 cupholders and a small tray in front of the front handle. There isn’t a place to put your phone or tablet to stream content. This keeps you more locked into the content on the touch screen that requires a subscription.

The screen locks after around 45 seconds of inactivity. You’re required to create a 4-digit passcode to unlock the screen. This is a safety feature Peloton has implemented.

Build Quality

Both treadmills have similar designs. They’re designed for heavier use. The Peloton Tread is priced higher than the Sole F85. As far as overall quality, though, both treadmills are fairly similar. The Sole F85 has a heavier weight limit and is a bit more sturdy to use. The F85 handles users up to 375 lbs versus the 300 lb limit of the Peloton Tread.

Let me break down more of the build quality below.

Sole F85 vs Peloton Tread Frame

This way, when the deck is folded, the frame doesn’t take up a lot of floor space. This design is very stable. When running on the F85, the console and screen remain very steady. In comparison, the Peloton Tread shakes a bit at higher speeds.

The Peloton Tread has a carbon steel frame that sits under the deck.

The Sole F85’s steel frame is positioned under the front part of the deck.

Two steel uprights extend from the frames to hold the console and handles on each treadmill. The “Z-shaped” frames of the F85 and Peloton Tread resemble each other. I like the soft coating on the Peloton’s handles over the textured plastic on the F85. All of the handles function the same way, though. They’re well within reach on both treadmills when you need extra support.

Sole F85 vs. Peloton Tread Motor

Both treadmills are designed for running. The Sole F85 is a beast with a powerful and quiet 4.0 HP motor. This is an ideal motor size for heavier training like distance running. The Peloton Tread has a 3.0 HP. We typically recommend the smallest size for running.

The Tread has handled regular use just fine in the few years we’ve had our model, though.

In terms of performance, the F85’s motor is quieter. The Peloton Tread adjusts between different speeds and inclines faster. For interval training, the Tread is a little more convenient. However, I have no problem hopping on the side rails for the rest intervals when training on the F85.

The Sole F85 has more training options.

It has a 12 mph max speed, 15 levels of incline, and six levels of decline. The Peloton Tread adjusts up to 12.5 mph and a 12.5% incline. It doesn’t decline. Decline training is great if you’re training for an outdoor event or if you want to work the muscles in the front part of the legs.

Sole F85 vs Peloton Tread Deck

They also vary in their decks. The Sole F85 has a 22″ wide and 60″ long running surface compared to the 20″ wide and 59″ long deck that the Peloton Tread has. The length of both decks is great for most running strides. If you prefer a bit more room width-wise, you might want to look into the F85.

Even though it takes up a little more space, don’t forget it folds up when you’re done.

I really like the red line down the middle of the Peloton’s deck. It helps me stay centered on the deck while running.

Both treadmills feel firm to run on. The shock absorption in each deck helps to lessen the impact on your joints, but these treadmills might not be best for those with joint discomfort because they provide less give underfoot than other treadmill brands. If you’re looking for a softer treadmill deck, I recommend a NordicTrack.

Warranty

Sole’s warranty is better than Peloton’s. With the F85, Sole includes a lifetime frame and motor warranty. The Peloton Tread comes with a 5-year frame warranty and a 3-year motor and belt warranty. We like it when a brand backs its products with extensive warranties like Sole does with the F85.

Should You Buy The Sole F85 or Peloton Tread?

Both of these treadmills have a lot to offer, but ultimately, the Sole F85 is the better investment. Considering it has a larger motor, folding deck, incline and decline range, and all of the training and streaming content is included on the 15.6″ touch screen, it has more to offer than the Peloton Tread. It is also priced a little cheaper.

The Peloton Tread is a sleek treadmill but it doesn’t fold up or decline. You also need to pay a monthly fee to access the content on the touch screen.

Peloton’s trainer-led studio classes are some of the best out there, but this treadmill isn’t worth it unless you want to subscribe to the membership and utilize all of the features, like the leaderboard and gamified Lanebreak workouts. Keep reading to find out all of the reasons why we recommend the F85 over the Tread and why it is on our best treadmills list.

Sole F85 vs. Peloton Tread Q&A / FAQ

Is the Sole F85 worth it?

Yes, the Sole F85 could be worth it for anyone who wants a powerful home treadmill for running and doesn’t want to pay for a subscription service. You get trainer-led workouts and access to third-party streaming apps at no additional cost.

What treadmill is closest to the Peloton Tread?

The Sole F85 is a great competitor. The Sole F89, the Horizon 7.8 AT, and the NordicTrack 2450 are other good options.

Does the Sole F85 decline?

Yes, the Sole F85 has six decline levels.

Does the Sole F85 have wheels?

The Sole F85 has wheels, which allow you to push it and roll it around rather than tilting it back and rolling it.