Umay Fitness Treadmill U50 Review

The first thought many people are going to have once they assemble the Umay Fitness treadmill is how small it is. It’s a lot smaller than it looks in the pictures. It’s a compact machine.

Compact is good if that’s what you’re after? This is a treadmill that’s easily going to fit into most rooms, including bedrooms.

And it’s fairly light at 66lb, which means it’s not a huge effort to move either. The built-in transport wheels make things even easier. Just tilt and roll to store. So, even though some of you may be disappointed with the size of this treadmill, it’s much easier to fold, store, and move thanks to its compact size.

The Umay U50 is a long way off heavy-duty, but it’s a treadmill that costs under $400, so we can’t expect too much.

Still, it boasts a few impressive features such as an incline, workout programs, and a couple of fitness apps, and it feels surprisingly sturdy for such a lightweight machine.

Yes, it’s a small treadmill, but the brushless motor and sturdy build sell it to me.

I feel it’s a treadmill worth some serious consideration, and today, I’m going to take a close look at everything this treadmill has to offer. I’ll also compare it with the SereneLife Treadmill, which has a similar price tag and is a fav of mine in this price bracket,

First, let’s take a quick look at the Umay Fitness U50 product specs!

Why Do We Like The Umay Fitness Treadmill?

What I loved about this treadmill is that it includes an incline,  a feature so many budget machines lack, which is a shame.

An incline adds so much more to your workouts. Walking or jogging on an incline can double the calories you burn, and it works those hard to train muscles like your glutes, calves, and hamstrings.

An incline is an essential feature for a treadmill if you want to get the most out of your cardio sessions.

With the Umay treadmill, you get a 3-way manual incline. There’s no power incline at this price point. Still, a 3-way manual incline is great.

If you’re a beginner, start on level 1 and work up to level 3, which is about a 6% incline. Impressive for a treadmill costing under $400.

Compact Easy to Store

If you want a large treadmill for running, the Umay U50 isn’t the right choice. This machine is compact because it has a short running belt suitable only for walking and jogging. Still, the upside of a short belt is that it keeps the size of the treadmill to a minimum.

The treadmill measures only 56″. It’s a short and narrow treadmill, making it easy to store.

You should easily be able to move this treadmill on your own, its fairly light and doesn’t take much effort moving it from room to room.

Thanks to the soft drop system, folding the treadmill is a breeze. Once you finish your workout, you can fold, tilt, roll, and store it against the wall of your bedroom in a few seconds, which is one of the big selling points of the U50.

Click To Check Price of Umay Fitness Treadmill on Amazon

Hydraulic Folding System (soft drop)

I wanted to talk a little more about the folding system on the Umay U50, as it includes one of my favorite folding systems. It’s a hydraulic folding system, a system we don’t usually find on the budget treadmills.

The reason I like this folding system so much is because it makes folding the treadmill so easy, as the hydraulics do all the work for you.

You can fold the running deck of the treadmill with just one finger, it’s that easy. And to unfold, just give it a light kick, and it automatically folds down. It’s a handy feature and great to see in this price range.

Short Running Belt – 44″

The length of the running belt determines who can use the treadmill and for what. The Umay Treadmill has a belt length of 44″, which isn’t the shortest out there. I’ve reviewed treadmills with as little as 36″, so 44″ isn’t too bad.

A 44″ belt is going to allow people up to 6ft to walk and jog on the Umay treadmill. Taller users can use the treadmill for walking as it requires a shorter stride, but not for jogging and running.

The 3HP motor is powerful enough for jogging but not running, and the belt length is too short for running anyway. Also, the belt is narrow, with a width of 16″. You need to be careful not to step off the side of the treadmill when jogging, it’s not such an issue when walking.

A 44″ length belt isn’t a deal breaker, short belts are expected in this price bracket, and if you want a compact, easy to store treadmill, short running belts are one of the compromises.

Monitor With Apps and 12 Workout Programs

I liked this monitor, especially the quick access buttons for speed and mode, which saves you from scrolling through annoying menus.

Also, you get 12 workout programs. Workout programs will challenge you and keep you coming back for more. Plus, they prevent some of the boredom of long cardio sessions.

The treadmill is compatible with two apps (Zwift & Kinomapp app)

Another nice feature is the second pair of speed buttons built into the handrails, it saves you from reaching to the monitor in the middle of a workout to adjust the speed.

It’s a simple, easy to use monitor, and it doesn’t take an hour to figure out how to use it. Just turn it on and get going. There’s nothing to set up. There are no advanced features like wireless heart rate monitoring, HD screens, and VR, but you wouldn’t expect there to be at this price.

What you have here is a user-friendly monitor with one-touch buttons and a few workout programs, plus it tracks all your essential workout stats like speed, time, distance, calories, and heart rate, which should be enough for most people.

There’s a phone/tablet holder and cup holders that are quite shallow, so be careful when using them.

Lastly, pulse sensors are built into the handrails to monitor pulse rate, It is a decent monitor, easy to use with a few useful features.

Protects Your Joints

The reason a lot of people buy a treadmill is they want to avoid running on high impact surfaces such as roads. Most good treadmills come with an anti-shock system built into the running deck of the treadmill.

Thankfully, the Umay treadmill has a pretty good one. Firstly, you have the multi-layered running belt, which cushions each foot strike, and you also have six rubber shock absorbers just under the running belt.

An anti-shock system such as this should reduce the impact of every foot strike by at least 20%, which is great for the joints in your knees and ankles.

20 Minutes Assembly

Assembly doesn’t take a long; it’s a small, lightweight treadmill, and most should be able to do this on their own. However, the box is quite large, and if you want to assemble this treadmill in a bedroom upstairs, I’d recommend you ask someone to help you get it up the stairs as the large box is awkward.

All the tools for assembling the Umay U50 treadmill are provided. Rather than me explaining how to assemble the treadmill, a video might be easier to understand. Please check the assembly video below.

Lastly, please remember to lubricate the running belt every two months for medium use.  A video below shows you how to lubricate the Umay U50 belt.

Umay U50 Assembly Video

Alternative

SereneLife Folding Treadmill

I’ve been reviewing SereneLife budget treadmills for years, and these guys have always shined in both quality and features.

The latest version of the SereneLife Folding treadmill includes an improved monitor. You now get a large 5″ LCD screen, which makes viewing workout stats easy, even when jogging. You also have 16 workout programs, large one-touch buttons, and speed controls built into the handlebars. It is an excellent monitor for a treadmill that’s still priced below $300

The build quality also sells this machine. It feels sturdy and doesn’t feel cheap like so many budget treadmills. It also boasts a 3-level manual incline, which again is impressive for a treadmill costing under $300.

The folding system is hydraulic, so it’s a breeze to fold and unfold. It’s also a compact machine, so just like the Umay treadmill, the SereneLife treadmill is a great choice for bedrooms, apartments, or anyone tight on space.

There is an impressive anti-shock system to protect your joints, and lastly, there is an app connection.

The only thing that lets the SereneLife treadmill down is the motor power, it’s slightly underpowered at just 1.5HP. There is enough power for walking and light jogging, but that is it. Still, for under $300, there have to be a few drawbacks. And the 1.5HP motor is the main drawback.

Overall a lot of bang for your buck, and the best you’ll find under $300

To Sum Up

After the initial shock of how small this treadmill is, I’m sure you’re going to like the U50 treadmill. it’s a sturdy, compact machine that’s going to fit anywhere.

I really liked the 3HP brushless motor, it’s a whisper quiet brushless motor, so you are not going to disturb your neighbors or anyone around you with your workouts.

Also, the monitor is decent for the price point with workout programs, heart rate monitoring, and access to fitness apps.

It’s great to see an incline feature with U50, which is probably the most important feature as it offers the most health benefits.

Overall a very easy to use machine, assembly is easy, and so is storage.

Sturdy, compact, and boasts the essential features you need for cardio workouts at home. Powerful enough for walking and jogging. It’s certainly one of the better ones I’ve reviewed in the under $400 price bracket.