The best treadmill in the DeerRun range and arguably the best value running treadmill in the UK. 15% auto incline, 11.2 mph, 181 kg capacity, folds to just 7 inches thin. No subscription required.
Updated April 2026
DeerRun X20
Buy direct from DeerRun UK. Free delivery. 60-day hassle-free returns. Up to 2-year warranty.
Pay in 3 interest-free instalments with Klarna
DeerRun X20 Review: The Spec Sheet That Shouldn’t Exist at This Price
On paper, the DeerRun X20 doesn’t make sense. A treadmill with 15% automatic incline, 11.2 mph top speed, and a 181 kg weight capacity that folds to 7 inches thin and costs a fraction of what NordicTrack charges for similar specs. There has to be a catch.
There are catches, and we’ll get to them. But the X20 is still, genuinely, one of the most impressive value propositions in the UK treadmill market right now. If you go in with your eyes open about the warranty, the brand’s maturity, and the belt size, you’ll get a machine that punches well above its price point.
The 15% auto incline is the headline
Most treadmills under £1,000 offer 10-12% incline, and many of those are manual (you stop the belt, bend down, adjust the legs). The X20 does 15% automatic, controlled from the touchscreen or via the PitPat app. You press a button and the deck tilts. No stopping, no bending, no Allen wrenches.
For context, the NordicTrack T8 offers 12% at more than double the typical X20 price. The NordicTrack Commercial 1750 at £1,999 matches the X20’s 15%. Getting commercial-level incline at this price point is genuinely unusual.
Walking at 4 mph on 12% incline will have most people breathing harder than jogging on flat. At 15%, it’s a serious cardiovascular challenge. If you do incline walking for fat burn (the increasingly popular 12-3-30 style workouts), the X20 gives you more room to progress than almost anything else at its price.
The running belt: honest assessment
The belt measures 130 × 45 cm. That’s the same length as the NordicTrack T5 (£699) but 1 cm narrower. For walking and jogging, it’s fine. For running at pace if you’re over 5 ft 10, the 45 cm width starts to feel tight. Your feet don’t have the margin that a 51 cm NordicTrack or 55 cm JTX Sprint deck provides.
For the average UK buyer (walking, jogging, occasional running, under 5 ft 10), the 130 × 45 cm belt is perfectly adequate. For taller runners who train at speed regularly, the belt size is the main reason to consider spending more on a JTX Sprint 7 (152 × 51 cm) or NordicTrack T8 (152 × 51 cm) instead.
Speed and motor
The 11.2 mph (18 kph) top speed covers everything from a gentle walk to a fast run. DeerRun doesn’t publish CHP motor ratings the way NordicTrack and JTX do, so direct motor comparisons are impossible. What reviewers consistently report is that the motor handles speed transitions smoothly and runs quietly at walking and jogging speeds. At higher running speeds, motor noise increases but remains manageable for home use.
The brushless motor is a positive sign. Brushless motors are more efficient, run cooler, produce less noise, and last longer than brushed alternatives. NordicTrack uses brushless motors in their Commercial range; DeerRun using one at this price point is noteworthy.
Folding: genuinely impressive
The X20 folds to just 7.3 inches (18.6 cm) thin. That’s thinner than most sofa cushions. You can slide it under a bed, behind a sofa, into a wardrobe, or stand it upright against a wall. Built-in wheels make repositioning easy. A soft-drop mechanism prevents the deck from slamming down when unfolding.
This is dramatically more compact than a traditional fold-up treadmill like the NordicTrack T Series, which still has a substantial upright footprint when folded. If storage space is a genuine constraint, the X20’s flat-fold is one of the best solutions on the market.
Inverse walking mode
The X20 includes a backward walking mode at low speeds on incline. Walking backwards on an incline engages different muscle groups (particularly the quads and calves) and reduces knee joint stress compared to forward walking. It’s used in physiotherapy and rehabilitation settings.
Whether you’ll actually use it is another question. Most buyers won’t. But if you have knee issues or you’re interested in varied training, it’s a feature you won’t find on NordicTrack or JTX machines at any price.
PitPat app: free, but basic
PitPat is DeerRun’s free fitness app. It connects via Bluetooth for workout tracking, gamification, virtual races, and leaderboards. It’s free, which immediately differentiates it from iFIT (£15-39/month) and Peloton (£12.99/month). Over three years of ownership, that’s £540-1,400 saved versus a NordicTrack with iFIT.
The flip side: PitPat is not as polished or content-rich as iFIT. The interface feels mobile-first, the virtual worlds aren’t as immersive, and the connection can be inconsistent. If you’re the type who just wants to press start and run, PitPat’s limitations won’t bother you because you’ll never open it. If guided content and production quality matter, iFIT or Zwift are superior platforms.
The warranty question
DeerRun’s warranty tops out at 2 years. The NordicTrack T8 comes with a lifetime frame and 10-year motor warranty (with registration). The JTX Sprint 7 comes with a 3-year in-home repair and 10-year parts warranty. At the X20’s price point, the shorter warranty is more acceptable because you’re risking less money. But if you plan to use this treadmill daily for 5+ years, the established brands offer significantly more peace of mind.
The 60-day return policy partially offsets this. You get two months to test the machine properly, which is long enough to identify any issues. Use it.
How does it compare?
| Spec | DeerRun X20 | NordicTrack T5 | JTX RunRise XL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed | 11.2 mph | 10 mph | 12.4 mph |
| Incline | 15% auto | 10% | 10% |
| Belt size | 130 × 45 cm | 130 × 46 cm | 150 × 50 cm |
| Max user | 181 kg | 113 kg | ~120 kg |
| Folding | Flat (7.3″ thin) | Upright | Flat-fold |
| App | PitPat (free) | iFIT (optional) | Zwift/Kinomap |
| Warranty | Up to 2 years | Lifetime frame + 10yr* | Lifetime frame + 5yr |
The X20 wins on incline (15% vs 10%), max user weight (181 kg vs 113-120 kg), and price. The JTX RunRise XL wins on belt size and speed. The NordicTrack T5 wins on warranty and brand reliability. All three are good treadmills for different priorities.
What we like
- 15% auto incline at a price where most offer 10-12%
- 181 kg max user weight is the highest at this price
- Folds to 7.3 inches thin with soft-drop mechanism
- 11.2 mph covers walking through to proper running
- PitPat app is free, no subscription pressure
- Brushless motor for quieter, more efficient operation
- Inverse walking mode for varied training
- 60-day returns give you proper testing time
What could be better
- 130 × 45 cm belt is tight for taller runners at speed
- Max 2-year warranty vs 10+ years from NordicTrack/JTX
- No CHP motor rating published for comparison
- PitPat app is basic compared to iFIT or Zwift
- Mixed after-sales reviews on Trustpilot
- DeerRun is still building its long-term reliability track record
- No decline training
Our verdict
The X20 is the best treadmill DeerRun makes and one of the most impressive value propositions in the UK market. Getting 15% auto incline, 11.2 mph, and a 181 kg weight capacity at this price would have been unthinkable two years ago. The catches are real: the belt is narrower than NordicTrack and JTX equivalents, the warranty is shorter, and the brand is still proving itself long-term. But if budget is the primary factor and you want a serious running treadmill rather than just a walking machine, the X20 delivers more hardware per pound than anything else we’ve reviewed.
Buy the DeerRun X20
Buy direct from DeerRun UK. Free delivery. 60-day hassle-free returns.
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More DeerRun: Every DeerRun Treadmill Compared | X50 Review | A1 Pro Review | DeerRun Walking Pads
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