Echelon Fitness Launches New At-Home Device In UK

The Stride Treadmill can automatically fold to just 10 inches thick and 70 inches tall when not in use, and follows the success of Echelon’s Connect Bikes and Smart Rower.
The auto-fold treadmill is the Tennessee-based brand’s first launch since the company completed a $65 million financing round at the start of 2021.
Echelon Fitness membership base grew five times between the end of 2019 and September 2020, with sales increasing eightfold.

LONDON, United Kingdom — This month, US-based home fitness brand Echelon Fitness launched its patented auto-fold Stride Treadmill in the UK, as its President spoke of an “exciting new chapter” for its global communities.

The launch follows the success of Echelon’s Connect Bikes and Smart Rower in the UK and represents a move to consolidate its overseas presence as lockdown restrictions ease and competition from rival at-home fitness brands intensifies.

With versatility and convenience in mind, the Stride Treadmill can automatically fold to just 10 inches (26cm) thick and 70 inches (176cm) tall when not in use, and it connects via Bluetooth to the Echelon Fit App for live and on-demand running-based fitness classes.

Users can also compete against their friends or the global Echelon community on a real-time leaderboard, and receive personalised performance reports after each run.

No compromise in quality and design
The Stride Treadmill is the Tennessee-based brand’s first launch since the company completed a $65 million financing round at the start of 2021, following a year of meteoric growth sparked by the pandemic.

Speaking on the Stride Treadmill launch, Angelo Ramsbott, President at Echelon Fitness said: “Following the success of Stride in the US, we’re delighted to now bring the product to UK consumers.

“Convenience and accessibility have always been things we stand by in everything we do, and the Stride is proof once again that these things needn’t come at a compromise in terms of quality and design.”

He added: “The vision has always been to support and champion our global communities with the very best workout solutions, and in the UK this is an exciting next chapter in doing just that.”

The Echelon Stride Treadmill costs £1,599 and a subscription to the brand’s hub of live and on-demand workouts across its range of equipment starts from £24.99 a month.

Echelon Fitness launched its patented auto-fold Stride Treadmill in the UK — Image: Echelon

Critical time for at-home fitness brands
Echelon Fitness has traditionally positioned itself as a more affordable alternative to sector leader Peloton.

However, a raft of new connected fitness brands has emerged — partly as a consequence of the pandemic — that are now jostling for the same home-workout savvy consumers.

In the US, Mirror, Hydrow, Tonal, Tempo and Forme Life have each provided a new dimension for at-home fitness habits. In Europe, smart mirror startup VAHA has just launched in the UK after success in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Later this year KettlebellConnect inventor JAXJOX is also set to debut a new InteractiveStudio which combines the equivalent of six kettlebells, 15 dumbbells and up to 64.5kg of adjustable weights in one compact unit.

“The competition has been very exclusive, while we’ve been very inclusive. [Brands like Peloton] have gone after the 1%, we’re going after the 99%,” Lou Lentine, CEO of Echelon Fitness told Welltodo last year.

With lockdowns easing, vaccine rollout accelerating and gyms reopening, the next few months will be critical for at-home fitness brands to prove they are worth investing in for the long haul.