Tech
Peloton's less-dangerous new Tread will be available next week
The revised design includes a range of safety features that should've been included in the original.
Peloton’s entry-level smart treadmill, the Tread, has been off the market since early May. The inability to buy one may have frustrated would-be customers over the summer months — but the recall was certainly for the best, given that the Tread had a tendency to put children and pets in mortal danger. Not exactly a piece of equipment you’d want to voluntarily put in your home.
After three months of deep, existential contemplation, Peloton is officially ready to re-introduce the Tread to the world. The new, (hopefully) safer Tread will be available for purchase beginning Monday, August 30, according to the Peloton website. At launch, the Tread will be available in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., for $2,495 (or $3,295 CAD / £2,295).
The new Tread will look and feel very familiar to anyone who’s used the original treadmill; as far as we can tell it’s identical in just about every regard except for a couple of new safety features. And “safety” really is the keyword here: Peloton’s press release mentions it eight times... and it’s not a very long press release.
Safety is key — “Our goal is to be the go-to fitness solution and the largest and safest home fitness brand in the world,” Peloton CEO John Foley says in the release. “We'll always continue to innovate our hardware, software and safety features to live up to our commitment to member safety and to improving the full member experience."
The new Tread requires a four-digit Tread Lock code to unlock it before working out. Tread Lock was rolled out a few months ago for existing Tread+ customers and briefly bricked treadmills for customers who didn’t subscribe to Peloton All Access. Now it’s not an optional feature, subscribers and non-subscribers alike won’t be able to exercise without it.
Peloton’s also included a new safety key with the lock that can be removed to quickly stop during a run or class. It can be taken with you and hidden away from children to stop unintended usage.
The new Tread’s 28.8-inch touchscreen is also better secured to the rest of the treadmill — this should stop it from falling off while people are running, which was yet another reason Peloton was forced to recall the Tread.
Refunds, repairs, and rowing — Peloton faced some pretty severe backlash after initially choosing not to recall the Tread, despite the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recommendations. Now that Peloton has fessed up to just how poor that response was, it’s focused on repairing the public’s trust in it.
Complete refunds are available for anyone who purchased the Tread+ all the way through November of next year. Peloton is also offering free touchscreen repairs for those who would like to keep using their original Tread.
Peloton’s planned comeback also includes the introduction of a new internet-connected rowing machine. The company hasn’t officially announced the addition to its lineup, yet, though a recent update to the Peloton Android app all but confirmed it’s coming soon.
