The StairMaster 4G, 8Gx and 10G are all Gauntlet stepmills — revolving staircases you genuinely climb — but they are built for three different jobs. The 4G is the compact machine for rooms with a standard ceiling, the 8Gx is the commercial workhorse, and the 10G is the flagship with OverDrive loaded-climb training.
The short answer: buy the 4G (from £3,495) for a home gym, hotel or private studio with a ceiling of at least 2.44m. Buy the 8Gx (from £4,995) for any gym with paying members. Buy the 10G (from £7,375) only if you will use OverDrive or want the deepest steps and longest parts warranty in the range.
Key takeaways
Size, speed, step geometry and warranty. All three use the same revolving-staircase principle; the differences decide where each machine belongs. Every figure below is taken from our product specifications.
| StairMaster 4G | StairMaster 8Gx | StairMaster 10G | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,495 – £4,995 | £4,995 – £6,495 | £7,375 – £8,895 |
| Recommended ceiling | 2.44m | 3.05m (10ft) | 3.05m (10ft) |
| Dimensions (L × W × H) | 137 × 74 × 163cm | 147 × 86 × 203cm | 160 × 86 × 210cm |
| Step-up height | 36cm (14in) | 23cm (9in) | 23cm (9in) |
| Step surface | 27 × 46cm | 25cm deep × 56cm wide | 30cm deep × 56cm wide |
| Step height | 15cm | 20cm | 20cm |
| Step rate | 24–162 steps/min, 20 levels | 24–190 steps/min, 25 levels | 24–190 steps/min, 25 levels |
| Machine weight | 158kg | 226kg | 293kg |
| Max user weight | 159kg (350lbs) | 181kg (400lbs) | 181kg (400lbs) |
| Power | See product page | 12V / 5A supply | 12V / 5A supply |
| Warranty | Light commercial: 10 years frame, 1 year parts and labour, 1 year wear items | 10 years frame, 2 years parts, 2 years labour | 10 years frame, 5 years parts and labour |
| Signature feature | Fits a 2.44m ceiling | Built for heavy shared use | OverDrive Training Mode |
For how the Gauntlets sit alongside the FreeClimber and the HIIT Bike, see our complete StairMaster buyer's guide.
StairMaster 4G Gauntlet StepmillFrom £3,495View product →
StairMaster 8Gx Gauntlet StepmillFrom £4,995View product →
Because it is a smaller staircase. The 4G stands 163cm tall against 203cm for the 8Gx and 210cm for the 10G, and its steps are 15cm high rather than 20cm, so the working position at the top of the staircase sits lower.
That is what brings its recommended ceiling down to 2.44m, against 3.05m for the two full-size Gauntlets. The figure allows for a user standing on the top step, so measure at the exact spot the machine will stand, and allow more if your tallest user is much over 6ft.
The trade-off is the step itself. The 4G's step surface is 27 × 46cm, against 56cm wide on the 8Gx and 10G, and its first step-up is 36cm rather than 23cm. For most home users that is unnoticeable; for bigger users or long commercial sessions, the wider staircase matters. The full measuring process is in our StairMaster ceiling height guide.
In a light commercial setting, yes; in a membership gym, no. The 4G carries a light commercial warranty for non-membership facilities operating under 8 hours per day: 10 years on the structural frame, 1 year parts and labour, and 1 year on wear items.
That makes it a good fit for hotel gyms, residential and apartment gyms, corporate fitness rooms and private PT studios — spaces with controlled access and modest daily use. It is not the machine for a public floor where members queue for it from 6am to 10pm.
This is the decision buyers most often get wrong. The 4G is well built, but a membership gym running one outside its warranty terms is carrying the risk itself. If people pay to use your facility, the 8Gx is the entry point.
Commercial duty, a bigger staircase and a wider speed range. The 8Gx is built from rust-free polypropylene around an all-new drive train, and it is designed for a busy shared floor rather than controlled use.
What you give up is room. The 8Gx needs 3.05m of ceiling, a 147 × 86cm footprint and a 12V/5A power supply at the machine's position.
Three things: OverDrive, deeper steps and a longer parts warranty. The ceiling height, step rate, user weight and power requirement are the same as the 8Gx.
OverDrive Training Mode simulates a sled push and a farmer's carry up stairs — loaded-climb work that nothing else on a standard gym floor replicates. It is the reason athlete-facing facilities, tactical and emergency-services training centres buy the 10G.
Deeper steps. The 10G's eight-step staircase has 30cm-deep treads against 25cm on the 8Gx. On long sessions and for bigger feet, that extra depth is the difference between placing the foot and hunting for the step.
Longer warranty. 5 years parts and labour against 2 years on the 8Gx, both on top of the 10-year frame warranty. On a machine running all day, that gap is worth pricing in.
If none of that applies to your members, the 8Gx delivers the same core workout for £2,380 less at the standard console.
StairMaster 10G Gauntlet StepmillFrom £7,375View product →All StairMaster machinesFrom £1,640View range →
Each model offers a standard console and a touchscreen, and the climbing mechanism is the same either way.
| Model | Standard console | Touchscreen console | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4G | 10" LCD — £3,495 | 15" Apex Touch Screen — £4,995 | £1,500 |
| 8Gx | LED Display — £4,995 | 16" Apex HD Touchscreen Display — £6,495 | £1,500 |
| 10G | Apex LED Display — £7,375 | 16" Apex HD Touchscreen Display — £8,895 | £1,520 |
The standard console suits home gyms and working PT studios: it tracks every key metric and has less to fail on a machine in daily use. The touchscreen adds connected workouts and entertainment, which earns its place in hotels, boutiques and premium gyms where the screen is part of the member experience.
The 8Gx and 10G also include the Landmark Challenge programme, with virtual climbs of the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Taj Mahal.
Match the machine to who uses it and how often. This is the rule we apply when buyers ask.
| Setting | Recommended model | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Home gym, standard ceiling | 4G | Only Gauntlet that fits 2.44m |
| Home gym, 3.05m+ ceiling | 4G or 8Gx | 8Gx for wider steps, faster top speed and bigger users |
| Hotel, apartment or corporate gym | 4G | Non-membership, controlled daily use |
| Private PT studio | 4G or 8Gx | 4G under 8 hours a day; 8Gx for heavier use |
| Independent or chain membership gym | 8Gx | Warranted for shared commercial use |
| Performance, athletic or tactical facility | 10G | OverDrive loaded-climb training |
If your ceiling is below 2.44m, none of the Gauntlets will fit. The FC 8 Series FreeClimber moves pedals beneath you instead of lifting you onto a staircase, so it fits rooms a stepmill cannot.
More than its footprint. The machines themselves take 1.01m² (4G), 1.26m² (8Gx) and 1.38m² (10G), but that excludes room to step on and off at the back and to stand alongside.
For a commercial floor, Sport England's fitness space design guidance recommends planning on 5m² per piece of equipment, with circulation in the cardio area of 1.75 times the machine footprint. Our guide to planning a commercial cardio floor applies those figures in full.
Weight is the other check. At 158kg, 226kg and 293kg before a user steps on, the Gauntlets are fine on a ground-floor slab; on a suspended timber floor or upstairs room, have the loading checked first.
For time-efficient conditioning, the evidence is good. Allison and colleagues, publishing in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in 2017, studied 31 sedentary young women. Three 60-second bouts of hard stair climbing, three days a week for six weeks, improved peak oxygen uptake — around 30 minutes of training a week in total.
That is the case for a stepmill over a treadmill in a busy gym: a short session produces a hard workout without the impact of running. It is also why the step rate matters — the 8Gx and 10G's 190 steps per minute gives fitter users headroom the 4G's 162 does not.
On a commercial floor, the product standard is ISO 20957-8:2017, which covers steppers, stairclimbers and climbers specifically. Equipment used at work also falls under the HSE's Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, so plan a documented inspection routine for the step chain and drive.
Send us your ceiling height at the machine's position, your floor area and who will use it, and we'll confirm which Gauntlet fits before you order. Free UK delivery on every StairMaster. Business finance available on orders from £5,000.
See the StairMaster range → Call 0333 880 3211The one their room allows. The most recent Gauntlet bought straight through our checkout was a 4G with the 10" LCD console — the model that clears a standard-height room, with the console that has least to go wrong.
That matches the conversations we have. Buyers usually arrive asking about the 8Gx or 10G, then measure the ceiling and find 3.05m rules them out at home. For commercial buyers it runs the other way: the warranty terms, not the price, move them from the 4G up to the 8Gx.
So decide in this order: ceiling, then who uses it and how often, then console. The model usually picks itself.
Which StairMaster Gauntlet has the widest steps? The 8Gx and 10G both have 56cm-wide steps, against 46cm on the 4G. The 10G's steps are also the deepest in the range at 30cm, against 25cm on the 8Gx and 27cm on the 4G. Wider, deeper steps matter most for bigger users and long sessions, where foot placement becomes a limiting factor.
What is OverDrive Training Mode on the StairMaster 10G? OverDrive simulates a sled push and a farmer's carry up stairs, adding the resistance of a load to the climb. It is only available on the 10G, and it is the main reason to choose the 10G over the 8Gx. It suits athletes, tactical and emergency-services training and anyone building loaded hill or stair capacity.
Can a heavier user train on the StairMaster 4G? The 4G is rated to a maximum user weight of 159kg (350lbs). The 8Gx and 10G are both rated to 181kg (400lbs). If any regular user is near the 4G's limit, or you are equipping a mixed commercial floor, choose the 8Gx or 10G.
How fast do the StairMaster Gauntlets go? The 4G runs from 24 to 162 steps per minute across 20 levels. The 8Gx and 10G both run from 24 to 190 steps per minute across 25 levels, and the 10G's 16" Apex HD Touchscreen adjusts in single-step increments. Beginners will not notice the difference; very fit users will use the extra top speed.
Do the StairMaster 8Gx and 10G need a power socket? Yes. Both require a 12V/5A power supply, so plan a socket at the machine's position before delivery rather than running a lead across the floor where users step off. Put the socket and the machine on the floor plan at the same time.
How heavy are the StairMaster Gauntlets? The 4G weighs 158kg, the 8Gx 226kg and the 10G 293kg, and the 10G ships at 366kg. On a ground-floor concrete slab that is not an issue. On a suspended timber floor, an upstairs room or a mezzanine, check the loading first, because a climbing user adds a moving load on a small footprint.
Which StairMaster Gauntlet is best for a PT studio? The 4G for a private studio running fewer than 8 hours a day, because its light commercial warranty covers non-membership facilities at that level of use. If the studio runs longer hours, operates on a membership basis or trains bigger clients, choose the 8Gx, which is warranted for heavier shared use and rated to 181kg.
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Pro Gym Essentials — premium home and commercial gym equipment, delivered across the UK. Specifications and prices taken from our live product pages, 26 September 2026.
