Best Treadmill Desk

Do you spend most of your day at a deck? Are you finding it difficult to find the time to exercise? Then a treadmill desk might just be the answer. Work off those calories, stay fit, and meet those deadlines at the same time!

Standing desks are great for improving and maintaining a good posture but they don’t burn as much energy as a treadmill desk, which is an adapted computer desk that allows the user to walk on a treadmill while working at the desk. Also known as a walking desk or treadmill workstation, treadmill desks are a super solution to helping you move throughout the day, reach that 10,000-step goal, or simply stay fit while working at the same time.

1. Morning Walk
Treadmill desks are a great way of helping you move throughout the day. Morning Walk by Travis Wise, Mountain View, California /
Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Things to Consider When Shopping for a Treadmill Desk

Treadmill desks are designed differently from fitness treadmills in that they are made to be used daily for multiple hours at slow speeds. Due to this, tasks like talking on the phone, participating in conference calls, responding to emails, and typing are surprisingly easy. However, it is important to know that a treadmill desk is more than just a desk attached to a common fitness treadmill.

There are several factors to consider when shopping for a desk treadmill.

  •         Floor Space
  •         Noise
  •         Safety
  •         Usage
  •         Desk Type
  •         Warranty and Service
  •         Maintenance

1. Floor Space – How Much Space Do I Need for My Treadmill?

A treadmill desk has two separate components: the treadmill and a desk. In terms of space, you will need approximately six feet of space to accommodate the length of the treadmill with three feet of clearance space behind the treadmill. The treadmill can be paired with a standing desk that is 38-inches wide to 72-inches wide.

2. Noise – Will the Noise from My Treadmill Disturb Others?

It is important to take into consideration the noise factor of a treadmill in an open area in the workplace or while you are on a conference or telephone call. Like fitness treadmills, treadmill desks will produce noise from both the motor and the impact from your feet when you are walking.  

The movement of the treadmill while you are walking will also produce vibrations that will be felt on the desk. The best way to reduce the impact of noise and vibrations is to buy a treadmill desk of good quality with high-end components.

A high-quality treadmill desk should include a good suspension system with shocks to absorb the impact of walking and should be built with the desk and treadmill as separate components which eliminate the transfer of vibrations to the desktop surface.

2. Andrea Piacquadio

A high-quality treadmill desk should include a good suspension system with shocks to absorb the impact of walking. 

3. Safety – Is it Safe to Walk While Working?  

A common question is whether it is safe to walk while working and this depends on several things such as design, speed, step-up height, and incline. When using a treadmill desk while working there is always a risk of misstepping, losing balance, or slipping so it’s important to consider these factors.

a) Maximum Speed: The higher the speed produced by the treadmill desk, the greater the potential risk. If you are planning on using your treadmill desk in the workplace, then go for one with a maximum speed setting of 2.0 mph. If you are planning on using the treadmill desk at home, you may want to go for a slightly higher speed, but then be sure the machine has side rails.  

b) Side Rails: Side rails are an important safety component on treadmill desks as they can prevent users from falling onto the moving belt.

c) Incline: Most treadmill desks don’t come with incline capabilities as, according to ergonomists, walking at an incline takes your body out of a neutral position and places strain on your back and joints.

d) Auto Pause: Most treadmills have an auto-pause function that automatically turns the treadmill off once you step off it.

e) Walking Belt Markings: It’s good to get a desk treadmill

d) Step-Up Height: The closer the walking surface is to the ground the easier it is to get on and off your treadmill.

4. Maintenance

It is recommended that your desk treadmill be visually inspected and cleaned every three months. It is important to make sure the walking belt is correctly centered and machine parts well-lubricated. Basic maintenance will keep your treadmill in good condition and extend the lifetime of the machine.

Best Desk Treadmills

We hit the belt and tried and tested several models of desk treadmills and came up with this list of the best desk treadmills on the market.

Best Overall: RHYTHM FUN Treadmill 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill Under Desk Walking Treadmill

The RHYTHM FUN Treadmill 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill Under Desk Walking Treadmill is a dual-purpose treadmill that can be used as an under-desk treadmill or a standing desk treadmill with handrails. It has a maximum walking speed of 3.7 mph / 6 km/h and a running speed of 7.5 mph / 12 km/h and is very space-efficient, covering less than a square foot.  

This seven-inch thick desk treadmill is foldable and compact and has wheels that make it easy to move around and store. A strong high peak 3.0HP electric motorized DC power motor powers the desk treadmill, and a silicon structure honeycomb running board and large running belt provide a soft surface for walking and running.

A durable steel frame makes this desk treadmill very stable and the treadmill’s AIR shock reduction and noise reduction system makes it very quiet. Capable of accommodating walkers and runners of up to 265 pounds, the RHYTHM FUN Treadmill can be connected to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth so you can play music or watch TV when you aren’t working. A SMART workout app allows you to set a variety of training programs and track your progress. The RHYTHM FUN Treadmill comes with a 12-month warranty.

Pros

  •         Can be used for walking and running
  •         Stable, durable steel frame
  •         Strong high peak 3.0HP electric motorized DC power motor
  •         AIR shock reduction and noise reduction system
  •         SMART workout app with Bluetooth connection
  •         12-month warranty

Cons

  •         Expensive

Sale
RHYTHM FUN Treadmill 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill Under Desk Walking Treadmill with Foldable Handrail Wide Tread Belt Super Slim Mini Quiet Home Treadmill with Smart Remote Control and Workout App(Sliver)
  • 【2-in-1 Fitness Treadmill】---Walking & Running treadmill. Unlike normal treadmill, RHYTHM FUN treadmill can be used in 2 ways.When treadmill handrail folded, it becomes under desk treadmill or standing desk treadmill, you can walk while you work with the speed max to 3.7mph=6km/h. when handrail put up,you can run as normal with speed max to 7.5mph=12km/h.
  • 【Folding, Space-saving Treadmill】---7“thickness,97lb light weight, only covering less 0.3㎡ small space in your apartment room or office. Compact, foldable, and wheels on the treadmill make the treadmill easier to portable put away after use.Ideal for exercise fitness and home running in USA families.
  • 【Shock Absorption & Noise Reduction Design】---Strong max high peak 3.0HP electric motorized DC power motor,silicon structure honeycomb running board,7-level soft large running belt,durable steel frame make up the RHYTHM FUN treadmill's AIR shock reduction & noise reduction system.Less noise & safety make your running quiet & comfortable! No matter beginners or seniors within 265 LB!
  • 【Bluetooth Speaker, Smart Workout APP & Remote Controller】---- RHYTHM FUN treadmill can be connected phone with bluetooth, play music when running & walking , or watch TV by treadmill phone holder. Also,you can easily monitor and track your workout on smart workout APP & remote controller, setting all kinds favorite training program freely.
  • 【3 kinds Easy operate way,Needn't Assembly!】---Except for Remote & APP control, you can manual control treadmill! One-home button control! Easy& Quick! All treadmills with High Quality and have the 12 months warranty. Any questions or problems can be solved within 24 hours. Please buy it with your confidence!

Best Budget: Goplus 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill

This under-desk walking treadmill is a fantastic option if you are on a budget. The Goplus 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill has a maximum speed of 2.5 miles per hour when the handrail is lowered and up to eight miles per hour when it’s lifted. 

This innovative, folding treadmill is easy to install and has a folding design with built-in wheels that makes it easy to move and store.

The desk treadmill has a durable steel frame and multi-layer, shock-absorbing, and noise-reducing design, making it quiet to use. It is powered by a powerful and ultra-quiet 2.25HP motor and has a built-in Bluetooth speaker, a place to hold your phone, and remote control for adjusting speed.

A five-layer non-slip texture running belt offers a spacious area for walking and running and provides soft cushioning for your knees and a bright LED display clearly shows time, speed, distance, and calories spent.

Pros

  •         Durable steel frame
  •         Shock-absorbing and the noise-reducing design
  •         Remote control for adjusting speed
  •         Five-layer non-slip texture running belt

Sale
Goplus 2 in 1 Folding Treadmill, 2.25HP Superfit Under Desk Electric Treadmill, Installation-Free with Blue Tooth Speaker, Remote Control, APP Control and LED Display, Walking Jogging for Home Office
  • INNOVATIVE 2-IN-1 FOLDING TREADMILL -- Compared to ordinary treadmills, our 2-in-1 Superfit treadmill has 2 modes to meet your different sports needs. When the riser is folded, it can be used as a jogging machine at a speed of 0.6MPH-2.5MPH, when the handrail is raised, the running speed is 0.6MPH-7.5MPH, and the speed unit could be switched between mile and km in APP.
  • POWERFUL 2.25HP -- With a powerful and ultra-quiet 2.25HP motor, this Superfit treadmill allows you to walk or run without disturbing others, making it ideal for home and office use. With a sturdy and durable steel frame and multi-layer shield design, it's shock-absorbing and noise-reducing, making your running quieter, safer and more comfortable.
  • NON-SLIP RUNNING BELT & MULTIFUNCTIONAL LED DISPLAY -- The 5-layer non-slip texture running belt features a spacious running area(40" x16"), providing an effective and safe cushion for your knees and muscles for a superior running experience. The LED display clearly shows time, speed, distance and calories, monitoring your progress in real time and keeping your movement data at a glance.
  • WITH BLUETOOTH SPEAKER, PHONE HOLDER, REMOTE CONTROL -- Connect the Superfit treadmill to your phone through Bluetooth, so you can play music while you are exercising. You can also use the phone holder to watch videos or chat with friends. The remote control (BATTERY NOT INCLUDED) is convenient to adjust the speed of movement and stop instantly.
  • EASY TO MOVE AND STORE -- The compact, foldable design and built-in transport wheels make it easy to move and store this under desk treadmill to save space. And it's out of the box and doesn't need to be installed.(HANDLES NEED TO BE REMOVED BEFORE FOLDING)

Best for Upright Storage: UMAY Portable Treadmill

The UMAY Portable Treadmill is a lightweight, under-the-desk treadmill that is just six inches thick with wheels, which makes it one of the easiest desk treadmills to store upright. It has a multi-layered shock-absorbing running belt and a quiet motor that produces a maximum speed of four miles per hour.

The SMART treadmill has six-speed options that allow you to take a slow walk or easy jog and a LED display with programs that make the workout extremely effective. A 1.5HP Pulse Maximum Motor is very quiet and the treadmill has a weight capacity of up to 198 pounds. A walking area of 41″×16″ offers plenty of space to exercise and the shock absorption design is soft on the knees.

A remote control controls the treadmill and can be connected to the SPAX App, which offers professional coaches, class videos, and free courses.

Pros

  •         Lightweight and easy to store
  •         Shock-absorbing and the noise-reducing design
  •         Remote control for adjusting speed
  •         Spacious running belt with cushioning

Sale
WalkingPad Folding Treadmill, Ultra Slim Foldable Treadmill Smart Fold Walking Pad Portable Safety Non Holder Gym and Running Device P1 Grey 0.5-3.72MPH
  • Ultra Slim Foldable Running Board For Easy Storage: This WalkingPad foldable treadmill P1 adopts ultra slim high strength aluminum frame design with patented hinged folding running board, the size of this walking pad is 57inch x 21.5inch and only 32inch x 21.5inch when folding, the thickness of this pad is just 2.25inch equal to the thickness of the door, it can be easily hidden under the sofa or bed, it is only 62lbs for you to take away.
  • Smart Gravity Foot Sensing Speed Control: To avoid fall down risk on the speed walking pad, this foldable treadmill P1 built with high sensitive gravity sensors to support speed control, you will easy to feel the front accelerate area, middle uniform speed area and back decelerate area, and the whole process is automatically controlled by your foot position.
  • Exquisite Remote Control With High Definition Monitor: This WalkingPad treadmill P1 uses wireless remote control which is creative designed with finger-feel key and high definition screen, you can use this remote to do on/off, manual/automatic, accelerate/decelerate, start/pause function and also with the speed/time/millage/calories display, the speed accuracy is +/- 0.5MPH and range is 0.5~4MPH, and this walking pad is not only used in walking but also widely used in jogging.
  • Durable Walking Pad With High Technology Material: This smart WalkingPad treadmill P1 is made of high strength die-casting aluminum (frame), patent wear-resisting material (EVA buffer layer), high density wooden board (running board), durable plastic cover, high friction PVC belt (running belt), durable ABS protective bar (side bar), all the parts pass the strictly quality test and machine aging test, which could be used for long time with high frequency.
  • Customer First, Services Foremost: WalkingPad always aim at providing the best products and top service for every buyer friends, if you aren’t satisfied with the foldable walking pad P1 for any reason, just reach out to us and we'll be happy to resolve any issues you may face. Our average response time is 12 hrs or less.

WALKINGPAD P1 Smart Desk Treadmill

The WALKINGPAD P1 Smart Desk Treadmill is a super-sleek treadmill that is very compact and easy to slide beneath a couch or a desk. The desk treadmill has a height of just five inches and its award-winning design features a sturdy stainless-steel frame and an ultra-quiet motor that is perfect for an office setting.

This WALKINGPAD P1 Smart Desk Treadmill has a patented hinged folding running board and a 2.25-inch running pad that can accommodate up to 66 pounds. The machine has Smart Gravity Foot Sensing Speed Control, which features highly sensitive gravity sensors to support the speed control. This allows the user to feel the front accelerate area, middle uniform speed area, and back decelerate area, all of which can be automatically controlled by your foot position.

This WalkingPad treadmill P1 uses wireless remote control with a high-definition screen and a finger-feel key that can control acceleration and deceleration, starting and pausing, and show calorie expenditure, speed, time, and mileage.

The desk treadmill features a high-strength die-casting aluminum frame, a high-density wooden running board, a high-friction PVC running belt, a durable ABS protective sidebar, and an EVA patent wear-resisting buffer layer.

Pros

  •         Award-winning design
  •         Smart Gravity Foot Sensing Speed Control
  •         Wireless remote control with HD screen
  •         Durable ABS protective sidebar

Cons

  •         Low weight capacity

Sale
WalkingPad Folding Treadmill, Ultra Slim Foldable Treadmill Smart Fold Walking Pad Portable Safety Non Holder Gym and Running Device P1 Grey 0.5-3.72MPH
  • Ultra Slim Foldable Running Board For Easy Storage: This WalkingPad foldable treadmill P1 adopts ultra slim high strength aluminum frame design with patented hinged folding running board, the size of this walking pad is 57inch x 21.5inch and only 32inch x 21.5inch when folding, the thickness of this pad is just 2.25inch equal to the thickness of the door, it can be easily hidden under the sofa or bed, it is only 62lbs for you to take away.
  • Smart Gravity Foot Sensing Speed Control: To avoid fall down risk on the speed walking pad, this foldable treadmill P1 built with high sensitive gravity sensors to support speed control, you will easy to feel the front accelerate area, middle uniform speed area and back decelerate area, and the whole process is automatically controlled by your foot position.
  • Exquisite Remote Control With High Definition Monitor: This WalkingPad treadmill P1 uses wireless remote control which is creative designed with finger-feel key and high definition screen, you can use this remote to do on/off, manual/automatic, accelerate/decelerate, start/pause function and also with the speed/time/millage/calories display, the speed accuracy is +/- 0.5MPH and range is 0.5~4MPH, and this walking pad is not only used in walking but also widely used in jogging.
  • Durable Walking Pad With High Technology Material: This smart WalkingPad treadmill P1 is made of high strength die-casting aluminum (frame), patent wear-resisting material (EVA buffer layer), high density wooden board (running board), durable plastic cover, high friction PVC belt (running belt), durable ABS protective bar (side bar), all the parts pass the strictly quality test and machine aging test, which could be used for long time with high frequency.
  • Customer First, Services Foremost: WalkingPad always aim at providing the best products and top service for every buyer friends, if you aren’t satisfied with the foldable walking pad P1 for any reason, just reach out to us and we'll be happy to resolve any issues you may face. Our average response time is 12 hrs or less.

Best Integrated Desktop: FUNMILY Treadmill Desk

The FUNMILY Treadmill Desk is one of the few desk treadmills that has an integrated desk. The desk has an integrated tablet holder, plenty of space for a laptop, and two cup holders. A 2.25 HP motor runs 12 preset programs and three count-down modes and 60 minutes of walking or running between speeds from 0.5 to 7.5 mph.

This compact, folding treadmill features a 40″ x 16.5″ spacious running area and a non-slip textured running belt that absorbs impacts and protects your knees. A large high-definition screen that shows total distance, time, speed, calories burned, and heart rate, as well as Bluetooth speakers that can be paired with SMART devices.

The treadmill has a convenient folding design and wheels that allow it to be transported and stored easily. It is easy to set up and assemble and is available in gold, silver, and gray.

Pros

  •         Convenient, folding design
  •         Integrated desk
  •         Spacious running area and cushioned running belt
  •         Large high-definition screen

Cons

  •         Expensive

Best Safety Features: Sunny Health & Fitness Walkstation

The Sunny Health & Fitness Walkstation is an affordable, reliable, and safe desk treadmill with an array of safety features. The best safety feature is that the treadmill automatically pauses if no user is detected after five seconds. It also has a power-saving mode that turns on when the machine has been idle for more than 10 seconds to save energy.

The Sunny Health & Fitness Walkstation includes a wireless remote control to conveniently adjust the intensity of your workout and a large 14 x 5 in digital monitor shows calories burned, speed, distance, and time. Built-in shock absorbers make walking or running easy on the knees and joints, and wheels make this slimline model easy to move, transport, and store.

Pros

  •         Great safety features
  •         Automatic pause feature
  •         Wireless remote control
  •         Built-in shock absorbers

Sale
Sunny Health & Fitness Walkstation Slim Flat Treadmill for Under Desk and Home - SF-T7945,Black
  • FLAT UNDERDESK DESIGN: The Walkstation Slim Treadmill allows you to work up a sweat just about anywhere. Slide it under a desk to stay fit and productive at the same time
  • MEASURE YOUR PERFORMANCE: Measure your Time, Speed, Calories Burned, Steps and Distance on the large 14 x 5 in digital monitor.
  • REMOTE CONTROL: Conveniently adjust the intensity of your workout with the included remote control. Running surface-39L x 14W in
  • UP TO 3. 75 MPH: Get a consistent and steady exercise with speeds of 0. 5 – 3. 75 MPH.
  • SHOCK ABSORPTION: Go easy on your knees, feet and joints with the treadmill’s built in shock absorbers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should you buy the treadmill and desk separately, or purchase the all-in-one package?

This depends on whether you already own a treadmill. If you already own a treadmill, it might make sense to purchase a desk and fit it to the treadmill, however, it can be difficult to find the right fit. If you want a good model that works efficiently, it may be a good idea to sell you a standard treadmill and purchase a desk treadmill. This way you will have a warranty on both the desk and treadmill.

How many hours does a treadmill last?

A new desk treadmill can be operated for four to six hours each day and if correctly maintained, can last up to 10 years with only minor replacements such as belt and bearing replacement.

Can you place an ergonomic mat on the treadmill for just standing?

Yes, you can. Desk treadmills do not only have to be used for walking or jogging. Ergonomic mats can help relieve some of the strain on the ankles, knees and lower back and standing is healthier than sitting.

Best Desk Treadmill 1 Best Desk Treadmill 2