Working long hours at the office can have a serious impact on your health. Combining work with exercise using an under desk treadmill (sometimes called a standing desk treadmill) is a great way to multitask and reap the benefits on offer.
Under desk treadmill concept
If you are a little unfamiliar with the concept of a treadmill under your desk the idea is pretty simple. You may have seen or heard of a standing desk. Many people choose to use a standing desk at the office to avoid back pain issues caused by sitting all day.
Personally I suffered with back pain for years. The cause was obvious, slouching over a computer desk for several hours a day. Having tried different office chairs and lumbar supports I had mixed results.
Then a friend of mine suggested a standing desk. I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised. I got more work done, had more energy and my back pain eased a lot. It’s such a simple idea but it makes such a huge impact.
Anyway, after a little while, I started to think maybe I could step things up a notch. So I checked out some standing desk treadmills on Amazon. Since I already had a standing desk I just needed the treadmill part. Long story short I love it.
Does it make a difference?
I now walk on the treadmill at my desk for anywhere between 3 and 4 hours of my working day. It keeps me alert and my energy levels are great. They say the simplest solutions are the best and adding this extra activity to my work day has helped me burn off a few extra pounds too so its a win win.
There are many fans of combining exercise with work. Plenty of real life examples to show it works.
So with all that in mind I have put together this guide and review for you of some great options available from Amazon in the standing desk treadmill range.
Keep reading right to the end and I’ll tell you which one I use and give you an extra handy tip you might find helpful.
Before we get started check out this quick video from Lifespan on treadmill desks:
LifeSpan TR1200-DT3
- Console readouts include: distance traveled, calories burned, walk and run time, step count and...
- Dimensions - Treadmill: 63" L x 28.5" W x 7.25" H | Console: 12.5” W x 3” D x 2” H | Belt...
- Treadmill has portable wheels for lightweight mobility providing space saving and storable...
- Step up height belt 4.6 inch, side rails 5.25 inch, Console-2.9 pounds
- Fully assembled out of the box
This is the first of two Lifespan models in this guide. Of the two we are looking at this is the cheaper of the two. Lifespan themselves recommend this model for what they call moderate users.
Like its sister products the Tr5000 it comes with a three year warranty and no assembly required. Just open the box and off you go.
All in all its a great model. It has a user weight limit of 350lbs which is not bad and it has a 2.25HP motor with a top speed of 4 miles per hour.
The console gives you a readout of the time, distance, calories and so on. Easy to track your progress as you go.
This is a great buy if you are going to be a low to moderate user. I use my treadmill every day at my desk so I would be classed as a high volume user. Consider this carefully before you make your final decision.
Rebel Treadmill 1000
- ⭐ QUALITY & RELIABILITY ⭐ Get your steps in no matter what! Quality, reliability, eye-catching...
- ✔️ SIMPLE SETUP - The treadmill base ships for free and arrives fully assembled. At just 88lbs,...
- 👍 WORRY-FREE WARRANTY - On the Rebel Treadmill, there is NO maximum hours of usage per day so you...
- 👞 QUIET & SAFE WALKING - The treadmill base has a high-quality, ultra quiet motor that lets you...
- 🛡️OUR PROMISE - Rebel Desk's promise to you is a 100% moneyback guarantee up to 30 days after...
At 88 lbs the Rebel Treadmill is the lightest of the models we are looking at here. It comes with a reasonable warranty of 1 year for parts and labor along with 2 years for the motor.
One big difference with this model is the speed range. The top speed here is just 2 miles per hour. Now this may be enough for you to simply keep moving while at your desk but it is a lot lower then some of the others. It means there is little room to move up the speed range if you choose to do so.
Something to note is it also has a considerably lower user weight limit than the other models at just 250lbs. It’s hard to know how durable this would be long term.
One plus is it’s ultra quite which is a nice feature so it doesn’t disturb you or any co-workers.
Overall I would say its a reasonably good buy. My advice would be consider the Rebel model if you are an occasional user and are not concerned about the top speed.
Titan Fitness Under Desk Walking Treadmill
The Titan model falls right in the middle of the range here. It’s the cheapest on the list. The user weight limit is 250lbs which is at the lower end of the scale. It does however offer up to 4 miles per hour in speed range which matches the top end models.
Reviews for this model are very mixed with some customers stating there were issues with damage upon delivery and so on.
While the price might make it attractive I personally would look at one of the others with a more robust warranty and quality standard.
LifeSpan TR5000-DT3 Under Desk Treadmill
- The tr5000-dt3 flat motorized treadmill base is intended to fit under your standing desk workstation...
- Small and compact size measures 63" x 28.5" x 7.25" (L x W x H) and has portable wheels for mobile...
- Quiet and high capacity 3.0 HP heavy duty motor with a 20" x 50" (L x W) running and walking...
- Console readouts include: distance, calories, walk and run time, step count and adjustable belt...
- Warranty includes lifetime on frame, 3 years on motor, 2 years on parts, 1 year on labor. Fully...
In terms of the treadmills in this guide this is the delux model. It comes with the Intelli-Step technology which tracks your step count for the day. It also comes with a great safety feature whereby it stops when you are not walking. This is great at preventing injuries from jumping onto a moving treadmill deck.
It has six impact absorbing compression shocks which makes it very comfortable to use and easy on your joints. This is an important point if you using it for large periods of time each day.
Features & Warranty
A three year warranty and no messy assembly since it comes fully assembled right out of the box.
The portable console is nice and small so it doesn’t take over your desk. The LED display tells you all the metrics you want to know. Tracking your total steps, time, calorie burn, distance and so on. There is also a safety key for emergency shutdown.
The TR5000 is suitable for users up to 400lbs while it only weighs 119lbs itself so thats pretty impressive and should cover most users.
Top speed is 4 miles per hour which is plenty when you are working out while you work. Don’t expect to be sprinting here, thats not the idea. Save your speed training for the gym or the track.
WalkTop Treadmill Desk
- Compact, lightweight and fully assembled.
- Attaches directly onto most treadmills in minutes and moves up and down with the incline of your...
- Adjustable height and variable incline ensure the most comfortable work position
- High quality anodized aluminum frame with clear desktop to clearly see the treadmill controls and...
- Quick and easy to remove and store when you want to use the treadmill for running
If you are maybe looking for a home based solution and already own a treadmill then this is my top tip for today. I use my Lifespan treadmill at the office but like most of you I bring work home.
My treadmill was already in the garage so I bought one of these Walktop treadmill desk add ons.
It’s really simple just clip it onto your existing treadmill and you are good to go. I find it great for the little bits of extra work at home but probably not suitable as a full working day solution for the office.
My top recommendation
Personally I use the LifeSpan TR5000. As a frequent, high volume user it offers the most robust setup. It’s durable, easy to use and the long warranty is nice to have too.
As I mentioned I also have a Walktop Desk at home so I find having both for the two different setups works best for me.
- The tr5000-dt3 flat motorized treadmill base is intended to fit under your standing desk workstation...
- Small and compact size measures 63" x 28.5" x 7.25" (L x W x H) and has portable wheels for mobile...
- Quiet and high capacity 3.0 HP heavy duty motor with a 20" x 50" (L x W) running and walking...
- Console readouts include: distance, calories, walk and run time, step count and adjustable belt...
- Warranty includes lifetime on frame, 3 years on motor, 2 years on parts, 1 year on labor. Fully...
Happy walking!
