The 7 Best Under

We tested under-desk treadmills for ease, comfort, and value.

Rich Scherr is an updates strategist and fact checker for Dotdash Meredith brands, including Health and Verywell. He is a seasoned financial and technology journalist who served as editor-in-chief of the Potomac Tech Wire for nearly two decades, and is a regular contributor to the sports pages of The Baltimore Sun. He has also been a news editor for America Online and has contributed to the Associated Press and The Washington Post.

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Health / Reese Herrington

Being stuck behind a desk for the better part of the day, most days a week can make being active all but impossible. Thanks to the invention of under-desk treadmills, getting your steps in during the workday has never been easier. Under-desk models are typically smaller and lighter than regular treadmills, allowing them to easily slide underneath a standing desk so you can work while you walk.

Experts agree that walking is one of the most beneficial exercises we can do, as well as one of the most accessible. Registered dietitian and certified personal trainer Gianna Beasley agrees, noting that walking is a low-impact, low-intensity exercise that can reduce blood pressure, improve insulin and blood sugar levels, support your immune system, and even help with digestion. Under-desk treadmills allow desk workers to reap all these benefits without requiring a large chunk of time away from the office.

To help sort through the many available options, we tested a range of treadmills for qualities including ease of setup and use, folding and storage, extra features, comfort, and value. When making your final selection, be sure to consider the size of your office, amount of storage space, budget, and desired features like incline or connectivity to your favorite health apps. A physical therapist on our Medical Expert Board also reviewed this article for medical and scientific accuracy.

Egofit

This compact, easy-to-store, quiet under-desk treadmill is perfect for small spaces and is the only treadmill on our list that has the ability to incline up to 5%.

The LCD display is small and located by your feet, making it difficult to see.

The space-saving design, ease of use, transportability, incline capabilities, and comfort make the Egofit Walker M1/M1T treadmill our best choice. We love that it’s lightweight and easy to move, so you can easily switch rooms in your home or take it to and from the office. It’s even small enough to fit inside the trunk of a car.

To set the treadmill up, all we had to do was take it out of the box, add some of the lubricants that came in the box, plug it in, and add batteries to the remote control. It was also easy to turn the treadmill on and adjust the speed, as well as turn it off with the remote, which has a wrist strap for added safety.

The sound was quiet enough that we could walk during work meetings without being disruptive. You can check the LCD display for calories burned, time, distance, steps, and speed, although the display is difficult to read while standing up. The proprietary app that comes with the treadmill can link to your Apple Health app to record your movement, although the setup isn’t exactly intuitive. Minor inconveniences aside, if you struggle with achy joints, back pain, or sore shins from training, you’ll love how comfortable this under-desk treadmill is to walk on.

Price at time of publication: $479

Product Details:

Amazon

This lightweight and low-cost treadmill is ready to use out of the box, and you can easily control the speed with the hand-held remote.

There’s no way to connect to other health apps.

For a budget-friendly walking treadmill, the Sunny Health + Fitness Under Desk Treadmill serves its purpose. While the box was heavy and awkward to move around, once we removed the treadmill it was already set up and ready to be plugged in. The slim design and wheels make it easy to move around. That being said, it doesn’t navigate small spaces and tight corners easily, so be sure to store the treadmill close to where you will use it.

The large display shows steps, time, distance, and calories burned, which makes it easy to keep track while walking. You can turn the treadmill on and off and adjust the speed from 0.5 to 3.75 miles per hour with the remote control. While there are no extra bells and whistles (such as incline) with this treadmill, it makes walking while working at a desk easy and comfortable.

Price at time of publication: $399

Product Details:

WalkingPad

The 180-degree folding design makes it perfect for storing in small spaces, and it has a higher weight limit than the other treadmills on our list.

The higher price may not be worth it unless you need the folding design for small space storage.

The WalkingPad A1 Pro desk treadmill is unique due to its 180-degree folding capabilities and three running options: standby, manual, and automatic, which are all controlled by a remote. The automatic feature speeds up or slows down based on where your feet are on the mat. The weight limit is also higher than many other under-the-desk treadmills, making it a more inclusive option.

Setting up the treadmill took less than 15 minutes once it was out of the box, and installing the app was also simple and only took about five minutes. The LED display panel is easy to see while walking and displays time, speed, distance, calories, and steps. Walking on the treadmill felt nice under our feet, as it seemed to have a little give and bounce with each step—much smoother than walking on pavement. When it came to storage, being able to fold the treadmill in half allowed it to fit under the desk, bed, or dresser. It’s also easy to store out of sight when not in use.

Price at time of publication: $549

Product Details:

WalkingPad

It folds up easily for small spaces, and the app makes it easy to keep track of distance, steps, time spent walking, and calories burned.

The belt tends to jerk slightly during speed changes.

At first glance, this model looks a lot like other under-desk treadmills, but its low profile and folding technology make it a superior space-saving selection. The treadmill folds easily and has wheels to make moving simple. Even when unfolded, it’s easy to slide under a couch or stash in a closet.

Like the other WalkingPad model, the WalkingPad P1 Foldable Walking Pad has an automatic setting that controls the speed based on where your feet land on the track. You can also change the speed via remote control, which has a screen that displays your walking data. Keep in mind that although the data is displayed both on the remote and the app, the treadmill itself does not have a display screen.

We did run into a few small hiccups that are worth a mention. For one, the treadmill jerked a bit when changing the speed, and it was enough to catch us off guard while we were distracted with work. However, it shouldn’t be an issue if you’re aware it’s coming. Additionally, while the app is easy to use, it may be more useful if it had the ability to sync to a third-party activity-tracking app.

Price at time of publication: $399

Product Details:

Treadly

You can change speeds using the handrail, and it’s quiet enough to use during meetings. You can also play music or podcasts with the Bluetooth speakers.

The basic model doesn’t have any app connectivity, but the Pro model connects to the app and syncs with iOS, Apple Health, and Apple Watch.

The Treadly 2 comes highly recommended by Beasley, who uses it herself and also suggests it to clients due to its quality and app connectivity. She raved about its compact design, low noise level, and ease of storage.

We loved how easy this treadmill was to set up and start using. We were able to walk during meetings with no distraction as the noise was incredibly quiet. It also works just as well on carpets as it does on hard floors, and you can easily store it under a bed or other piece of furniture.

Keep in mind that although the treadmill is easy to use and store, it’s pretty heavy, clocking in at 77 pounds. This makes it inconvenient to move repeatedly throughout the day. Additionally, although the handrails fit perfectly underneath our electric adjustable standing desk, it may not work with all stationary standing desks.

Price at time of publication: $849

Product Details:

Amazon

The treadmill only took minutes to set up and slid out of the way easily.

The fairly loud humming the machine makes it a bit noisy for use during phone or Zoom calls.

The Go Plus Under-Desk Treadmill is easy to use and set up. The machine can be turned on and controlled by either the touchscreen display or the remote. We found it awkward to control using the touchscreen, but it was a breeze to switch speeds and run the machine on and off with the remote. The shock absorption track made walking easy and comfortable, and after several weeks of use, we experienced no leg, joint, or back pain. It only weighs 55 pounds and the wheels move easily, so moving it out of the way was simple.

We thought this treadmill was perfect for walking in between meetings, but the machine makes a relatively loud humming noise that made it difficult to use while on the phone or during Zoom calls. Additionally, the treadmill has no app to track stats, so you’ll have to record numbers manually if you like to see and track steps, distance, calories, or time.

Price at time of publication: $329

Product Details:

Amazon

Unboxing and setup took less than 10 minutes, and the sound was virtually non-existent, making it perfect for walking during meetings.

The walking pad is only 15.75 inches, which may feel a little cramped if you’re taller or have a wide stance.

Although it comes with minimal bells and whistles, we love the simplicity of this walking pad. Manual mode lets you control the speed from 0.5 mph to 3.7 miles per hour, or you can turn on the automatic mode, which adjusts your speed based on where your feet are landing on the track. The minimal sound was also impressive and allowed continued walking during phone calls and meetings.

The Walking Pad C2 is foldable for easy storage, although we found that it took a bit of effort to unfold, which may be important to note if you have any upper body limitations.Tracking your progress is simple on the mobile app. You can also view your stats in real-time on the display screen, but keep in mind that there’s no connectivity to third-party apps.

Price at time of publication: $499

Product Details:

After compiling tester feedback, scores, and expert opinions, we found the best under-desk treadmills for each category. The experts we spoke with to select our testing models include:

To determine the best under-desk treadmills for each category, we spent several weeks testing and scoring multiple models. The editors on our testing team ranged from two-a-day workout runners to moms recovering from post-partum, but all spent significant time each day sitting or standing at their desks.

If you’re looking to increase your activity while working a sedentary job, under-desk treadmills are an effective way to increase movement and productivity. But not all under-desk treadmills are created equal, and there are a lot of variables that go into selecting the right one. Registered dietitian and certified personal trainer Wan Na Chun suggests considering factors like size, workspace compatibility, noise level, ease of use, stability, safety, display options, and app connectivity when selecting an under-desk treadmill.

If you have a small space or need to store the treadmill out of sight, be sure to consider the size of the treadmill and whether it folds, rolls, or slides easily.

If you’re looking to get more of a workout rather than just a slow-paced stroll, treadmills with higher speed settings or incline may be beneficial.

Noise is an important factor to consider if you plan to use the treadmill while at work. Quiet machines are less distracting and can often be used during phone calls and meetings.

Some under-desk treadmills are basic, while others include features like app connectivity, wheels, handrails, a remote control, easy-to-read display screens, or automatic walking modes.

Under-desk treadmills often cost less than regular treadmills because they have fewer features and slower speeds. You can expect to pay anywhere from $350 to over $900 for an under-desk treadmill, depending on the features and capabilities you need. We were very satisfied with the value of the lower-cost options we tried.

While this treadmill didn’t make our top list, we think it’s still a good option to consider:

The experts we talked to agree that under-desk treadmills can make a huge difference in your movement and overall health if you spend most of your week sitting at a desk. Registered dietitian and NASM-certified personal trainer Maxine Yeung says under-desk treadmills allow desk workers to meet their daily cardio exercise requirements without having to break up their workflow. Beasley adds that under-desk treadmills can improve energy levels and cognitive function, which will increase overall productivity.

Walking pads and under-desk treadmilsl are so similar that it’s difficult for the experts to tell the difference. Beasley says the biggest difference is the weight limit. Walking pads tend to be lighter and smaller, with a lower weight limit. Chun notes that under-desk treadmills also have more features than walking pads, such as speed control, preset programs, and handlebars.

The American Heart Association suggests aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week. Walking on a treadmill can help you achieve these activity goals, says Chun.

Under-desk treadmills can also help you increase the amount of steps you take on a daily basis. Research suggests that the magic number of steps for improving longevity lies around 8,000 per day. Adults over 60 have a lower risk of death when they get between 6,000 and 8,000 steps, while adults under 60 can reduce their risk with 8,000 to 10,000 steps.

Kelsey Kunik is a registered dietitian, freelance writer, and nutrition consultant. Her work focuses on helping women break free from restriction and dieting and focus on true whole-self health and wellness. Her writing focuses on eating behavior, programs, supplements, foods, and products that help women step into their power and feel their best each and every day.

American Heart Association. American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids.

Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Bassett DR, et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health. 2022;7(3):e219-e228. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9