If you spend most of your day sitting behind a desk, the best walking pads can help you increase your step count while you work. By design, these under-desk treadmills are small enough to be folded away, or stored under a bed when you’re not using them. They won’t have handlebars and will have lower top speeds than the best treadmills, so these aren’t designed for running.
When paired with one of the best standing desks, a walking pad can help you fit more movement into your working day. But which should you buy? As a fitness editor, I've used an under-desk treadmill for years, and tested most of the best walking pads on the market and my top pick is the Bluefin Fitness Task 2.0 which offers the best blend of features and comfort for your money.
If you’re on a budget, the best budget option is the WalkingPad P1. This doesn’t have a display for your workout metrics and the motor is a little less powerful than others in the lineup, but it's a great option for the price.
Quick list
The Bluefin Fitness Task 2.0 is affordable, easy to install, and comes with a foldable handlebar for stability. It has a high top speed of 5mph, a built-in LCD screen for workout metrics, and a companion smartphone app for recording your sessions.
The WalkingPad P1 doesn’t have a screen to show you your pace, distance, and time on the treadmill itself, but still delivers a great experience at a lower price than most rivals.
The WalkingPad A1 Pro can be folded in half and easily stowed away. It comes with a in-built display for metrics, and also works in manual and automatic modes and there's companion app for tracking your stats.
The WalkingPad C2 blends the integrated display from the A1 Pro with the compact, foldable design found on the P1. It doesn't feel as premium as the A1 Pro, with a more plastic feeling body, but a reasonable 3.7mph top speed.
Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related — from running gear and fitness trackers to yoga mats and sports bras. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good walking treadmill.
Best under-desk treadmill overall
The Bluefin Fitness Task 2.0 under-desk treadmill is my top pick for several reasons. It's affordable, it's easy to install ( you just need to open the box and plug it in), and I appreciated the fact it has a small handlebar which is handy if you're using the treadmill without a standing desk. It has a top speed of 5mph, making it one of the fastest walking pads I tested, so it's a good pick if you're looking to pick up the pace on your walks indoors.
I found the Bluefin easy to use — there’s an LCD screen at the top of the treadmill that shows you your pace, calories, distance walked, and time, plus you can connect the treadmill to the Kinomapp app on your phone via Bluetooth. The app isn't the best, but it shows you the basics.
Because the treadmill has a Bluetooth connection, you can stream music from your phone to the treadmill's built-in speakers, so you can listen to music, podcasts, or meetings as you take an indoor stroll.
Adjusting the speed of the treadmill is done with the remote control, which comes on a wristband that you can wear as you walk, or by the phone app. There are also six pre-set programs you can choose to follow, but during testing, I found these a little confusing, and all very similar.
The downside with this treadmill is the smaller belt, which might not be suitable for taller users. I'm 5'2" and I found that when I wasn’t concentrating on walking and was focusing on my laptop, I tripped on the side panels once or twice, so taller users might need to look at something like the WalkingPad A1 Pro or WalkingPad C2.
- Read our full Bluefin Fitness Task 2.0 Treadmill review
Best value under-desk treadmill
WalkingPad is also a brand name, and it makes several great under-desk treadmills, but the P1 is the most budget-friendly option in its range. It doesn't have a display for your workout metrics, and the motor is a little less powerful than others in the lineup, but it's a great option for the price.
The main selling point for the WalkingPad P1 is that it can be folded in half for easy storage. I found I was able to fold the P1 and store it under the bed in my spare room, which is handy with a dog and toddler in the house. Despite the lack of a built-in display, you can adjust the settings with the remote, which has a small screen.
In theory, the motor is a little louder than on other WalkingPad models, but I didn't really notice the difference, and it wasn't noisy enough to put me off.
All of the WalkingPad models on test have a companion smartphone app. I found it was a little buggy at first, although an update appeared to resolve most of our issues during testing.
I found the WalkingPad P1 was surprisingly similar to the WalkingPad A1 Pro, but this model is $200 cheaper. Of course, you do miss out on a few things — the A1 Pro has a quieter, more powerful motor and it comes with a display — but performance-wise, they're a pretty close match.
- Read our full WalkingPad P1 review
Best folding under-desk treadmill
Like the WalkingPad P1, the WalkingPad A1 Pro also has a folding design, so you can easily store it away between uses. The A1 Pro has a quieter, more powerful motor, a display that makes it handy for seeing your steps at a glance, and a higher maximum weight limit (300 lbs).
I found the machine easy to set up — once you've unboxed it, you're good to go. It has a remote control, and the screen at the front cycles between distance walked, time, and speed. There are two modes; manual and automatic. In manual mode, you change the speed using the remote or KS Fit app on your smartphone.
In automatic mode, the belt speeds up or slows down depending on where you position yourself. Walk closer to the front, it speeds up; walk closer to the back, it slows down. In theory, this sounds great, but in reality, it takes some getting used to.
If your main requirement is a quiet treadmill, this is a good pick. I'd still recommend a set of workout headphones if you plan to walk while you’re on a call, the noise won’t disturb people in other rooms of the house.
Overall, this is a great option. Like all of the WalkingPads on test, I found the KS Fit app was a little glitchy at points, but if you're not that bothered about recording your work walks, don’t let this put you off.
- Read our full WalkingPad A1 Pro review
Best compact under-desk treadmill
If you're short on space, the WalkingPad C2 is the best pick. At just 32.5 x 21.5 x 5 inches, it's the smallest walking treadmill I tested, and smaller than the WalkPad P1 and A1 Pro. Like the A1 Pro, it has a brushless design, which makes it pretty quiet and it also has a screen for keeping track of your metrics as you walk.
Like the other WalkingPads on test, the C2 folds in half for easy storage. That said, don’t expect to be carrying any of these treadmills up and down the stairs all that frequently — despite being able to fold in half, they are heavy, each weighing around 60 pounds. They all have two wheels at the front of the machine, allowing you to wheel them, but they aren’t as light as they might look on the adverts.
Like the other WalkingPads, I found the C2 easy to set up — you just need to plug it in and go. The main difference I noticed is the belt is smaller. At 5"2, this wasn't much of an issue for me, but compared to the WalkingPad A1 Pro and the WalkingPad P1, the WalkingPad C2 feels a little flimsier — it’s got a thinner plastic border between the edge of the belt and the edge of the treadmill.
Like the other WalkingPads, the C2 has the same automatic and manual settings. In the manual setting, you use the KS Fit app or the treadmill’s remote control to increase or decrease speed. All in all, I'd pick this over the WalkingPad P1, but probably opt for the A1 Pro if I was using it every single day.
Confused? I've put togerther a comparison between the WalkingPad P1, C2 and A1 Pro here.
- Read our full WalkingPad C2 review
Also tested
How we test the best under-desk treadmills
As a fitness editor, staying active is essential. I added a walking pad to my routine years ago, and have tested all of the treadmills while working to help you work out which is the best under-desk treadmill for you. I used all of the treadmills above (apart from the GoPlus model, which was tested by our tester Hollie Sick at her home in Napa, California) with a standing desk, while typing on my laptop and taking meetings, as well as on their own to see how they felt while walking without the support of the desk.
When testing, I looked at how comfortable the treadmills were to walk on, and how much room I felt I had on the belt. I'm 5"2, so I don't have a particularly long stride, but I considered how often I tripped or scuffed my foot on the side of the treadmill, and how it felt underfoot. Walking pads are designed to be used at home, so I considered how noisy the treadmill was, especially if you live in a shared flat, or terraced house,
A massive consideration when it comes to buying an under-desk treadmill is space. I looked at how easy it was to fold and store the treadmills while testing. All of the WalkingPad models have the huge benefit of being able to fold them in half, but as mentioned above, they are still extremely heavy, so you're not going to want to be moving them up and down stairs every day. I tried wheeling, folding, and rolling them on the carpet so you don't have to.
Most of the best walking pads on this list have an accompanying app to allow you to track your walks. I looked at how easy these apps were to use (spoiler alert: none of them were great), and whether I could sync my workouts to apps like Strava to keep track of my training. I also noted how glitchy the apps themselves were, and whether they allowed me to do things like play music through the speakers on the treadmill etc.
I walked at least 10 miles on each of the treadmills above before returning my verdict (and asked Hollie to do the same) I also asked other taller testers to walk a few miles on each, to see if there was any obvious issues with using the belt.
I also tested the remote controls and on-device controls which allow you to change the speed of the treadmill. For me, a consideration was whether I could use the treadmill without the remote, as with a toddler in the house, remotes going missing is a common occurrence.
Finally, with said toddler and a dog living in my home, I considered the safety features of each treadmill. As with all home gym equipment, it's essential that the device is unplugged and stored safely when you're not using it.
How to choose the best under-desk treadmill
The best under-desk treadmill for your home needs to fit into your space and either be fast or quiet enough (or both) for you to use regularly. If you work from home regularly and juggle office and living space, you'll need a machine that'll move out of the way easily.
Under-desk treadmills are a lot better for this than the larger standard treadmills, but it's still important to find one that you can move safely when you're done. Some models fold, and most have wheels, but it's a good idea to take a look at the dimensions and be sure you have room to stow it away when you're not using it, especially if your home office doubles as a spare room.
If you plan to take work calls while walking, then you'll need to make sure the motor doesn't generate too much noise and that the belt itself isn't too loud. The models I've included were all pretty quiet and wouldn't make themselves known, but if you're worried, most noise canceling headphones can block background noises on calls as well.
The majority of under-desk treadmills only reach brisk walking speeds, generally up to around 4 miles per hour. If you want to get a jog on, you'll need a full-sized treadmill (although compact models are available). If you're not sure on what it'll be like to switch your setup, here are the things I wished I'd known before adding a walking treadmill to my office.
FAQs
Are under-desk treadmills effective?
Like any piece of fitness equipment, an under-desk treadmill is only effective if you use it, but research has shown that they work in helping people to burn more calories as well as producing other positive mental and physical health outcomes.
A systematic review of 13 studies undertaken in 2021, published in the journal BMC Public Health, looked at the effectiveness of under-desk treadmills found that they increased energy expenditure and reduced sitting time compared with conventional desks.
Having such easy access to a treadmill removes one of the main barriers to being more active each day. While under-desk treadmills are not the best machine to buy if you’re looking to get really fit — you can burn more calories and increase your fitness more effectively with a traditional treadmill or an exercise bike — they are an effective way to increase your activity levels.
Are under-desk treadmills worth it?
Under-desk treadmills are best-suited to low-impact, low-intensity activities, like gentle walks and uphill strolls. They're a great way to move your body throughout the day, especially if you have a desk-based job.
To get the most benefit, you'd need to pair the under-desk treadmills with one of the best standing desks, as you can adjust your workstation to the correct height so that you don't have to slouch or bend over.
They're not very versatile machines, though. Unlike regular treadmills, they can't pull double-duty for high-intensity runs, although they do store away easier since they don't have large displays or handlebars.
Should I buy an under-desk treadmill or a treadmill?
Whether you opt for a walking pad or a treadmill depends on your use case. Treadmills, like you'd find at the gym, are larger, more expensive, and much more feature-rich.
hey have handles and often built-in screens that show exercise classes you can follow, and treadmills have a much higher top speed (usually 8-12mph) than under-desk treadmills, along with a large incline range to simulate uphill and even downhill running. Treadmills also have bigger motors to power all these features.
If you’re a keen runner looking to do your training at home, a treadmill is the better buy, but you will have to spend more and think about where you’re going to put it — even a folding treadmill is not as compact as an under-desk treadmill that lies completely flat.
Under-desk treadmills are more convenient and cheaper, and if you’re aiming to rack up some steps through brisk walks they are a great option. They also run more quietly than treadmills, so you can use them for walking during meetings — in general under-desk treadmills are better for multitasking during your walk.
Then once you’re done an under-desk treadmill is thinner, lighter and much easier to tuck away somewhere than a full home treadmill.
How long should you walk on an under-desk treadmill?
Walking on an under-desk treadmill is a moderate-intensity activity that shouldn’t make you too tired or sweaty, so you can use it for long stretches each day to help hit your overall activity targets. The US Department of Health recommends that adults do 150-300 minutes of moderate activity a week, and you could certainly use an under-desk treadmill to help hit that goal.
If you’re looking to hit 10,000 steps a day, that’s usually about 90 to 120 minutes of walking depending on your speed, and using an under-desk treadmill is a great way to get extra steps done during the day even if you don’t do all 10,000 on the machine.
How long you spend on the treadmill will also depend on your current fitness, and if you are very active already you could spend most of your working day walking, while those who are newer to fitness might be better off limiting their use to 30-minute spells.
Should you use a fitness tracker with an under desk treadmill?
Many people love using the best fitness trackers to keep tabs on their step count, but if you plan to do most of your walking on an under desk treadmill, do you really need a wrist-worn wearable?
I've tested many trackers over the years, and although some are more reliable than others, most won't pick up light steps. So while I might do 20 steps around the carpeted bedroom, a typical tracker may be out by five or so.
With that in mind, it really depends how you plan to use the best under desk treadmills. For light strolls at a slow pace to keep your legs moving, it might be less accurate than if you're taking a brisk indoor walk.
It's also worth keeping in mind that you don't actually need to hit the suggested 10,000-step mark to get the benefits of this low-impact cardio exercise. Instead, consistency is more important.
So if a tracker helps you stay motivated or you like to close the activity rings on the best Apple Watches, then investing in a fitness tracker is still worthwhile. Plus, these devices also track your sleep, heart rate, and stress levels.
So there's benefit in a fitness tracker even if you don't use it to keep tabs on your step count. And if indoor walks aren't your only exercise, you can record your other workouts too.
If you're not sure either way, then starting off with one of the best cheap fitness trackers might be a good approach. Then if you decide that it fits into your life, you can look at other models or even one of the best Garmin watches later.
Can you lose weight using an under-desk treadmill?
You can use an under-desk treadmill to lose weight. Just like any activity, walking on an under-desk treadmill burns calories and if you adjust your lifestyle so that you consistently end up in a calorie deficit — where you’re burning more than you consume — then you will probably start to lose weight over time.
However, if weight loss is your main aim, bear in mind that walking on an under-desk treadmill is not going to burn as many calories as higher-intensity activities like running, cycling or playing sports.
The amount of calories you burn while walking depends on your own physiology and the speed you’re walking — if you wear one of the best smartwatches with a heart-rate monitor you can get more accurate info on the calories you’re burning during an activity.
To lose weight you also need to consider your diet and other lifestyle factors, but walking on an under-desk treadmill is certainly a good way to add extra activity into periods of the day when most people are usually sedentary, and that will support your weight loss efforts.
What is the weight limit on an under-desk treadmill?
You can see in our round-up that under-desk treadmills will usually have a max user weight of at least 220lbs, with some machines having a higher limit of 300lbs. Generally the more you pay the sturdier the machine you get, and a higher weight limit as a result.
If you need a higher max weight then it might be worth looking at one of the best treadmills instead, because they are larger and more robust machines that often have weight limits of 300-400lbs.
Can you put an under-desk treadmill on carpet?
Unlike full-size treadmills, under-desk models are a lot lighter and so shouldn't have any issues on carpet. Most also have rubberized feet to distribute the weight and improve stability. However, these can leave indentations in your carpet, so if you want to protect your flooring, you can roll out an exercise mat or yoga mat.
