I walked 14,000 steps without leaving my apartment thanks to this under-desk treadmill — and it’s just $149

The DeerRun Q1 Mini is one of the most affordable under-desk treadmills I’ve ever seen. Right off the bat, the price surprised and intrigued me. I thought, ‘How can a $149 treadmill compete when other treadmills start from $500?’

Fortunately, I have good news. If you’re a first-time treadmill user or you’re a home worker who just wants to get some extra steps at your desk, the Q1 Mini is the ideal cheap treadmill. Its top speed is 3.8mph, which I found ideal for mid-afternoon ambling, and it’s much smaller than alternatives, meaning it can slot away nicely between uses.

There’s got to be a catch, though, right? Yes, unfortunately. Nothing’s ever perfect. The small size can negatively affect usage if you’re over 5’5”, and it’s still really heavy. But is the DeerRun Q1 Mini one of the best under-desk treadmills? I’ll discuss everything in full in this DeerRun Q1 Mini review.

DeerRun Q1 Mini review: Cheat sheet

• Who is it for? Home office workers who want to get some extra steps in during work, or those who want to walk at home
• What does it do well? It’s beyond easy to use, ideal for said WFHers
• What are its weaknesses? I wouldn’t recommend it for runners, and it’s very heavy
• Anything else to know? Its max speed is 3.8mph (6kmph)

DeerRun Q1 Mini review: Specs

DeerRun Q1 Mini review: Price & availability

In the U.S., the DeerRun Q1 Mini is $149 from Amazon U.S. At the time of writing, the DeerRun Q1 Mini is unavailable on Amazon U.K. However, it’s still in stock on DeerRun’s website for the low, low price of £159.

This price is unimaginably good for an under-desk treadmill: we’ve also tested the WalkingPad Z1, which is $348/£299 (still classed as ‘cheap’), and the WalkingPad P1, which is $499.

While obviously a $149 under-desk treadmill will not perform to the same caliber as a $500 treadmill, the Q1 Mini was surprisingly good. It lacks incline and taps out at 3.8mph, but if you just want a treadmill that helps you get your steps in during work, 3.8mph is perfect.

DeerRun Q1 Mini review: Design & controls

DeerRun’s Q1 range features a number of different treadmills for different use cases. The Q1 Mini is, you guessed it, the smallest of the bunch.

The Q1 Classic Pro ($179) and the Q1 Urban Plus ($188) have a 39-inch belt, 4 inches longer than the Q1 Mini. If you want a treadmill with an incline, you’ll need to get the Z10 ($269), which has a 12% incline.

The Q1 Mini is an under-desk treadmill without any flourishes. It’s simple, and there’s nothing wrong with that. There’s no incline, there are no handles, and there’s nowhere to hold your phone. It fits under my FlexiSpot E2Q (similar to the E7 Pro, one of the best standing desks) perfectly.

DeerRun describes the Q1 Mini as having “advanced 5-layer technology”. These so-called layers include a wear-resistant surface, a noise reduction layer, two high-strength reinforced layers, and a shock-absorption layer.

I didn’t particularly notice any shock absorption — I had to wear my Keen Hyperport H2 sandals for comfort. However, the Keen + Q1 Mini combination was the perfect amount of support and bounce.

DeerRun also describes the Q1 Mini as being “lightweight.” I can think of many words to describe this treadmill, and lightweight certainly isn’t one of them. It weighs a hefty 42 pounds.

However, it’s all relative, right? Compared to other under-desk treadmills, the Q1 Mini isn’t abnormally heavy. The WalkingPad Z1 weighs 51 pounds, the WalkingPad P1 62 pounds, and the GoPlus 1HP 55 pounds.

Even so, I was unable to carry the Q1 Mini up and down stairs, and I had to get my boyfriend to carry it up the two flights of stairs to our apartment. If you’re relatively weak (like me) and you won’t have help carrying this upstairs, I’m not sure I’d recommend it.

So while the DeerRun Q1 Mini isn’t lightweight in the slightest, it’s more lightweight than the competition. If you are capable of carrying 42 pounds (also remember it’s 20 inches wide), then this could be the treadmill for you.

If you manage to get the Q1 Mini into your apartment, you’ll need to check that it can be stored and used relatively close to a power outlet. The cord is long enough (it’s about 5 and a ½ feet long), but because the treadmill itself is so heavy, you’ll want to store it close to your desk. I slotted mine between the wall and my standing desk between uses.

I’ll discuss actual usage properly in the ‘Performance’ section, but just to preface: there’s a small screen on the top right of the treadmill. This shows you the speed, distance and time used. It cycles through these stats relatively quickly, and I enjoyed seeing this data while walking.

The setup is pretty annoying. You have to download the app (which I’ll talk about later) to set up the treadmill, but you don’t need the app to use it. Why? Why not just let us set up the treadmill independently of the app? Once you’ve got the app set up, though, you don’t actually need it. You can delete it straight away, and the treadmill will still work. Bizarre.

After setup, controlling the treadmill is as easy as pie: simply use the provided remote to turn it on and increase and decrease the speed. Annoyingly, you need a tiny screwdriver to open the remote and change the battery, but I only had to do this during setup. Hopefully, the battery will last me a long time yet.

DeerRun Q1 Mini review: Performance

The Q1 Mini only does one thing, but boy, does it do it well. Despite what DeerRun might want you to think, the Q1 Mini is best suited to being an under-desk treadmill. And at just $149/£159, I don’t think that’s too outrageous a claim. Many of the best treadmills will set back well over $500.

As the top speed is 3.8mph, I wouldn’t recommend this for running. I can still walk (albeit a little unsteadily) at the maximum speed. It would be a jog at most. It’s very quiet, at just 52dB.

The usable length of the belt is just under 35 inches. My maximum stride length is 38 inches (I’m about 5” 5), and I sometimes step off the end or onto the front section accidentally. As a result, if you’re considerably taller than I or have a much longer stride, I don’t think this is the treadmill for you.

Changing speeds lags a little, but nothing major. It takes about eight seconds for the belt to accelerate from its slowest to its maximum speed, and then about eight seconds for it to decelerate again. DeerRun does make alternative treadmills (the Q1 Classic Pro and Q1 Urban Pro I mentioned above), so if you have a longer stride, I’d recommend those instead.

For me, though, the Q1 Mini suited my needs perfectly. I only want to walk at about 2.5-3mph while working, so I didn’t find the belt overly short or the treadmill shaky. I wouldn’t recommend it for running, as it simply doesn’t go fast enough.

Between uses, maintenance is relatively straightforward. I just lubricated and dusted it every so often. Thankfully, DeerRun provides lubricant. Unthankfully, the instructions on the back of the lubricant bottle are nonsensical:

“This product will be applied to the middle of the board tread min...open the treadmill power supply.” Pardon? I had to Google proper treadmill lubricant usage to be sure.

It was quite easy to apply: I just put the lubricant under the belt in the center and then ran it at a very low speed to distribute the lubricant. It’s annoying that DeerRun doesn’t provide a stopper for the lubricant bottle, so once it’s open, it’s open. Although for just $149, can I really complain?

DeerRun Q1 Mini review: App

Like other under-desk treadmills, the Q1 Mini has an app, because why not? DeerRun’s treadmills are compatible with an app called “PitPat,” which is a third-party app with online races where you can compete against other people. It’s… interesting.

On the homepage, you can choose from a range of pre-existing maps (kind of like Mario Kart and the styles range from deserts to volcanoes. You can create a little avatar that completes said maps, and each has a different length, but you control your speed. The avatars run and walk together on said virtual map. Here are some screenshots to show you what I mean.

I would never have used this feature had I not been reviewing the treadmill. Will I ever use this feature again? No, but it’s nice to have for those who need or want little virtual avatars to go on virtual jogs and compete against other virtual avatars. If you love that competitive factor, then this will suit you perfectly.

DeerRun Q1 Mini review: Verdict

The DeerRun Q1 Mini has a very specific use case. It’s not for serious runners at all, but it’s more than enough for casual remote workers who just want to get a few extra steps in without spending too much.

Would I buy this for myself as a 5’5” hybrid worker? Heck yeah. It’s just $149, and it meets all of my needs perfectly. Would I buy this for my boyfriend, a 5’10” marathon runner? Absolutely not. For starters, the 35-inch belt would be too small for his stride, and the 3.8mph maximum speed would be too slow for his pace.

If we think about the Q1 Mini not as a running treadmill but more as an under-desk walking treadmill, then it’s perfect. Now that I’ve experienced the satisfying “You’ve hit your step target!” notification at 11 am on a random Monday, I don’t think I can ever go back. Remote workers on a budget, this is the treadmill for you.