Do you have a burning desire to expend energy running but go absolutely nowhere? Boy oh boy, have we got a device for you. It’s the walking pad. Sounding suspiciously like something you’d use to potty train a puppy, it’s actually more of a compact, stripped-down treadmill, generally meant for using underneath a desk.
Rather than a traditional treadmill that takes over a near-permanent chunk of prime real estate in your home like your peculiar, visiting in-laws at Christmas, you wheel these away and slide them under the couch when they’re not needed. Don’t you wish they invented in-laws like that?
Lace up your Hokas and let’s take a look.
Quick Look at the Best Walking Pads
- Best foldable walking pad – GoPlus 2-in-1 Folding Walking Pad
- Top walking pad for runners – UREVO 3-in-1 Treadmill
- Most stashable – Egofit Walker Pro Under Desk Treadmill
- A well-rounded runner-up – GoYouth 2-in-1 Under Desk Electric Treadmill
- Quietest walking pad – Seikein Walking Pad
- Best walking pad with incline – AXEFIT Incline Walking Pad
- Half n’ Half – WalkingPad R2 Folding Walking Pad
How we Evaluated
We combed through customer reviews in search of several criteria. First, the platform had to have enough room for a person of average height to jog without feeling cramped or like they were going to slip off the back of the treadmill (ouch).
Storability was another important aspect. Whether it folded or not, it had to be light enough for an average person to pick up and tuck out of the way when not in use. Wheels helped, and so did light weight.
Quietness was also important. Staying in shape is no comfort when you’ve driven all your housemates and neighbors crazy with the noise of a walking pad that sounds like an elephant dancing around a china cabinet.
And lastly, we kept an eye out for you restless speed demons. We don’t want to neglect you all and piss you off because we know that you could catch us easily in a chase. Decent walking pads needed to get up to at least an acceptable jogging speed. Four to six miles per hour is typical, although seven to eight for a proper run was ideal.
Best foldable walking pad – GoPlus 2-in-1 Folding Under Desk Treadmill
GoPlus 2-in-1 Folding Under Desk Treadmill
We drooled a bit on the spec sheet. The GoPlus 2-in-1 excels in quite a few categories with impressively large numbers. Rather than a master of one, it’s more of a—well, not a jack-of-all-trades. Something better than that. Maybe an apprentice-of-a-lot-of-trades?
The GoPlus holds up to 265 pounds and reaches a maximum speed of 7.5 miles per hour. Pretty damn quick by walking pad standards. Tall folks close to or over six feet report having to be precise with their positioning on the 39 by 16 inch running platform when they run to make sure they don’t slip off, but it’s in the middle of the pack as far as size among walking pads.
Weighing in at 69.5 pounds, it’s on the heavy side with another big number, but fold down the side bars—which need to be up in order to unlock speeds over 2.5 MPH—and roll the GoPlus on its wheels to wherever you want to store it. Being particularly slim, lots of customers said they could slide it underneath a couch, an impressive Houdini trick that bulkier walking pads can’t manage. They say it’s a bit on the noisy side, but speed has its costs, you know. Didn’t you take the message in 2 Fast 2 Furious to heart?
Top Walking Pad for Runners – UREVO 3-in-1 treadmill
Runners are a wild breed. Y’all aren’t satisfied unless you’re running flat out? Yeah, I get it. I get the zoomies too sometimes. Of all the walking pads we looked at, the UREVO was the fastest. It reaches a blistering 8.6 miles per hour. At 42.5 by 16.5 inches, it’s platform is adequately wide and long enough, which means you can break out those long running strides without fear of slipping off a too-small treadmill. You just have to raise the side rails to unlock the full speed. Yadda yadda, something about safety. They fold down and entirely out of the way when you just feel like a leisurely walk, though, and customers stay they’re solid and fold smoothly.
The rails are canted forward so as not to interfere with a desk, but the UREVO also comes with a desk of its own that you can attach to the rails, with space enough for a laptop, phone, and book. The weight capacity is a very specific 286 pounds. Downsides? It’s a hefty fella, weighing in at 86 pounds itself. Even though it has wheels to help you maneuver it, you’ll use a bit of muscle on this not-too-portable speed demon.
Most Stashable – Egofit Walker Pro Under Desk Treadmill
Egofit Walker Pro Under Desk Treadmill
I’m resisting the urge to call it a baby treadmill (conjuring the cursed mental image of a jacked baby on a treadmill), but the Egofit is seriously compact at 38 by 26 inches. That makes it a perfect candidate for tucking underneath a desk when not using it and not having to store it elsewhere—although it weighs only 48.5 pounds, making it easy to pick up and lean against a wall if you do want to stash it away out of sight when company comes over.
Size isn’t everything, they say, but you may have to pay extra close attention to your positioning if you have a long stride, unless you want to slip off the back of it while walking. The Egofit doubles as an incline walking pad, too. At a five-degree slope, you burn extra calories compared to a flat walking pad. Marketing materials say the noise never exceeds 70 decibels, and the Egofit also tops out at 3.1 miles per hour.
This compact walking pad shines in small rooms. As long as you plan to walk and not run or jog, and as long as you’re not particularly tall and don’t exceed the 220-pound weight limit, the Egofit could be the right-sized puzzle piece missing from that space underneath your desk.
A well-rounded runner-up – GoYouth 2-in-1 Under Desk Electric Treadmill
GoYouth 2-in-1 Under Desk Electric Treadmill
As a former dumb kid who engaged in Billy Madison-style antics on his mother’s treadmill and somehow didn’t pick up a Darwin Award, I was about to hit the panic button when I saw “youth” in the name GoYouth. But designed for kids, it isn’t. Its running platform measures 41 by 16 inches, slightly larger size than average, but it could still work as a walking pad under desk.
For those who’d prefer a bit more portability at the expense of running speed, the GoYouth holds up to 300 pounds, yet itself weighs only 50.7 pounds. That (and the built-in wheels) makes it easy to stash away underneath a couch or bed when not using it. The GoYouth’s maximum speed tops out at 3.7 miles per hour.
Marketing materials and reviews online are confused and contradictory. Half state a 6 MPH top speed, while the other half state the correct 6 kilometers per hour speed, which works out to 3.7 MPH. That speed is right about where a fast walk meets a relaxed jog. Customers report that the company’s customer service was easy to deal with and responsive in dealing with any issues that popped up.
Quietest Walking Pad – Seikein Walking Pad
Never exceeding 42 decibels of noise, the Seikein sprints to the podium the snatch the crown as the quietest walking pad we looked at. Well, maybe it didn’t sprint. It only reaches a maximum of 3.7 miles per hour. But that’s enough for a fast rate of speed walking or a gentle jog. Rubber bumpers and shock absorbers suck up all noise better than any of the competition.
The Seikein can even hold up to 300 pounds, letting it share another gold medal in weight capacity with the GoYouth walking pad. Customers particularly liked to shout out how easy it was to use and to set up, arriving assembled and ready to go.
Best walking pad with incline – AXEFIT Incline Walking Pad
Too many incline walking pads rob you of choice. They’re up, so you’re up. The AXEFIT gives you the ability to drop the platform flat or raise it up to 15 degrees. That’s quite an incline. Adding that much resistance to your walks or jogs does wonders for your calves (and other muscles), even if it’ll leave you sweatier than the cast of Apocalypse Now. But hey, no pain, no goddamn gain, right?
Weighing in at a svelte 38 pounds also makes it the lightest walking pad in this guide. And it didn’t have to sacrifice platform real estate, either. Its 40 by 16 inch dimensions gives you enough space to lengthen your stride and jog without worry of falling off. Speed demons will have to look elsewhere. Its 3.8 mile per hour top speed is enough for fast walks and jogs, but not runs.
Half n’ Half – WalkingPad R2 Folding Walking Pad
WalkingPad R2 Folding Walking Pad
Making a treadmill that folds in half sounds like the sort of thing that would give engineering students waking nightmares. Perhaps that’s why this is the only one in our guide that does just that. Customers report that folding walking pads tend to make a bit more noise than those that are fixed. We’re not saying they’ll rattle like a rattlesnake, but there are more parts to get jostled around while your legs are pounding away at the spinning belt. Customers report that the WalkingPad R2 runs fairly smoothly and quietly, though.
It comes at a cost. The WalkingPad R2 tips the scales at 81 pounds. Let that sink in. It may fold in half, but then you have to lift it. Customers do say that the wheels roll very easily, and that on a hard floor the WalkingPad R2 is easy to move as long as you don’t have to lift it. Plus, it holds up to 240 pounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a walking pad worth it?
Yep. If you’re anything like me, you find that exercise is among the first things to get booted out of the way when particularly stressed or busy. Finding time to make it to the gym or, if you have one, your own treadmill is tough when work is crying out for your attention like a two-week-old puppy. But if you can do that exercise while you work at your desk, it’s a lot harder to come up with an excuse for skipping cardio day.
What are the benefits of a walking pad?
Better cardiovascular health, which has a whole host of benefits. You reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, strengthen bones, keep joints strong and flexible, and burn calories. Regular exercise also helps lower anxiety, so it’s a boon for your mental health, too.
Which is better: an under the desk walking pad or an under the desk bike?
They’re different movements, so they work slightly different muscle groups. The obvious difference is that on an under-cycle bike, you’re sitting, so you’ll need to get up periodically to avoid back pain. On the flip side, bikes tend to be quieter than walking pads.
How long should you use a walking pad for each time?
That’s totally up to you. If you already know your limits on speed and time from jogging outdoors or on a full-sized treadmill, you can use those as a guideline for your walking pad. Incline treadmills burn more calories because it’s tougher to run on a slope, so they’ll tire you out sooner than flat models.
Can you use walking pads on carpet?
Oof. The official answer given by many walking pad manufacturers is no, use them on hard flooring only. Soft carpet can make them unsteady, especially if it’s high-pile carpet. Fibers can also make their way into the mechanisms, requiring you to clean them out much more often. And then if left in place for a while, you could get indentations in your carpet. It wouldn’t be any worse than those from your desk or couch, which weigh more, but you generally don’t see those because you’re not moving them out of the way frequently.
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