The 6 best under-desk treadmills for WFH life

The Goyouth 2 in 1 Walking Treadmill is a powerful and transportable machine at a relatively low cost.

What we like: Shock absorbing, ultra-quiet motor, has a safety key

This compact and lightweight treadmill (64 pounds) is affixed with flexible rollers to easily move from place to place. Designed to absorb shock, the Goyouth 2 in 1 Treadmill is safe to use for both walking and running purposes, with speeds ranging from 0.5 to six miles per hour.

Featuring an LED screen displaying time, speeds, calories burned, distance, and steps, the machine also features a remote control to adjust your speed and Bluetooth capability so you can play music through your phone. 

A small, compact, yet sturdy treadmill, the RHYTHM Fun Treadmill is the best for saving on space.

What we like: Easy to store saving, no assembly required, track stats on an app

Lightweight and easy to maneuver on wheels, the treadmill offers a space-saving solution at just over two inches thick and weighing 64 pounds. The seven-level elastic running platform features anti-skid and shockproof protection and increases up to 3.7 miles per hour for a good walking pace.

The treadmill also comes with a smart remote for speed control to turn on and off, as well as a workout app for tracking your speed, time, mileage, and calories on your phone.

The Goplus 2 in 1 Folding Treadmill transforms from an under-desk walking machine to a sturdy running treadmill.

What we like: Wide speed range, ultra-quiet motor, easy to fold and move

Featuring two sports modes, the treadmill's under-desk option maintains a walking pace of up to four miles per hour and reaches speeds of up to 12 miles per hour with the rails up. The rails also include a phone holder and LED screen.

While the quiet motor keeps noise at a minimum, the non-slip, shock-absorbing running belt features both sound insulation and a high-strength support layer to protect the joints when running at higher speeds. Along with a separate remote control and emergency safety key, the treadmill has Bluetooth capabilities for a hands-free experience.

The Cubii Pro is an easy-to-use elliptical that allows you to log some quality cardio no matter if you're sitting down for lunch or powering through a backlog of emails.

What we like: Compact, low-impact, quiet, easy to use anywhere

For those that prefer a low-impact way to exercise, the elliptical-style Cubii Pro offers a compact way to get reps in while you work. Simply place the machine under your desk (or even use it from the couch) and pedal for as long as you wish. The Cubii is quiet enough that you can use it during work calls or while listening to background music.

It features eight levels of resistance so you can tailor your workout to your needs, and it even syncs with your phone so you can track your goals and progress.

Featuring an app, Bluetooth, and watch-style remote control, the OppsDecor treadmill is for the tech-savvy. 

What we like: Wide running belt, option of colors, watch-style remote

The OppsDecor Under Desk Treadmill is a sleek walking or running machine with upgraded tech features. Alongside a Bluetooth speaker and app (on IOS and Android) to track your workout, the treadmill comes with a remote control watch to adjust between speeds, pause or stop the treadmill, and a safety key to shut off in an emergency.

This treadmill is available in a variety of colors and features a premium multi-layer running belt for maximum protection. It can be used with the arms folded in as an under-desk treadmill with a speed of up to four miles per hour, or as a more standard running machine with speeds up to 12 miles per hour.

The InMovement UnSit Under Desk Treadmill is designed for users to walk the full width of their desk.

What we like: Design to reduce noise, integrated app, engineered for safety

With a 39-inch lateral walking belt, the InMovement UnSit treadmill takes up less lateral space in the home office. The treadmill has a powerful 2.75 horsepower motor for keeping noise to a minimum and comes with an integrated app to track your metrics, measure how long you've been standing, and merge data with Bluetooth tracking devices.

It also has a one-touch dial to control speed (up to two miles per hour). Built to provide maximum safety, the machine automatically shuts off immediately after stepping off. 

Testing under-desk treadmills is an interesting experience due mainly to the fact that there are so many different versions of them. Some are full-on treadmill belts capable of sliding under a desk, while other options might be more compact or designed to function like an elliptical. There are even under-desk treadmills built into an actual desk.

Since that kind of variety makes it difficult to truly compare 1-to-1, the testing method used for the models featured in this guide comprised both actual testing and some research. Here are the categories we considered when deciding which to include as top picks:

Ease of use: This may seem like a no-brainer but not every under-desk treadmill is intuitive and easy to use — which are perhaps any model's most important features. It's far easier to motivate yourself to work out when the thing you need to use to do it is simple and straightforward. When judging this category, we also considered the initial setup as many don't come preassembled and require at least a little bit of at-home assembly. 

Stability: Since most under-desk treadmills aren't anywhere near the same size as traditional models, stability can be a real issue, especially since the person using it exerts the same amount of force as they would on a larger treadmill. This category was easy to judge, too: Did the treadmill rock back and forth during use, or did it remain stable throughout? 

Performance: The way we judged the performance of an under-desk treadmill was to see how well it actually functioned while being used during the workday. We wanted to see if it made too much noise to be on Zoom calls or if it made it awkward to tread and type at the same time. The idea behind these is to get some exercise, of course, but to also not entirely disrupt your day (because at that point, it'd be more beneficial just to stop what you're doing and do a legit workout). 

Value: We assessed the value of each of the featured under-desk treadmills by looking into whether they were built well enough to last longer than a few weeks, if they had decent return/replacement policies, and if they didn't cost as much as an actual treadmill. There is a high-end model listed here but it's unique enough (it's a literal treadmill desk) that it still fits the bill of what we were looking for.