Are Treadmill Desk Attachments Any Good? With Pros & Cons!

If you’re looking to increase your productivity or use a device while you walk on a treadmill, a treadmill desk could be the solution for you. However, if purchasing a treadmill desk is out of the question, you’re probably wondering how to achieve that. One possible solution is to use a desk attachment for treadmills. That begs the question, are treadmill desk attachments any good?

This article investigates that very question so that you can make an informed decision about whether it’s worth buying a treadmill table attachment.

Below I answer some commonly asked questions about treadmill desk attachments, including:

Are treadmill desk attachments expensive?
Are treadmill desk accessories any good?
Can you build your own laptop treadmill stand?

Plus, I also provide you with a cheat sheet of the pros and cons of treadmill desk attachments.

So read on to find out about treadmill desk attachments and whether they are a good option to help liberate you from your chair and sitting disease.

Plus, let’s not forget them giving you means to have some entertainment at your treadmill as you walk the belt of boredom!

Did you know? Studies have shown that people spend as much as 50 – 86% of their workday performing sedentary activities. Source

are treadmill desk attachments any good? - DIY Treadmill Desk in house

What is a treadmill desk attachment?

Treadmill desk attachments can range from tables to stands or clamps which are designed to hold objects, such as laptops, tablets, books, while you use the treadmill.

The treadmill table attaches to the handles of a running treadmill and are usually held in place by means of a Velcro strap which wraps around the treadmill handles.

Treadmill stands are similar to a treadmill table, except they have a bar with a small stand for holding the device or book in place.

Treadmill clamps work in a similar manner, except as opposed to a table, they only clamp the laptop or tablet in place.

Treadmill desk attachments are an alternative option to a treadmill workstation.

These treadmill workstations are comprised of a standing desk which would normally be positioned with an under desk treadmill to allow users to walk while they work.

Are treadmill desk attachments any good?

Treadmill desk attachments are a quick and easy way to convert your existing treadmill into a treadmill desk. Treadmill tables can be easily removed to allow you to perform a workout on the treadmill. They are a cheaper alternative to purchasing a treadmill desk workstation and are useful for enabling you to use a small number of devices while on a treadmill.

These treadmill attachments are usually compact and can usually only support a small number of items compared to a treadmill desk. Treadmill stands also have a much smaller weight and weight capacity than standing desks. Furthermore, they have zero or limited height adjustability which doesn’t make them ergonomically suited for long-term use throughout the day

Choosing activities suited to walking on a treadmill will make it more productive and seamless process to work while you walk.

Pros and cons of treadmill desk attachments

Treadmill desk attachments can enable users to get more active and out of their seat. Plus, instead of merely walking on a treadmill, which can feel like a lifetime, you can use a treadmill desk attachment to position a laptop, tablet or book at the treadmill so that you can work on your devices to be more productive or have a more entertaining treadmill walk.

There are a multitude of exceptional life-changing benefits to walking while you work and using a treadmill desk instead of being in a static posture.

Plus, by using a treadmill desk, you can expect to lose weight
due to increased energy expenditure.

However, they generally don’t offer as much footprint as a standing desk, and they don’t allow for the height to be increased to meet the ergonomic needs of the user.

For example, the Nnewvante Universal Treadmill Desk Attachment provides an area of 396.48 in2.
In comparison, the Bush Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk has a surface area of 1152 in2.

If the user has to deviate their posture to look up or down at their laptop/tablet/paperwork, it could lead to strain on the muscles in the upper body.

Therefore, they are unlikely to be the best option for people using them more than 1 hour at a go or throughout the day.

The below table highlights some of the pros and cons of using treadmill desk attachments.

Advantages of treadmill desk attachments	Disadvantages of treadmill desk attachments
Cheaper than purchasing a treadmill desk	Can be unstable and wobbly
Easy and quick to install	Small size supports limited number of items
Easy to remove for a workout	May not fit the handles of your treadmill
Some attachments have laptop tilt	Can’t adjust height of desk – poor posture
Allow you to exercise while you work	Requires precise measurements to ensure it fits
Provide a means of distraction while walking	Limited choice on the market
DIY treadmill desk attachments can be made

Are treadmill desk attachments expensive?

Treadmill desk attachments range in price from $24.99 – $144.99. The price of a treadmill stand tends to increase if there are more media slots, storage compartments and tilt functions built into the unit. The cost of a treadmill laptop attachment could be further reduced by making your own laptop stand.

Therefore, treadmill laptop stands are a cheaper alternative to purchasing a treadmill desk workstation, especially if you already own a treadmill.

However, the lower cost of a treadmill table will come at the cost of less footprint for placing items on. The treadmill desk attachment is much smaller than a standing desk.

The average cost of a treadmill workstation ranges from $1499 – $4973.

If you’re purchasing the treadmill itself and already own a standing desk, the average cost of an under desk treadmill is around $574.09.

Furthermore, the average cost of a standing desk ranges around $644.09. So, if you don’t already own a standing desk, this will be another cost that you’ll need to add on.

Cost will be a key consideration for people when choosing a treadmill workstation option.

So go check out the top 20 least and most expensive under desk treadmills
to gauge how much you should spend on an office treadmill.

This will provide tips and treadmill desk cost comparison tables to guarantee that you get the best value for your money and don’t get ripped off!

Tip: To save even more cost on a treadmill desk, you could consider making your own DIY desk.

How to turn a treadmill into a walking desk?

If you already own a treadmill, there are a number of methods you can ty to convert your running treadmill into a treadmill workstation. Below are 3 different methods to turn a treadmill to a walking desk based on the type of treadmill you own.

Purchase a standing desk: If your existing treadmill has foldable handles, then you could invest in a standing desk which the treadmill could work under.

Purchase a treadmill desk attachment: If the treadmill doesn’t have fixed sturdy handles, a laptop treadmill table could be secured to the handles.

Make a DIY treadmill table: Instead of purchasing a treadmill table, you could build your own treadmill table by purchasing some basic parts, such as a shelf, Velcro strap and screw eyes.

Can you build your own treadmill desk?

There are some DIY tricks that you can follow to convert your treadmill into a DIY treadmill workstation. This will probably work out cheaper than purchasing some desk attachments for treadmills.

However, unless it’s correctly built and attached in a sturdy manner, a DIY desk attachment could be liable to breaking or slipping and causing the objects on it to fall.

Furthermore, it could also cause scratches or marks on the treadmill if there are sharp edges or force being applied to the treadmill.

Below are the steps for one method of building your own DIY treadmill desk, you can also follow the video posted below it.

Find or purchase a wooden shelf that has around the same width as the handles of the treadmill.
Twist in 2 screw eyes (eye hooks) on both the left and right side of the wooden shelf.
Then attach bungee cords to both screw eyes.
Position the shelf on the handles of the treadmills and strap the bungee cords under the handles of the treadmill.
Ensure that they are securely tied in place so that they can’t slip off.
Place your laptop or objects on the desk and use a slow pace of 1 mph to test that the shelf is secure as your walk.

Tip: Always check the treadmill table to ensure that it is secure before you use it.

Are DIY treadmill desks any good?

DIY treadmill desks are a cheaper alternative to purchasing a treadmill stand or a treadmill workstation. They can be designed to the dimensions and shape that you desire; plus, you can even select the material and colour that you prefer. This is often a limitation when purchasing treadmill desk attachments.

If they are built using sturdy materials that won’t break under the weight or the pressure of the objects and positioned in a secure manner, then they can be effective at converting your treadmill to a walking treadmill workstation.

There will need to be some precision in accurately measuring out the dimensions of the treadmill desk to ensure that it can be securely fit to the handles while not being too short or too wide.

DIY desks will generally be more basic in design than a purchased treadmill laptop table with features such as media devices, built in tilt function and storage compartments.

Unless you’re handy with tools and can carve out slots for these compartments in the treadmill desk.

It probably won’t look as aesthetically pleasing either, but that may be the least of your worries.

Tip: The average recommended speed when using a treadmill desk is 1 – 2 mph.

Conclusion

Treadmill desks attachments are a cost-effective means of converting your treadmill into a treadmill walking desk. While they won’t offer as much surface area, robustness or ergonomic adjustability, they can be useful for short periods of time and allow you to use a laptop at a treadmill. Or practically any portable device for that matter!

If you intend to walk at a treadmill desk for long periods, have the space and the budget, it would be highly recommendable to get a treadmill workstation.

Plus, they also grant you the freedom from the sitting disease epidemic that is overtaking the world, while encouraging the amazing health benefits of walking.

DIY treadmill desks can also be fabricated but caution must be observed to ensure that they are the correct dimensions, are sturdy and will not slip off the handles.

Plus, having a treadmill that you can run on as well as walk on increases the functionality
of it and also saves on the expense of purchasing a treadmill workstation.

Learning how to properly use a treadmill desk is essential. It also increases your safety and increases the many benefits that you can obtain from using a treadmill as a desk!

While running treadmills have more functionality, such as incline, and can achieve higher maximum speeds, they probably won’t operate as quietly as these top 20 under desk treadmills.

Desk treadmills are one of most effective methods of increasing movement into a sedentary seated lifestyle.

However, they may not be the preferred or most suitable option for everyone.

Fortunately, I have been actively exploring the various ways to introduce motion into my relatively stationary desk work lifestyle, so if you need something less expensive than a desk treadmill, there’s bound to be some options suitable to you.

The below items are what I’ve looked into so far in order of preference:

My personal favorite products so far are the:

My aim with this website is to help you on all matters related to your home office and your work area. With that in mind, if you have any questions or comments on the above, please drop them in the box below. I’d love to hear them!