Treadmill Desk Speed

Treadmills desks are designed primarily with the intention of walking. For this reason, the speeds that they can reach tend to be lower. For that very reason, you should research treadmill desk speed and how fast do treadmill desks go so that you purchase a unit that reaches the necessary speeds for your needs and desires.

The last thing you want is to purchase an under desk treadmill that is far too slow for speed that you want to travel.

Speed will be important if you intend use it for the purpose of both walking and running. Not only that, but the last thing you want is the speed rumbling under you as you try to focus!

Below I answer some frequently asked questions about under desk treadmills, including:

What is the best speed to use it treadmill desk at?
What is the average speed of an under desk treadmill?
What is the best speed to use a treadmill for weight loss?
What is the best speed to use a treadmill desk at for productivity?

Plus, I also provide you with a cheat sheet of the slowest and fastest under desk treadmills available today.

This way, you can avoid the slowest office treadmills which can’t reach the speeds that you need.

So read on to find out about treadmill desk speeds and the one best suited to you!

Did you know? Studies have shown that treadmill desks offer a better physiological improvement when compared to standing desks alone. Plus, they create minimal impact on work performance. Source

How fast do treadmill desks go?

The average speed of a treadmill desk is 4.5 mph. Under desk treadmills can reach speeds ranging from 2 – 8 mph. Under desk treadmills tend to have lower maximum speeds compared to standard running treadmills because they are designed for use at a desk as opposed to far exercise. The average maximum speed of a standard running treadmill ranges from 10 – 14 mph. On average, people jog between 4 – 6 mph. Therefore, a treadmill desk offering speeds of 5 – 6 mph should be more than sufficient for people who only intend to walk at treadmill desk.

However, if you wish to purchase an under treadmill desk that also allows you to run, you may have difficulty finding one that reaches speeds above 7.5 – 8 mph.

Fortunately, the average running speed ranges from 5 – 8 mph.

If you’re a professional or sprint runner, it’s probably better to opt for a running treadmill that can reach higher speeds and is designed for faster running.

The below table lists under desk treadmills based on the lowest to the highest maximum speed.

Under Desk Treadmill Name	Max Speed (MPH)
Unsit™ Treadmill Desk	2
Rebel Treadmill 1000	2
iMovR ThermoTread GT Office Treadmill Base	2.5
Walkstation Slim Flat Treadmill SF-T7945	2.75
Egofit Walker Pro Small Electric Treadmill	3
RHYTHM FUN Treadmill	3.7
WalkingPad A1 Pro	3.72
KEEP FUN Treadmill	3.73
Citysport Treadmill	3.73
WALKINGPAD C2 Folding Treadmill	3.75
LifeSpan TR1200-DT3	4
GoPlus Walking Treadmill	4
UMAY Portable Treadmill foldable	4
Sunny treadpad slim under desk 20740 treadmill	4
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T1407M Foldable	4.97
Treadly 2 Basic	5
Goyouth 2 in 1 Electric Treadmill	6
LIVSPO 2 in 1 Under Desk Treadmill	7.5
LSRZSPORT 2 in 1 Foldable Treadmill	7.6
UREVO 2 in 1 Under Desk Treadmill	7.6
Goplus 2 in 1 Folding Treadmill	8

What is the maximum safe speed to use a treadmill desk?

There are various reports and suggestions regarding the maximum safe treadmill desk speed that you can use a treadmill desk at. According to various articles and businesses, a safe speed to walk at on an under desk treadmill is around 1 – 2 mph. This is because your concentration is divided and needs to be applied to both the treadmill and the work that you are performing. Furthermore, the lack of handrails means that you are less stable on the treadmill as you walk; using a lower speed helps to optimise your stability.

If you are holding onto the handrail, you can probably increase the speed that you were walking at.

What is the best speed to walk at for productivity?

The optimum speed to Walk on a treadmill desk to optimise productivity while you work is around 1 – 2 mph. This may be slightly higher for different individuals if they are used to walking fast or running.

Using lower speeds allows you to read and type with greater ease and it also minimizes the number of errors made.

Complicated tasks or tasks that involve high degrees of precision may be best left for when you are sitting or standing.

What is the best speed to walk at for weight loss?

The best speed to walk at to encourage weight loss is a speed which elevate your heart rate to a level that enters the fat burning zone. On average, the best speed to use on a treadmill desk to encourage weight loss is around 4 mph and above.
By walking on an incline, you can increase your heart rate and make the task of walking, jogging or running more difficult. This should result in increased calories being burned.

Over a long period of time, by simply using a treadmill desk, you can expect to lose weight
due to increased energy expenditure.

Based on that, by simply walking 1 – 2 mph on a regular basis could contribute to weight loss over a long period of time.

The faster you walk or run, the better the likelihood of burning calories is.

However, don’t overdo it! Seek the advice of a doctor or personal trainer if you are unsure. Plus, learning how to properly use a treadmill desk is essential. It also increases your safety and increases the many benefits that you can reap from the under desk treadmill!

Can you run on a treadmill desk?

While most people working at a desk are unlikely to be running while performing their activities, there are under desk treadmills capable of reaching running speeds. If that treadmill desk maximum speeds are high enough, you can use this to run on. However, you may want to move the treadmill away from your desk so that you do not have anything obstructing you while you run. Furthermore, this will allow you to unfold the handles so that you can hold on to them as you run for security.

The below table highlights the average speeds of a person based on walking, brisk walking, jogging and running.

Activity	Average speed (mph)
Walking	1 – 3
Brisk walking	3 – 4.5
Jogging	4.5 – 5.3
Running	5.3 +

This table should allow you to choose a treadmill speed based on the activity that you intend to perform.

Choosing activities suited to walking on a treadmill desk will make it more productive and seamless process of working while walking.

Plus, it should improve your productivity and reduce the number of errors that you make when typing or working on the computer.

Should I walk or run at a treadmill desk?

If you are performing work at your treadmill workstation, it’s likely that you should be able to perform most tasks that don’t require significant precision or focus while walking at a pace of around 2 mph.

However, there may be certain activities that you can perform while running, such as listening to webinars or attending meetings where you are not on camera or microphone.

Consuming content is easier than creating content while walking or running.

Treadmill Desk Speed - Woman walking on Sunny ASUNA Treadpad Slim Under Desk Treadmill 20740

Are treadmill desks noisier at higher speeds?

Under desk treadmills tend to generate more noise at higher speeds due to the motor working harder to achieve the necessary output. The treadmill belt will also be slightly noisier from moving at higher speeds. Aside from that, the sound of your feet pounding on the treadmill will be louder when running when compared to walking. Under desk treadmills have a noise level ranging from 6 – 70 dB +.

The average noise levels of under desk treadmills ranges around 60 dB.

This is equivalent to a normal conversation or an electric shaver. That said, the noise created by your feet on the treadmill belt is likely to be louder than the sound of the treadmill itself.

To put it into perspective, the LifeSpan TR2000e Electric Folding Treadmill creates around 84 dB when a person is running at 6 mph.

What is the fastest treadmill desk speed available?

One of the fastest under desk treadmills available is the Goplus 2 in 1 Folding Treadmill. It can achieve a speed of up to 8 mph, which is pretty high compared to the average speed of 4.5 mph.

Tip: When choosing where to position the under desk treadmill, be wary of creaky floorboards or soft flooring which could produce another source of irritation and speed.

Conclusion

Treadmill desks are constructed with desk activities in mind; therefore, they are designed to operate at lower speeds to minimize noise while also reaching adequate speeds for a person at a desk.

Under desk treadmills are one of the most active types of workstations available that allow you to break from your chair and minimize the dreaded sitting disease epidemic.

They are more compact and generally slower than your standard gym running treadmill which tend to be larger, noisier and faster machines.

Opting for a treadmill with a speed of at least 4.5 mph is advisable for fast walkers and joggers.

If speed is a priority for you, the fastest under desk treadmill available from this survey is the Goplus 2 in 1 Folding Treadmill treadmills which reaches 8 mph.

Plus, having a treadmill that you can run on as well as walk on increases the usability of it and it’s more effective for achieving an effective workout to help you lose weight.

If you do intend to run at high speeds or you are a professional runner, then choosing a running treadmill is probably more suited to your needs.

Running treadmills have more functionality, such as incline, and can achieve higher maximum speeds.

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

I have been actively researching numerous 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:

Sunny Portable Stand Up Treadmill
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-T1407M (high quality, compact, low-cost treadmill)
Ergotron WorkFit-LX
Bush Electric Height Adjustable Standing Desk
CoolMesh Pro Multi-Function Chair

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!