I Wrote This While Trotting On a Dozen Different Walking Pads

Sitting at your desk all day is literally a pain. It’s bad for your mental and physical health and slowly turns you into a hunched-over keyboard gargoyle. You could take walking breaks away from your screen, but even then you’re still spending a lot of the day on your butt.

Enter: the walking pad. These tiny treadmills fit under standing desks and allow you to rack up steps while you work. It might sound far-fetched, but yes, you can exercise and be productive on your computer at the same time. In fact, I’m convinced these things actually make me more efficient. They keep my energy up, and I’m more locked in. Working from home is exponentially better with my little office hamster wheel.

There are tons of walking pads on the market, with varying speed capabilities, extra features like built-in desk platforms, and durability. We tested the ones below to help you narrow down your search to the best of the best. Are you trying to get more fit in 2025? Don’t forget to check out our picks for the Best Treadmills, Best Fitness Trackers, and Best Running Shoes.

Updated August 2025: We added the Urevo CyberPad, the Lifesmart 3-in-1 treadmill, and the FlexiSpot Auto Incline walking treadmill.

Best Overall

Photograph: Adrienne So

Most walking pads generally feel the same and have the same capabilities. Not the Urevo CyberPad (9/10, WIRED Recommends). It offers a 14 percent incline, the highest I’ve seen on a walking pad. With the ability to tackle steeper walks, I felt like I could actually get a major sweat going without sacrificing my focus on work, unlike when I try to push the pace, which makes it harder to type.

It was easy to set up and ready to use right out of the box (a huge win in my book—I do not dream of fitness-equipment assembly). It’s a bit heavier than some other options on this list, so moving it around isn’t as easy, but there are wheels that help. The speed tops out at 4 mph, and the incline stops at level nine, which can be either a 9 or 14 percent incline, depending on how you have the machine’s feet positioned. (As I said, the 14 percent incline makes it really stand out.)

The CyberPad has a Bluetooth remote and app that are easy to connect to the machine and allow you to control it. The app also offers workouts, if you want to virtually walk in some pretty scenery. As long as you open the app at some point during your walk, it’ll log your workout data from the machine, so you can keep track of daily step counts over time. You can also view your current workout metrics on a screen at the front of the machine.

With a solid feel underfoot and comfortable belt, I’m confident in this pad’s durability. One thing to note: The incline capability makes it taller and harder to store. It also has fun siderail lights (think car underglow). You can turn them on in the app and set the color and patterns to whatever inspires you to get on and walk. It’s the little things!

Best Foldable Walking Pad

Photograph: Kristin Canning

WalkingPad C2 Mini Foldable Treadmill

This is a much longer and heavier walking pad; it’s 57 inches (32.5 inches when folded), which means it’s a good choice for taller folks or anyone who has a long stride. The deck feels good, though not as springy or as padded as the Sperax. This machine was a bit of a pain to set up. Getting the Bluetooth remote and app (called KS Fit) to connect with the pad was a struggle, initially. I also didn’t like that when you first start using the machine you have to spend time walking at slower speeds before you can “unlock” the upper end of the range.

I like the level of control and the tracking capabilities of this device more than the Sperax, though. You can adjust the speed via either the remote or the app, and you can use the pad without the app. You can check your time, speed, distance, calories, and steps on the large display. The app is a little wonky—if you don’t start a workout with the app, your progress won’t be tracked or logged, and it doesn’t sync later. It also saves each walking session separately, so if you take a break, you start from zero again, but you can see your daily steps on KS Fit if you do a little digging (that is, if you’ve been using it with the app).