TrekDesk Treadmill Desk

I purchased my TrekDesk about 6 months ago but it sat in it's box for a few months before I got around to pairing it with the Confidence Power Plus Motorized Electric Treadmill (also bought from Amazon). I was pretty skeptical at first - especially after reviewing the most negative review video.

I work mostly at home as an IT consultant and have lived a very sedentary life as a result and have put on at least 50lbs too much and really needed to make a change in my life. If I was going to do this - I really needed to 1) keep it under budget (we have 5 kids at home etc.) and 2) I needed enough space to hold all my stuff (I use three monitors with my PC) and it had to hold it all steadily. It's now been 8 weeks since I started using my new desk/treadmill and I wanted to tell my experience.

Pre-workout and building courage phase:

Once I received my treadmill I was finally forced to open the box for the desk and to begin to build it. I was pleasantly surprised at the build construction. From the negative video - the guy makes it look like it will fall over and collapse by barely touching it so I remained skeptical still. It took me only about 45 minutes (in total - in between visits from my little guys asking if they can help every 2 min.) I am only 5'8 (got shorter due to paratrooper days in the Army :) and found that I the default height of the lowest setting fit me perfectly. With the treadmill in place I stand very comfortably with my hand easily being able to reach my keyboard and other items I need to use without issue. There is at least enough room to raise it another 10 inches for those less vertically-challenged like me.

I proceeded to move all three of my 27inch LCD monitors, two laptops, a speakerphone and still have plenty of room for water bottles and other misc. stuff that adds up without being too cluttered. In the end, found that not only did I have enough space for all of this, but it was all quite stable (unlike how the guy in the video tries to show you that it is all very unstable and cheap). In short - I am very pleased with the construction. The desk is foldable like a folding table and can be easily moved - love that too.

Now I have my TrekDesk next to my old fat guy desk in my office so I can easily switch as needed.

Now on to actual use..

Week 1: Ouch! My feet are killing me! This will take some time to get used to for sure.. Typing and talking - well not too easy to do at initially. It took me a few days to get used to it if I concentrated. I started off at a speed of 1.0 to get used to things ending at 1.2 for the week. I would run in 30 minutes 'sets' as long as I could stand it - but I had to take frequent breaks too.

Week 2: OMG my feet HURT. I am using regular gym shoes but really have not gotten used to the standing bit. I have increased my pace from 1.5 to 2.0 though and I sweat pretty strongly at this setting. I where shorts and tank while working - that's pretty cool huh? By the end of this week I was starting to get more encouraged though.

Week 3: Ok - feet are beginning to adjust and don't hurt so bad. I have some soreness in my legs and back but it was ok since I was actually feeling pretty good about it. I have started to really get into drinking water. So far - the desk hasn't broken down at all - everything remains functional and stable. The treadmill I bought has been holding up as well. The noise level is quiet enough that I can be on my USB speakerphone (Using MS Lync) and no one on the call complains and when asked about it they tell me that they don't hear anything :)

Week 4: Now I am starting to feel like this is a habit. I decided to go out and buy a FitBit Ultra (yes Amazon as well) so that I can keep track of my steps, calories, and distance. I have also started a push program that when I pause I do some sets of pushups in-between meetings etc.

Week 5-8: Using the FitBit has really made a difference now as well. At the end of week 8, according to the FitBit, I am averaging over 10,000 steps a day (over 4 sets of 30 minutes at ~2.0 MPH), burn close to 2,000 calories a day, and have greatly reduced my calorie intake. I am now losing weight at a clip of around 1.5 to 2 lbs a week and have not felt this good in a long long time. I now have loads of energy and when I wake up tired, once I get going, I wake up and stay awake all day (before I started I was tired all the time and really had a hardtime staying focused.).

I really have to credit the TrekDesk people with making what I consider an economical but well designed product, as well as low cost Confidence Power Plus Treadmill and FitBit. I spent around $800 for all of this and I consider it truly a life change for me. Please take the negative reviews with a grain of salt. If you have the money - then naturally you can spend more but for me, I am very happy with this purchase.

On a last note - I built a small stand for the middle monitor to sit on that is open in the middle with two 10 inch sides and the top is 18 inches across - both being 10 inches deep. This lets me reach the treadmill controls and be able to see the timer on it without issue.

I hope you find my little review informative!

I have been waiting for months for the Trekdesk to be released. I ordered mine minutes after receiving the email that it was available to order (I was on the waitlist). I had lofty expectations for this product. Now that I have been using it for a few days I can safely report that Trekdesk has met all my expecations. I am thrilled with my new office routine!

Let me start with the bad to get it out of the way. I am nit-picking here. These are fairly minor complaints.
THE BAD:

- Assembly instructions could be more helpful. It took me 45 minutes to assemble the desk, although I admitedly am not much of a handyman. Others could probably assemble it in half that time. The instructions were detailed, but do not have drawings/pictures which would have been very helful to me. The video helped some, but I wish it also was more detailed in showing assembly steps. I was surprised at the number of parts to assemble...and the number of screws. It would be helpful to have the different size screws in separate bags instead of all in one bag.

- Difficulty accessing the treadmill control panel under the Trekdesk. I believe Trekdesk recommends a treadmill with a side panel instead of the panel in front. However, my treadmill has the front panel, which sits under the Trekdesk. I can't see the treadmill display without performing gymnastic contortions. Also, must reach under the Trekdesk to press the start/stop buttons on the treadmill. However, after a few hours I was used to the routine. I haven't changed the speed or incline on the treadmill since the first day anyway, so no need to have easy access to the control panel.

- cord control. They should add features for tying down cords somewhere. Between the computer, monitor, phone, printer, etc....lots of cords running from the desk.

- Not a full-time desk. I found that I like to alternate between a chair and the treadmill during the day. I work/walk for a couple hours and then spend a half hour sitting at the desk. However, I have only been using the treadmill for 2 days and noticed that today I spent a lot more time on the treadmill than I did the first day. Ok, you have probably guessed I am not the picture of fitness (yet).

Now for all the good stuff...
THE GOOD:
- solid construction. When I ordered I was a little worried this would be a cheap product because the price was a fraction of other treadmill workstations. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the desk when unpacking the box.

- packaging. Speaking of unpacking..no way this desk will be damaged during shipping. All parts are fit into layers of custom-molded styrofoam.

- video tutorial for assembling.

- adjustable height. I am 6' 3, and the Trekdesk fits me perfectly when I am on the treadmill. I could still raise it a couple more inches if I wanted to.

- customer service. I emailed customer service with a question and received a response and helpful instructions within an hour.

- large desk. Plenty or room for a work area, even with a laptop docked and a monitor/keyboard/mouse.

- the best news of all is that it works! I feel great during and after work. I have been working from home for quite some time now, and have been feeling more and more lethargic sitting in my chair all day long. What a difference the Trekdesk makes! I had more energy today at work than I have had in a long time. It only took minutes to get used to walking while typing away at the keyboard or using the mouse. The setup feels quite natural now. I use all the accessories that came with the desk, especially the cup holders. Those are a nice touch. Overall, I have no reservations about recommending the Trekdesk. It has been well worth the purchase price to me.