REVIEW – Many of us are still working from home due to the pandemic. I recently retired from my day job with Cummins Inc after 34+ years, but I did WFH for 2 years and continue working full-time on The Gadgeteer. I know I sit for too long in front of a computer each day, but I’m not been a fan of regular standing desks. When I saw the WALK-i-TASK desk for treadmills, I was excited to give it a try. Let’s check it out.
What’s in the box?
What was in the box? An explosion of styrofoam, that’s what. UGH :o[ I’m glad that I could open the box outdoors on my front porch instead of inside the house.
- WALK-i-TASK treadmill desk
- Instructions
Design and features
Once all the styrofoam particles were removed, I was left with a steel and aluminum WALK-i-TASK treadmill desk with a huge warning sticker on top with a long list of things not to do with the desk. Luckily, the sticker can be removed if you carefully peel it off.
If you flip the WALK-i-TASK over, you can see the adjustable arm clamps on each side. The clamps rotate and can slide in and out to accommodate the width of your treadmill’s arms.
Installing the WALK-i-TASK treadmill desk on your treadmill
The WALK-i-TASK ships assembled so you do not need any tools to attach it to your treadmill. The only thing that you have to add is the screw pad/bumper to each arm clamp screw.
Here’s my Sole treadmill which I’ve had for over 10 years.
To install the WALK-i-TASK on my treadmill, I measured the distance between the arms on the treadmill and then adjusted the width of the arm clamps on the desk. The WALK-i-TASK should fit treadmills that have arm widths between 30.5 and 40 inches and arm thicknesses of 1.75 to 5.5 inches. My treadmill fell into those measurements.
Then I lifted the WALK-i-TASK and slid it over the treadmill’s arms. The desk isn’t very heavy, so it was easy for me to lift and position it without any struggles.
To secure the desk to the treadmill, you need to tighten the padded arm clamp screws so that the pad/bumper presses against the bottom of the treadmill’s arm. I found that the screw/bumper wanted to slip off the bottom of the treadmill’s arm. I think that a wider bumper would be a nice improvement.
With a little patience, I was able to get the WALK-i-TASK treadmill desk to securely mount to my treadmill. I will say that the arm clamps feel and look a little homebrew-esque, but they are made of metal and feel strong enough for their task.
Here is the desk with my 13-in MacBook Pro on top. The WALK-i-TASK desk is wide enough for my laptop and my phone, with room left for even a drink. Note that the desk is only rated for 9 pounds.
You will notice that there appears to be another platform below the WALK-i-DESK’s main platform. The two platforms are attached with a scissor-style hinge. Turning the knob on the front of the desk will raise and lower the top platform. How it is shown in the image above is the desk at its lowest height.
You can also adjust the angle of the desk by using the knobs on the side of the arm clamps. With the desk tilted, it is convenient to read a book or magazine while walking. There’s even a raised ridge to prevent the book or magazine from sliding off the desk.
To see how both of these adjustments work, please watch my short video below.
See it in action
Considerations
I found it a little awkward to start and stop my treadmill while using the WALK-i-DESK and my laptop. I had to make sure that I closed my laptop first in order to reach the controls. Luckily, my treadmill also has speed adjustment buttons on the arms. These buttons were still easily accessible with the desk in place.
If you do run into issues, they offer a 21 day return policy.
What I like
- Comes pre-assembled
- Can be used with most existing treadmills
- Height and angle adjustments
What I’d change
- Improve the arm clamp screw bumper size
Final thoughts
If you find that you sit too long at your desk but don’t care to stand in place with a standing desk, AND you have a treadmill, the WALK-i-TASK may be a useful addition to your work from home arsenal of tools. It can help you stay both productive and active.
Price: $239.99
Where to buy: walkitask.com (use the coupon code GADGETEER50 to save $50)
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Walk-i-Task.
