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Under Desk Exercise
Part of my new year’s resolution for 2021 was testing several treadmills and exercise equipment to find the right one for our home. Local gyms were still on COVID-19 pandemic lockdown at the time. A stationary exercise bike I bought was never used, and a couple treadmills made me realize that you truly DO get what you paid for!
The second treadmill I had tested was the Gymax Folding, Under Desk Treadmill (Model: SuperFit), and for a few weeks, I had enjoyed its two functions:
- Under-the-desk, walking treadmill while working
- Running treadmill
Ultimately, I went with the Famistar Folding Treadmill (T600) for its motorized 15% incline and 17″ wide running belt. However, the Gymax was still a good piece of exercise equipment for the type of person who wanted to walk while comfortably working. I decided to resurface the review I had previously written to share on this site.
Right off the bat, you should be aware that this treadmill does NOT compare to what you would find at the gym where those machines cost more than $1000. What it DOES have going for it is its versatility as both a running and under-desk treadmill that does not take up much space. It is by far, far better than the $300 treadmill I had initially tried in terms of exuding confidence as a safer equipment, more professional look, and extra amenities.
Setup
The Gymax treadmill was VERY easy to put together (instructions were good to follow). Attach the phone holder and optionally, the arms. The latter took some time to mount and actually got me a bit frustrated until my brother stepped in and said: “Put the bolts in first, line up the arms’ holes, and THEN screw in the bolts.” Duh. Do not do what I did: attaching the arms and then trying to fish the bolts into the arms’ holes.
Material
The treadmill looked VERY cool! In fact, if you had the control unit folded up, you would see Green, Orange, Yellow, and Red lights flash outwardly with each step as if to tell you what a superstar you were. Some may find this annoying as I found no way to turn that off. My brother and I both liked it though.
At an estimated 75 lbs, it was not too heavy (compared to the 130-pound Famistar) and took very little space — at 52″ x 27″ x 5″ — in its “folded” (arms removed) position.
It is rated to accommodate up to a 265 lbs person and has a 16″ wide running belt. The width did not give me as much confidence as the Famistar’s 17″, however.
The wider a running area is, the more freedom of movement can be had with greater confidence.
The motor, at the lowest setting was VERY quiet. Its maximum speed was 12 km/h (7.5mph) compared to Famistar’s much more powerful motor of 16 km/h (9.9 mph).
Use
- The treadmill itself can easily be folded and unfolded by simply moving the attached handle up or down
- When handle is down, the treadmill can be placed under a desk for walking while working
- When handle is up, the treadmill converts for running
- You would and should need to attach the two, black armrests for safety. This allows you to more easily step off the running belt as needed
- Armrests do NOT fold away
- This prevents the handle from completely folding flat. You must unscrew the armrests to do so
- Unfortunate design limitation. Had the armrests been foldable, the treadmill would have easily been an easy recommendation
- You could leave the armrests off entirely, but you would do so at possible risk of injury if you slipped on the running area
- Front has a pair of wheels to help you move the treadmill around
- It shows the values in metric units
- In other words, you will see km/h instead of mph. I found no way to change that. Speeds go up to 12 km/h (7.5 mph)
- There is no ability to incline the treadmill
- There is a red magnet that attaches to the control unit
- You should clip it to yourself so if you fell, it would INSTANTLY shut off the machine.
- Instruction manual includes 1 silicone lubricant bottle
- It states that for better performance and longevity, you should squeeze some drops of lubricant under the running belt
- You should let the belt run for a few seconds so the oil would get distributed more evenly
- The first treadmill I had did not come with any lubricants, and so this shows that the company seems to care about the quality of its equipment
- A remote is included to start/stop/adjust the motor
What I Did Not Like
- You cannot change the display to imperial units (mph/miles)
- While the handle can be folded up to convert treadmill for running, it cannot be folded entirely flat for use under the desk without removing the black armrests
- Armrests require tools to remove or re-attach
- Had Gymax figured out a way to more easily fold away the armrests, this treadmill would have been an easy recommendation
- Running belt tapers off into an open, metal rear
- If you slip off while barefoot, this can be very painful
- Child’s hand or fingers could get pulled in for some serious hurt
- No incline levels available
Final Thoughts
The Gymax Folding Under-Desk Treadmill (Model: SuperFit) is versatile and perhaps one of the better ones I had tested. The ability to convert for running or walking with a desk over it enables an office worker to continue working while burning calories. Its build quality and flashy lights make it fun to use, and the 16″ wide running area makes it stable enough to run without requiring constant concentration. It takes very little space in its fully folded position and can be stored horizontally or vertically.
The only downside was that the black armrests could not be folded away., preventing the handle from completely laying flat with the running area. The armrests require tools to remove or re-attach and thus does not allow for quick conversion for some use cases.
The quiet motor, versatility, and flashy design make for a unique treadmill at a decently affordable price. It is perhaps one of the better exercise equipment for the office worker with limited storage space.
Where To Buy
- Gymax Folding Under-Desk Treadmill 2.25HP (SuperFit)
- Famistar T600 Folding Treadmill 3.5HP with Auto Incline