Walk while you work? FlexiSpot Standing Desk & Kingsmith Treadmill Review
I have been working from home for over 3 years now but when the pandemic started, I became more sedentary as I spent more time in front of my computer. So I decided to invest in a workspace upgrade by setting up a treadmill desk. Here’s what I purchased and how they fared.
If you prefer a video format, here’s the YouTube link of the unboxing and review: https://youtu.be/Z2vvGJihwVo
This is not a sponsored review. I purchased these products with my own money to improve my working environment at home.
Product #1: Standing Desk
Price range: 15,000 to 25,000 pesos
What I bought: FlexiSpot Electric Height-Adjustable Standing Desk E3R 3-Stage (22,400 pesos)
Buy from Lazada: https://bit.ly/e3rdesk
Buy from Shopee: https://shp.ee/xptgp33
Warranty: 5 years
What is it?
A table that with a press of a button can adjust its height so that you can use it while sitting, standing, or walking.
Assembly Time
It took me roughly two hours to completely assemble the desk. Alternatively, you can opt to have it assembled by the supplier for an additional fee (500 pesos).
Weight and Maximum Capacity
The heaviest parts of the table are the motor legs, with a total weight of 30 kg. I bought the largest tabletop (1400 x 700mm) which in itself weighs another 18 kg. (You can also just buy the electric legs and then use your own tabletop) With this much support, I can see why this table’s loading capacity is up to 100 kg.
Height, Stability, and Memory Buttons
The height range is between 64.5 cm to 130 cm from the ground. I found that the lowest setting suits my sitting position. Feet flat on the floor and elbows bent at around a 90-degree angle. Meanwhile, with my height, 95 cm suits well for an ergonomic standing position. When walking on the treadmill, I compensate for the additional treadmill height by using 100 cm as the table height setting. These three settings can be saved in the three Memory Buttons for a quick height adjustment. This is also useful if there is more than one user of the table with different statures. The higher the table is, the less stable it becomes. I found that any setting below 100 cm is quite stable for most use cases.
Ergonomics
Even when used as a normal desk while sitting, the table is more ergonomic since you can adjust its position (to the millimeter) depending on your height and whether you are using a laptop or working with an external monitor (where the screen is elevated higher). As a simple office table without any drawers or cabinets, I find the huge legroom liberating.
Color
The color options for the table legs are white, black, and grey, while for the tabletop, they have black, white, oak, and mahogany.
Speed
It takes around 20 seconds for the table legs to fully expand from the lowest to the topmost height, with the same amount of time the other way around. When I tested it with a load of 2/3 the max capacity, there was an additional 5-second delay.
Noise
When adjusting the table height, the Sound Meter app that I used recorded a range of 50 to 60 decibels, which is equivalent to the noise level of an electric toothbrush.
Other Nifty Features
- Anti-Collision Technology— When something above is blocking the table from rising, it will stop to prevent any damage to the table or the object above. It also works the other way around. When you left your office chair under the table, it will also discontinue descending upon colliding with the chair or any other object below.
- Sit/Stand Reminder— There is a built-in timer that will alert you if you’ve been sitting (or standing) for a while and may want to switch. This is useful if you want to commit to a habit of not sitting for too long. Just note that changing the table height will reset the timer. You can turn it on by pressing the A button. The timer range is from 1 to 99 minutes which can be adjusted through the up and down buttons. To turn it off, hold the A button.
Comparison with other Standing Desks
There are other brands of standing desks that also ship locally such as Stance Philippines and RAKK Gears. I chose FlexiSpot because it’s the most affordable option given the set of features that I wanted. Also, it was what can be shipped as soon as possible since the other brands were out of stock. The other kinds of standing desks, even under the FlexiSpot brand, include a single-motor desk and a manual hand crank-operated table. Another cheaper option is a desk converter that you can place on top of your current table.
Product #2: Walking Pad / Treadmill
Price range: 14,000 to 23,000 pesos
What I bought: Xiaomi Kingsmith K12 Treadmill (18,900 pesos)
Buy from Shopee: https://shp.ee/g87x4xt
Buy from Lazada (out of stock): https://bit.ly/2SXQfHQ
Warranty: 1 year
What is it?
A treadmill without the bulky head unit console and complicated control buttons of a conventional treadmill that we see in fitness gyms. It is ideal for home use because it is portable and can easily be stored when not in use. More importantly, you can slide it below the standing desk for a treadmill desk setup.
Assembly Time
There isn’t any assembly needed but removing the treadmill from the box can be a challenge because of its weight.
Weight, Maximum Capacity, and Storage
The treadmill weighs 33 kg and can support any person below 120 kg. Because of its weight, it can be difficult for a single person to lift it directly. It has small built-in wheels which are great if you are moving the treadmill from room to room but can be less useful if you are in a cramped place like a small room. For storage, you can conveniently slip it under your bed or sofa. It can also be stored vertically while leaning against a wall, with an anti-skid strip on one end to prevent it from sliding down.
Dimensions
Its dimensions are 150 x 80 cm. The treadmill is slightly inclined and elevated from the floor, supported by four corner stands.
Operation
The power switch can be found beside the power cord. Upon turning on the switch, the Display Panel will light up. M stands for the Manual mode to distinguish it from the Automatic Mode (which we will explain later). To start the treadmill, we will need to use the AAA battery-powered remote control or the KS Fit mobile app.
Speed
The treadmill can run from 0.8 kph up to 12 kph. The speed can be controlled using the remote control or the app. For speeds above 6 kph (running mode), the handrail needs to be lifted up. The top of the handrail has a small bracket where you can place your mobile phone or tablet. Unfortunately, the remote control is too thick to fit in this compartment. The treadmill will also automatically detect if there is no longer a person using it and will eventually stop and go into standby mode.
Noise
There is some space between the main treadmill board and the ground so there isn’t much noise coming from friction with the floor below (unlike in Walking Pads such as A1 or R1). The noise mainly comes from the treadmill motor and the action of your feet hitting the treadmill. The Sound Meter app only recorded a noise level above 70 decibels when the treadmill reached running speed.
Other Nifty Features
- KS Fit Mobile App — It connects to the treadmill via Bluetooth and lets you control its speed and see the activity’s live statistics (distance, time, steps, etc) and history. The app also syncs these exercise records with Google Fit and Apple Health which is quite handy for data geeks like myself.
- Safety Lanyard— Similar to conventional treadmills, it features a security lanyard that can be clipped to your clothing in one end and attached to the treadmill handrail in the other. In case of a fall or an accident, when the safety lock is pulled, the treadmill will immediately stop.
- Auto Mode — I haven’t really used this function much but in this mode, the treadmill automatically adjusts its speed depending on your running or walking pace. To toggle this mode, simply press the bottom button in the remote control or the letter A in the app.
Comparison with other Walking Pads
If you will use the treadmill exclusively for the standing desk, I would recommend that you get the Xiaomi A1 Pro Walking Pad instead which is less expensive, more compact, and can be folded in half for easier storage. The main difference is that it can only reach up to 6 kph of speed, while the K12 is really built for running with a max speed of 12 kph. I chose the K12 model because I wanted to use it in some running workouts too. If you want something in the middle, the Xiaomi R1 Pro is both foldable and fast enough with 10 kph as its top speed. Just note that unlike the K12, these walking pads lay flat directly on the floor so purchasing a rubber mat may prove wise to avoid floor damage and reduce the noise from friction. Of course, there are other brands as well, but I found them to be either too expensive or cheap but unreliable. Another option is to use a stationary bike desk if you just want some form of leg movement while working.
Is a Treadmill Desk worth it? Is it really possible to walk while working?
I have been using this new workspace setup for two months now and I can confidently say that it was worth the investment. It was a huge upgrade from my old home office setup and I hope to continue using it over the coming years.
With a treadmill desk, I can reach my daily step goal more easily while also getting my work done. Using the keyboard and mouse while walking takes some effort and time to be comfortable with, so I settled with the slowest speed setting when I started, at 0.8 kph. I also discovered that if my hands or arms are resting on the table, it gives me more stability while walking so I don’t accidentally trip or lose my balance. After using the treadmill desk for some time and getting used to the rhythm of my steps, I sometimes forget that I am actually walking!
After walking for two hours, my legs and feet begin to tense up even with the speed set at a slow setting. I figured that I am unlikely to spend all my working hours walking and even if I could, it may be unhealthy to do so. The better thing to do is to alternate sitting, standing, and walking. Switching between the three also helps me avoid bad posture caused by staying in the same position for an extended amount of time.
The treadmill desk is especially useful during long online meetings because I rarely need to use my keyboard so I can increase the speed to a brisk walk. I just remain mindful of the noise from the treadmill in case I need to talk and enable my microphone.
One relevant concern when walking while working is comfort, particularly sweating. The solution is to have good ventilation, keep the room cool, and moderate the walking pace.
Having a huge monitor definitely helped in terms of focusing on the screen and reading small texts from websites. In addition, I increased the font size of the browser for easier reading.
Aside from work tasks, I also enjoyed using the treadmill desk while watching YouTube and Netflix videos. If you are into computer games, you can also use it for those.
If you want to set the speed above 6 kph, you may need to pull the treadmill away from under the standing desk since the handrail should be folded up at that speed. But be careful of eye fatigue from the vertical oscillation of your body (and head, and eyes) bouncing up and down while running.
Another tip is to use a dedicated pair of shoes for the treadmill to avoid bringing in dirt and mud from outdoors.
One of my biggest problems before was post-meal drowsiness. I would always feel sleepy after taking my lunch and dinner, and then find it hard to focus when I resume working. The treadmill desk solved this problem. It is simply quite difficult to get sleepy while walking. Just a word of caution: walking or running right after a meal may affect and hasten your bowel movement.
Lastly, I always remind myself that the treadmill desk should not replace my existing exercise routines. It is meant as a supplementary physical activity, something to just keep myself from being stationary while working. But if someone is planning to transition from a completely sedentary lifestyle, then a treadmill desk can be a good start.
Planning to buy?
If you found this review helpful and wanted to purchase these products yourself, please do so through my affiliate links as a form of support to this blog. Thank you!
Standing Desks:
- (dual motor) FlexiSpot E3R 3-Stage Desk — Lazada: https://bit.ly/e3rdesk, Shopee: https://shp.ee/xptgp33
- (cheapest, manual hand crank) FlexiSpot H1 Desk— Lazada: https://bit.ly/3zwBtrw, Shopee: https://shp.ee/rxu85ut
- (single-motor) FlexiSpot E2E Desk— Lazada: https://bit.ly/3eQdtaL, Shopee: https://shp.ee/y3ru8fb
Treadmill / Walking Pads:
- (up to 12 kph) Xiaomi Kingsmith K12 Treadmill — Lazada (out of stock): https://bit.ly/2SXQfHQ, Shopee: https://shp.ee/g87x4xt
- (cheapest) Xiaomi C1 Walking Pad — Lazada: https://bit.ly/3pONEw8, Shopee: https://shp.ee/qwytejt
- (foldable, up to 6 kph) Xiaomi A1 Pro Walking Pad — Lazada: https://bit.ly/3gfE80z, Shopee: https://shp.ee/w2pwkaj
- (foldable, up to 10 kph) Xiaomi R1 Pro Walking Pad — Lazada: https://bit.ly/3yZPheN, Shopee: https://shp.ee/q4c27q3
