Product Recommendations for Treadmill Desks for Web Developers

This is the third piece on treadmill desks. The first introduced the concept; the second covered types and trade-offs. Here are specific product recommendations by budget.

Three treadmills worth considering, sorted by what you're willing to spend:

• Budget: The LifeSpan TR1200-DT7 Treadmill Desk costs less than the others and uses a manual treadmill. You walk while you work. The desk takes up less floor space than most treadmill setups, which matters if your home office is small or already crowded. It's a reasonable first treadmill desk if you want to see whether you'll actually use one before spending more.
• Mid-range: The NordicTrack Commercial Treadmill Desk costs more than the LifeSpan but includes an electric treadmill and a larger work surface. The desk has adjustable incline. Walking uphill burns more calories and makes your legs work harder, though whether that matters during a workday depends on what you're optimising for. The extra desktop space is the more practical benefit if you use multiple monitors or spread out notebooks.
• Premium: The WalkingDesk Treadmill Desk is expensive. It has a built-in LCD monitor that counts steps, distance and calories. The frame supports more weight than the cheaper models, so it works for taller or heavier people who would max out the capacity on a budget treadmill. Whether the tracking features justify the price is debatable — your phone already counts steps — but the higher weight limit is not.

Walking while you type has measurable health effects and probably makes you slightly more alert. A treadmill desk is one way to get that movement without stopping work, though standing up and walking away from the desk every hour does most of the same thing for free. If you're going to buy one, pick based on space and weight capacity first, then features.