The Kingsmith WalkingPad P1 Foldable Walking Treadmill delivers on its promise to provide you with a compact folding treadmill that can be a calorie-burning, heart-healthy complement to your home office. Like other treadmills in its class, this WalkingPad can be called upon if you need a training option that fits under your standing desk during work, or as an inconspicuous tool that you can use to stay active while watching TV. 

We think this product is one of the best under-desk treadmills we’ve tested, but for your sake, we wanted to see just how well it stacks up in comparison to its competition. Our team of fitness experts and certified personal trainers utilized the BarBend Equipment Testing Methodology for this WalkingPad review, and, despite a few minor tech issues (which we’ll discuss), we feel it’s one of the more accommodating walking treadmills on the market, with a belt that’s longer than many other options we’ve tested. Read on for our full review. 

Main Takeaways

At just over 47 inches in length, the walking surface extends further than many portable treadmills. 

The P1 model weighs just 62 pounds and folds down to a compact size, making it eminently portable and storable. 

With a max speed of 3.75 miles per hour, it’s not designed for anything but brisk walking. 

WalkingPad Specs

Assuming that you’re in the market for a walking pad that will help you sneak in a workout and then quickly disappear once you’re finished, you should certainly give the WalkingPad P1 some attention. With a walking surface that’s nearly 4 feet long and more than 16 inches wide, it offers you a much longer belt length than several of its competitors, making it a solid option for those in search of the best treadmills for beginners. 

Our expert reviewer, certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto, suggests under-desk treadmills like the WalkingPad P1 as a useful option for increasing your daily step count in almost any indoor environment, including the workplace. “This nifty type of equipment makes it easy to add more movement into your day without interrupting work or study time,” says Capritto. “If you find that your days are mostly sedentary due to lots of desk time, an under-desk treadmill is worth considering.”

A BarBend tester trying out the WalkingPad at home.

As long as your cardio goals can be accomplished by walking, the WalkingPad P1 is capable of meeting your expectations. It tops out at 3.75 miles per hour, encompassing a speed range that research suggests can support fat loss and calories burned when walking. (1) On top of that, its low weight of 62 pounds makes it easy to roll it out of the way once you’ve concluded your daily walking session.

The 47-inch treadmill belt is consistent across the product line, whether you purchase this model, the WalkingPad C2, or the WalkingPad A1 Pro. This generous belt length — between 3 and 13 inches longer than other under-desk treadmills we’ve tested — can allow for a comfortable stride and the security to walk without a handrail. 

At $499, the WalkingPad P1, is pricey relative to its product class, and its low weight capacity of 220 pounds may also be an obstacle for some athletes. The matter of pricing is a bit of a non-issue, as there are ways to instantly reduce that price tag by 20 percent or more. The weight capacity is another matter entirely, but if that’s a sticking point, the WalkingPad product line has some other options that might be more suitable for you.

Who Should Use / Who Shouldn’t Use the WalkingPad P1

Just because the WalkingPad P1 is an impressive piece of storable, foldable cardio-training technology doesn’t mean it’s going to be everyone’s cup of tea. As our expert reviewer Amanda Capritto points out, “The ideal buyer for an under-desk treadmill is someone who wants to increase their daily exercise, but doesn’t have a lot of time to commit to working out.”

Recommended for:

Busy working professionals who need to squeeze in a serviceable cardio workout while at the office

Space-conscious people who need a compact treadmill to squeeze into small spaces when not in use

People with limited mobility looking for a low-impact form of exercise

Not Recommended for:

Seasoned runners looking to spike their heart rate during HIIT workouts

Large-bodied athletes who exceed the 220-pound weight limit of the WalkingPad

Those who have difficulty remaining on a moving surface without a handrail 

Our Experience Training With the WalkingPad

To make sure you receive reliable insight into what it would truly be like to bring home the WalkingPad P1, we had one of our expert testers — a certified personal trainer — take it for a test drive. They’ve been using the WalkingPad P1 for roughly a year and a half, often for roughly 10 to 15 minutes per day. They shared the many positives and the few negatives of training with the WalkingPad P1, scoring factors such as footprint, durability, and construction on a scale of 1 (boo) to 5 (yay!). Read more about our experience below.

Portability

If there’s one area where the WalkingPad P1 should overachieve, it’s in the portability department. Mission accomplished. “It folds completely in half, and with the attached transport wheels it was pretty easy to move it around when I wasn’t using it,” our tester notes. “I’m also giving high marks for setup because right out of the box it was ready to go — all I had to do was plug it in.” Footprint and portability scored a 4.5 out of 5. 

The WalkingPad P1 folded in half.

We also love that this foldable treadmill weighs just 62 pounds, a light enough weight that many users would have little problem moving it around even if it didn’t have wheels. What’s more, even after a year of constant unfolding, refolding, and rolling, its wheels remain fully functional.

[Related: Best Portable Treadmills]

Workout Experience

Our tester found the WalkingPad P1 to be excellent at fulfilling its purpose as a low-maintenance walking device, scoring their overall workout experience a 4 out of 5. The unit was reliable and easy to get moving, and also very responsive with respect to speed control whenever it was time to make a pace adjustment. 

“That said,” says our tester, “it can take a minute to boot up and the remote can be a bit frustrating. Once the belt is going, though, adjusting the speed was a breeze.” 

Although the tester was wary of customer reviews mentioning the belt’s failure to calibrate, they experienced no such problem. They also noted that the unit arrived with its own Allen wrench, presumably for the purpose of fixing this very issue.

The WalkingPad P1, our product tester’s home treadmill, under their desk.

The connectivity of the device was given a truly practical test when its remote control broke after just over a year of testing. “You can control the speed using the WalkingPad app, though. It connects to your phone or tablet via Bluetooth,” says our tester, scoring the pad’s tech capabilities a 3 out of 5. “And honestly, I think I prefer that to the remote.”

All told, though, the treadmill itself works just as well after a year and a half as it did on the day it arrived. 

Construction and Durability

Durability may not be the area where the WalkingPad P1 shines the brightest, but its maximum speed of 3.75 miles per hour prevents it from being pounded by a user’s heels during runs, so it won’t endure the same punishment as one of the best treadmills for running. 

Its 220-pound weight capacity, meanwhile, is intended to ward off users that might strain its frame. Certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto, our expert reviewer, notes that it’s common for “under-desk treadmills to have lower weight capacities that may not support individuals with higher body weights.”

Our tester, who weighs well under the weight ceiling of the WalkingPad P1, has seen no issues when it comes to durability after using it daily for a year and a half. “I’m pretty surprised at how well it has held up,” they say. They did, however, note that it seemed to move a bit slower when their husband, who weighs around 200 pounds, hopped on.

The one piece of the product that did break down was its remote control, but our tester found that they could operate the device through the app, so no replacement of the remote was necessary. Durability scored a 3 out of 5 and construction scored a 3.5 out of 5. 

What to Consider Before Buying the WalkingPad

The WalkingPad P1 was clearly designed with three main considerations in mind — walkability, storability, and portability. As long as you don’t demand that it provide much beyond these three considerations, you’re going to get along with it just fine. Here are some factors to consider before buying the WalkingPad P1. 

Power and Speed: The WalkingPad P1 is a low-speed, low-power device that tops out at 3.75 miles per hour, which means you might be able to get a very slow jog out of it. If that’s all you’re looking for, you should like this machine. If you’re looking for something you can run on, you’re better off browsing our list of the best treadmills. 

Size and Storage: Once it’s folded, the WalkingPad P1 is only 32 inches on its longest sides, and is relatively easy to lift and store at a weight of 62 pounds. Consider whether the size and weight of this treadmill is compatible with your workspace and fitness level.

Noise: While not egregious by any means, we found the noise emitted by the WalkingPad P1 to be roughly the same as an ordinary treadmill, which is not ideal if you intend to use it as a discreet workplace fitness device. Our tester scored its noise level a 3 out of 5, so consider your workplace environment before purchasing. 

Weight Capacity: The WalkingPad P1 has a 220-pound weight capacity, which is less than the 300-pound industry standard of a full-sized treadmill. 

WalkingPad Vs. Competitors

The following chart shows you how the WalkingPad P1 compares with its competitors in some key categories. Below, see how the WalkingPad P1 stacks up against the GoPlus 2-in-1 Folding Treadmill and the Egofit Walker Pro Under-Desk Treadmill, two other strong walking treadmills. 

As we noted previously, the WalkingPad P1 stands out amongst its competition for having a belt that’s up to 13 inches longer than other under-desk walking pads. This makes it more accommodating for taller users, and allows for a more comfortable stride overall. It is, however, pricier than many of its competitors, including the EgoFit Walker Pro, a comparable model with a smaller belt and no folding abilities. 

The GoPlus 2-in-1 Treadmill is worth highlighting, though, as its unique design — including an optional handrail and a max speed of 7.5 miles per hour — allows it to be used as either a walking or jogging treadmill. It also has a higher weight capacity than the WalkingPad P1. 

Ordering and Assembling the WalkingPad P1

Cardio devices don’t get any simpler to assemble than the WalkingPad P1, and that’s because there’s essentially zero assembly required. During unboxing, the device slid right out of the large box it arrived in, and was ready to use as soon as its power cord was plugged into an electrical outlet.

Places to Buy the WalkingPad

The WalkingPad P1 is available on Amazon.com, and can also be purchased straight from the source at WalkingPad.com. 

Brand Reputation and Customer Reviews

Beijing KingSmith Technology Co., Ltd. — the company behind WalkingPad — was founded in 2015. It invented the original WalkingPad model in 2018, and began selling its portable walking pads shortly thereafter. They’re responsible for some of the best walking treadmills we’ve tested. 

If you need to reach the KingSmith customer support team, you can call them at 1-(888)-292-4009 or email them at contact@walkingpad.com. Our tester reached out to the customer support team with an inquiry about the WalkingPad’s remote control, and found them to be very helpful.

Warranties

The WalkingPad P1 arrives with 1-year warranty, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Additional warranties extending to a maximum of four years in length are available for prices ranging from $44.99 to $64.99, and cover all parts and repairs.

Final Thoughts on the WalkingPad

The WalkingPad P1 is an eminently portable under-the-desk treadmill with just enough horsepower to fulfill the walking needs of most people. Walking is the operative word, because this self-governing device simply can’t rotate its belt fast enough for you to start running on it. The WalkingPad P1 won’t be very useful for hill-running workouts or marathon training, but it certainly does enough to help you work up a sweat.

So if you weigh less than 220 pounds, and a work-from-home walking device is all you need to shed some calories in the middle of your workday, the WalkingPad P1 lives up to the hype and checks all of the essential boxes. Just make sure you familiarize yourself with the WalkingPad app early on just in case the remote decides to konk out on you, because the WalkingPad showed us that it is designed to have a longer lifespan than some of its accessories.

WalkingPad FAQs

References

La New JM, Borer KT. (2022). Effects of Walking Speed on Total and Regional Body Fat in Healthy Postmenopausal Women. Nutrients, 14(3):627.

The post WalkingPad Treadmill Review (2024): An Under-Desk Tread With a Deck Longer Than the Rest appeared first on BarBend.