LifeSpan Adjustable Height Treadmill Desk
Working in an office all day often means spending long hours sitting or standing without much movement. This is something our bodies don’t like so it’s little wonder that there has been a lot of negative publicity about how sitting all day is very bad for us.
There’s no doubt a height adjustable desk is a great way of gaining additional movement and keeping your body active. However a treadmill desk like the LifeSpan TR 1200-DT takes activity to the next level as movement is continuos.
What sort of users is this desk suitable for?
Who is it for?
The LifeSpan 1200 has been designed for pretty much anyone ranging in height between 4 feet 10 inches and 6 feet 8 inches in height. This means it will fit the vast majority of adult users. The only other constraint is a body weight of 350lbs maximum.
So if you are in reasonable shape and like the idea of a more active work style there’s a good chance it will be suitable for you.
To begin with you’ll want to build up your time gradually to get used to working with a treadmill desk. Many users with niggling back pain have reported how the LifeSpan has helped significantly reduce and even eliminate these problems.
What’s the LifeSpan all about?
What makes the LifeSpan different?
Treadmill desks are a relatively new idea and commonly they are made by office furniture manufacturers who marry up their desks to a treadmill. LifeSpan Fitness is a treadmill manufacturer which has then developed a desk to work alongside its own specially designed treadmill.
This makes good sense because it understands the fundamental difference in what a treadmill desk user needs compared to the sort of treadmill you find in a gym. Things like belt speed and the ability to support people at much lower speeds.
What’s in the box?
LifeSpan’s treadmill desk comes in two separate boxes. First there is the treadmill itself which is supplied fully assembled and second there is the desk which needs to be built up.
Assembly is straightforward, beginning by placing the treadmill where you want to work. Next you take the desk top and place it face down on the floor, no need to worry about the console control unit and wiring trays as they are already pre-fitted.
From there the legs are bolted to the top and then two cross brace members are positioned and fixings inserted. After it’s all tightened up the desk just needs to be lifted into place and the cable between treadmill and desk connected up.
How does it work?
The console control unit is located on the front face of the curved top and this is where everything is set up. However, first you need to adjust the work top to a comfortable working height. This is done by twisting and pulling out the adjuster knobs located in the leg uprights. The locating holes are conveniently numbered to make things easy.
Once at the right height it’s back to the console unit.
This is the brains of the unit and its electronic read out displays the following:
- Distance travelled
- Calories burned
- Time spent walking
- Steps taken via its Intelli-Step Pedometer
Let’s move onto the specification of the LifeSpan treadmill desk.
Technical details
The desk comes in a single size measuring 46.5 inches wide by 31 inches deep. The front edge is curved and incorporates a padded armrest with the console placed centrally.
The treadmill has a wide range of speed control, anything between 0.4 and 4mph in 0.1mph increments. It can be a little laborious to alter as you need to keep pressing buttons to increase or decrease speed.
The walk area is 20 inches wide by 56 inches long with the overall dimension of the complete workstation being 47 inches wide by 74 inches long.
The top height can be adjusted between 36 and 52 inches.
You’ll need to add on space to these dimensions for access when calculating the room needed for the workstation.
Power consumption should be around 60 to 80 watts.
There is a built in cable tray at the rear of the desk top to carry wiring, so no dangling cables.
It’s suggested that the treadmill is lubricated periodically as well as cleaning out the motor compartment, typically every couple of months.
Warranty
The warranty of the unit varies for the different components. There is lifetime warranty on the frame with 3 years on the motor and 2 years on parts.
Overall opinion
LifeSpan’s treadmill desk offers great value for money and at $1299 is about half the cost of many competing products. It is sturdily built and should give many years service despite the limited warranty on parts.
Some find the controls a bit frustrating as it doesn’t memorize settings and so it’s necessary to keep re-entering them for each new session. Apparently this is to do with safety and as it involves moving machinery that’s understandable.
Overall the LifeSpan TR 1200-DT offers excellent value for money.
User feedback from Amazon
Here are some recent customer review comments from Amazon.
“I have had the LifeSpan TR1200-DT for only a few days but must say it’s a fantastic way to work. It’s solid and well built.”
“I recently received my new LifeSpan Fitness Treadmill Desk. I have to say, it’s revolutionized my day!”
“The desk is a fairly solid, almost stupidly-simple to assemble, unit in five easy pieces (not counting nut’n'bolts).”
Read the full Amazon reviews of this highly popular product from 69 LifeSpan purchasers and their experience using it.
Where to buy online
You can get the workstation at Amazon. You might also visit this office ergonomics specialist which stocks the LifeSpan, its staff use the product daily.