LifeSpan Under Desk Treadmill TR1200-DT3 GlowUp review

If you’re hoping to add more walking breaks into your working day, adding one of the best under-desk treadmills to your home office can make all the difference. When paired with one of the best standing desks, the LifeSpan Under Desk Treadmill TR1200-DT3 is a fantastic choice — it’s quiet, it’s comfortable to walk on and it’s easy to move around the home thanks to its wheels. 

Yet it’s also more expensive than some of the other walking treadmills on the market, but is the price worth it? To find out more, we put the under-desk treadmill to the test, walking as we worked for a week at our testing center while looking at how durable, comfortable and quiet the LifeSpan treadmill was, especially compared to cheaper options. Read our full LifeSpan Under Desk Treadmill TR1200-DT3 review below to find out more. 

LifeSpan Under Desk Treadmill TR1200-DT3 review: Price and availability

The LifeSpan Under Desk Treadmill TR1200-DT3 is one of the more expensive options on the market when it comes to under-desk treadmills. It’ll set you back $999/£1299, which is a lot more than the likes of the Sunny Health and Fitness Asuna Treadpad, or the Bluefin Fitness Task 2.0 Treadmill. 

The treadmill is available from Lifespan directly, as well as a number of other third-party retailers. 

LifeSpan Under Desk Treadmill TR1200-DT3 review: Design  

The LifeSpan TR1200-DT3 is pretty basic in design — like a lot of other walking treadmills, it arrives ready to go straight out of the box; just plug it in and be ready to walk in minutes. That said, this treadmill is pretty heavy, and wasn’t as easy to maneuver as some of the other walking treadmills we tested (it weighs in at 114 pounds), so you might need a spare pair of hands getting it set up. It’s also worth setting it up where it’s going to stay — this isn’t a machine you want to be moving from room to room regularly.  

Design-wise, the LifeSpan treadmill looks pretty similar to a lot of the popular under-desk treadmills on the market — it’s pretty slim, but at 63 x 28 x 7 inches, it’s by no means the smallest walking treadmill on test. It doesn’t have a screen — all of the information can be seen on the space-age-looking, 12-inch long console, and this is also how you increase and decrease the speed when walking on the treadmill. We didn’t hate the console, but it is pretty huge, especially compared to most of the other treadmills, that had smaller remotes and connected phone apps. The console works best when placed on your desk as you walk — it would be a pain to have to hold this as you walk. 

Another downside to the hefty console is that the wires from the console hung down rather messily from the desk — this didn’t affect how easy the treadmill was to use, but it looked untidy, which we didn’t love. 

LifeSpan Under Desk Treadmill TR1200-DT3: Performance  

Huge console aside, the LifeSpan TR1200-DT3 was a pleasure to walk on. The motor is wonderfully quiet — you can easily join a meeting while on the treadmill without worrying about your colleagues being annoyed by the whirring. The belt was smooth, and unlike other walking treadmills, it didn’t judder into motion (never a nice sensation on a treadmill with no handlebars). 

At 50 inches long and 20 inches wide, this was one of the most generously sized belts we tested. It was extremely comfortable to walk on, and we never felt like we were going to accidentally step on the sides of the treadmill — something that did happen with the smaller treadmills, like the WalkingPad C2. There are six shock absorbers underneath the belt which help provide a comfortable walking surface, and minimize some of the noise of the treadmill if you are using it in a shared office. Due to the weight of the treadmill, it also has a higher maximum weight of 350 pounds, making it a good treadmill to install in an office for communal use.

It also has a higher top speed of 4.9 miles per hour, which is a pretty brisk walk, or even a light jog. It is worth noting, however, that this isn't the treadmill to buy if you're hoping to train for your next half marathon — you'll want to shop for one of the best treadmills, all of which have higher speeds. 

Unlike other under-desk treadmills, there isn’t any app connectivity, so you can’t check in on your stats, or control the treadmill from your phone. Given the price of the treadmill, this is a little disappointing. 

LifeSpan Under Desk Treadmill TR1200-DT3: Verdict 

The LifeSpan TR1200-DT3 is a wonderful treadmill to install in your office or your home if you have the budget for it. It’s quiet and comfortable, and it’s an easy way to up your mileage from your desk. After a week of testing, we had no foot or knee pain walking on this treadmill. 

That said, for the cost, the LifeSpan TR1200-DT3 doesn’t give you any bells and whistles — there’s no connected app or remote control, and considering its price tag, we’d expect the treadmill to have a bit more features. The Bluefin Fitness Task 2.0 Treadmill, for example, is a lot cheaper, and has a remote control and an app. 

All-in-all, this is a good option for most, especially for those working in a shared office, looking for a hard-wearing treadmill that’ll suit all members of the team.