A walking pad fits under almost any desk, but the desk does not fit every walking pad. The reason is the deck height: you stand 7 to 13 cm (3 to 5 in) above the floor, and the desk has to rise by exactly that amount compared to normal standing. Many height-adjustable desks stop at 120 to 125 cm, and then taller people work with their shoulders hunched. Here is the calculation with my measurements and the deck heights of all tested models.
In short
Rule of thumb: ergonomic standing height plus the deck height of the walking pad, in practice a little less because your arms hang slightly lower while walking. For me at 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) the standing height is around 124 cm, with the KUIPERS K1 the right desk height in the test was 127 cm, and the Vernal Core3 at 128 cm was just about enough with a walking pad. If you are taller than 1.80 m, you need a desk that reaches at least 127 to 128 cm (50 in).
How to work out your desk height
- Find your standing height: Stand upright, let your upper arms hang loosely, forearms horizontal. The height of your forearms above the floor is your ergonomic desk height. At 1.86 m that is around 124 cm for me.
- Add the deck height of the walking pad: The height of the running surface above the floor, see the table. On the KUIPERS K1 it is effectively around 7 cm, on the A1 Pro just under 13.
- Compare the result with the maximum height of your desk: If the desk does not go that high, you work with raised shoulders and tense up instead of relaxing. In practice the comfortable height is usually one to three centimetres below the pure sum, because your arms hang a little lower while walking.
My measurements: without a walking pad I stand at around 124 cm. With the K1 the test ran at a desk height of 127 cm, which is already the maximum of many height-adjustable desks. The Vernal Core3 goes up to 128 cm and was just about enough for me with a walking pad.
Deck height of all tested walking pads
| Model | Height unfolded | Handrail | Note |
| Sperax P2 Pro | 9.5 cm | no | flattest device in the test |
| WalkingPad Z1 | 10.6 cm | no | running surface sits slightly higher than the frame |
| WalkingPad Z3 Hybrid+ | 10.3 cm deck, 103 cm with grips | yes, height-adjustable | fold the grips in for working |
| WalkingPad MC11 | approx. 10 cm deck, 100 cm with handrail | yes | fold the handrail away for working |
| WalkingPad R2 | approx. 10 cm deck, 103 cm with handrail | yes | fold the handrail away for working |
| WalkingPad X214 / X21 | approx. 10 cm deck, 101 – 102 cm with handrail | yes, not height-adjustable | fold the handrail away, desk above 127 cm needed |
| WalkingPad P1 | 12.9 cm | no | |
| WalkingPad A1 Pro | 12.9 cm | no | |
| KUIPERS K1 (German review) | 13 cm frame, approx. 7 cm effective deck height | no | frame higher than the running surface |
The effective deck height can differ from the frame measurement: on the K1 the frame measures 13 cm, but your feet stand only about 7 cm above the floor. On the Z1 it is the other way round, the running surface sits slightly higher than the frame.
Which desk goes high enough?
| Desk | Height range | My assessment for walking pad use |
| Vernal Core3 | 63.3 – 128 cm | just about enough for me at 1.86 m with a walking pad, the tallest desk in my tests |
| Ergotopia Desktopia Pro X (German review) | 62.3 – 127 cm | matches my test height with the K1, just sufficient for me |
| Vernal Temina (German review) | 60 – 125 cm | too low for me with a walking pad, fine for shorter people |
| WalkingPad standing desk (German review) | 70 – 120 cm | only for shorter people with a flat pad |
The assessments refer to my 1.86 m. If you are shorter you get by with less height, if you are taller you should look for 128 cm or more and measure yourself first.
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More points for ergonomics on the walking pad
- Handrail: Models with a handrail like the X214, R2 or Z3 Hybrid+ have to fold it away for working, otherwise it hits the desktop.
- Monitor: It rises with the desk. The top edge should stay at eye level, a height-adjustable stand helps.
- Keyboard and mouse: While walking, your forearms rest more comfortably a little lower than when standing. One centimetre less desk height is often more comfortable than the calculation.
- Memory position: Save the walking pad height as its own position on the desk, the Core3 has three memory slots.
- Desk depth: 80 cm of depth gives enough distance to the monitor, even if you sway slightly back and forth while walking.
My verdict
Before buying a walking pad, check the maximum height of your desk, and before buying a desk, whether a walking pad might come later. For people over 1.80 m a desk up to 128 cm is the safe choice. How I combine desk, chair, monitor and walking pad is in my guide ergonomic home office setup, all walking pads are in my walking pad reviews.
Frequently asked questions about walking pads and desk height
How high does a desk need to be for a walking pad?
As a rule of thumb your ergonomic standing height plus the deck height of the walking pad, in practice a little less. For me at 1.86 m: around 124 cm standing height, with the KUIPERS K1 127 cm was right, on the Vernal Core3 128 cm was just about enough with a walking pad.
Which walking pad is the flattest?
The Sperax P2 Pro at 9.5 cm, the WalkingPad Z1 at 10.6 cm. On the KUIPERS K1 the effective deck height is around 7 cm even though the frame measures 13 cm.
Which height-adjustable desk goes high enough for a walking pad?
The Vernal Core3 goes up to 128 cm, the Ergotopia Desktopia Pro X to 127 cm. The Vernal Temina stops at 125 cm, the WalkingPad standing desk at 120 cm.
Does the handrail get in the way when working at the desk?
On the X214, X21, X218, R2, MC11 and Z3 Hybrid+ the handrail is folded away for working. Flat models like the Z1, P1, A1 Pro and K1 fit under the desk without modification.
