Walking Pad review: Is this TikTok

Walking Pad C2 Folding Treadmill ($449)

One of the biggest trends on TikTok since the beginning of the pandemic is using a walking pad (a fancy name for a folding treadmill/under-desk treadmill). As an avid TikTok consumer, I had to see what this trend was about.

I got a Walking Pad a few months ago and it quickly became one of the "worth the hype" products that I’ve gotten because of TikTok.

You can't use a Walking Pad on carpet or rugs, it needs to be used on either hard wood or tile floors.

A walking pad is just a folding treadmill by another name (though there are minor differences, see below) but one brand smartly actually is called Walking Pad. I’ve seen a few different kinds of folding treadmills and under-desk treadmills on TikTok but Walking Pad is the top brand I’ve seen people talking about.

While a walking pad can be considered a folding treadmill, a folding treadmill (and non-folding) cannot be called a walking pad. The difference between the two is that a walking pad is a walking machine that is controlled by your footsteps. There are sensors in the treadmill that allow you to maintain slow, medium, and fast speeds based on where you walk on the treadmill (the closer to the front you are, the faster you will walk).

You can still control the speed using a remote or a smartphone app. The speed function is simple enough, if you want to walk slowly, you walk toward the back of the walking pad, and the faster you want to walk, the closer to the front you walk.

When the Walking Pad is folded in half vs. what it looks like unfolded.

For this, I reviewed the Walking Pad C2. It is one of the more budget-friendly treadmills from the brand. It retails for $499, but at the time of publishing, it is $50 off on Amazon.

I put my Walking Pad behind my Tempo, for easy access. When behind the Tempo, you really couldn't even tell the treadmill was back there.

This model of the Walking Pad measures 56.8" L x 20.3" W x 4.9" H. When folded up it is 32" L x 20.3" W x 4.9" H. The treadmill weighs 55 pounds and can hold up to 220 pounds.

The two wheels on this make it easy to roll out of the way when not in use. It isn't that heavy at 55 pounds, but it is a little tricky folding and unfolding it at first. It is small enough to stow away in my closet or behind my Tempo when folded up. I’ve seen people on TikTok storing this under the bed, too. It is less than 5 inches when completely flat, but my bedframe is only an inch off the ground, so I didn't have that option for storage.

It is important to note for safety reasons, you cannot use the Walking Pad on a carpet or rug. It needs to be used on hardwood, tile, or laminate. If you buy a treadmill mat, you can place that over the carpet and use the Walking Pad directly on the mat.

The automatic setting is what I talked about earlier with the pressure sensors. Those sensors trigger the three-speed levels that depend on where you walk. The faster you want to walk, the closer to the front you’ll need to walk then. The middle is the medium speed. And if you want to walk slowly, you’ll walk toward the back of the walking pad.

You can read the full setup guide here, but the basic gist is:

The LED display shows four metrics while in use:

The time elapsed, speed, and distance all seem accurate. It's hard to obviously mess up time elapsed. You can also view these metrics in the KS Fit app while in use and then you can see each workout logged in the app after you’ve completed using it. I will say, I do not think it is accurately tracking how many calories are burned (my Fitbit appears to track that better), but I never set up my height or weight in the app when I registered my machine, so it makes sense that this data would be off.

It is not. I was pleasantly surprised that I could walk on this and not disturb my downstairs neighbor. I’ve had some treadmills that sounded very loud when running on them, but you cannot run on this model of Walking Pad, which makes sense for why it isn't very loud. It only goes up to 4 MPH, but I used it mainly at about 2.5 MPH for leisure walks inside.

I didn't need a treadmill to run on, so this was the perfect device for me. If you do need a Walking Pad to run on, you'll be better off opting for a model like this KingSmith WalkingPad X21 ($999; it also has a stand for easier storage).

Because of the walking pad's reduced speed and noise, it can be easily paired with a standing desk without causing a distraction while working (and is also great to plop down in front of the TV to mindlessly get steps in while enjoying a favorite show).

Since you can't use the Walking Pad on rugs, watching TV while using this was a little awkward, but nothing too bad.

Definitely. It is certainly pricier than some other folding treadmills on the market, so bear that in mind. The P1 model ($449 originally, currently marked down to $399) is slightly cheaper than the C2 model I reviewed. There are more expensive models, like the R1 ($799) which comes with its own stand and does not need to lean against anything for storage.

I'd say the difference between Walking Pad (the brand overall) and other folding treadmills that are less expensive (you can get some on Amazon for under $300) is how you store them when not in use. Walking Pad treadmills do not take up much space when not in use. Other folding treadmills can take up twice the room, even when folded because they do not fold in half, they fold up. Meaning, the track (which is the longest part of the machine) that you walk on is fully intact when folded up. Whereas a Walking Pad treadmill literally folds in half (it has 180-degree folding).

If I wanted a treadmill that would take up room, I wouldn't have opted for a Walking Pad. But I needed a treadmill that I basically don't see when I am not using it since I live in a one-bedroom apartment and space is limited. This can be stored completely out of the way and is easy enough to pull out when I do want to use it.