Interested in learning about the best elliptical desks?
In this product review guide, I will go over some of the best elliptical desks of 2022.
If you sit at a desk all day, chances are you don’t find much time to get up, let alone get much exercise.
With an elliptical desk, you can stay active while staying productive.
In this review, you’ll learn about:
- What is an elliptical desk?
- Functions to consider when deciding which elliptical desk is right for you
- Why this is a great way to stay active, but not the only way
Let’s get started!
Our Top 5 Elliptical Desks
What Are Elliptical Desks?
An elliptical desk is a small machine that fits completely under your desk or can be the whole desk.
If you live a mostly sedentary life, elliptical desks are a great answer to keep you moving while you work, study or even watch TV.
Read More >> Top Best Standing Desk Exercises
An elliptical desk can also be a benefit when used with interval training.
Though in general, an elliptical desk is an easy way to keep you moving while you’re stationary.
Studies have shown that staying active improves strength, lowers the risk of falls, helps you sleep better, controls your blood pressure, and reduces stress.
Among other things, staying active has dozens of benefits. An elliptical desk can help you to reach your activity goals and live a healthier lifestyle.
What Are The Different Types of Elliptical Desks?
There are a few different types of elliptical desks depending on your needs and space.
The main elliptical desk that most people tend to use would be an under-desk elliptical as it’s compact, easily moveable, and doesn’t take up a lot of space.
Another type would be a full desk that looks more like a bicycle and your laptop sits on a tray that is attached to the elliptical.
This one is less common, but might be a good fit if you’re looking for a dedicated space.
Another option would be a sitting elliptical.
This is a seat with an elliptical attached to it. The seat aligns with your desk like a regular chair, instead of going under the desk.
Read More >> Best Quiet Under Desk Ellipticals (2022 Review)
How Do Elliptical Desks Work?
Elliptical desks are one of the simplest ways to stay active while you’re stationary.
Instead of standing on a dedicated large elliptical that takes up a lot of space, you can work out anywhere with an elliptical desk.
Generally a full-sized elliptical is a large machine that offers a full-body workout.
In the case of an elliptical desk, it’s been shrunk down for everyday convenience to offer another way to stay active.
Ellipticals generally have speeds that can be set to as subtle as going for a leisurely walk around the neighborhood to an extreme workout.
Read More >> Top 5 Best Under Desk Ellipticals for Weight Loss (2022 Review)
What to Look For In The Best Elliptical Desk?
There are several factors to consider when looking for an elliptical desk.
The first thing to look for would be budget. How much are you able to spend on an elliptical desk?
There are elliptical desks that will fit a wide range of budgets.
How much space do you have?
While there are some full-size elliptical desks, they can take up a lot of space.
An under-the-desk elliptical might be the best option for you. Just depends on where you work and how much space you have.
When thinking about space, don’t forget to account for the size of your desk; your knees could be hitting your desk as you move.
Try to pretend to use an elliptical under your desk to see if it’ll work for you.
Read More >> Top 5 Best Under Desk Bikes for Weight Loss (2022 Review)
Another consideration is noise. Not all elliptical desks are created the same. Some are much louder than others.
If you work from home, the sound may not be a huge issue (that is if it doesn’t bother you), but it could be an issue if you work in an office.
These days you’ll find that most elliptical desks are quiet, however, there are still some on the market that are a bit noisy.
If you’re planning to move the elliptical around, you may want to look for a lightweight elliptical. Some ellipticals will be lighter than others and have better handles.
If you want to use it while standing or sitting,
make sure to purchase an elliptical that can do either. Most ellipticals can only be used while sitting, though several brands allow for both sitting and standing.
What other features would you want out of an elliptical desk?
Some ellipticals will keep track of time, distance, calories, and more, and depending on your age range and your flexibility & athletic experience you can shop for an elliptical desk that fits your specific needs.
Read More >> Best Under Desk Ellipticals for Seniors (2022 Review)
You may even want that data sent directly to your phone via Bluetooth to store and compare them at a later date.
Think about your overall needs, space and budget to determine what you need and what you can live without.
Best Elliptical Desks Reviewed
#1 LifePro
- BOOST YOUR FITNESS - our professionally designed under-desk bike can help you burn calories, decrease stress, tone your legs and improve your mood - all while sitting! Just use the bike to pedal at your desk or while relaxing at home.
- BONUS FEATURES - we added many free add-ons to our elliptical - enjoy the yoga mat and resistance band for your workouts. Use the castor stoppers to stop your chair from moving while pedaling or use the tether to secure the elliptical to your chair. It even has batteries included!
LifePro offers a budget-friendly, compact elliptical that fits under the desk or wherever you need it to go.
This is a truly portable elliptical that weighs 27 pounds with a built-in handle. There’s no electricity required, it’s powered by you!
However, it does have an LCD that takes 2 AAA batteries. The LCD allows you to check your progress, and shows total strides, distance traveled, calories burned, and duration of the workout.
With wide pedals and a non-slip rubber surface, you’ll keep a consistent stride. It also offers 8 levels of adjustable tension.
One of the best features is the sound; it’s extremely quiet. If you plan to use this in an office setting, your officemates probably would never know you were working out while working!
- Pros: Quiet, portable, budget-friendly
- Cons: Cannot be used while standing, the display isn’t lighted, might slip around on a bare floor
#2 Cubii
- CUBII PRO UNDER DESK ELLIPTICAL- Get fit while you sit! Cubii PRO is an elliptical machine that's like an under-desk bike, under-desk treadmill, or pedal exerciser that lets you burn calories, get fit and exercise easily. With Bluetooth Sync.
- WORK FROM HOME FITNESS - Now you can exercise while you work from home - right at your desk! Burn calories, lose weight, and feel great with Cubii elliptical machines for home use
Cubii is one of the top brands on the market. It’s a high-quality elliptical with a lot of trust behind the brand.
Cubii offers a Bluetooth sync so you can track all your progress through an app either on your phone or on your smartwatch.
They are the only elliptical that is Bluetooth enabled.
One of the best features is how quiet it is so you won’t disturb your work neighbors or sleeping babies.
Cubii is designed to be low impact and so it becomes an unconscious act of activity.
It’s portable and weighs 32 pounds.
- Pros: Bluetooth, quiet, portable
- Cons: Must be charged, can be overcharged
#3 PERLECARE
- DUAL MODE ELLIPTICAL: Combine the benefits of a mini elliptical and a stair stepper with this under-desk exercise machine. Features adjustable resistance and an LCD monitor to track workout data. Designed for both standing and sitting workouts.
- LCD MONITOR: The digital monitor can track calories, RPM, stride, time, and distance during exercise. Accomplish exercise goals by tracking your training data.
While some under-the-desk ellipticals can only be used while sitting, the PERLECARE can be used while sitting or standing, which can be a huge benefit.
It has an LCD that tracks your calories, stride length, time, and distance.
The pedals are slip resistant and also have pads on the bottom to prevent movement on any surface.
It’s whisper quiet, portable, and offers an easy-to-grab handle.
- Pros: Quiet, anti-slip bottom, use while standing or sitting
- Cons: No light on LED display, no Bluetooth
#4 Famous TikTok Desk Bike Chair Sit2Go®
While this says it’s an under-desk bike, this is a sitting bike. You would use this in place of your chair.
Though it’s an entire system that you sit on while you peddle, it doesn’t take up any more room than a regular chair.
The compact design could even be pushed underneath certain desks when not in use.
It has wheels on the bottom so it can easily be moved as needed. The seat can also be adjusted to your desired height.
It’s whisper quiet with 8 resistance levels. The LCD allows you to track time, distance, calories burned, and so on.
- Pros: Quiet, wheels, comfortable seat
- Cons: Wheels don’t lock, could be too bulky for some situations
#5 FitDesk
- EXERCISE WHILE SITTING: The FitDesk Under Desk Elliptical is a versatile way to do some light exercise while you're sitting at your desk or chilling out at home. It can also be used as an exercise peddler, even while watching TV, playing video games, or talking on the phone. This under-desk elliptical machine is ideal for anyone who sits for long periods and wants to add exercise to their daily routine.
- FEATURES QUIET AND SMOOTH ELLIPTICAL MOTION: The Under Desk Elliptical creates fluid and smooth movement for your legs while keeping your knees from hitting underneath your desk. Its non-impact elliptical flywheel with whisper-quiet motion makes it a wonderful option to help you be active while sitting, working, or even in meetings.
This elliptical has a low pedal height of about 8 inches, which means that you can easily pedal under desks as low as 25 inches.
This one has a digital display that mounts to the cycle or it can detach to look at it on your desk.
They display information like time, distance, calories burned, and even lifetime distance.
The FitDesk has 8 resistance settings that can be controlled with your foot, so it’s a hands-free tension adjustment.
Lastly, it’s whisper quiet.
- Pros: Low pedal height, hands-free tension adjustment, detachable display
- Cons: No handle, no Bluetooth
Final Thoughts On Elliptical Desks
An elliptical desk is a great way to stay active while we live mostly sedentary lives.
It can be used in almost any situation in which you’re sitting or even standing for long periods.
An elliptical desk isn’t the end-all-be-all answer to exercise, though.
It’s a great way to keep active in an otherwise inactive setting, but it won’t help you to lose a ton of weight and should be combined with other workout methods if weight loss is a priority.
The goal of an elliptical desk is to get in some extra movement during your day and it does exactly that!
