iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk Review
- Easy assembly in minutes
- Durable components, with the entire desk made in the USA (the treadmill base is made in Taiwan to American quality standards, not China)
- Smartphone app integration via BlueTooth
- Built-in health coach
- Only offered in 30-inch depth
- Only offered in rectangular shape
For those of us that work long days in the office, having a standing desk is all but a necessity.
As research has shown, having a standing desk has a host of health benefits, not the least of which is a lesser risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, low back pain, and lower extremity circulatory issues.
But now many standing desk manufacturers are venturing into new territory by offering active desk options.
I got my hands on one such desk - the iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk - and offer my hands-on review below.
iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk Overview
The iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk starts at $2,648. Add in a SteadyType® Keyboard Tray that allows you to type as you walk, and the price increases to $2,923. This is the option I chose (shown above). Less expensive models are available from iMovR but this is the most state-of-the-art system on the market today.
This desk comes with a multitude of options. Choose from 16 different color choices (including cherry, maple, and mahogany) for the desktop, three different colors (black, white, and silver) for the base, and various desk widths from 41-inches to 83-inches.
The desk is equipped with an electric lift that raises or lowers the desk at a rate of 1.6-inches per second and can lift up to 360 lbs (including the desktop).
Using the sleek height-control paddle, you can double-tap the up or down arrow to move the desk to the next height - of which you can program four favorites per user. The high-resolution display shows the height of the desk with great precision (to 1/10th of an inch).
Alternatively, as shown in the video above, you can control the height of the desk by connecting your smartphone to the controller's Bluetooth transceiver and using an app to adjust the height of the desk with a single tap of the screen. If you have multiple users sharing the same desk, they can each store their own preferences in the app and sync to the desk in seconds from the moment they walk up to it.
The standard Lander Treadmill Desk ranges in height from 24.5-inches to 50.5-inches, and with optional leg extenders (which I opted to purchase), the height is increased by another six inches. This is particularly useful for tall folks like myself who can’t find any other standing desk that can go high enough for them - even if they stand atop a treadmill base that adds 5” to their height.
iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk Build Quality & Warranties Review
The iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk (and all iMovR desks, for that matter) are made in the USA using high-quality materials and precision robotics automation. When unboxing the desk components, it's clear that time and care were taken not only to construct the various parts, but that they were designed with comfort and longevity in mind as well.
That includes 3D-laminated tops that improve the durability of the desktop to stand up to daily uses and abuses in the office. They look great, too.
The desktops are created using precision Computer Numerical Control equipment and are hermetically sealed with Surf(x) 3D lamination.
In other words, the process used to create the desktop ensures that it provides superior performance over other desktops, including offering enhanced protection from moisture damage and warping.
The corners and edges of the desktop are contoured to create a beautiful look, and are ergonomically designed to improve comfort.
The desktop comes with a five-year warranty while the motors, electronics, and base have a 10-year warranty. iMovR offers a 100-day 100% satisfaction guarantee as well. This is the best warranty I’ve ever seen on a desk you can order online, and a good reflection on their made-in-America quality.
iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk Assembly Review
The iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk is not lightweight. For the stability and reliability needed to work well with an office treadmill, it has a lot of extra steel in it to lower its center of gravity and minimize any shaking of the desk from your own sway as you walk. It weighs between 100 and 130 pounds depending on the size of your order.
Yet this trusty desk comes 98 percent assembled. In fact, it is the only standing desk you can buy that doesn’t require any tools to assemble it.
That's because the desk's frame and leg sockets come pre-attached to the desk. The control paddle is attached as well, and all the cables are in place, too.
As you can see in the video above, the assembly process takes just a few minutes from the time you unbox the components to the time you begin using the desk. No other standing desk can claim such an easy assembly process.
iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk Treadmill Ease of Use Review
As noted earlier, the height of the Lander desk can be raised or lowered with a simple double-tap on the control panel or via an app.
The treadmill is just as easy to use, with a full-color, touchscreen display that sits neatly on the desktop. There's no membrane keys to mess around with on this desk.
The display of the ThermoTread GT treadmill base displays all sorts of helpful data, like walking speed, time, distance, and calorie burn. You can track your statistics whether you're walking, standing, or sitting, too. It even has a pomodoro timer in it to remind you when to take breaks for hydration or to change to a sitting or standing position.
Since I have my Lander Treadmill Desk set up in my home office, I only needed to create one user profile. However, in offices with multiple workers, up to five profiles can be created to track fitness.
iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk SteadyType® Keyboard Tray Review
Whether standing or walking on the treadmill, the SteadyType® keyboard tray is a must-have.
To improve comfort and ergonomics, the tray allows you to set your keyboard at steeper angle than you can get with a conventional keyboard tray designed for sitting use—these usually max at 15 degrees. That’s great if you’re in an armchair but supporting your arms at a 90-degree angle while standing or walking at a desk can become tiresome.
Technically iMovR’s patented SteadyType® tray can adjust up to 85 degrees, but most users will find that 25 to 40 degrees is the most comfortable and practical (steeper if they can touchtype). These steeper angles are more ergonomically neutral, minimizing strain on the arms and wrists and helping to minimize tension in the shoulders and neck.
The tray is rock stable, too, with far less monitor shake as you type as compared to any other kind of keyboard tray. That means less stress on your eyes as they don't have to constantly reacquire focus on the screen.The stability of the tray also improves typing accuracy, that way you can complete tasks faster and more efficiently as well.
iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk Built-In Health Coach Review
If you're the kind of worker that gets really involved in what you're doing, the Lander desk’s built-in health coach is a great feature.
You can specify when to be reminded to stand, and the notifications to do so aren't jarring, either.
In fact, when it's time to move, the controller slowly pulses in a soothing color, or you can set the reminder to send a push notification to your phone.
Setting up the notifications is easy, too. Do so from the smartphone app or program them using one of the three hidden buttons on the control paddle.
What's more, iMovR's engineers have future-proofed this technology, so new features can be added in the future to help enhance your health and fitness even more.
iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk: Pros and Cons
I've written before about my personal experience with my iMovR desk, and in that article, I expound on the desk's best features.
From a purely practical point of view, there are a number of benefits of the iMovR Lander Desk that cannot be overlooked:
Of these benefits, many people will appreciate the ease of assembly the most. When iMovR says that you can put the desk together in just a couple of minutes, they aren't kidding.
Personally, I like the health coach the most. When I get lost in my work, I can sit for hours on end. Having a gentle reminder to stand or walk on the treadmill has greatly reduced the incidence of a sore neck, shoulders, and back. (Studies have shown that users are likely to stand 117% more simply by using this reminder feature, and even more if they make use of an anti-fatigue mat.)
Not everything is perfect, though, and the iMovR Lander Desk is no exception. The biggest disappointments include:
Granted, this list of cons is a little nitpicky, and I've been told by iMovR that more size and shape options for the desktop are going to be offered shortly, including a plethora of L-desk designs and 30 real wood solid slab desktop options.
While iMovR does make less expensive desks, including 24”-deep compact models, the 30” depth is necessary if using with a treadmill base.
iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk Final Thoughts
I've had a couple of months with my iMovR Lander Treadmill Desk, and so far, I'm even more pleased than I thought I would be.
From a health and fitness standpoint, having a desk that actually reminds me to stand or walk, and having easy-to-use controls is something I really appreciate.
The big, bright ThermoTread GT display is also nice, that way I can quickly see what my fitness stats are without taking my attention away from my work.
I also appreciate the fact that these desks are made in the US, and that the design and manufacturing processes are dialed in to create a beautiful, durable desk that will stand the test of time.
Yes, this desk requires a significant monetary investment. But after just a couple of months, that investment has already more than paid off.
Learn more about the iMovR Lander Standing Desk