iMovR Denali Treadmill Desk Review

[Editors’ Note—Oct 11, 2022: It is with great disappointment that we hear iMovR has decided to suspend production of the ThermoTread GT Office Treadmill Base. They give a full explanation of why on their website. They also elaborate on their continued commitment to developing products for the treadmill desking community, especially their standing desks—which remain the very best kind to pair with an under-desk treadmill (e.g. Lander, Lander Lite and Jaxson)—as well as SteadyType keyboard trays, treadtop standing mat, treadtop seats, treadmill lubricant, under-treadmill anti-static mats, etc.). We leave this content up for posterity, and hope to see iMovR re-enter the walking treadmill base market someday in the future. But for now we appear to have lost the #1-rated option in the category; along with 15 other brands of treadmill desk manufacturers out of 18 that we have reviewed since 2013 that have also exited the stage. The pandemic and other market forces has taken a great toll on these suppliers.]

The ultimate treadmill desk technology and ergonomics on a minimalist’s budget

iMovR’s Omega standing desk product line – with their built-in, patent-pending, SteadyType keyboard trays – are the ultimate choice for combining with any office treadmill. Besides being the only desks on the market specifically designed for the ergonomics of computing on the hoof, the Omega desks are the highest-rated for their ultra-durable and elegant 3D-laminated tabletops, quality componentry, and industry-leading warranties.

Of the three Omega desks – the Everest, Olympus and Denali – the Denali desk is the low-budget model, featuring a manual (crank) desk base rather than an electric base like its two sister Omega desks. As manual desks go, it’s clearly the best in the market. The crank mechanism is optimized for relatively rapid height changes (3 turns per inch), while still being able to move up to 200 lbs of load up and down with only a light touch on the handle. There are other crank desks on the market that cost more and either have harder-to-turn handles and lower weight capacities, or easy-spinning handles that require an agonizing five to ten turns-per-inch to move. If you’re going to bypass the more popular electric option, the Denali’s base is definitely the best we’ve ever tested in the category. And if you’re only going to be adjusting height between different users, as opposed to constantly changing from sitting to standing throughout the day, the swiftness of making height adjustments on the Denali is surprisingly good.

Note that the Denali’s base is the same as is used in iMovR’s Ellure desk, which is identical in every way except that it lacks the built-in SteadyType keyboard tray. If you’re going to be walking on an under-desk treadmill the SteadyType makes all the difference in the world, and we wouldn’t recommend going without it. Read more about the benefits of SteadyType below.

In this review we explore the bundled combo of the iMovR Omega Denali desk with the state-of-the-art, all-digital, iMovR ThermoTread GT Office Treadmill. While the ThermoTread GT can of course be combined with any number of suitable height-adjustable desks on the market -including at least seven models made by iMovR itself – the Denali desk has long been a popular choice for combining with other treadmill bases like the LifeSpan TR1200-DT3. The ThermoTread’s introduction in late 2015 has ushered in the first of a new generation of treadmill desks, all-digital, with smartphone-line control consoles and the ability to connect to the Internet of Things in the future. More on that below, as well.

Built-in SteadyType™

iMovR is the one company in the office fitness industry that has actually performed extensive studies of the ergonomics of using a computer while standing or walking. As a result of this, they developed the unique, patent-pending SteadyType keyboard tray that’s built into all their Omega desks in order to overcome the two primary ergonomic issues with other treadmill desks. The first issue is that if you want to use a keyboard tray in order to work in a more neutral posture and minimize “computer hunch” – and that assumes you can find a tray that’ll even mount to your adjustable-height desk without running into the crossbar – the resulting “moment lever” can make any two-legged desk shake like a leaf in an October wind.

The second problem is that most conventional keyboard trays only adjust to a maximum of -15 degrees of tilt, because they’re designed to not dig into your lap while sitting. iMovR’s research has shown the best results at between -30 and -40 degrees (the SteadyType can adjust to -85), at which typing speed and accuracy – regardless of walking speed – is restored to the same level as when seated.

As the name implies, the SteadyType keyboard tray is as solid as a rock. Being mounted as closely as possible to the desk’s crossbars, the moment lever is so small as to have virtually zero effect on the desk’s stability (see this amusing Battle of the Keyboard Trays video to get an idea of how remarkably the stability of the desk is improved with SteadyType). Gone are the sore palms from pressing down hard in order to keep your fingers in position over the keyboard as your body sways with the walking motion. The result is a completely neutral typing position – completely relaxed hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and neck – and typing proficiency equal or better to what it is when you’re seated.

When comparing the Omega desk to other models equipped with traditional under-desk keyboard trays, while walking on a treadmill, the difference in typing proficiency is so palpable that users opt for the Omega model in virtually every case. (The one downside to the Omega that we should note is a reduction in usable desk surface area, which is an issue for the rare individual who routinely works with a lot of paper in front of them.)

On the Omega Denali, the SteadyType keyboard tray is always centered on the desktop. This is another difference between the Denali and its sister products, the Everest and Olympus, in that the 72″ and 83″ versions of the two electric desks can be set up as “sit-stand-walk” workstations. Meaning that their feet can spread far enough apart to accommodate both a treadmill base and full-sized office chair side-by-side, allowing you to work in all three modalities at the same desk. As a consequence, the Everest and Olympus desks can also be ordered with the SteadyType tray in the center – as it is on the Denali – or on the left side, right side -or even both sides in the case of the Everest Dual. The Denali’s telescoping width is just not as extensive as the it is on the electric models, so it can only be used as a sit-stand desk or as a stand-walk desk.

To get an idea of how ergonomically optimized an iMovR Omega desk is when used with an under-desk treadmill check out this video demonstration:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=9-3lHTCHWzY%3Frel%3D0

Of medium stature, but not the tallest in the family

The maximum height of a sit-stand adjustable desk is an important factor when choosing which desk to mate with a treadmill base. Unlike the iMovR electric desks, which are all based on three-segment lifting legs with an extraordinary 51″ of top height (or 55″ with optional 4″ leg extender kits), the Denali’s top end is the same as 98% of the desks on the market – 48 inches. This is the “ANSI/BIFMA” standard that most manufacturers shoot for, and it’s intended to capture the 95th percentile of the US population. Meaning that the desk can be used by anyone up to 6’2″ tall. However, the standard fails to take into account a number of important factors.

First, if you add a treadmill under your feet, it’s the same as adding 5″ to your height. So if you’re, say, 5’10” tall, the treadmill’s 5″ step-up height makes you the equivalent of 6’3″ tall. You may want to skip the rest of this review and proceed directly to the iMovR Everest Treadmill Desk or iMovR Olympus Treadmill Desk, because you’re too tall to use the Denali. Second, because of the steep tilting capability of the SteadyType tray – and the same goes for any under-counter keyboard tray on a conventional standing desk – you need to factor in another inch or two. So if you’re over 5’8″ the Denali Treadmill Desk may not reach high enough on its two-segment lifting legs to be ergonomically correct for you. We all have different anthropometric ratios (torso length versus leg length and arm length, e.g.) so it’s hard to categorically state the maximum recommended user height without visiting an iMovR dealer location.

One “hack” is to install the optional caster wheels on the Denali to gain back another 2.5 inches. Also, we have heard from iMovR that are considering offering 4″ leg extensions for the Denali/Ellure desks in the future, however installing them will mean that their minimum sitting height will become too high (33″). Not an issue if you only plan to use the desk with a treadmill, but you’d want to remove the extensions if you ever convert the desk back to sit-stand only use.

Vast options in tabletop colors and sizes, all made to order, and shipped within one week

iMovR’s factory is set up like Dell Computer’s, allowing them to offer literally thousands of different desktop customizations across their lines of adjustable-height desks. You configure your ideal desk online, selecting from four tabletop widths ranging from 42″ to 72″, any of the eleven standard 3D laminate colors, and a black or silver base. Then you can add any number of options such as a matching 2-drawer mobile file cabinet, cable management kit to keep your desk nice and tidy, or flush-mounted power+USB nodes that go into the grommet holes on top of the desk.

3D laminate is the most durable and attractive laminate available, and unique to iMovR in the adjustable-height furniture world. It is more resistant to dings, scratches, chemicals and moisture penetration than the conventional high-pressure laminate (HPL) that’s been used by most manufacturers for decades, and allows for computer-controlled precision, ergo-contouring of all the edges prior to lamination. Even the grommet holes are completely sealed under the lamination, hermetically sealing the wood against potential moisture damage. The result is a tabletop that costs the same as conventional HPL but has the extravagant look of natural hardwood, and designed to last a lifetime.

Many desks come with a grommet option, which is important to consider. Check out our article on grommet holes, with everything you need to know about the different ways to use them to enhance your workstation, what to look for in your grommet holes, and where to find the desks with the best ones.

Each top is made to order, kitted on the same pallet with the treadmill and all the other purchased components, and typically ships out the door in 5-7 business days. Also unique to iMovR is the highly popular option of having the entire desk pre-assembled at the factory and shipped complete.

The only treadmill designed for the commercial office environment

The ThermoTread GT is not only quieter, smaller and more power efficient than competing bases, it’s the only one with a touch-screen LCD desktop console. There are many advantages to this smartphone-like console, such as making the unit “future proof” with the ability to download new software features as iMovR adds them. In designing the all-digital ThermoTread GT, iMovR knew that for widespread adoption of treadmill desks to occur in the enterprise, the liability question would need to be addressed. Unique to the ThermoTread is a built-in “click-wrap liability waiver” that the user must acknowledge with one button press before the treadmill will power up. This protects the employer, property owner and anyone in between from any potential liability, because even though no one has ever been injured on a treadmill desk at 2.5 mph or less, perception is reality, and this makes the lawyers and insurance companies happy.

Up to five user profiles can be stored in the console, and next year, with the addition of iMovR’s forthcoming CloudStation adapter, users will be able to store they profiles in the cloud and access them from anywhere in the world, any time they’re at an iMovR standing desk or treadmill desk. Not only will you be able to change your desk height through the treadmill’s console, but when you change to Sit, Stand or Walk mode on the ThermoTread’s controller, the desk will also automatically move to the correct preset height, while keeping track of how much time you’re spending in each modality. (This, of course, will only work with the electric-based Omega Everest and Omega Olympus treadmill desks, not the Denali.)

While the standalone ThermoTread GT supports only 5 user profiles, with the CloudStation attached there will be no limit to the number of users who can log in and have all their usage data automatically updated to the web, and interchanged with their wearable devices and corporate wellness software platforms. Again, see our full review of the ThermoTread GT Office Treadmill for more details.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for the best combination of desk and treadmill, you can’t go wrong with any of the Omega desks for their stability, sharp looks, and ergonomics. And, of course, there is no better office treadmill on the market today than the ThermoTread GT.

Within the Omega treadmill desk combos, the iMovR Denali Treadmill Desk is a great option for anyone who wants the ideal ergonomic setting for working while walking, but is on a tight budget. Assuming you’re willing to accept a manual height adjustment in lieu of electric, the two things you won’t be able to get with the Denali as compared to the Everest and Olympus Treadmill Desk workstations are: the wider-stanced, sit-stand-walk configurations (72″ and 83″ tops with left, right, center or dual SteadyType trays), and the top-end height reach for anyone over 5’8″ tall (or 5’10” with our suggested hack). If you can live within those parameters the Denali may be the very best bang for your buck.

For more detailed information on both the desk and the treadmill, see our deep reviews of the iMovR Denali Standing Desk and the iMovR ThermoTread GT Office Treadmill.

If you’re thinking of buying or selling a used treadmill desk, be sure to check out our primer on used treadmill desks, and especially the conquest bonuses offered by some manufacturers to switch to their brand.