As one of the more popular exercise machines, treadmills offer a thorough cardiovascular workout for improved health and weight loss. They’re one of the more effective ways to maximise your at-home workout, conveniently coming in smaller incarnations over time with settings for every fitness level. PremierFit has built its reputation over last decade by focusing on budget treadmills for beginners, and the DW70 is just that: a compact treadmill designed to keep its users fit whilst working from their desk, whether simply by walking or jogging. This ability to multitask a workout with work can help users burn hundreds of extra calories a day. With 12 pre-set programmes and 3 manual settings, the DW70 just about squeezes enough customisation to make it worthwhile for many beginners, but it does have its drawbacks.

Compact Size
The first thing we notice about the DW70 is its small, compact size, with a runway area of 1100 mm x 300 mm. You can expect a slender frame of 200 mm x 1320 mm x 520 mm. Given its design, there is no assembly required and users can begin their first exercise routine moments after removing it from the box. This makes it ideal for more densely packed spaces like apartments and offices (whether shared or private), as it is meant to be used in tandem with a desk, and can be easily stored away under tables and cabinets. It is important to note that PremierFit do have a purpose-built desk available to pair with the DW70, but that this is an additional purchase and will not come with the treadmill. Despite its compact size, the DW70 beats many of its competitors in the work treadmill market by offering roughly 4cm of extra runway width. This extra width is designed to give users a safer and more comfortable experience.

Design
Aside from the fairly utilitarian rectangular frame — made from tubular steel for stability and durability — users can direct and choose their speed programmes via a wired controller, attached to the treadmill and designed to be placed on your desk. This handy unit has quick speed adjustment buttons, easy to access start and stop buttons and pre-settings. The LED display itself is bright and easy to read, offering a reading of both speed, time and calories burnt. Nevertheless, placing the controller can be something of a fiddly task. It is quite bulky and conspicuous to handle, especially if you have a “busy” desk setup or a large computer to work from.

Running Settings
This treadmill is ideal for those looking to keep fit whilst working or writing e-mails, owing to its compact size. However, this treadmill is not for everybody. With a weight limitation of 90kg, it is not a good choice for heavier set or taller users. Its speed settings are also essentially incremental, with choices anywhere between 1.0 Km/h to a maximum 7.0 Km/h. This maximum speed is somewhat delimiting for those wishing to run at a fast pace, as the average jogging speed of an experienced runner is around 12-14Km/h. As such, it is ideal for power walkers and those looking to keep a brisk walking pace when working, rather than for intense cardiovascular exercise. There are 12 workout programmes and 3 manual settings, which is about average for an entry-level treadmill market and a definite advantage of the DW70 over similar desk treadmills. If the limitations of pace are not important to you, the DW70 represents good value for money. What’s more, the performance is fairly quiet, although you do get some vibration depending on how close your table legs are to the machine, so setting up your desk use will require a small process of trial and error.

Pros

• Compact yet comparatively wide runway
• Decent programme setting variation
• Requires no assembly
• Quiet performance

Cons

• Not for heavier users
• Maximum speed limit of 7.0 Km/h

Verdict
Although the PremierFit DW70 has some limitations of pace and design, it is an ideal treadmill for using at work. As long as you’re not expecting to break a serious sweat, it performs a very useful, quiet and customisable task of keeping you moving when writing your e-mails or spreadsheets. Given that very few people can actually perform their desk tasks under serious cardiovascular strain, this ability to perform slow and brisk walks whilst working is an ideal means of burning some extra calories. Furthermore, the DW70 is competitively priced, making it great value for money given other desk-based treadmills on the market.