iMovR Cascade 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.]

Review

When shopping for a treadmill desk, it’s important to keep in mind that not only do you need a standing desk that is tailored to accommodate walking and working, you also need a treadmill designed for walking too, and those are hard to come by. We’ve already reviewed the Cascade Standing Desk from iMovR as a standalone standing desk, but here we examine its merits in the context of a fully integrated treadmill desk workstation, accompanied by iMovR’s state-of-the-art under desk treadmill, the Thermotread GT.

Cascade Standing Desk: Impeccable Walking Ergonomics

In our review of the Cascade Standing Desk we noted its abundant tabletop options, characteristic of iMovR, with 16 standard 3D laminated colors, as well as the innovative American-made base it stands on, what iMovR calls the Freedom Base. Using robotic manufacturing techniques, the Freedom Base is built to the most precise manufacturing tolerances and for a fraction of the cost of the competition, making a fully American-made standing desk that can finally compete with imported alternatives on the price front. It boasts an industry-leading warranty that matches iMovR’s premium standing desk line (see the Lander), and even comes in corner shapes for optimizing the space and decor of your office.

SteadyType™-Equipped

The standout feature of the iMovR Cascade compared to other standing desks, including its sister product the Energize, is its built-in SteadyType™ keyboard. While this feature optimizes typing ergonomics for standing (by more closely imitating the truly neutral ergonomic positioning of the arms and hands), it has an even more profound ergonomic impact when applied to treadmill desking. While walking, you have a tendency to anchor your palms against the edge of the desk for stability, and that can cause a significant amount of strain — especially over time. With the SteadyType™, your arms and hands are free to rest on the keyboard platform at a declined angle, erasing the strain from increased hand pressure against the desk and overall improving your typing speed and accuracy.

A Height Adjustment Range for Everyone

Another key treadmill desk feature that many buyers overlook is the desk’s height range. Treadmills lift a user about five inches off the ground, so any standing desk will have to rise at least five inches higher than normal to keep your hands at the proper angle for typing and using your mouse. iMovR offers the Cascade Treadmill Desk in its highest-reaching Freedom Base, the Freedom XT, which has a height range of 22.4” to 48.5” (including a 1.125” tabletop) and can fit workers up to 5-foot-9 without any issue.

Accessories for Ideal Monitor Height, Too

Desk height is not the only vertical measurement that matters when you’re buying a treadmill desk — or a standing desk for that matter. It’s equally important you keep your monitors in a position that doesn’t strain your neck while you work. This means finding a method for lifting your monitors in the air.

Monitor arms are a tried and true solution that work extremely well in this context; they’re able to adjust so you can find the right height for sitting and the right height for standing/walking — which differ. Due to the fact that there is more distance between our waist and our eye level when we stretch out to stand, we need more space between our tabletop and our monitors while we stand/walk than when we sit. Monitor arms are able to adjust for this difference in a quick and simple motion, and iMovR sells a variety of monitor arms with their Cascade Treadmill Desk that include dual monitor compatible arms as well as those with extra tall poles for standing and walking.

Ergonomically, it’s easy to customize your Cascade with all of iMovR’s accessories to optimize your new active workstation experience—in fact, they offer an abundance of other treadmill desk specific options including lubricant, standing mats, and stools.

So how does the standing desk portion of the integrated Cascade Treadmill Desk Workstation hold up? Ergonomically, it’s more capable than the competition, with its chief advantage being the built-in SteadyType™ keyboard tray and a solid height-adjustment range. It’s also easy on the consumer to buy from iMovR since they offer all the necessary ergonomic/mechanical accessories in one place.

The World’s Most Advanced Under Desk Treadmill

How about the treadmill itself, the ThermoTread GT? We’ve rehearsed the benefits of iMovR’s office treadmill before, but it bears repeating that this treadmill is exceptionally apt for walking in the office setting because, unlike much of the competition, that’s exactly what it was designed for.

While other treadmills like Lifespan’s tend to be converted gym treadmills removed of any hand rails and tossed under a desk, iMovR took it upon themselves to design a treadmill that would perform exceptionally for the sole purpose of walking at a standing desk. Walking on a gym treadmill for extended periods of time actually burns out the motors quicker than running, because there is more deadweight pressing against the belt for a longer period of time. (See our Under Desk Treadmill Comparison Review for more details.) The bottom line is that an under desk treadmill needs to have high torque and low friction at speeds of 1-2 mph. The ThermoTread GT is designed to operate between .5 and 2.5 mph and has 3 HP / 4000 RPM with a verified user weight rating of 400 pounds. Because of its unique construction, it will last years longer than competing treadmills and to prove so, iMovR backs it with an industry-leading warranty on motor, parts, and labor.

The ThermoTread GT is also extremely quiet, which is a key factor for many buying a treadmill desk. It works well in quiet office environments, registering according to our tests at 42.7dB (from ear height at two mph). That’s about equivalent to the background noise of the HVAC in most office buildings. And as an added bonus, its console tracks user stats like distance, time, calories burned, and comes equipped with the future ability to connect to the cloud via iMovR’s CloudStation technology (in development).

For corporate customers cautious of liability, the ThermoTread GT also comes with a built-in “click-wrap liability waiver” that the user must acknowledge with one button press before the treadmill will power up. Even though no one has ever been injured on a treadmill desk at 2.5 mph or less, this protects the employer, property owner and anyone in between from potential liability. For even more on the ThermoTread GT, check out our full review.

How does the Cascade compare to iMovR’s premium treadmill desk line?

As a treadmill desk, the Cascade belongs to iMovR’s “Omega” series of ergonomic powerhouse workstations—all of which include their SteadyType™ keyboard tray built-in on the desktop. Compared to the manual crank Denali, its electric adjustment is a big upgrade for a relatively small price increment. And the Cascade even has some benefits over the premium iMovR SteadyType™ treadmill desk, the Lander. They both feature the same state-of-the-art ThermoTread GT treadmill, but the Freedom XT Base, which comes with the Cascade, is a bit easier to assemble and comes with its own cable management tray (that attaches to the bottom of the desk) to keep your cords tidy. It’s also less expensive than the Everest (by about $150).

But the Lander is generally a more flexible, more powerful machine. While the warranties are equivalent, the Everest has the Cascade beat on most specs, including transit speed (1.5 in/sec vs. 1.3 in/sec), lift capacity (265 pounds vs 220 pounds), and the functionality of its elegant, back-lit hand controller, which features four programmable height-presets compared to the Cascade’s two.

Perhaps most importantly, the premium Lander Base raises 3” higher than the Cascade, and is a little better fit for taller workers. iMovR offers 4” height extenders for the Everest, as well as caster wheels, to add a total of 6.5” to its already tall height, plenty for even tall treadmill deskers. Its longer feet (23 5/8” vs 29” long) create more longitudinal stability for the desk, and its crossbars telescope to accommodate wider desktops, making it one of the few bases on the market that can stretch wide enough to fit a 7-foot top with full stability.

All to say, while the Lander remains the premium choice for customers, the Cascade is a highly evolved treadmill desk model in iMovR’s arsenal, and will serve 95 percent of treadmill desk users with complete satisfaction.

The Takeaway

The iMovR Cascade Treadmill Desk Workstation is an ergonomic virtuoso whose tabletop features the angle-adjusting SteadyType™ keyboard tray built-in, and whose height adjustment range is plenty to accommodate the unique requirements of a standing desk to be used with a treadmill. The desk itself utilizes American manufacturing ingenuity to offer a USA-made product at a price comparable to an import, and its variety of tabletop sizes and options (including corner desks) make it easy to find the perfect fit for your office and decor. Toss in the state-of-the-art under desk treadmill iMovR designed to accompany all its treadmill desks (ThermoTread GT), and the Cascade is one of the highest quality, most ergonomic treadmill desk workstations we’ve ever seen.

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.

Shipping

Cascade Treadmill Desks are made to order and arrive within 10 to 14 business days from order placement. They are shipped palletized by freight from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The standard shipping price for Cascade Treadmill Desks, including all optional items purchased at the same time, is free in the continental US. iMovR also offers a variety of delivery upgrades including room of choice delivery and, uniquely, factory pre-assembly.

Warranty

Cascade Stand Up Desk Warranty Details

• Lifetime warranty on the frame
• 10 years on all motors and electronics
• 5years on the 3D laminated tabletop

ThermoTread GT Office Treadmill Warranty Details

• 3 years on motor
• 2 years on parts
• 1 year on labor

Specifications

Compare

See how the Cascade Treadmill Desk stacks up against the competition in our Treadmill Desk Comparison Review.

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