iMovR ThermoDesk Elemental Treadmill Desk Review
The Editors
Despite the incredible variety of electric desks on the market, manual-adjustment desks remain popular among treadmill deskers. Why? A low price tag attracts prospective walkers on a budget, while others simply prefer an unpowered option – one that can't leech energy or add another cable to the tangle. The ThermoDesk Elemental is our current pick of the category, and comes highly recommended to anyone on the hunt for a budget - and space - friendly treadmill desk.
Crank desks come in considerably cheaper than their motorized cousins. What little they lack in speed they make up for by being quiet, cordless adjusters. ThermoDesk Elementals are the pick of the litter, and would fit perfectly into a budget treadmill desk. Anyone dealing with extremely limited office space should also appreciate the petite 40” wide option.
Anyone searching for a full sit-walk desk should turn to the extra-wide Electra and Elite electric desks, also by iMovR. Crank desks also don't fare well in shared workstations, as they lack the helpful height presets found on high-end electric desks. Also not a good choice for anyone extremely averse to manual labor.
Disclosure: iMovR and WorkWhileWalking have mutual ownership interest*
We’ve already got a general review of the Elemental up, but we wanted to go into detail about how the desk fits into a walking workstation. ThermoDesk products are designed with walking in mind, and there are a few features worth mentioning, such as…
Pocket-Sized Dimensions
We’re extremely fond of the Elite and the Electra, iMovR’s electric, extra-large desk lines. Both are capable of stretching to accommodate a chair and treadmill side by side for a sit-walk setup. These workstations are ergonomically ideal, and come heavily recommended – if you’ve got the room to fit them. Sit-walk desks don’t get along well with cramped offices. The smallest width needed for one is 72”, a pretty serious space investment.
So what’s a real estate-challenged desker to do? The only real option is to set up a stand-walk desk, and fit sitting in where you can. Either maintain a fixed-height desk specifically for chair time, or find a belt-friendly chair you can perch directly on top of your treadmill (Mogo leaning chairs work great). But electric desks can still cause problems even at smaller sizes. Elemental and Electra desks are hefty pieces of hardware, and squishing one into a study nook or cubicle isn’t our idea of a good time. On top of that, their smallest size is still a spacious 48”x30”. Elementals are considerably lighter, and can come with tabletops as slim as 40”x24”.
Not only that, but going manual removes the necessity of plugging in. You’ll still need to find an outlet for your treadmill, but taking the desk out of the electrical equation cuts down cable snarl and makes positioning the Elemental a much easier experience.
Few Frills
Anyone aching for a simpler desk should give the Elemental a thought. Keep this in mind though: it’s not necessarily the ideal desk for a multi-user workstation. The Elemental’s manual adjustment system is fast and easy to use, but can’t match the convenience of the Electra or Elite’s motorized movement. On top of that, crank desks lack the height presets that make upscale electric desks – like the Elite – so perfect for shared workstations.
It’s also worth noting that Elementals do not have the desktop power station option that their electric cousin do. Elemental tabletops come without grommet holes, and consequently cannot accommodate grommet-mounted outlets. On the other hand, they are designed to easily mount the iMovR Stowaway keyboard tray. A set of pre-drilled pilot holes make it easy to attach one of these forearm-saving peripherals on the underside of an Elemental tabletop.
For more information about the ThermoDesk Elemental Adjustable Height Desk – including sizes, colors, warranty, delivery upgrades, and shipping information – check out WorkWhileWalking’s store.
*Full disclosure: iMovR and WorkWhileWalking have mutual ownership interest. However, we can assure our readers that we expose the good and the bad of every product, regardless of any financial connection we may have to the manufacturer.
