I used several electric walking pads over the past few years. In my personal experience, they tended to last about a year at most, and the noise increased over time. At some point the noise became noticeable enough that I was worried it might bother the neighbors.
While researching other options I found the Walkolution, a high-end manual treadmill priced at around €4000. At the time beyond what I was willing to spend.
A year later and again: my latest electric treadmill broke. I convinced myself with some optimistic calculations. Over the next 10 years I would save so much money on electricity and replacing broken treadmills that I might just be able to justify the high price.
So I pulled the trigger.
The Delivery Of The Walkolution MT-300
I was very excited and it didn’t take too long for the shipment to arrive. But I was shocked when the “parcel” arrived.
I expected a 85kg parcel but it turned out to be more like 120kg (including the optional backrest)!
The delivery man looked at my skinny developer arms with pity because he couldn’t believe I’d be able to move it upstairs. But with some effort I was able to move it into the (quite large) elevator. The doors almost didn’t close but I was lucky enough.
Inside the the flat, I was able to get it up half the stairs. Then I couldn’t continue without risking to break my back.
Just to illustrate, the whole thing was strapped to this pallet and the delivery guy moved it with a pallet truck.
Unboxing The Walkolution MT-300
Opening the package was another nightmare. My home office is inside a relatively small room. Not much space to move such a huge package around.
Opening the package revealed a first glimpse at the treadmill. At least likely the 20kg of packaging material ensured that the treadmill arrived in one piece.
Finally a beautiful treadmill was revealed. Really high-end design and feel. Even a nice smell of wood.
Walking On The Walkolution MT-300
Walking on the MT-300 took some getting used to. Basically you just place one foot at the front of the treadmill and then it starts moving. Simple enough but it feels a bit weird at the beginning.
Once you start walking it’s ok though. For a few days the first steps were still a bit strange but I got used to it now.
Actually it feels really weird walking on an electric treadmill again. Kind of like when you have been on a boat for a few hours and then step off again.
In my experience, walking on the Walkolution feels a bit more physically demanding than on an electric treadmill. It also feels like I’m walking slower. On my electric I was at 3.5-4km/h now it feels more like 2.5km/h!? No idea though because I can’t measure it.
Anyway, my kids love it.
Noise Level Of The Walkolution MT-300
The best part is that the treadmill is very silent. There’s of course some noise. But the sound is very soft. More like ocean waves than the mechanical hum I was used to from electric walking pads.
Problems With The Walkolution MT-300
Height Of My Existing Standing Desk
My existing standing desk wasn’t high enough for the Walkolution setup. Walkolution also sells compatible desks, but they’re in a higher price range. I’ll have to increase its height by adding some pieces of wood.
The Back Rest
While I really like the back rest to take a break from walking, it’s not possible to continue typing while leaning back. The distance to my desk increases by at least 50cm.
Walkolution’s own desks can be pulled to the front to work around this issue. But with a normal desk that’s obviously not possible.
Size And Dimensions
The Walkolution is quite heavy and large – something to keep in mind if space is limited. It’s not that easy to move it around and it takes a lot of space.
The electric treadmills I owned all fit under the bed. For the Walkolution I had to empty a corner of my room.
Positioning the Treadmill
Once you place the Walkolution under the desk you have to fixate it with the 4 wheels at the bottom. It’s not a big thing but I find it a bit annoying to tighten the wheels and loosen them again every time I want to switch from walking to sitting. Luckily that doesn’t happen too often and probably even less because of the effort.
Compared to that it was much easier to move my electric treadmills around. Just lift it up at the back, turn it around, and push it under the bed.
Disclaimer: This article reflects my personal experience and opinion based on using the Walkolution MT-300. Actual product performance and user experience may vary.
