ProForm Thinline Pro Desk Treadmill Review

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The ProForm Thinline Pro Desk Treadmill is an upgrade version of the standard Thinline model, with a more powerful motor and power uprights for adjusting the height of the console.

But are the upgrades enough to justify what’s usually a $400 difference in price between the two machines, or does the entry level Thinline model represent better value for money?

In this review we’ll be making some important comparisons between the Thinline Pro and other similarly priced treadmill desks, to help you decide on the best option for your own home office or workplace. If you would like a more in-depth guide to the features you need to look for on a treadmill desk, as well as a top 10 list of the best designs on the market, it’s worth taking a look at our treadmill desk buying guide.

Design and safety features

Before we start looking at the features of the ProForm Thinline Pro, it’s worth knowing exactly what you’re looking for in a treadmill desk. Do you plan on using it in a commercial office environment or at home, and what’s the likely ratio of time spent working to time spent exercising?

Most people looking to buy a new treadmill desk are doing so because it reduces the likelihood of developing health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle. It does this by ensuring that you remain active while working, with a low speed belt that encourages you to maintain a walking pace of up to 2 mph (4 mph on some LifeSpan Fitness under-desk treadmills).

In contrast, the ProForm Thinline collection is somewhat unique in the way it offers all of the features you would expect from a home treadmill, with a rotating console that doubles as a work surface.

These features include a 12 mph belt speed, 12% incline and -3% decline, large 22″W x 60″L running surface, and a 3.0 CHP Mach Z™ Commercial Plus Motor. You also have a choice of 40 onboard workout apps, and more personalized workout programs that can be downloaded via the iFit enabled console.

The Thinline Pro is also the only ProForm treadmill desk to include power uprights, which allows you to adjust the vertical height of the console through a 14 inch range. This makes it a much better option for multiple user environments, such as family homes.

However, as we mentioned in our review of the ProForm Thinline, this is very much a treadmill first and a workspace second. The fact is that most people struggle to maintain productivity and focus on their work at belt speeds of higher than 2 mph, much less the 12 mph that’s available here.

The incline and decline settings are a useful feature too, but only during jogging or running workouts. Although LifeSpan Fitness have their own range of home treadmills that feature a similar incline gradient, this is a feature they’ve purposefully avoided adding to their treadmill desks.

Compared to the LifeSpan models you’re also not getting quite the same level of frame strength in the treadmill base. Although the LifeSpan TR800 supports the same 300 lb capacity as the Thinline Pro, their TR1200 models support up to 350 lbs, and their top-of-the-line TR5000 up to 400 lbs.

The workout feedback too is very much geared towards running, with distance, speed, heart rate, and number of calories burned all included, but no sign of a step count/pedometer feature. This is something that’s included as standard with the LifeSpan Fitness consoles, via their Intelli-Step™ technology.

One final feature worth mentioning before we take a look at the console and workout programs is the 1.9″ balanced rollers fitted inside the treadmill deck. These aren’t as large as on Precor or Yowza Fitness treadmills, which can lead to more wear on the belt if using it regularly for running workouts. However, this should be less of an issue if kept at lower speeds for walking and working.

Safety features
The Thinline Pro features two of the standard safety features we would expect to find on most treadmills, which are the safety rails and safety key.

If you haven’t used a safety key before it’s essentially a short length of cord with one end that clips to your clothing, and the other to the console. This way if you were to fall during your workout, the cord detaches from the console and the tread belt quickly comes to a stop.

Unfortunately there aren’t any more advanced safety features, such as a password protected console that would prevent any accidental movement of the belt until the correct code was entered. This is a feature we’ve only seen on a very small number of treadmills, such as the Precor TRM 425.

Display console design

Our first thoughts on the Thinline Pro console were that it was an innovative way to combine workout feedback with a workstation, but in reality it’s just not that practical.

In ‘Console Mode’ you have access to everything you could possibly need during a workout. This includes the 7″ display screen, tablet holder, CoolAire™ workout fan, and controls for navigating the various workout programs and speed/incline settings. You even have a set of EKG™ touch sensors built into the handles for measuring your heart rate.

But when you rotate the console round into ‘Desk Mode’, you lose the majority of these features. This includes the heart rate monitoring, workout program selection, and visibility of any workout feedback from the screen, but you can still adjust the incline and belt speed using in-handle controls.

If ProForm create an upgraded version of the Thinline Pro treadmill desk in the future, we would love to see a second screen built into the edge of the console that was visible in Desk Mode. Even if it was simply to show the same basic feedback that’s offered by most under-desk treadmills (step count, time, distance, belt speed).

Another potential improvement would be to add padded arm rests on either side of this second screen, similar to the LifeSpan DT5 and DT7 desks. Unfortunately the current Thinline Pro design doesn’t offer any kind of wrist support, which can increase the likelihood of developing carpal tunnel syndrome if typing for long periods of time on a regular basis.

The heart rate monitoring is also a potential area for improvement.

At the moment, the only way you can monitor your heart rate is by holding the touch sensors, as there’s no support for wireless heart rate monitoring or telemetry chest straps.

In our experience holding on static handles is fine at lower speeds, but significantly hinders your performance when jogging or running. But at the time you’re most likely to be walking, you’ll probably have the console in Desk Mode, removing your access to these touch sensors and preventing you from viewing your heart rate reading.

In addition to the second screen and wrist supports, we would like to see telemetry heart rate monitoring added and a larger work surface that can compete with the multi-monitor support offered by LifeSpan Fitness models.

iFit enabled
The ProForm Thinline Pro already has 40 onboard workout apps built-in, which is probably more than enough for a treadmill desk. But if you’re looking for more variation during your cardio workouts, you might want to consider iFit.

To start using iFit requires you to purchase a subscription to the service (usually around $100 per year), but the iFit module itself is already built-into the console. This lets you create routes using Google Maps™, where the gradient of the running deck will automatically adjust to match the gradient of your virtual route.

You’re also able to download personalized workout programs from their online library, and races can even be organized via iFit, but this requires a WiFi internet connection.

Ease of assembly and maintenance

The Thinline Pro uses the same out-of-box assembly as the standard Thinline treadmill desk, with the entire treadmill base and majority of the console arriving pre-assembled. All that’s required is to attach the extension legs and connect the console via the latches at the top of the uprights.

After completing your workout, if you want to take advantage of the SpaceSaver® design, the running deck and console can be folded to just 12″ wide to reduce the footprint. It’s just worth bearing in mind that the ProForm Thinline Pro has a much larger footprint than most under-desk treadmills when it’s in use (a more compact option would be the LifeSpan TR800-DT3 under-desk treadmill, with a belt surface measuring 18″W x 52″L).

Professional assembly services
Most delivery companies will only guarantee curbside delivery, leaving you to carry the boxes (300 lb+) to your room of choice and assemble the equipment.

Although the assembly process for the Thinline Pro is incredibly simple, you may find one of the professional home assembly services offered by ProForm (not in all locations, call ahead to check your options) and Amazon.

If you’re buying through Amazon, you can select the option to include assembly, then enter your zip code to find a list of local businesses who can assemble your new treadmill desk. This has proven to be a popular choice for hundreds of customers already, with an average rating of 5 stars.

Amazon’s home assembly service for treadmills typically includes:

Customer reviews

Pros:

Cons:

• Plastic desk surface can be uncomfortable on the wrists if typing for long periods
• Heart rate monitor isn’t particularly accurate, and can’t be used when the console is in desk mode
• If you only plan on using this treadmill for walking and working, the iFit subscription could be considered a waste of money as the majority of programs are tailored towards running
• User manual doesn’t contain a guide to the onboard workout apps
• Some customers found the subscription cost of iFit too high for a treadmill desk where you’re most likely going to be walking

What’s covered by the warranty?