HOMCOM Foldable Walking Pad review: Are walking treadmills worth buying - or just another gimmick?

There's no doubt about it, the HOMCOM Foldable Walking Pad helped me stay active, boosting my fitness and stamina from the comfort of my own home. But with so many walking pads taking the market by storm, is this one worth the investment? I used it every day for four weeks to find out.

Walking pads have been garnering a lot of attention on social media lately and it's easy to see why. With autumn officially here and the prospect of colder, darker months ahead of us, many people are turning to walking indoors as an alternative way to get their daily steps in.

Enter walking pads - the perfect way to stay active at home. Whether you want to don a pair of the best walking shoes and treat it like a proper workout, or get your steps in while you're still in your pyjamas and reap the benefits of an early morning walk, walking pads let you do either. But how does the HOMCOM Foldable Walking Pad compare to others on the market, and is it a worthy investment?

HOMCOM Foldable Walking Pad review

Specifications

• RRP: £165.99
• Size: 105H x 54L x 101W cm
• Size when folded: 105H x 54W x 15D cm
• Weight: 21kg
• Max weight for users: 90kg
• Colour availability: Black
• Folding: Yes

HOMCOM foldable walking pad: An overview

HOMCOM's foldable walking pad is an easy way to do indoor walking workouts. With a speed range of 1-6 km/h, it can be used for anything from a gentle stroll to a light run and I liked that I can track time elapsed, distance, speed, and calories burnt on the LCD.

Fitted with a foldable handlebar, the walking pad wouldn't look out of place in a gym. But once I'd set the device up (in four simple steps), I was pleased with how it looked in my home office, where I planned to do most of the testing.

Because of the handlebar, the device is probably bulkier than other walking pads on the market like the CITYSPORTS Under Desk Treadmill. It's also pretty heavy to transport, and I definitely would have struggled to get it up two flights of stairs to my flat without the help of my partner. The wheels make it easier to move it around once it's out of the box though.

Given that incline is an easy way to do walking workouts at home, I was a little disappointed to see that the HOMCOM walking pad lacks an incline setting. There aren't any pre-set programmes you can follow either, so the best way to use the machine is for free walking.

I'm a keen health enthusiast, and this year I made it my mission to increase my average daily step count, so I jumped at the chance to try the HOMCOM walking pad - and after using it for the last month, I'm pretty familiar with the ins and outs of the machine. Here's everything I've learned while testing it.

What does the HOMCOM Foldable Walking Pad do?

Using the HOMCOM walking pad for free walking is straightforward. Essentially, you press start and then walk on the pad for as long as you want to. If you want to multi-task and use the walking pad while you work, you'll need to fold the handlebar down so the pad can be slotted under your desk. It's easy enough to do this, though it does involve unscrewing the lock knobs, which takes a few minutes.

I found that the free walking function was ideal when I wanted a form of LISS (low-impact steady state) exercise, but I didn't necessarily have time to leave the house. I enjoyed having the option to engage in gentle cardio on days when the weather wasn't enticing me to go outside. It was also really easy to change the speed on the pad if I felt like upping the pace, thanks to the handy remote control (note that you'll need some AAA batteries to be able to use this).

The LCD on the HOMCOM walking pad is a handy feature that lets you track your workout metrics. Through this, it's easy to see how long you've been walking, the distance you've walked, the speed, plus calories burnt, taking the need for a fitness tracker away.

I appreciated being able to see all these metrics when I was using the walking pad. Whenever I was multi-tasking, such as reading a book or replying to emails on my phone, I liked being able to look down and see how long I'd been using the machine. I think the calorie tracker is a nice little addition and would be especially helpful for people interested in losing weight. I would have also liked to see a step count on the machine, as I'm someone who tries to reach the daily 10,000 - but that's my only complaint.

Noise and speed on the HOMCOM Foldable Walking Pad

You can adjust the velocity (or speed) of the HOMCOM walking pad from anything between 1 and 6 km per hour. Just like a regular treadmill, the speed goes up by 0.1, which means you can gradually increase the speed and use the machine at a wide variety of intensities while you're exercise snacking at home.

I'm 5ft9, and I had to jog when using the machine at the highest speed. Anyone taller than me might find that the highest speed is suitable for (fast) speed walking rather than jogging, and anyone smaller could probably use it for gentle running. The device is most suited to its primary purpose of walking though. I will say I don't think it should be advertised as a treadmill, as the speed doesn't increase enough to do sprints or faster runs.

I found that using the machine at higher speeds also made it very noisy. At a speed of 3 km/h or above, it can be comfortably heard from the next room, which is something to bear in mind if you're planning on using the pad at home while you work.

What's the HOMCOM walking pad like to use?

While the walking pad is very easy to use, I didn't find I used it as much as I thought I would. This probably comes down to the fact that I wasn't able to use it while working. If I could, then I'm sure I would have got a lot more use from it. Equally, this might not be an issue for you if you don't work from home and would be planning to use the walking pad while watching television or reading. In that case, the handlebar may be a very welcome and useful addition, rather than a hindrance.

I did enjoy using the walking pad while taking breaks from work though. I was able to read or listen to a podcast while strolling, and my average step count went up as a result. I'm someone who tries to walk 30 minutes a day and the walking pad made this easier on days when the weather put me off going outside.

I will say that my personal preference is to walk outside in the fresh air, but it was nice having the option to get my steps in indoors as well.

Can you use the HOMCOM Walking Pad under a desk?

The short answer is yes, you can use the HOMCOM walking pad under a desk - but it's not straightforward. You will need to figure out a way to raise your laptop to be able to comfortably type and walk at the same time. Even when mine was on top of the storage boxes, I still had to stoop slightly to reach it, so a standing desk is an advisable purchase.

Desks with adjustable heights - or standing desks - are a great investment if you're serious about getting the most out of a walking pad and want to use it while you work. With one of these, you'd be able to comfortably use the HOMCOM walking pad under your desk for prolonged periods.

How easy is it to store the HOMCOM Walking Pad?

Because of the foldable handlebar, the HOMCOM walking pad feels quite bulky. It doesn't fit under my sofa, which has a comfortable gap of 12cm - so unless yours is more spacious, you're going to need to find a place to store it. I'm quite lucky in that my home office has a lot of unused space, so I could keep the walking pad there without it getting in the way, but I imagine for busier households, it might become a hindrance.

If you think you'll be using the pad in different locations, there are two wheels which make it easy enough to transport. The machine comes with a small bottle of silicone lubricant for these, as they get quite squeaky after a while. It's a welcome addition to the pack and a thoughtful inclusion.

Is the HOMCOM Walking Pad worth it?

After using the HOMCOM Walking Pad for a month, I do think it's a great option for anyone looking to don their running shoes and stay active at home. If you can get the right desk set up, you can use it to walk while you work, but I would recommend investing in an adjustable desk as well, for ease of use. If you're not looking to work while you walk, it's a great buy on its own.

The foldable handlebar means you have the option for extra support when using the machine. However, this makes the walking pad quite bulky and difficult to store - you might struggle to put it under a sofa, which is something to consider if you're someone who would want to tidy the machine away when it's not in use.

There are also other walking pads available with an incline setting, though these tend to have a higher price tag than the HOMCOM model, which is relatively budget-friendly by some standards.