Despite strength training four times a week, my daily step count is pretty appalling, so I was delighted when an email landed in my inbox asking if I wanted to review the Urevo Strol 2E Treadmill. I actually prefer walking outdoors, but seen as I struggle to even to that on my lunch break, the Urevo Strol 2E (technically) meant I’d have no excuses, especially as you can slot it under your desk so you can walk while you work.
If you don’t have time to dash through this entire review, then what you need to know is the Strol 2E is fantastic value for money. It’s one of the cheaper under-desk treadmills that I’ve tried – in all honesty, I don’t think an under-desk treadmill should break the bank anyway, otherwise you may as well just buy a full-size treadmill – but it’s also one of the fastest, so you can even do some light running on it as well as walking. Plus, it tracks all your health metrics, has app compatibility and looks good.
I tried out the Strol 2E for three weeks to see if it’s one of the best under-desk treadmills out there. Here’s how I got on…
Urevo Strol 2E Treadmill Review: price and availability
The Urevo Strol 2E Treadmill is available to buy now from Amazon for the recommended retail price of £249.99 and Urevo for $279.99.
Urevo Strol 2E Treadmill Review: Specification
- Best for: Walking, jogging and light running
- Maximum speed: 6.2kmph/10kmph
- Horsepower: 2.25
- Dimensions: 48"(L) x 22.6"(W)
- Weight: 21.9 kg
- Maximum user weight: 265 lbs/120 kg
Urevo Strol 2E Treadmill Review: Set-up
If you’re not the best at DIY, the Urevo Strol 2E is pretty much perfect as it arrives almost fully assembled. The only thing I had to do was attach the handlebar, which just consisted of screwing in the side clips but, apart from that, you don’t have to do anything to the Strol 2E; you can take it out the box, plug it in and begin walking!
The plug lead isn’t the longest, so make sure you’re not too far away from a socket or use an extension cable, and the wheels underneath make it easy to maneuver to your desired location.
The only thing I would warn you is that it’s quite heavy. It’s 21.9 kg and obviously more in the box, so make sure you’re in when it’s being delivered so you don’t have to try and drag it in yourself, like I had to.
Urevo Strol 2E Treadmill Review: Design and build quality
The Urevo Strol 2E Under Desk Treadmill is sleek and minimalist, with yellow accents, and would look good in many people’s homes. I was certainly more than happy to leave it out when I had guests around. At the front is an LED display screen that tracks calories, steps, and time spent on the machine when in walk mode (without the handlebars up), and there’s a remote control to turn it on and increase/decrease the speed. There are no incline options.
In terms of construction, I’d say the Strol 2E is decent for its price. It’s made from alloy steel and plastic, which explains why it feels quite heavy. It’s sturdy enough to walk on and there are iron handlebars to offer additional support when moving at higher speeds, as well as a place to store your phone/iPad. I did find these shook quite a bit at higher speeds, so my advice would be to make sure you tighten them up well. I also avoided popping my phone in the holder at high speeds as it would almost bounce out.
The belt length itself looks long, but it feels short underfoot. It’s approximately 38 x 120cm and I’m 5ft 5, with short legs and a long torso, but at times I even felt my foot touching the back of the treadmill. Anyone that’s 6ft, or over, should definitely opt for a treadmill with a longer belt. It feels nice beneath the foot even at its max speed, thanks to its double shock absorption, crafted with eight silicone shock absorbers and two soft rubber pads.
It also comes with two small pots of lubricating oil, a hex key and a wrench, incase you need to adjust the belt. I never found myself needing to do this.
Urevo Strol 2E Treadmill Review: Features
As under-desk treadmills are smaller and compact, they don’t come with all the fancy bells and whistles of a regular-size treadmill or folding treadmill. However, the Strol 2E Treadmill offers more than enough for what you’ll need it for, as well as app compatibility.
It tracks your steps, calories, time and distance, all of which will regularly flash up on the LED screen. However, if you put the handlebars up, you’re also able to set targets for these metrics, which I found really useful for those days I had a specific goal in mind (such as walking five kilometres). There’s also a ‘5’ button which automatically makes the Strol 2E jump to a speed of 5kmph.
The Strol 2E has a wide variety of speeds and two modes. There’s walk mode (with the handlebars down), which lets you walk between 1-3.7mph (6kmph), and run mode (with the handlebars up) which lets you walk/run anywhere between 1-6.2mph (10kmph). Not quite a sprint, but definitely a comfortable run for most.
It also comes with its own app that you can connect to, which lets you adjust the speed from your phone, check your calories and distance. It also has two pre-set programmes – fat burn and hill climb – while the dashboard makes it really easy to see what your metrics are for the day, and you get stats like your average pace. There’s also a calorie leader board too for those who have that competitive spirit. It’s also compatible with the Zwift and Kinomap app.
Urevo Strol 2E Treadmill Review: performance
Despite strength training four times a week, my job as a writer is pretty sedentary, so having the Strol 2E made upping my daily step count a breeze. I’d just drag it out when needed and then pop it back underneath the sofa when I’d finished - easy!
The first thing I’d noticed as soon as I turned on the Strol 2E though was that it’s not the quietest under-desk treadmill, so it’s definitely one I’d just use at home, not in the office (unless you’re prepared for some hard glances from your colleagues). It’s ridiculously easy to use, a child could figure it out, and the belt felt comfy beneath foot, even without wearing a pair of workout shoes.
I found myself using the Strol 2E (mostly) in walk mode with the handlebars down as I prefer running outdoors. But, I think having the option to go up to higher speeds is brilliant, especially on those days the weather wasn’t on my side.
When I did try running at 10kmph (its top speed) I found the Strol 2E to be pretty stable and not too shaky, as long as you really tighten up those handlebars. However, as I mentioned earlier, I’d avoid putting an iPad or phone into the holder because it will likely bounce off. It's fine for walking though. The emergency cord, which is magnetic, is 100% reliable and immediately stops the belt (I almost flew backward because it stops so suddenly).
One thing I really liked about the Strol 2E was that I could pause my walk if I needed the toilet or to answer the door so, once I hit ‘go’ again, I hadn't lost the steps I'd racked up, distance or time. This will only happen if you stop the treadmill completely.
In all honesty, I didn’t really find myself using the app, because my personal goal was to just increase my daily steps. It’s very easy to set up if you do want to use though, you simply download it, open it up and it instantly finds the Strol 2E, hit start and then you’re connected! It’s a very user-friendly app too and easy to navigate. It doesn’t have too many features either, so you won’t feel bombarded or have too much to discover.
Urevo Strol 2E Treadmill Review: Verdict
If you’re looking for an affordable under-desk treadmill to clock up some extra steps, or you’d like the option to do some light running, then I think the Strol 2E treadmill is a great option, that won’t break the bank either. Sure, it could be a little sturdier when moving at high speeds, but I think it’s important to remember, these under-desk models are never going to replicate the quality of a full-sized treadmill.
Taller folk, however, may want to consider the JTX Movelight Walking Treadmill, or if you’re in need of something slightly cheaper there’s always the Mobvoi Home Walking Treadmill. The latter doesn’t go up to the speeds of the Strol 2E or have handlebars, but it will save you some money and can connect to your fitness tracker to deliver stats like your heart rate and average pace.
