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The LifeSpan TR5000 is the perfect treadmill for all-day stepping. Read this review of the LifeSpan TR5000 Under Desk Treadmill if you are committed to your step goal.
Updated: August 7, 2023
If working is cutting into your walking time, you need an under-desk treadmill. Free those hip flexors and glutes from hours of sitting. The LifeSpan TR5000 is very quiet, so whether you are working alone or around others, you should be minimally disruptive with your low-intensity exercise. You may work 9 to 5, but the TR5000 can handle an extra hour. It is recommended for a maximum of 9 hours per day. This review of the TR5000 Under Desk Treadmill recounts our experience with the TR5000.
The LifeSpan TR5000 has a heavy-duty construction with aluminum side rails. It is a large under-desk treadmill with a solid build. It feels built to last and boasts a 400-lb maximum user weight capacity. The side rails are wide and textured, so you have plenty of room to stand on them if you need to. There are no uprights, so you don’t have handles. Instead, your standing desk would function as the vertical support you may need.
The LifeSpan TR5000 has a powerful 3.0 HP motor. We frequently rate treadmills with this power as running treadmills. While the TR5000 is certainly not a running treadmill, it is this motor rating that gives it the ability to handle 9 hours of daily walking. The motor is incredibly quiet despite its strength, so your workday will not be disturbed by noise.
The motor hood is a bit larger than I would like. It is not the height that I took issue with. The length of the motor hood is about 13 inches. If you have a narrow desk or other items taking up space beneath your desk it might be difficult to fit the TR5000 under your desk. You need to make sure you give yourself plenty of room away from the motor hood to avoid clipping it with your toe when you step forward.
The LifeSpan TR5000 has a spacious belt. A measurement of 20” x 50” promises that walkers have plenty of room to stretch out their stride to hit that 4 mph maximum speed. The belt is durable and textured to ensure it holds up to hours of use without any hiccups.
The deck has a step-up height of only 5.25 inches to the side rails or 4.6” if you step onto the belt from the back of the treadmill. This low step-up height should be easier for users than treadmill decks they may have encountered in the past. It is higher than some of the more affordable under-desk treadmills we have used, but that is understandable. The TR5000 needs a burlier construction to achieve its high weight capacity and durability.
The TR5000 does not fold. It is not the most compact when it comes to storage, because it has to be stored flat. The TR5000 cannot be stored on its side or upright as either of these configurations can cause damage to the motor. It is possible for lubricant from the belt to slide down into the motor which can harm the motor or break it. The belt will also shift when the treadmill is improperly stored.
The LifeSpan has just the right features to get you through your workday. It balances safety and training features to support you entirely. The LifeSpan TR5000 is a high-quality walking, under-desk treadmill with two console options. At the time of writing this review, only one console option is available for the TR5000.
I tested the Retrohub console, but I have also used the Omni-Hub console with LifeSpan’s other under-desk treadmills. The Retrohub console is the option currently available for the TR5000. The console uses a VGA connection to connect to the treadmill. It is a minor point, but I dislike these connectors, because they are easy to break. They can also be hard to connect when one is, say, crawling under a desk. If you are careful, you shouldn’t have too much trouble.
The console is easy to navigate with large, clearly labeled buttons. The default setting is for this treadmill to give loud beeping feedback whenever you press a button. This feature can be shut off in the settings menu. Consult your treadmill manual for the correct procedure for entering the settings menu; it varies by the exact model of the treadmill you acquire. Other settings can also be customized within this menu to create a treadmill experience most suited to your needs.
The Retrohub console has a simple LED display while the Omnihib has a LCD color screen. Both of these screens show your metrics. The Retrohub has a ‘Change Display’ button which allows the user to scroll through time, distance, speed, steps, calories, and weight. These displays are simple but effective. I appreciate that these consoles can sit on top of your desk, so you can glance at your metrics when you need to. Yet, the consoles are not overly distracting, so you can keep yourself on task.
IntelliStep keeps track of your steps, which your fitness wearable might miss while you are typing or otherwise working at your desk. Besides, your watch or fitness tracker might not match your business casual outfit. IntelliStep will make sure you know where you stand in your daily step goal.
The IntelliGuard is LifeSpan’s safety feature. The deck will pause after 20 seconds of no movement when the speed is over 1 mph. If the beeping setting is on, the treadmill will beep to warn the user that the treadmill is stopping. IntelliGuard can be turned off in the personal settings menu. Sometimes I liked to stand on the side rails for a moment, so I like that I can avoid the beeping or restarting the treadmill when I need to pause for just a moment.
Bluetooth allows the treadmill to connect to the LifeSpan app. Users can view their training history and view your current training metrics. The console has a Bluetooth button for turning on pairing mode. You should also have the app open to fully connect the two devices.
The LifeSpan TR5000 performs well for an under-desk treadmill. It feels more supportive and sturdy than other under-desk treadmills I have tried. Unfortunately, that does come with the tradeoff of being bulkier than those more affordable options. The TR5000 is really great for the walker committed to using the treadmill for multiple hours.
The treadmill is difficult to wheel around compared to more compact under-desk treadmills. It is not something you can do discreetly at work. It may be a bit heavy for some users to lift. If you plan to keep the treadmill beneath your desk permanently or plan to store it very close by, the TR5000 would be a great choice. It may not be the most suitable to store in a separate room from where it will be used if you are working outside of your home. It is much more practical for anyone working from home who won’t disturb anyone else wheeling a large machine around.
The TR5000 is comfortable underfoot. I never ran out of room to walk, even when I took a break from working to hit that 4 mph maximum speed. This under-desk treadmill is great for those with long strides. It is more likely you will stick to 2 mph or less while working, but it's great to have that extra speed if you want more of a workout on your break. This also makes the TR5000 a decent choice for users looking for a walking treadmill for non-working uses. Be mindful of the lack of attached vertical supports, like uprights and handles, but the spacious deck should give most users plenty of room to walk without feeling like they are balancing.
The LifeSpan TR5000 does not have training content, which is not surprising. The brand does offer a free app to allow users to keep track of their daily walks. It is easy to use and convenient for tracking your progress. Under-desk treadmills are much better for low-intensity, steady-state exercise.
The LifeSpan TR5000 Under Desk Treadmill is a durable walking treadmill. With a capacity to run up to 9 hours per day, it is the right machine for the committed worker and walker multitasker. The powerful 3.0 HP motor and 400 lb weight capacity are just two of the impressive features the TR5000 has. This treadmill was heavier than I prefer under-desk treadmills to be, but it is a good tradeoff for someone walking day in and day out. The low step-up height makes the TR5000 more accessible to use, and the belt is very roomy so you don’t feel off-balance at all. The TR5000 makes it easy to add some movement to your day to combat a sedentary lifestyle.
