Review: Urevo CyberPad

I’m well-versed in walking pads (odd, I know, but I review fitness equipment for a living). After testing a ton of them, I really thought I had seen all the category had to offer. That was before I heard about the Urevo CyberPad, which allows users to walk at a 14 percent incline—the highest I’ve seen on the market.

It has plenty of other cool features (I’ll get to those later), but the thing that really makes it stand out is that incline. If you’re looking for a walking pad that can give you a more challenging workout, but you don’t really want to run, this is the one for you.

Photograph: Adrienne So

Up and At ‘Em

The CyberPad setup required exactly zero brainpower (exactly how I like it). I had it out of the box and up and running in minutes. I’ve tested another Urevo machine and found that one easy to unpack and set up as well; the company seems to do a great job of making products that are ready to use right out of the box. At 70.6 pounds, this machine is on the heavier side, which I expected with the incline mechanism. But it was easy to wheel around and get into place under my standing desk.

The incline tops out at level 9, which, depending on how you have the machine’s back feet positioned, is a 9 percent or 14 percent grade. I suspected I might feel a little wobbly trying to type with the incline all the way up, but the machine itself felt incredibly stable.

Photograph: Adrienne So

From a cardio perspective, the 14 percent incline is tough to maintain for long. It really feels like you’re hiking. But it’s not so challenging that you can’t do it while you work. For me, that’s a big deal. I like getting my steps in on a walking pad, but sometimes I want to boost my fitness in a more significant way. Sadly, I haven’t figured out how to run while I work—even walking at high speeds can make it hard for me to type—but steep hill walking is a great proxy that doesn't make reading or writing any harder. This machine allows you to do it without having to shell out the money or space for a heavy-duty running treadmill.

That being said, if you want a machine you can both walk and run on, this isn’t it. The speed only goes up to 4 miles per hour—perectly fine for walking, but it’s not fast enough for most people to run on. It also won’t be as easy to store as some slimmer walking pads, but again, you can’t get this much incline without a higher height (8.7 inches), which might not fit under couches or beds.

Moving Comfort

Photograph: Adrienne So

As far as other features go, the deck is smooth, steady, and responsive, with a great length of stride space (43.3 inches). It didn’t make my feet or knees hurt after hours of walking. It looks and feels durable, too. It isn’t the quietest machine, but it wasn’t loud enough to be distracting to me or anyone else in my house. It makes a steady, white-noise-like drone.

The pad has a Bluetooth remote and an app (iOS, Android), and I was able to connect both to the machine without any trouble. You can control the pad using either, and the remote has a screen that cycles through the same stats that you can see on the screen at the front of the pad: speed, incline, time, distance, and calories.

Photograph: Adrienne So

The app is easy to navigate, shows your daily step count, and syncs with the machine seamlessly. Even if you start and control the machine with the remote, the app will log your workout data as long as you open and connect to it at some point during your walk. That isn’t the case for many walking pads that have companion apps. The Quick Start function lets you walk freely and adjust the settings from your phone, and there’s also the option to follow along with virtual walks with pretty scenery.

Photograph: Adrienne So

The app also allows you to control the lights that run along the rails of the CyberPad. You can set it to be any color of the rainbow and to remain solid or follow various patterns. It’s absolutely not a necessary feature (and you can turn it off), but it felt like a fun way to customize what’s usually a fairly boring-looking piece of equipment.

All in all, the CyberPad is a solid machine that I would recommend to anyone who’s looking to upgrade their home office with a walking pad. It’ll give you a great workout, without ever taking you away from your work (even if you might do that sometimes, anyway).