FitDesk

The FitDesk, a stationary bike with a laptop work station included, is an excellent way to stay active while you work, surf the 'Net or play computer games. The quiet, seamless motion allows you to pedal while you work and the laptop pad offers a comfortable place to rest your arms, which makes typing a breeze. It's compact, folds up for easy storage and affordable, making this an excellent choice for office workers, gamers or anyone who wants to pedal while they work.

The FitDesk is a great way to bring exercise into the office without spending too much money, taking up too much space or compromising your ability to work. Surprisingly sturdy as well as compact, the FitDesk is essentially a stationary bike created especially for office workers. A thick pad slides onto the handlebars, giving you a stable place to put your laptop as you work, surf or play games. At $289.99, the FitDesk is an affordable option for fitting in exercise without having to be away from the office.

The Basics

The FitDesk comes with everything you need to exercise while you work, although there is some assembly required. For the average person who can follow directions, assembly will take about 30-45 minutes. I don't follow directions very well so it took me almost an hour, despite the fact that the instructions are clear and all the nuts and bolts are attached to their respective parts. Once you've attached the feet, pedals, seat and handlebars, you slide the pad on top of the bike, adjust the seat so that you're at a comfortable height and you're ready to go.

The Experience

The FitDesk is easy to use and oddly enjoyable. In fact, I typed this entire review while pedaling my FitDesk and found it quiet, smooth and comfy. The seat is wide and cushy and your forearms rest comfortably on the pad, which makes typing a breeze. I also found that the positioning kept my back and shoulders from tightening up, as they often do in an office chair. The best part is, you pedal while you work and you don't have to think about it or worry about falling off (as you might using a treadmill). There's even a tracking pod you can attach to the laptop desk that shows time, speed, distance and calories burned. This is a nice thought, although the calorie counts are pretty inflated. It showed me burning 89 calories in 8 minutes, which is a lovely fantasy, but it was probably more like 20-30 calories.

You won't want to use this bike to train for the Tour de France, but you can adjust the resistance to make pedaling harder or easier, depending on how hard you want to work. I found that staying at a low resistance allowed me to concentrate while my legs went through the motions.

The Bottom Line

The FitDesk is a great choice for people who spend most of their time sitting at a computer, allowing you an ergonomic and safe way to exercise while you work. It's small enough to fit into a corner, folds for easy storage and there are wheels on the bottom, so you can easily move it around. The laptop pad is a little bulky and the assembly requires some time and patience but, overall, the FitDesk is a great buy.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.