Walking pad review
The Z3 is the quiet one. Its brushless motor is rated under 30 dB, the lowest figure Home Fitness Code publishes on any machine, and at 9.7 cm tall and 13 kg it is the slimmest and lightest pad the brand sells. This review covers what the £99.99 asking price buys, what walking-only honestly means, and the head-to-head most buyers face: the Z3 or the identically priced C1.
Home Fitness Code Z3 at a glance
Home Fitness Code Z3
£169.99£99.99Sold in black or pink as a flat pad, with a folding version also available. Prices are the standing sale prices against RRP, checked August 2026, and move with sales.
Who the Z3 is for
What £99.99 actually buys
The Z3’s specification reads modest until you notice the motor. Brushless motors run quieter, shed no carbon dust and last well beyond the brushed units fitted to most sub-£100 pads, and finding one at this price is the Z3’s whole argument. Home Fitness Code fits brushless motors to the Z3, the Q2 Pro and the Y3; the Z3 is the cheapest of the three by £20.
The rest of the package is a straightforward desk pad: remote control, a deck that sits 9.7 cm off the floor, and a choice of black or pink. There is no console, no app and no Bluetooth, and the display of your session lives on the remote and the deck readout rather than anywhere you can export it. At £99.99 against a £169.99 RRP that is a fair trade, and the honest comparison is not with dearer machines but with the identically priced C1, taken below.
Noise: the quietest rating in the range
Home Fitness Code rates the Z3 at under 30 dB. For context, 30 dB is commonly likened to a whisper, and the figure undercuts the brand’s own Q2 Pro and Y3 at under 35 dB and leaves the brushed C1 and T7, rated under 50 dB and under 40 dB, well behind. If the buying question is “can it run during a meeting without being heard”, the Z3 is the machine in this range built to answer yes.
Treat the number the way we treat every manufacturer noise figure: as a lab rating at unspecified speed, not a promise for your room. Footfall adds to any pad’s noise, hard floors carry more than carpet, and a mat under the deck is a cheap improvement anywhere. But relative claims within one brand’s range are usually reliable, and every gap in the lineup points the same way: the Z3 is the quiet one.
Speed and incline: honest numbers
The Z3 tops out at 3.7 mph (6 km/h), which is walking only: desk pace at the low end, a purposeful walk at the top, and no jogging at any setting. For its intended job under a desk that ceiling is genuinely fine, and most desk walkers live between 1.5 and 2.5 mph anyway. Anyone who might ever want to run should not buy it and talk themselves into it; the C1 and Q2 Pro exist for that.
The listed 5% incline adds a little intensity to walking, and 5% is enough to feel over a half-hour session. It is not a powered incline and cannot be changed from the remote mid-walk, so treat it as a set-and-forget gradient rather than a training tool; for gradient you can adjust during a session, the Y3’s 12% auto incline is the range’s answer.
Size, weight and desk fit
This is the Z3’s second genuine strength. At 104 by 49 cm and 9.7 cm tall, it is the slimmest deck Home Fitness Code sells, and the low height matters twice: more clearance under a standing desk while you walk, and an easier slide under a sofa or bed when you finish. At 13 kg it is also the lightest machine in the range by some margin, light enough to move one-handed and to carry between rooms or floors without planning the trip.
The compact deck cuts the other way for taller users. A 104 cm footprint means the belt itself is shorter than the near-metre belts on the C1 and Q2 Pro, so anyone around six foot or over should expect a shortened stride at the 3.7 mph maximum and consider the bigger pads if brisk walking is the plan.
Z3 vs C1 vs Q2 Pro: the £99.99 to £119.99 question
| Model | Motor | Noise | Top speed | Console | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Z3 | Brushless | <30 dB | 3.7 mph | Remote only | £99.99 £169.99 |
| C1 | Brushed, 2.5 HP | <50 dB | 6.2 mph | LCD + remote | £99.99 £189.99 |
| Q2 Pro | Brushless, 2.5 HP | <35 dB | 6.2 mph | LED + remote | £119.99 £249.99 |
Three machines, one decision tree. At the same £99.99, the Z3 and C1 are opposites: the Z3 buys silence, slimness and a longer-lived motor and gives up jogging entirely; the C1 buys 6.2 mph and a console and gives up the quiet. If you cannot choose because you want both, that is precisely the Q2 Pro’s pitch: £20 more for brushless quiet and jogging speed together, and it is where we point most buyers who hesitate. The full range comparison lives in our Home Fitness Code walking pad guide.
What owners say
Home Fitness Code’s store reviews run at roughly 90% four and five stars across the range, though the Z3’s own review base is smaller than the C1’s and Q2 Pro’s. The brand-wide patterns apply: most buyers report smooth delivery and a machine that does what the listing says, while a minority report courier damage on arrival and slow email support when something goes wrong. The usual routine holds: check the deck and belt the day the box lands, run every speed inside the 30-day return window, and photograph anything amiss immediately. Our brand guide covers the support record in full.
Warranty, returns and support
The Z3 carries the brand’s standard 12-month warranty, handled by email with posted parts, plus 30-day returns, Klarna and PayPal instalments and a student discount. Brushless motors need less looking after than brushed units, but the belt still wants the same care as any pad: silicone oil on the schedule in the manual and an occasional tension check. Maintenance basics and fault-code steps are covered in our walking pad guide and the troubleshooting section of the treadmill guide.
Pros and cons
- Under 30 dB rating, the quietest in the range
- Brushless motor at £99.99, rare at the price
- 9.7 cm tall and 13 kg, the easiest to stow and move
- 5% incline adds intensity most flat pads skip
- Black or pink, with a folding version available
- 3.7 mph, walking only, no jogging at any setting
- No console, app or Bluetooth, remote only
- Compact 104 cm deck shortens taller users’ stride
- The same £99.99 buys the faster C1
- 12-month posted-parts warranty
RunRank breakdown
Frequently asked questions
How loud is the Home Fitness Code Z3?
Home Fitness Code rates it under 30 dB, roughly whisper level and the lowest figure on any machine the brand sells. Real-world noise adds footfall and floor resonance, so use a mat on hard floors, but relative to the rest of the range the Z3 is clearly the quietest.
Can you jog on the Z3?
No. The 3.7 mph (6 km/h) ceiling is walking pace only. For jogging, the identically priced C1 reaches 6.2 mph, and the Q2 Pro does the same speed with a quiet brushless motor for £20 more.
Does the Z3 fit under a standing desk?
It is the best pad in the range for exactly that: 9.7 cm tall, the lowest deck Home Fitness Code sells, handrail-free and rated quiet enough for calls. Taller users should note the compact 104 cm footprint shortens stride at the top speed.
Should I buy the Z3 or the T7?
The £10 between them buys the motor. The T7 at £89.99 uses a brushed motor rated under 40 dB; the Z3’s brushless unit is rated under 30 dB and will typically outlast it. Unless the budget is fixed to the pound, the Z3 is the better buy of the two.
Does the Z3 work with an app?
No. Like every Home Fitness Code machine it has no third-party app support, so sessions are controlled from the remote and read from the deck display.
Is there a folding Z3?
Yes, a folding version is sold alongside the flat pad; check the current price on the listing, as the two versions are priced separately and move with sales.
Ready to check the Z3?
£99.99 against a £169.99 RRP for the quietest, slimmest pad in the range: brushless, under 30 dB and 13 kg. Confirm the current price, colour and stock directly with the retailer.
This review is based on manufacturer specifications, published product information and verified owner feedback, not a hands-on trial, and we say so plainly. Prices checked August 2026 and subject to change. HomeTreadmill.co.uk is reader-supported: if you buy through links on this page we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our assessment. The Z3 is scored with our RunRank system, an editorial score and not a measure of customer ratings.
