DeerRun Walking Pad Review
We got the DeerRun Z20 in, unboxed it, set it up and walked on it for this review, and every photo here is our own. It is the walking pad that folds in half and rolls away like a suitcase, and after living with it we have raised our RunRank from 3.8 to 4.7. Here is what it is actually like to own.
The walking pad that folds up and rolls away like luggage
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£439 £239
Direct from DeerRun UK with free delivery, 60-day returns and interest-free Klarna, PayPal or Clearpay.
Check current price on DeerRun →- Max speed3.8 mph (6 km/h)
- InclineNone
- Belt~95 x 40 cm
- Max user136 kg
- FoldSuitcase, upright
- NoiseUnder 45 dB
The walking pad that actually disappears
Every walking pad claims to be compact. The DeerRun Z20 is the one that genuinely delivers on it. The running belt folds in half, the whole unit stands upright, a retractable handle pops up, and you wheel it away on four multi-directional wheels like a piece of carry-on. It won a Muse Design Gold Award, and having now unboxed it, set it up and lived with it, we understand why.
This is the review where our score went up. We had the Z20 at RunRank 3.8 on the spec sheet; after using it we have raised it to 4.7. The build quality and the way the fold works in practice are both better than the numbers suggest. Here is what it is actually like to own.
Unboxing
The Z20 arrives in a compact but surprisingly heavy box, the first hint that this is a dense, properly built unit rather than a flimsy budget pad. Inside, the pad sits flat in protective wrap, with the power cable and the four wheels boxed separately and the storage drawer taped shut for transit.
First impression out of the box: it feels incredibly well built. Nothing about it feels cheap, which is not something you can say about every walking pad at this size.
Unboxing · tap any photo to enlarge
The box it arrives in: compact but surprisingly heavy
Laid flat in its packaging, trainers for scale
Power cable and the four wheels boxed separately
The storage drawer taped shut for transit
Unboxed with the wheels attached, standing upright
Setup and assembly
Assembly is minimal. You attach the four wheels, and a spanner is included for exactly that, and you are essentially done. Also in the box: a free bottle of belt lubricant, an allen key and screwdriver, the manual and a PitPat quick-start card. It is one of the easier walking pads to get from box to walking.
One thing to know before you buy: you cannot start the Z20 until you have downloaded the PitPat app and paired it once. The pad bleeps to confirm the connection, and after that you can use it without the app, from the remote. It is a mild annoyance and a one-time step, but it is worth being aware of if you like a device that just works out of the box.
Because the pad folds, centring the belt is genuinely easy, and there are clear offset instructions printed on the unit itself. Folding also makes lubrication simpler than on a fixed pad, since you can get to the belt properly. These are small things that make ownership less of a chore.
Setup and contents · tap any photo to enlarge
Folded away under a desk
Folded depth, with a mug for scale
The sticker explaining the locking drawer
In the box: lubricant, wheel spanner, allen key and screwdriver, manual and PitPat quick-start
PitPat QR code and quick-start on the motor housing
Belt-centring (offset) instructions
The storage drawer open
The suitcase fold, and why it is the whole point
The fold is the reason to buy this. The belt folds in half, the unit stands upright, the retractable handle extends and you roll it on four wheels, two of which lock so it does not drift in storage. In practice it is genuinely game-changing if you are short on space: you can tuck it into small gaps between desks, behind a door, or against a wall, and it is very easy to manoeuvre. The briefcase handle is honestly the most useful part of the whole design.
There is a neat detail here too. The built-in storage drawer, a gap between the belt and the motor housing when folded, is where the power cable lives, so it travels with the unit rather than getting lost. It is the kind of thing that suggests someone at DeerRun actually uses these.
Two honest quirks of the fold. It is still a touch too tall to stand fully upright under a desk when folded, so it stores best beside or behind furniture rather than under it. And when folded, the belt has a tendency to slip out of the end and can be a little messy, until you stand the unit upright and it settles back.
Using it day to day
Deployed, the Z20 is very comfortable and planted underfoot, which genuinely impressed us. On a folding, standing-desk-style pad you often expect a bit of flex or bounce, and there is none here. It feels solid at walking speed in a way that belies the fact that it folds in half.
It does sit a little deeper than most walking pads when deployed. At 6 ft, I had to raise my standing desk to its highest setting to get a good working posture over it, so if you are tall or your desk does not extend far, factor that in. The 3.8 mph cap is brisk walking rather than jogging, which is exactly right for a desk pad, and with no incline the intensity comes from speed and time.
Control is remote-only: there are no buttons on the pad itself. Refreshingly, the remote is unusually well made, DeerRun clearly know it is the primary way you operate the thing, and it even ships with a spare button battery and a small screwdriver for swapping it. The flip side is obvious: lose or break the remote and you have a problem, so keep it safe.
In use · tap any photo to enlarge
Deployed and running under a desk
In use beneath a standing desk
The remote, the Z20’s only control
The trade-offs
The foldable belt is the clever bit, but it makes the walking surface the most compact in DeerRun’s range at roughly 95 x 40 cm. For gentle to moderate walking it is fine, but taller users will find it tight at the top speed. If you want incline, the Z10 offers 12% auto incline, though you lose the suitcase fold. If you want more speed, the Q2 Urban (5 mph) or the A1 Pro (10 mph) cover faster movement.
Beyond the belt, the honest list is short: the PitPat app gate on first use, remote-only control with no buttons on the pad, a folded height that is slightly too tall for upright under-desk storage, and the belt-slip quirk when folded. None of them undo what the Z20 is for, but they are worth knowing.
Who should buy the Z20
If storage space is the reason you have not bought a walking pad, the Z20 removes that barrier, and after using it we would say it does so more convincingly than the spec sheet implies. Small flats, shared bedrooms, home offices with no dedicated gym space: this is the pad that vanishes when you are done with it. If you have a sofa you can slide a standard pad under, you may not need the suitcase fold. If you do not, nothing else stows as neatly.
It is also worth a look if you move it between rooms, or take it to a second home or office. The wheels and handle make it genuinely portable in a way a slab-style pad simply is not.
Weighted across the four RunRank pillars after our hands-on review, not a flat average. Build quality and the fold-and-store design carry the score; performance and value sit a little lower because the compact belt and walking-only 3.8 mph narrow who it suits. How RunRank works.
- Feels superbly well built and stays rock solid underfoot when deployed
- The briefcase fold and wheels are genuinely game-changing if you are short on space
- Minimal assembly: attach the four wheels and you are ready to go
- Folding lets you centre the belt easily and makes lubrication simpler
- A properly made remote, with a spare battery and a screwdriver included in the box
- Built-in drawer neatly stores the power cable when folded
- Two locking wheels stop it drifting in storage
- The retractable briefcase handle is genuinely useful
- Four multi-directional wheels make it easy to manoeuvre into tight gaps
- Still a touch too tall to stand fully upright under a desk when folded
- Fairly heavy for a walking pad, though the wheels more than offset it
- The belt can slip out of the end when folded, until you stand the unit upright
- Remote-only control: there are no buttons on the pad, so do not lose the remote
- You must download and pair the PitPat app before the very first use
Full specifications
| Max speed | 3.8 mph (6 km/h) |
| Incline | None |
| Running belt | ~95 x 40 cm |
| Max user weight | 136 kg |
| Fold type | Suitcase, folds upright with the belt folding in half |
| Wheels | 360-degree omnidirectional, two locking |
| Control | Remote only (spare battery and screwdriver included) |
| App | PitPat, required for first-time setup |
| Storage | Built-in drawer for the power cable |
| Noise | Under 45 dB |
| In the box | Pad, four wheels, power cable, belt lubricant, wheel spanner, allen key and screwdriver, manual, PitPat quick-start |
| Warranty | Up to 2 years |
Frequently asked questions
How does the Z20 suitcase fold work?
The running belt folds in half, the unit folds upright, a retractable handle extends and you roll it away on four wheels. The whole thing takes about 30 seconds and stands upright like a suitcase for storage.
Do you need the PitPat app to use the Z20?
Yes, for the first use. You cannot start the pad until you have downloaded the PitPat app and paired it once, and it bleeps to confirm the connection. After that you can use it without the app, controlling it from the remote. It is a one-time step, but worth knowing before you buy.
Can you run on the Z20?
No. It caps at 3.8 mph, which is brisk walking, and there is no incline. It is designed as a walking pad for use at a desk or in front of the TV.
Is the Z20 comfortable to walk on?
Yes, and more so than we expected. Deployed, it feels planted and solid underfoot rather than flexing, which is impressive for a folding pad. It does sit a little deeper than most, so at 6 ft we needed a standing desk at its highest setting for a good posture.
How is the Z20 controlled?
By remote only. There are no buttons on the pad itself. The remote is unusually well made for a walking pad, and it ships with a spare button battery and a small screwdriver for swapping it. The trade-off is that you must not lose or break it.
Does the Z20 have incline?
No, it is a flat walking pad. If you want incline, the DeerRun Z10 offers 12% auto incline, though you give up the suitcase fold.
Is the foldable belt durable?
DeerRun uses a 5-layer belt built for repeated folding without cracking. The Z20 launched in 2025, so long-term data beyond a year is still limited, and the 60-day return policy gives you time to try it. Folding does at least make it easy to centre and lubricate the belt yourself.
The verdict
Having actually lived with it, the Z20 is the most convincing answer to the “where do I put a walking pad” problem that we have used. The suitcase fold is not a gimmick, the build quality is a clear step above what the size and price suggest, and it is genuinely comfortable and planted to walk on. That combination is why we have moved it up to RunRank 4.7.
The trade-offs are real and we have been straight about them: a compact belt, walking-only speed, no incline, remote-only control and a PitPat app gate on first use. But for the buyer whose number one requirement is that a walking pad has to disappear when it is not in use, nothing else we have tried comes close. And at £239, down from a £439 RRP, it is well priced for something this genuinely useful.
This is a hands-on review: we set up and used the DeerRun Z20 ourselves, and every photo on this page is our own. HomeTreadmill.co.uk is reader-supported, and if you buy through links on this page we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. That never influences our verdict.
