Cubii Move Review (2024): Tried and Tested by a CPT

Deadline this, Zoom meeting that — if your ever-expanding workload is keeping you from even getting to the gym, not even the best ellipticals can help you hit your fitness goals. For both office workers and people with limited mobility, the seated exercise provided by the Cubii Move offers a comfortable and discreet way to engage in cardio exercise. With a growing body of research indicating the negative outcomes of prolonged sitting — hypertension, exhaustion, and musculoskeletal disorder symptoms — it may be high time for some low-key, low-impact cardio. (1)

Whether it’s chronic pain or your boss keeping you stuck in your chair, we think this under-desk elliptical is a good option to help reach your calorie expenditure quota. Check out our full Cubii Move review to see what our team and expert reviewer have to say about its durability, noise level, and more. And for all the details on how we test products, head over the BarBend equipment testing methodology.

Main Takeaways

• Our tester loves that, unlike other models, the Cubii Move actually stays in place without sliding forward during use.
• While we appreciate the six resistance levels, we didn’t find there to be much variety in terms of intensity. 
• The small LCD monitor allows you to track calories burned, stride count, time and distance during cardio workouts at home or in the office.

Cubii Move Specs

Our tester, a certified personal trainer, typically gets plenty of time to move around during a workday at the BarBend gym, but they enjoyed pumping the pedals on the Cubii Move while sorting through admin work at their desk. “I love the idea of staying in motion while focused on other tasks,” they say.

While many under-desk elliptical trainers can keep the calories burning during work, the Cubii Move stands out to our team for its stability. “I wouldn’t try a HIIT workout or anything, but it’s great for working at a desk or watching TV,” our tester notes. Unlike other models we have tested that can slowly drift forward during use, the floorplate and metal in the build of the Cubii Move increases its stability. This helps our tester keep their feet in position instead of sliding as they pedal.

That said, don’t expect the kind of comfort you’ll find on the best cardio machines. “The angle of the pedals was kind of high for me,” our 6-foot tester adds. “Instead of engaging my quads and calves, I had to roll my ankles forward to get it moving.”

But once you’re moving and grooving, the display tracks important metrics like calories burned, time, distance, and more. For such a small elliptical, an LCD monitor is a big inclusion that helps it stand out in a crowded market.

As BarBend expert reviewer and ABIM board-certified physician Dr. Raj Dasgupta advises, there are plenty of reasons to look for ways to stay in motion throughout the day. “A sedentary lifestyle can lead to serious health problems, like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure,” he says. (1) 

“It can also harm your mental health, increasing the chances of anxiety and depression,” Dr. Raj adds. “Not moving enough can cause poor blood circulation, weaker bones, and a higher risk of metabolic issues, which can shorten your lifespan and reduce your quality of life.” (1) So, if you’re looking to trade those outcomes for the benefits of cardio exercise, the Cubii Move offers a lot of bang for not a lot of buck.

Pros

Lightweight and compact design easily fits under most desks

Floorplate on base provides stability

LCD monitor tracks workout metrics

Cons

Per our tester, the angle of the pedals feels steep

Unimpressive warranty

Not much difference between the six levels of resistance

Who Should Use / Who Shouldn’t Use the Cubii Move

While most people could benefit from burning a few more calories throughout the day, the Cubii Move isn’t for everyone. Check out who we think would benefit from this under-desk treadmill and who should opt for a different model. 

Recommended for:

• People who work long hours at a desk and want to squeeze some cardio into a full schedule
• Anyone keeping detailed fitness records, like total daily calories burned
• Those who have struggled to find stable under-desk fitness equipment

Not Recommended for:

• Taller users who might not have clearance beneath their desks
• Working athletes looking for intense cardio workouts
• Someone who wants to vary the intensity of their under-desk cardio

Our Experience Training With the Cubii Move

After testing out several of the best compact ellipticals, including multiple under-desk models, our team knows how to spot a quality option. For any elliptical we test, we assign ratings of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) across categories like durability, customizations, tech capabilities, and more. 

Our tester, a certified personal trainer, spent quality time pedaling along with the Cubii Move to discover whether this tiny cardio machine could help desk jockeys sneak in a little bit of cardio to their work day. We also consulted BarBend expert reviewer Amanda Capritto for her perspective on the benefits of compact exercise equipment like the Cubii Move.

Under-Desk Design

In our experience, we like to see about 5 to 10 inches of clearance between our knees and the bottom of our desks. That’s typically enough space to make sure we aren’t banging our knees on the underside as we pedal. With a height of just 9.7 inches, the Cubii Move can easily slide under most desks for a sneaky in-chair exercise during the workday. Both its 2.97-square-feet footprint and its portability earn a 5 out of 5 from our tester, a certified personal trainer.

“It’s a tiny piece of equipment, so even though there’s no handle, just picking it up and moving is no issue,” they say of its 17.6-pound overall weight. “There aren’t wheels or anything like a full-sized elliptical, but it’s super light.”

They also point out how it addresses a common concern that makes a lot of similar lower-quality compact elliptical machines slide in our ratings — staying put. “It has a floorplate on the base that helps make it a bit more sturdy and easier to actually work up a sweat,” our tester notes. They also rate this Cubii under-desk elliptical’s noise level (or lack thereof) 5 out of 5, as it raised no complaints during use. (That said, it can’t hurt to slip a mat beneath it during use.) 

Being so compact also makes assembly so easy, our tester offloaded the task to one of the junior members in their household. “You don’t even need a screwdriver — just an Allen wrench. Since it was so simple, we just had our 8-year-old put it together,” they say, adding another score of 5 out of 5 for assembly. “It only took them 45 minutes, too.”

Durability

A common bugaboo among the best compact exercise equipment is often the tradeoff between size and durability. But for models like the Cubii Move, Capritto says that’s not always the case.

“Don’t forgo quality for size,” she says. “Compact” doesn’t mean ‘cheap.’ It is certainly possible to find high-quality equipment that doesn’t take up a ton of space.”

Compared to the endless stream of cheap workout equipment competing for your eyeballs on Amazon or social media, our tester says its construction can provide the stability that many under-desk options can’t. “The overall build does contain some plastic, but there’s also a good bit of metal,” they say, rating its durability 4 out of 5. “I honestly think that’s the difference in this thing being so stable.”

There is, however, one design feature that our tester suspects could become an issue for the careless user. “Technically, the pedals aren’t ‘fixed,’ so they could be pulled off the track if you aren’t careful,” they say. “I don’t think many people would do this, but I could see how if you tinkered with that a bunch, it might wear it down over time.”

Customizations

Many of even the best under-desk ellipticals lack the adjustable resistance that can allow for a bit of progression or varied workouts, but not so with the Cubii Move. To toggle between the six resistance levels, all it takes is a quick turn of the adjustment knob. However, our tester explains how much of a difference they think these levels actually make in reality — not much. 

“I just left it on the highest resistance for my whole workout,” they say. “I wasn’t expecting an intense workout or anything, but I didn’t think the resistance was that special.” While any resistance option on an elliptical this tiny is notable, the lack of variety in terms of intensity helped earn the Cubii Move a 3.5 out of 5 for customizations.

Limited Tech

Another nice-to-have our tester enjoys is the squint-worthy display showing their distance, calories burned, time, and stride count. “Obviously it’s tough to see through a desk, but I actually love the tiny screen,” they say. “It can cycle through your workout metrics, plus if you are able to bend down while you’re using it, you can toggle through each one as you go.”

Just like the inclusion of resistance levels, an LCD monitor is a notable feature that can be indicative of its overall quality and help its tech capabilities garner a 3.5 out of 5. “There’s no Bluetooth connectivity or heart rate monitoring, but the fact that this under-desk elliptical even has a screen capable of tracking key metrics is a definite plus,” our tester adds.

While it can’t match the engagement and overall quality of the best workout apps, the Cubii app — Cubii Studio+ — offers an impressive collection of trainer-led workouts for no additional cost. You likely won’t mistake it for Peloton or iFIT, but you can fire up over 300 workouts ranging from 5 to 30 minutes, including classes that incorporate handheld weights for strength training. These unique classes are centered around the Cubii Move, but work in other disciplines as well, like core, yoga, and mobility training.

What to Consider Before Buying the Cubii Move

As BarBend expert reviewer Amanda Capritto notes, a common consideration for those searching for under-desk options like the Cubii Move is floorspace. “For people who don’t have the space for regular home gym equipment but still want to exercise at home, compact items provide a solution,” she says. This under-desk model can also help you sneakily torch a few extra calories between emails, so consider whether it could be a match for both your office setup and budget.

• Knee Space: Many standard desks measure about 28 to 30 inches high, so along with measuring yours (and maybe your lower legs), check to see whether your workspace can accommodate adding the Cubii Move. (2)
• Noise: While our tester highlights how quietly the Cubii Move operates, not even the best mini exercise bikes or ellipticals can truly be silent. Consider just how quiet your workspace needs to be before locking in your purchase.
• Workout Intensity: We think the Cubii Move is a solid option for casual, low-impact cardio that can certainly get your heart pumping. Just remember that you won’t be able to match the intensity of a full-size model. If you’re looking to run, you’ll want to check out a traditional elliptical or treadmill. 
• Durability: The amount of metal in the build helps our tester feel optimistic about the Cubii Move’s potential longevity. Small pieces of equipment like this are great for casual exercise, but won’t hold up against any high-intensity workouts.

Cubii Move Vs. Competitors

To provide a bit of context for the Cubii Move, we lined up two similar models that land around the same price point. All three of these under-desk ellipticals feature adjustable resistance, but these models from Sunny Health & Fitness and LifePro also weigh 29% and 45% more, respectively. Take a quick look at the key characteristics of these two under-desk ellipticals compared to the Cubii Move.

Ordering and Assembling the Cubii Move

If you order your Cubii Move through Amazon, it will likely be eligible for Prime Shipping, depending on your location. Once it arrives at your door, assembly requires only an Allen wrench. In fact, the process was so easy that our tester assigned it to their 8-year-old and it only took them about 45 minutes.

Places to Buy the Cubii Move

The Cubii Move is available on Amazon and some major retailers, like Dick’s Sporting Goods.

Brand Reputation and Customer Reviews

Cubii boasts a roster of elliptical exercise machines — including the Cubii Move, Cubii Jr1, Cubii Jr2, Cubii Go, and Cubii Pro — that can be used under a desk or while seated to help support users with limited mobility. Along with those ellipticals, their roster of the resistance bands, dumbbells, and wearable weights also open up other types of training. Over 600 Amazon ratings of the Cubii Move average out to a 4.5-star rating and the customer product reviews highlight many of the benefits we experience during testing — stability, portability, and value.

Warranties

The Cubii Move comes with a 1-year warranty, but an additional 2-year coverage plan can be purchased at checkout on Amazon.

Final Thoughts on the Cubii Move

No matter your fitness goals, burning enough calories throughout the day can be stifled by an expanding workload. Whether you need to add some daily cardio at the office or at home, our team thinks the Cubii Move is a durable option for overworked office drones, as well as people with limited mobility. The above-average stability can help keep your feet in a comfortable position while your mind focuses elsewhere, plus the built-in monitor keeps tabs on your workout metrics.

Squeezing in enough cardio can be a challenge whether you’re tethered to an office chair or are experiencing limited mobility, we think this compact elliptical might be a good fit. While we appreciate the inclusion of resistance levels, we wouldn’t count on much variety in intensity. However, anyone looking to squeeze in a passive low-impact cardio workout throughout the day will likely appreciate the reliable build of the Cubii Move.

Cubii Move Review FAQs

References

1. Daneshmandi H, Choobineh A, Ghaem H, Karimi M. Adverse Effects of Prolonged Sitting Behavior on the General Health of Office Workers. J Lifestyle Med. 2017 Jul;7(2):69-75.
2. What is the best ergonomic desk height?. Control Physical Therapy. (2024, April 4). https://controlphysicaltherapy.com/what-is-the-best-ergonomic-desk-height/
3. Rovniak LS, Denlinger L, Duveneck E, Sciamanna CN, Kong L, Freivalds A, Ray CA. Feasibility of using a compact elliptical device to increase energy expenditure during sedentary activities. J Sci Med Sport. 2014 Jul;17(4):376-80.

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