Cubii Smart Under-Desk Elliptical Review

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The Cubii Smart Under-Desk Elliptical trainer is a Bluetooth enabled lower body elliptical exerciser that fits under a desk or table. It can also be used while sitting on a couch watching TV or reading. It is not recommended for use while standing but it may just be the best under desk elliptical on the market. It is designed to provide just the right amount of hip, leg, and foot movement so as not to interfere with the desk or chair base. In other words, you will not be banging into the underside of the desk or the base of your chair/couch.

The innovative design makes it easy to exercise while performing other tasks without thinking too much about it. The app allows you to track your fitness via phone or fitness band, and to connect with others while using it.

Our Rating

Stability
Comfort
Fitness tracking
Noise level
Value

4.3

Best for:

Busy office workers and couch potatoes

The product concept is the brainchild of three college students who saw a niche for a more ergonomically designed and personal under-desk exercise machine to engage a sedentary workforce. The goal was to produce a product that provided a better workout experience than the other under-desk elliptical and cycling machines.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the features, what’s included, the pros & cons according to reviewers’ comments, and who might benefit from the Cubii Smart Elliptical.

Product Features

The overall dimensions are approximately 23-1/4” long x 17.5” wide at base x 9-3/4” tall. It weighs 27-1/2 pounds, making it a relatively portable elliptical trainer. There is a center handle for easy lifting.

Cubii In Use

While the Cubii appears to be a combination of both metal and plastic components, it is not spelled out on the manufacturer’s website. It is available in 2 finishes, black or chrome.

If you use leg exercisers with wheeled chairs, you’ll probably wheel yourself all over the place. To prevent this, the Cubii has wheel stoppers that lock onto your wheeled chair and prevents you from rolling away from the desk!

You can vary the intensity of your exercising by selecting from 8 different resistance levels.

What’s Included

Inside the box your will find:

The Cubii Smart base machine
Right and left pedals with roller wheels
4 screws and a screw driver
Chair wheel stopper
100 to 240 AC power adapter plug
Micro USB cable
Rechargeable lithium ion battery

There is some very basic assembly required to attach the pedals. You can watch the video shown below of how to set up the machine. You’ll also get an operating manual along with your Cubii.

Technology Interface

Cubii Mobile App
The Cubii is Bluetooth enabled to synchronize with your iOS device or Android Smartphone. All you need to do is log into the website and download the Cubii app. It is also compatible with Fitbit fitness trackers.

The app boasts of a real-time dashboard with goal setting navigation and tracking along with fitness notifications. You are able to track your calories burned, strides or steps taken, minutes of activity, and mileage used. You can also connect with other users to compare goals, compete, and share information for motivation. All of this can be uploaded to a cloud server for storage.

A deep sleep mode and an offline mode are also included.

Target Workout

Cubii in chrome under the desk
This elliptical targets the lower body. With that said, it is marketed as a total body system workout because it can raise heart rate, expends overall energy, promotes weight loss, and helps with mental alertness, according to testimonials. However, to include some arm workouts, you should get the kind of portable elliptical that allows you to stand and move the pedals as well your arms through attached resistance bands.

Resistance is adjustable so that you have control over the amount of force applied and the energy expended. There are 8 resistance settings.

Check the price of the Cubii Elliptical now.

Pros

Ease of assembly is one of the most discussed topics. It really is as easy as attaching the pedals with 4 screws. And, it comes with the screwdriver. Some reviewers said it took only 5 minutes to put together

The device provides the ability to exercise while sedentary, especially during working hours at an office or at home. It provides a means of exercise for persons with mobility issues, especially those who have to use walkers or canes when standing. It appears to be ideal for seniors.

Synchronization with a Fitbit is a plus, as so many people wear their fitness trackers all day.

Users have claimed to have lost weight in varying degrees after using the Cubii for at least one month.

Most users say that it is silent except for a low humming sound.

Cons

According to some, the Cubii is not a substitute for a cardio workout. The exercise it provides is not vigorous, nor does it work the entire body. However, this is a refrain you’ll see in most portable elliptical machine reviews.

This definitely won’t work if you have a deep desk drawer. Nor does it work well if your desk is too tall. It sits low, so you would have to lower your desk chair if you are not tall in stature, making keyboard work awkward.

The app has a tendency to go blank or not load at all. That is concerning in 2017. They have had a couple of years to rectify this.

While the design is compact and sleek, the unit tends to slide on a laminate or glossy finished hardwood floor surface.

How Does the Cubii Compare to Similar Machines?

The Smart Under-Desk Elliptical trainer is definitely the best under desk exerciser because it is better suited for restrictive leg room area under a desk. By comparison, many of the other under-desk elliptical and cycling exercisers raise your knees much higher, making it difficult to avoid banging into the bottom of the desk.

There are other portable elliptical machines that have the ability to be used while standing. That is not recommended with this model.

The Cubii is a much higher price point than some of the competitors’ models, however, none of the others come with the hi-tech component that the Cubii has, namely its own feature-rich app and ability to connect to Fitbit trackers.

Who Can Benefit From the Cubii Smart Under-Desk Elliptical?

The elliptical is ideal for adults who have desk jobs and are hoping to benefit from a bit of physical activity while being mostly sedentary. It fits neatly under a desk or table. It is also great for people who have mobility issues when it comes to exercise, or those who mostly sit to either read, watch TV, or even do some form of crafts or other work.

Children can also use the Cubii elliptical. However, they should be old enough to manage the force or resistance of the pedaling motion. It is not recommended for very young children. Age 10 and older seems to be appropriate.

The Bottom Line

The Cubii Smart Under-Desk Elliptical is a good looking and smart functioning low-impact piece of exercise equipment. It is designed well and relatively portable. It makes a lot of sense for people who sit for 8 hours or more per day and want to add some physical activity into their daily routines.

The Bluetooth integration and the app make this one of the higher-tech portable exercise machines. Others have the tracking technology built right into the machine and they don’t let you share progress with other users. Assuming the app is working, this is a nice feature.

At close to $300, the Cubii may not be for everyone. What may make this price attractive is that the machine does really work well under a desk without worrying about banged up knees.