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A walking pad in a flat makes two different noises, and most advice mixes them up.
The two noises
Airborne noise is the motor hum and the belt's rub. It travels through the air and is heard in the same room, and next door if the door is open. It is what makers measure when they claim "under 45 dB". A wall or a floor slab stops much of it.
Impact noise is your footsteps. Each step knocks the deck, the deck knocks the floor and the slab passes it to the ceiling below, where it sounds like a dull, rhythmic thud. It is what causes complaints, what a building stops worst, and what no maker publishes.
If the neighbour complains, it is almost certainly the second.
What depends on the pad
- Shock absorbers: rubber or silicone parts between the deck and the frame. More points spread the blow better. The UREVO CyberPad Office states 12; the UREVO SpaceWalk E1, 8.
- Mass: a heavy deck vibrates less than a light one. Above 25 kg you notice it.
- Speed: walking, one foot is always down. Running has a flight phase and every landing weighs two or three times your body weight. A pad that is quiet walking may not be quiet running.
See it applied to every model in Quietest walking pads for apartments.
What depends on you
- Walk slowly. At 3–4 km/h the impact is far lower than at 6.
- Soft-soled shoes, never bare hard heels or heeled shoes.
- Stay in the middle of the belt. Near the front roller the deck has less cushioning.
- Timing. Early morning and at night the building is silent and any knock carries further.
- Lubricate the belt when the manual says so: a dry belt rubs, the motor strains and the pad vibrates more. A bottle of pure silicone costs little:
The mat: what it does and what it does not
A 6 mm PVC or rubber mat protects the floor, stops the pad sliding, catches belt dust and damps motor vibration. It does not soundproof footsteps: it is too thin and too stiff.
Pick one that covers the pad's whole footprint. Each machine page tells you whether the mat covers it and with how much to spare; the 152 × 76 cm one covers every flat pad in this guide:
If the neighbour complains
What works against impact noise is mass plus a resilient layer under the pad:
- 15–20 mm rubber tiles (gym flooring), covering the whole footprint and a little more;
- or a layer of high-density foam under a rigid board, with the pad on top: the board spreads the blow and the foam absorbs it.
Loose pads under the feet do nothing for a flat walking pad: it has no feet, the whole deck rests on the floor.
And talk to your neighbour before they come up: tell them when you walk and ask whether they hear it. Often a change of time is enough.