Bluefin Kick 2.0 Treadmill Review: A Walkpad That Runs

The Bluefin Fitness Kick 2.0 is trying to solve a real problem. Walking pads are brilliantly convenient but top out at a brisk walk. Full-size treadmills genuinely run but dominate a room. The Kick 2.0 sits deliberately in between: a folding machine with a drop-down handlebar that slides under a desk like a walking pad, but with a 12 km/h top speed and an 18% incline so it can handle a proper jog and a hill session too. For a lot of UK homes where the treadmill has to disappear between uses, that is exactly the right compromise.

The verdict up front is that it does the in-between job well and stays honest about its limits. You get a quiet motor, a genuinely cushioned deck and Kinomap support at a price well below a full running machine. What you do not get is a machine you can run fast on, or an incline you can change without getting off. Understand those two things and it is a good buy.

Who it is for

This is a machine for walkers, desk-treadmill users and steady joggers who need the thing to fold away. If your training is brisk walking, incline walking or easy running at somewhere north of a 5 minute per kilometre pace, it will cover everything you ask of it and take up very little room doing so.

It is the wrong machine for anyone who wants to run properly. Sprint intervals, fast tempo work and race-pace training all need more speed than 12 km/h and, ideally, a motorised incline you can change on the fly. If that is you, our best treadmills for home use guide covers full-size running machines instead. If you only ever walk, a simpler and cheaper option from our best walking pad UK guide may serve you better.

Build, deck and cushioning

The cushioning is where this machine earns its keep. Bluefin's Aero-damping system sits under a five-layer anti-static running track, and the combination does a noticeably better job of absorbing impact than the thin, hard decks you find on cheap walking pads. If you are jogging rather than strolling, that matters: your knees and shins take the difference. It is also the reason the machine weighs 35kg rather than the 20kg or so of a bare walking pad. That weight is a fair trade, and it contributes to the machine feeling planted rather than skittish underfoot.

The folding handlebar is the design's clever bit. Up, you have something to hold and a console at a sensible height. Down, the whole thing becomes low enough to live under a desk or slide under a sofa. It arrives around 90% assembled, so setup is a matter of minutes rather than an afternoon.

The console is adequate and no more. You get a clear digital display, heart rate contact sensors and Bluetooth. The built-in speakers are the one feature almost every owner mentions negatively: they are quiet, thin-sounding and not a reason to buy. Use your own headphones or a speaker and forget they are there.

Speed, incline and the honest limits

Twelve kilometres per hour is the number that decides whether this machine is right for you, so it is worth translating. That is a 5 minute per kilometre pace, or roughly an 8 minute mile. For the large majority of people using a treadmill at home for general fitness, that is more than enough headroom, and it is comfortably faster than the 6 to 8 km/h ceiling of most walking pads. But it is a hard limit. There is no sprinting, no fast interval work, and if your easy pace is already near 5 minutes per kilometre, you have bought the wrong machine. To Bluefin's credit, the 12 km/h figure is stated plainly in the listing rather than buried, which is more than can be said for some brands in this category.

The 18% incline is genuinely steep, and it is the machine's best training feature. Walking at a steep gradient is a superb, low-impact way to get your heart rate up without the joint loading of running, and 18% is steeper than plenty of full-size treadmills manage. The catch is that it is manual. You stop, step off, adjust it physically, and get back on. That is fine if you set a gradient and walk for 40 minutes. It makes incline intervals and rolling-hill programmes impractical. For a machine at this price, a manual incline is a reasonable compromise, but it is a compromise you should choose deliberately rather than discover after delivery.

The 120kg weight limit is the other boundary worth noting. It is sensible for a folding machine of this size, but a full-size running machine will typically take 130kg to 150kg, so heavier users should check that figure carefully before ordering.

Is it worth it?

Yes, if you want what it actually is. Incline walking and steady jogging are among the most sustainable ways to hit the 150 minutes of moderate activity a week the NHS recommends (UK physical activity guidelines), and doing that consistently is one of the most effective things you can do for your long-term heart health (British Heart Foundation on physical activity and heart health). Half an hour of walking or jogging burns a worthwhile number of calories depending on your pace and bodyweight (Harvard Health calorie estimates). A treadmill that folds away is a treadmill you keep, and one that stays in the spare room under a pile of washing is not.

The Kick 2.0's real competition is on both sides of it. Against a pure walking pad, it costs more and weighs more, but it jogs and it climbs. Against a full-size treadmill, it is far cheaper and vastly easier to store, but it cannot run. If you sit exactly in the middle of that gap, it is a smart buy. For the wider picture, see our best fold flat treadmill UK guide, our best home treadmill for walking round-up, or the full treadmills section. If your goal is fat loss specifically, are treadmills good for losing weight is worth reading first.