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When I first unboxed my Merach mini stepper and the Merach stair climber (the latter still on sale post-Prime Day), the manufacturer’s claims about “whisper-quiet operation” seemed too good to be true. As someone who lives in a small apartment with thin walls and equally thin patience from my neighbors, the noise level of any exercise equipment is a make-or-break factor for me. So I wanted to do a proper test: I would use these two steppers during an entire movie to see just how quiet they really are.
The setup
My original plan was to test these machines while my partner was sleeping, but then I realized that he’s such a deep sleeper my findings would be inconclusive. Instead, I chose a Monday night for my experiment, settling in to watch “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” I wanted something with enough dialogue and quiet moments to make any exercise equipment noise glaringly obvious. My living room setup is fairly typical: hardwood floors, a couch positioned about six feet from my TV, and walls that seem to amplify every footstep from the apartment upstairs.
I tested both devices, since they’re pretty exchangeable in my eyes, as I explain in my reviews here and here. Both fall under the category of “steppers.” One is mini and focuses more on your calves, while one is more of a climber and targets your glutes. Neither are “serious” pieces of exercise equipment, but they beat sitting on the couch doing nothing.
I started with the stair climber, placing it in front of my couch, keeping the TV volume at my usual level (around 30% on my sound bar). After about 30 minutes, I switched machines.
Credit: Meredith Dietz
As the opening credits rolled, I took a second to get the stepping motion smooth and controlled. At this point, the most prominent sound was actually my own breathing. The stair climber itself produced only a subtle mechanical sound—comparable to an office chair swiveling back and forth. On that note…
Real-world noise assessment
To put the noise level in perspective, I compared it to other household sounds throughout the evening. The steppers are on par with:
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My refrigerator’s compressor cycling on
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The dishwasher running in the kitchen
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Rain pattering against the windows
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My upstairs neighbor’s normal walking around
The only time I became hyperaware of the stepper’s mechanical sounds was during the movie’s most silent moments—those dramatic pauses where even the film’s background music faded to nothing.
The most impressive aspect for me wasn’t just the minimal noise, but the lack of vibration transfer to the floor. Despite my apartment’s creaky hardwood floors, there were no additional squeaks or vibrations that would travel to neighboring units. The stepper’s rubberized base effectively isolated any movement from the floor beneath.
Any sort of rapid stepping, however, naturally produced more noise. With the mini stepper in particular, the hydraulic system produces a whooshing sound that does not go well with a quiet movie.
The verdict
After nearly two hours of continuous use, I can confidently say the Merach mini stepper and stair climber live up to its quiet operation claims. These devices successfully passed what I now consider the ultimate apartment-friendly test: the ability to exercise during a dialogue-heavy film without missing a single witty exchange. Plus, after an hour of stepping (some mini, some climbing), I can safely say I got a surprisingly good low-impact workout.
So, will the Merach mini stepper and stair climber transform your body? No. But will they disrupt your movie? Also no. And for anyone living in close quarters with neighbors, thin walls, or simply wanting to exercise while watching TV without disturbing others in the house, that absence of noise is definitely a feature worth celebrating.
