Incline guide
Almost every under-desk pad is flat. Incline needs a lifting mechanism, and that mechanism is the reason most pads cannot also be four inches tall. The workaround the category settled on is a fixed rise built into the frame.
If you want more effort at the same speed, this is what your options look like.
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The only true compact incline pad
The only true incline pad small enough for a desk
A built-in fixed 5° rise, the smallest footprint here and app tracking. The belt is narrow and the price is premium, but nothing else this size offers a genuine grade.
Best effort without incline
Riser-bar model that doubles as a light jogging treadmill
No grade, but a 7.6 mph ceiling and a handrail. If your goal is a harder session rather than a rise specifically, extra speed on a stable frame gets you there.
Cheapest way to raise intensity
Wide belt and a display arm for less than most rivals
Also flat, but the strongest motor per dollar and a wide belt, so interval walking at higher speeds is comfortable. The pragmatic pick if incline is a want, not a need.
Compact pads offer a fixed grade. Adjustable incline means a full treadmill frame that will not slide under a desk.
Incline raises your head position. Measure desk clearance at the raised end, not the flat one.
If typing accuracy is the constraint, a rise beats extra speed. If it is not, speed is cheaper.
Propping the frame loads the rollers unevenly and voids warranties. It is the fastest way to kill a cheap pad.
Walking Pad