If you have an elliptical for working out at home, you may achieve an intense workout similar to a gym workout, but you'll save money on the monthly membership fee and avoid the restrictions that fitness centers in your area may still have. An elliptical is different from a treadmill in that it can reduce strain and strain on your knees and legs, and if you use the handles, you can get essentially barefoot, low-impact exercise similar to walking. It's really a piece of cardio equipment that can do it all.
I compared and tested home-based machines in order to save you the headache of sorting through the hundreds of models and looking through even more elliptical reviews to find the best eliptically for your own personal workout program. Keep in mind that some elliptical brands may not have resumed their white glove delivery service yet, so fitness enthusiasts may have to put these machines together by themselves (like I did).
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Best overall elliptical overall
The NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 has it all -- an adjustable stride length, a 14-inch color touchscreen, oversize cushioned pedals, auto-adjustment capabilities, and Bluetooth connectivity. This elliptical machine weighs 32 pounds and has one of the most powerful flywheels on the market. When you combine that with magnetic resistance, you've got a stunningly quiet machine with surprisingly smooth movement.
One of the things that really makes this machine stand out is that it's fully integrated with iFit, an immersive training experience that gives you access to elite personal trainers and structured, guided workouts to assist you achieve your fitness goal. When you choose a workout through iFit, you're taken through terrain in places like Chile and the Canary Islands as an elliptical trainer guides you through an imaginary workout that automatically adjusts both incline and resistance on your machine as you go. And the 14-inch touchscreen made it even more beautiful and more realistic.
With the NordicTrack Commercial 14.9, you'll get one year of iFit for free, and $15 per month for an individual plan or $39 per minute for a family plan. You can skip iFit altogether and run the machine manually, but the elliptical trainer's 'iFIT' experience takes it from good to great.
The only real negative of this machine is that it's large. Because this exercise machine was built for commercial gym equipment use, it occupies a lot of space in utmost space, both horizontally and vertically, in an home gym. It's not only the largest horizontally, but it'' is also the tallest machine of the bunch, so when I stood on it, I felt like my head was fairly close to the ceiling, even at average height. If you like all of the features of a 14.9, but want something smaller (and less expensive), the NordicTrack Commercial 12.9 is almost identical -- it has fewer pixels and surprisingly light flywheel -- in merely ten pounds.
Ideal elliptical for smaller spaces.
One of the greatest barriers to purchasing a traditional elliptical machine is its size. There are a slew of compact ellipticals out there, but as u.s., performance is sacrificed for space. That's not the case with the ProForm Carbon HIIT H7, though. The Carbon HIIT H7 is a vertical elliptical that looks more like stair stepper machines than an eliptically, unlike other ergonomicals that take up incredibly little horizontal space in your home gym.
Because of the way it's designed, it occupies about half the space of a normal elliptical. It's not just about gym equipment. The 10-inch vertical and 5-inch horizontal elliptical paths were intentionally combined to give you a higher workout intensity and calorie burn. The stride definitely felt different than a traditional elliptical machine, but when I used the machine my legs lit up in all the best ways. I felt it on my glutes and the backs of my thighs, comparable to those targeted by a stair climber. Since your foot never leaves the foot pedal, it's still a zero-impact workout that puts less stress on your body than stair climbing or other cardio workout options.
Another thing that made this elliptical machine stand out from the crowd was its low noise level. When compared to some of the other high-end ellipticals, this one was considerably quieter. Instead of air resistance, it uses Silent Magnetic Resistance, or SMR, a trademarked resistance that's smoother and quieter. It was also extremely stable, even at high speeds on the cardio machine, with no rocking or shaking whatsoever.
Because ProForm is owned by Icon Health & Fitness, like the NordicTrack, this machine also includes iFit, which is another significant upgrade in the pro column, giving you the option to be guided through your workout by a professional elliptical trainer. The seven-inch HD touchscreen on the console made the iFit experience super-realistic and easy to navigate.
One thing that bothered me about the ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 was that there was no place to store a tablet. This isn't a huge deal, especially if you're using iFit, because you probably wouldn' t be paying attention to your tablet in the first place, but I thought it would be oh-so-nice for those with other fitness memberships. I also didn't like the fact that there's no power button. The manual says the machine has auto shut-off, but it never worked for me. I had to unplug it to turn it off when I wasn't using it -- something that was difficult for a high-end machine.
Best elliptical for knee pain?
While ellipticals are positioned as one of the most low-impact cardio machines, they can still be too much for anyone with joint pain, healing injuries, and mobility issues. The Teeter FreeStep LT3 Recumbent Cross Trainer and Elliptical is here to help. Because of its recumbent -- or reclined and seated -- position, the Teeter FreeStep eliminates stress on your joints and takes the load off your back, allowing you to get a great workout in without premature body fatigue.
In addition to being quick on the joints, it's also very easy to use. The console is the most straightforward of the bunch, so you don't need to be tech savvy to get it going. It has one button that you can press to toggle between time, distance, speed, and calories. There's also an adjustable knob under the seat that you can adjust your sitting position and you may even adjust the angle of the chair for a more personal position.
One warning: It's easier to call it in when using this machine than other. Because you're sitting back rather than standing up, it's easy to lean back and do the minimum effort necessary to tick "work out" off your to-do list, but if you stay mindful and increase the adjustable resistance as much as you can, you will have a great workout with little impact.
Best budget elliptical
The Schwinn 411 is a great budget-friendly option that's well-made and strong. Even though this small elliptical is smaller in overall size, it still has an 18-inch stride length, giving you a full range of flex when you workout. The compact size also makes it considerably lighter than other exercise equipment, so you can easily move it around if you have to push this exercise appliance against a wall or into.
As far as features go, this elliptical is nothing to write home about. It has a colorless display and basic functions, with three settings -- manual, interval, and rolling hills -- that you can control with push buttons on the console. However, this lack of technology is one of the factors that makes the Schwinn stand out. It's easy to use and there'' hardly any room for human error (it took me a while to get used to using the machines with iFit), so if you're someone who doesn't like coding, this is ideally the machine for you.
The Schwinn 411 is the ideal choice for basic performance. The pedals moved quickly and smoothly, without any jamming or stunted movements that are common with smaller machines. It was also surprisingly steady, with no movement or shaking at all. However, while it wasn't overly loud, this machine was a little louder than the rest.
If you do want advanced technology, you can sync the Schwinn 411 to the Explore the World app. 19 locations and 27 routes give you the same real-time feel as iFit, while also tracking your speed and distance. The app isn't accessible on the machine, so you'll have to follow along on your phone or tablet.
Most comfortable elliptical trainer
The Nautilus E618 is the most comfortable elliptical of the bunch. The upright position feels the most natural, and the pedals produce a smooth, steady stride that isn't shaky or inhibited in any way. The pedals themselves are large and very comfortable. They're also adjustable, so you can tilt your stance forward to work different muscle groups as you pedal. You can control the resistance and incline on the handles, which is very useful if you're moving at a rapid pace and you want to adjust without having to interrupt your flow.
Nautilus has its own fitness app, called Explore the World, which is similar to iFit, but I liked a resemblance to Naulus. Because this particular machine has a small, colorless display, the experience isn't as fully integrated as the NordicTrack Commercial 14.9, but if you have an iPad or tablet, you can run the app there and place it on the console in secluded areas.
The movement is excellent, but the machine is a little louder than some of the others on the list. One of the other drawbacks of this machine compared to other is that, while it's Bluetooth enabled, that Bluetooth only transmits your workout data to a fitness app. It can't play audio or connect to a chest strap. It would have been nice if the Bluetooth capability had been multifunctional.
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How I chose the color. How did I select the colors I selected?
My aim was to find a variety of ellipticals with different features. Many people, I know, prefer the most advanced technology and top-of-the-line features, such as iFit, while others simply want a machine that's simple to use, does the job and doesn't come with dozens of bells and whistles. I thought it was important to include machines on both sides of that spectrum, as well as machines that fall somewhere in the middle.
I also considered the price. It's generally much easier to find a great elliptical if you're willing to shell out tens of thousands of dollars, but many people, especially right now, don't have that kind of disposable income. I've also included ellipticals at a variety of different prices.
How I tested? How did I test?
After deciding which ellipticals I wanted to consider, I cleared out a front room in my house and had them all delivered around the same time so that I could test them separately and compare them to each other easily. I spent several months trying them out, doing a variety of different workouts for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
I cycled through all of the pre-programmed functions on the machines themselves and completed several different workouts with iFit, for the compatible machines. I also included manual workouts, where I adjusted my incline and resistance based only on how I felt or what type of exercise I wanted to do that day, rather than relying on the programmed settings alone.
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The information in this article is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended as medical or dental advice. Consult a physician or other qualified health provider if you have any questions about arising medical conditions or health goals.
