What is the best brand for elliptical machines? Let's face it, going to the gym sucks. It's loud. It's crowded. The machine you want is never open, and you're stuck paying high fees for a membership with tons of limitations (seriously, whose bright idea was it to make the ability to use multiple gyms in a franchise a premium fee?).
Schwinn is an American-made brand once known for its bikes, and now also known for affordable home elliptical machines. Between the 3 models, the JRNY optional subscription, and impressive free shipping, you can make your workout what you need it to be when you pick from the Schwinn brand. With impressive reviews and a top-notch "A+" rating from the BBB, Schwinn earns 5 stars in our review and is highlighted as offering ellipticals with a great balance between budget and features.
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SOLE Fitness is a brand of elliptical machines that gets particularly high praise for its customer service. The equipment is designed to be especially ergonomic and includes a free app for guided workouts. While the brand's strict return policy keeps it from the very top spot in our review, the feedback from owners who worked with the customer service and repair teams at SOLE Fitness was extremely positive. With these factors in mind, SOLE Fitness earns an excellent rating and one of our highest scores.
Xterra is one of the best options if you're looking for an extremely budget-friendly elliptical machine that is compact for your home. This brand focuses on functionality rather than high-tech features - but if you're okay with a machine that doesn't stream your Netflix for you, Xterra is a great option for beginners or those searching for a home gym on a budget. With competitive reviews, it stands out from the pack despite its smaller inventory.
NordicTrack is known for its high-tech elliptical machines, with its feature-rich iFit workout subscription. Offering free standard shipping on all elliptical machine models and an "A+' rating from the BBB, it seems like a solid choice. However, customer feedback shows that there is limited usability if you don't have the iFit subscription, and there are some complaints about cancellations too, which keep NordicTrack from being as competitive as it could be. If you're okay with a subscription, though, this brand is definitely worth a look.
Bowflex is an older brand on the market known for its home elliptical machines, with hybrid models on offer too. The company partners with JRNY for guided fitness workouts (for a membership fee), and it offers a satisfaction guarantee. However, with high shipping fees and some concerns about return costs, too, Bowflex earns an average score overall in our review.
ProForm claims to be an affordable home fitness brand that has three different elliptical machines in stock. While the prices are great for first-time elliptical buyers, the quality doesn't stand out compared to other brands. With regular 1-star reviews for the elliptical machines breaking or ProForm not honoring warranties, there's a lot of frustration surrounding the quality overall. While it's still worth a look for the low costs, you may need to be prepared for more than the usual amount of repairs if you go with a ProForm elliptical.
Horizon Fitness is known for its less expensive elliptical machines, but with only one model on offer and increasing complaints from customers on third-party review sites, this brand begins to fall behind the pack. While the lifetime warranty on its elliptical is a bonus, the average ratings and complaints about quality control earn Horizon Fitness a rating just below average in our review.
Precor is a well-known brand that's lost some favor over the years. While it used to be known for durable, high-end elliptical machines, reviews show that customers are frustrated with the build quality and customer service when things go wrong with Precor machines. With mixed reviews (and none more recent than 2024), Precor doesn't stand out as a fan favorite for reliability.
Yosuda is a fitness brand that makes compact fitness equipment and accessible options for your home gym. While the elliptical machines have competitive costs, and the 30-day price match guarantee is a unique policy, Yosuda has a much more negative reputation than many of the brands in our review. With an "F" rating from the BBB and no positive reviews as of this year, Yosuda comes in with one of our lowest ratings overall.
Life Fitness bills itself as a high-end fitness company, but the only thing high-end (according to reviewers) is the cost. Despite lengthy warranties, customers report having issues getting a resolution when parts stop working, and there were even reports of injuries due to machine malfunctions. With elliptical machines starting in the thousands, the high cost just isn't worth the worry, especially since you'll have to pay a 20% restocking fee and shipping to return it. For these reasons, Life Fitness earns one of our lowest ratings.
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Let's face it, going to the gym sucks. It's loud. It's crowded. The machine you want is never open, and you're stuck paying high fees for a membership with tons of limitations (seriously, whose bright idea was it to make the ability to use multiple gyms in a franchise a premium fee?).
For a lot of folks, the gym is the easiest way to get started, but it's not the best way. Getting workout equipment you can use at home is going to be the best bet to really get your fitness routine in shape. You can work out whenever you want, and in total privacy. And what better place to start than an at-home elliptical machine?
Why an elliptical? Well, these machines are the one-stop shop for fitness. You can work on glutes, quads, hamstrings, arms, and core, all with one simple machine. You can do cardio or strength training, with a low-impact workout that keeps your bones strong. The goal of good elliptical machines is to boost cardiovascular health and build muscle without causing undue stress on joints (like using a treadmill or going for a jog, for instance). Plus, those who use elliptical machines see benefits beyond weight loss and muscle gain. You can expect to see improvements in balance and stability, as well as improved circulation and lower blood pressure.
Searching for the best elliptical machines can seem daunting, though. Different brands offer various machine tiers with a range of features. The basic models will usually do everything you need to without any bells and whistles (no tech upgrades or exciting music players). However, if you're someone who wants your machine to track your stats, give you video workouts, and come with a built-in iPad, there are options out there for you, too.
The best part about shopping online is that you never have to worry about salespeople pressuring you into buying an elliptical machine when you're not ready. You have the space to search through your preferred brands and get a good idea of how much you're going to pay. While getting elliptical machines for your home can be more costly upfront, it stops you from having recurring payments for a gym membership and offers that complete peace of mind that you can handle your fitness journey at home without worrying about travel or motivation to work out in public, so the cost is a great trade-off for most fitness fans.
If you're ready to step up your fitness game with an elliptical machine, but aren't sure which brands are the most reliable, don't sweat (at least, not until you get to your workout). Here are a few factors to consider so you can get the best model from the best brand of elliptical machines:
Getting in shape is one of the most important parts of your health. Whether you want to build muscle, target your medical concerns, or just feel extra confident in your date night outfit, finding ways to simplify fitness can really change the game. At home fitness machines like elliptical machines are fantastic for helping you get in shape on your own time with low-impact exercises that can level up from beginner to more rigorous training in the future. To help you get the fitness experience of your dreams, Top Consumer Reviews has researched and ranked the top brands for elliptical machines on the market today. This way, you can avoid the stress of gym time and enjoy your fitness journey the way you want to!
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Benefits of Using an Elliptical Machine
Elliptical Machines have many wonderful benefits. Whether you are looking for a low impact exercise or a productive all-around body workout, elliptical machines are a great choice.
Elliptical machines are found in almost every gym across the country and many people have chosen one as their go-to machine in their homes as well. Some elliptical machine models even fold up, making convenient storage in the home easier, no matter the size of your apartment or house.
Another great benefit of using an elliptical machine is you can get a lower body and upper body work out all at the same time. No other machine rivals the full body workout that the elliptical machine offers. You can work out your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, chest, back, triceps and biceps all together. It is very important to distribute the resistance between both the upper handlebars and lower pedals to receive all these benefits. Many people just go through the motions with the arms and don't utilize the machine for its full upper body workout. If the machine is used properly, you can increase aerobic capacity, tone muscles and lose weight. You can get a full-body workout in as little as 20 minutes.
With an elliptical machine, your feet never leave the machine thus the work-out considered is low impact. This reduces the stress on knees, hips, and backs. Less stress on the joints is helpful for older individuals with joint ailments. Also heavier individuals that have extra weight on their joints and anyone who is cautious with new or old joint, knee or hip injuries will benefit from a low impact workout. The movements on the elliptical machine mimic the natural path your ankle, knee and hip follow during high impact exercises such as walking, jogging or running. The movements are natural to your body without the negative affects the high impact jolts can have on your body.
An elliptical machine work-out is considered a weight-bearing exercise which helps maintain healthy bone density that can prevent the onset of osteoporosis. This is important to remember no matter how young or old you are today.
Elliptical machines are also very safe for your body in regards to injury. Since the movement is fluid and smooth, the risk of injury is very low. There is very little room for harm to your muscles, joints or body.
The price of elliptical machines have become more affordable in the last few years. Owning your own is easier to fit into the budget and saves you the cost and trip of going to the gym.
There are numerous benefits to incorporating an elliptical machine into your workout. Choose to use it for your cardiovascular and toning needs. Enjoy the an elliptical machine as your full workout, or incorporating it into your workout regimen. No matter the extent of use, the low impact nature of an elliptical machine means happier and healthier joints.
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