BowFlex announced plans to discontinue its Max Trainer SE, a hybrid elliptical and stairstepper machine, during our testing period.
The Horizon EX-59 is a solid option if you don’t want to spend over $1,000 for one of our electric picks, but are looking for an elliptical that provides an upgraded workout experience compared with our budget pick. Our testers enjoyed the fluid movement of its handlebars, the placement of the console (which has blue, digital numbers for metrics), and its mostly quiet sound. Three testers thought the stride felt short, with one person also noting, “The pedals have a bounding quality and are more up-and-down than horizontal.” The EX-59 machine has 10 resistance levels, but a majority of our testers did not go above level one or two. If you’re seeking an elliptical with strong resistance, the EX-59 model offers a heart-pumping workout.
The self-powered Niceday Smart CT11 was unsteady compared with our budget pick — I had to insert shims underneath its base to prevent it from wobbling. Even with that assistance, it still moved around too much during a workout for many testers’ liking. You change resistance by turning a knob located at a spot equal to most people’s waistline, another dealbreaker. Two testers referred to it as feeling “cheap.”
The NordicTrack X16 was the most intriguing machine we tested and also drew the most polarizing opinions. It’s a hybrid machine that the company says combines the strides of an elliptical, treadmill, and stairstepper, not to mention a -10% decline — the most of any machine we tested. It takes some time to adjust to each new motion, and some testers didn’t like the learning curve. But after several tries on the X16 elliptical, I came to appreciate its multifunction capabilities. One tester said it “felt like I was on a pair of skis,” adding that “it made for a good workout for my glutes and quads because it felt like I was stretching with every stride.” At $2,700, it’s around double the price of our picks. The X16 model is probably best for someone wanting a customized workout or a high-level athlete looking for something more challenging than a traditional elliptical workout.
Several testers described the ProForm Carbon EL as feeling “natural,” but less than half of our testing panel said they would actually consider purchasing the machine. While it offers a solid and pretty quiet workout, there’s not much that stands out about the Carbon EL elliptical. It doesn’t have specially designed handles, decline functions, or a fan. The console is a bit difficult to understand at first, with some buttons having no numbers or labels. “I like to go backwards on ellipticals, and that was super tricky to do on this,” one tester said. This machine has the lowest recommended maximum user weight of any machine we tested, at 275 pounds.
Three testers described the Schwinn 411 as feeling “mechanical,” and I agree. The arms didn’t create a natural swinging motion, and it felt like I was working the hardest to push forward on this machine, even at low resistances. I did appreciate that it has an immediate stop, so you don’t have to slow down the arms or legs to get off. Also, many testers’ phones covered a lot of the monitor when placed in the device holder, making it hard to read the display during a workout.
Like the Niceday elliptical, the Sunny SF-E323038 has the resistance knob placed far below the arms, making it difficult to change levels during a workout. The device holder is small, and at faster speeds, testers’ phones shook a lot (I found more stability if I held onto the two static handles instead of swinging my arms). I appreciated that this elliptical has heart rate monitors on the two static handles, and I thought the stride felt good, if not a bit short. Another tester and I thought the range of motion when swinging your arms was not as comfortable, though, compared with other machines.
This article was edited by Tracy Vence and Kalee Thompson.