ProForm Elliptical Reviews (2024): High-Quality Machines at Affordable Prices

If you’re looking for a quality elliptical machine, ProForm has several to offer. Each one in the brand’s current lineup is iFIT-enabled and offers a large range of resistance levels. ProForm is sister brand to NordicTrack and offers more affordable options compared to its sibling.

While ProForm used to offer close to a dozen ellipticals, there are currently only about half that available online. In our ProForm elliptical reviews, we’ll break down each machine, giving you the good as well as the not-so-good.

We Know Ellipticals

For years, our team at Garage Gym Reviews has put cardio machines through a detailed test to determine their value for the average home gym owner. We have personally been on every ProForm elliptical offered today (and some others that have since been discontinued). We also know ProForm’s parent company, iFIT, well, and know how its policies stack up against other brands in the industry.

ProForm’s Elliptical Lineup 

• ProForm Pro HIIT H14
• ProForm Carbon HIIT 10
• ProForm Carbon HIIT 7
• ProForm Carbon EL
• ProForm Carbon E10
• ProForm Hybrid Trainer XT

Which ProForm Elliptical Should You Buy?

There are three groups of ProForm ellipticals: the HIIT Trainer Series, the Carbon Series, and the Hybrid Series. Each of the exercise machines in the lineup features:

• iFIT compatibility
• 30-day return policy
• Free shipping
• Financing options
• Price tags under $2,000

There is currently no rear-drive option in the lineup. 

HIIT Trainer Series

ProForm’s HIIT Trainers are marked by their stair-stepping design. These could be the right machine for you if you prefer your cross-trainer to have more of a stepping motion as opposed to a gliding motion. They also have a more compact footprint because of their vertical design. The three ellipticals in this line are the Pro HIIT H14, the Carbon HIIT 10, and the Carbon HIIT 7.

ProForm Pro HIIT H14

Good for: Those looking for a stair-stepping, high-end elliptical

ProForm Pro HIIT H14

ProForm Pro HIIT H14

GGR Score: 3.9

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Product Highlights

• Unique hybrid trainer that focuses on high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
• Combines upper-body punching movements with elliptical stepping 
• Effectively work your calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, biceps, and triceps. 
• iFIT-enabled and a 30-day family membership is included
• 14-inch smart HD touchscreen display
• 26 resistance levels with silent magnetic resistance
• 30-pound inertia-enhanced flywheel

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Works your entire body
• Quick, intense workouts
• Low-impact
• Compact
• Immersive training
• Preprogrammed workouts available with WiFi connection

Cons

• Assembly is reportedly difficult
• Not great for casual workouts
• Subscription required for full functionality

Bottom Line

The ProForm HIIT H14 is a high-quality and uniquely designed hybrid trainer that effectively provides intense workouts on a compact machine.

If you’re looking for an elliptical that glides, this ain’t it. 

The ProForm Pro HIIT H14 is more of a stair-climber than an elliptical. Your legs move along a 10-inch vertical and 5-inch horizontal arc. Therefore, it’s not exactly up-and-down like a stepper, but it’s far from the running pattern you’ll find on traditional ellipticals. 

That’s not a bad thing: Your quads and glutes will get a solid pump, as our expert product tester and staff writer Caroline Lubinsky discovered while using the machine. Also, the brand states that using the moving handlebars simulates boxing. While she wasn’t necessarily thinking of throwing punches, Caroline did say the grips—oddly shaped as they are—did provide a good upper-body workout.

Like just about every piece of ProForm fitness equipment, the Pro HIIT H14 syncs with iFIT programming. This streams on a 14-inch high-definition touchscreen that they swivels (but our testers found it to be more of a tilt) so you can do on- and off-machine workouts. 

We did find in our testing that assembling the Pro HIIT H14 is challenging to put together yourself. It weighs 225 pounds and comes with lots of small parts. If you can afford the $199 fee, we recommend opting for the room of choice delivery and professional assembly.

Editor’s Note: As of this writing, there is a previous model of the Pro HIIT H14 available on the website for $300 less than this version. The older model does not have Bluetooth speakers. 

ProForm Carbon HIIT H10

Good for: People looking for a reasonably priced stair-stepping elliptical machine

ProForm Carbon HIIT H10

ProForm Carbon HIIT H10 Elliptical

GGR Score: 3

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Product Highlights

• Hybrid climber
• 10” vertical with a 5” horizontal stride
• Low-impact, intense full-body workout
• 24 levels of resistance
• 10” smart HD touchscreen display
• iFIT-enabled with a free 30-day iFIT family membership included
• 56 pre-programmed workouts outside of iFIT

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Compact
• Quick but intense workouts
• Immersive training via iFIT
• Quiet
• Free 30-day family membership included
• Over 50 pre-programmed workouts

Cons

• Assembly is reportedly difficult
• Not for casual workouts

Bottom Line

The ProForm HIIT H10 trainer offers shorter, intense workouts on a compact and high-quality machine.

Of the three ellipticals in ProForm’s HIIT series, the Carbon HIIT H10 is the mid-range option. Priced at $1,299, it has most of what you would look for in a high-end elliptical: a large touchscreen, durability, Bluetooth speakers, a few dozen resistance levels, and extras like a cooling fan (which our testers found to be loud) and water bottle holder.

This might be our favorite in the lineup, because it has all the features you could want without the sticker shock of cresting that $1,500 price point. ProForm also offers 0% financing if the cost of the H10 is a stretch. 

Here’s the catch: As of this writing, the H10 is listed as closeout. We see brands do this a lot when they are moving inventory to make way for new machines. This could mean that the H10 is about to get a small makeover, or it could mean ProForm is expanding the line in a new way. 

We will keep our eye on it and update this article with any changes we see.

ProForm Carbon HIIT H7

Good for: People looking to make a long-term commitment to iFIT workouts

ProForm Carbon HIIT H7

ProForm Carbon HIIT H7

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Product Highlights

• “Free” with 3 years of iFIT family membership
• 24 resistance levels
• 7-inch smart HD touchscreen
• 30-lb flywheel
• Workout fan
• 325-lb weight capacity

Pros & Cons

Pros

• “Free” with 3 years of iFIT family membership
• 24 resistance levels
• 7-inch smart HD touchscreen
• 30-lb flywheel
• Workout fan
• 325-lb weight capacity

Cons

• Weighs 225 lbs
• Cost is over $1,400
• Technically more expensive than the Carbon HIIT H10

Bottom Line

The ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 is an affordable stair-climber-style elliptical compatible with iFIT programming.

The Carbon HIIT H7 is an interesting case: ProForm will send it to you for “free” if you commit to three years of iFIT family membership, which comes to $1,403. You can finance that cost for the price of a monthly family membership to iFIT at $39/month for three years. This is an interesting approach, but it does mean the H7 is more expensive than the H10, and the H7 has a smaller touchscreen.

In either case, the H7 is still a good machine: Like the others in this line, it’s more of a stair-climber than an elliptical, which gives your legs quite the elliptical workout. It has a 10-inch-vertical and a 5-inch-horizontal stride, so your feet move in a vertical oval instead of straight up and down like a stepper or forward and backward like a traditional elliptical.

We like all the extra features on the HIIT H7: Bluetooth speakers, workout fan, water bottle holder, cushioned pedals, and 24 levels of silent magnetic resistance. It really comes down to if you want to make the three-year commitment to an iFIT membership. Our testers love iFIT classes and coaches, finding motivation on cardio machines as well as in strength training workouts.

Carbon Series

The Carbon Series features more traditional front-drive ellipticals that offer a smooth, gliding motion. The base model is affordable at under $800, so if you’re looking for a budget elliptical, this might be the way to go. There are two machines currently in this line, the Carbon EL and the Carbon E10.

ProForm Carbon EL

Good for: Someone looking for an affordable elliptical without sacrificing quality

ProForm Carbon EL

ProForm Carbon EL Elliptical

GGR Score: 3.6

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Product Highlights

• 18 levels of silent magnetic resistance 
• 0 to 20 degrees of manually adjustable incline 
• 5” high-contrast multi-color display 
• Tablet holder 
• iFIT-compatible with SmartAdjust technology 
• Steel frame 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 18 levels of silent magnetic resistance
• 0-20 degrees of incline
• SmartAdjust technology allows iFIT trainer to adjust resistance
• Free 30-day iFIT membership
• Free shipping

Cons

• Incline adjusted manually
• 275-lb user weight capacity
• Long assembly process

Bottom Line

The ProForm Carbon EL elliptical is an affordable machine with both resistance and incline abilities if you’re looking for guided workouts. If you don’t think you’ll use iFIT, there’s probably a better machine for you.

The Carbon EL is one of the most affordable ellipticals in ProForm’s lineup. It’s priced at $799, comes with a free 30-day trial of iFIT, and ships free.

As far as ellipticals under $1,000 go, the Carbon EL has a lot to offer: water bottle holder, oversized pedals, and a long, 19-inch adjustable stride. Our product testers said this machine feels incredibly sturdy and smooth. It isn’t the quietest elliptical on the market, but it isn’t disturbingly loud, either.

The Carbon EL syncs with your own smart device to stream iFIT workouts. No, there is not a fancy touchscreen, but sacrificing that does mean saving a lot of money. There are two speakers that connect via Bluetooth to your phone or tablet, and there is a media shelf to store your smart device.

We don’t love the 275-pound weight capacity on the Carbon EL. Typically, we like to see at least a 300- to 325-pound limit on cardio equipment. Also, assembling this yourself could take quite some time, as we found there were lots of small parts and intricate steps. 

ProForm Carbon E10

Good for: People who want a low-impact workout from an elliptical with incline options

ProForm Carbon E10

ProForm Carbon E10 Elliptical

GGR Score: 3.9

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Product Highlights

• 10” touchscreen
• 19” adjustable stride
• 20-degree incline
• 25-lb flywheel
• 10-year frame warranty

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Touchscreen with IFIT
• 24 levels of silent magnetic resistance
• 19-inch adjustable stride will work for most
• 25-lb flywheel should provide a stable workout
• Pedals are adjustable

Cons

• 275-lb weight capacity is on the lower end
• Large footprint
• Customer reports of the machine being loud

Bottom Line

The Carbon E10 is a sturdy front-drive elliptical machine with decent specs. While it has a large footprint and a user weight capacity on the low end, you can get this machine for “free” if you purchase a 3-year family iFIT membership, a definite plus.

ProForm bills the Carbon E10 as “free,” but you have to sign up for a three-year family subscription to iFIT (which costs just over $1,400, but you can finance for $39/month for three years). That’s not a bad deal if you’re committed to using the app for a few years to come. After all, iFIT has workouts to do on the elliptical trainer as well as live and on-demand classes in strength training, yoga, and Pilates, to name a few. 

As a machine, the E10 is pretty impressive. First, it has a nice 10-inch touchscreen to stream iFIT workouts. Also, it’s one of the few ProForm ellipticals to offer incline training with a power ramp that moves along a 0 to 20% incline. 

There are a few creature comforts too, like oversized, cushioned pedals and soft grips on the handlebars. The 19-inch power adjustable stride is great for people who are on the taller side. 

The biggest potential downside to the Carbon E10 is that it is a heavy machine that isn’t easy to assemble. ProForm offers delivery to the room of your choice as well as assembly for an extra $199. 

Hybrid Series

There is currently only one model in the Hybrid Series on the ProForm website: the XT. This is the best elliptical for someone who wants multiple cardio modalities on one machine. The Hybrid features a recumbent bike and an elliptical, offering versatility in cardio workouts.

ProForm Hybrid Trainer XT

Good for: Those looking to get two cardio machines for the price of one

ProForm Hybrid Trainer Xt

ProForm Hybrid Trainer

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Product Highlights

• Easily adjusted to fit different body sizes
• 14 preset workouts
• Ability to work upper and lower body muscle groups
• Simple assembly
• Priced under $1,000

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 2-in-1 low impact cardio machine
• Affordable at well under $1,000
• Adjustable screen for viewing while on the elliptical or bike
• Interactive programming with iFIT

Cons

• 15-inch elliptical stride may be uncomfortable for taller users
• Storing machine in non-climate-controlled spaces voids the warranty
• Some returns could incur a $250 fee

Bottom Line

The ProForm Hybrid Trainer XT offers up a recumbent exercise bike and elliptical in one piece of equipment.

For those looking to get the most value out of a ProForm elliptical, the Hybrid Trainer XT might be the best choice. At under $700, it doubles as a recumbent bike and an elliptical machine. Our testers noted that you can seamlessly switch between the two modalities with nothing more than the push of a button and flipping the pedals. 

RELATED: Recumbent Bike Benefits

The Hybrid XT is adjustable in a number of ways. For starters, the bike seat moves forward or backward to accommodate your preferred position. The console also moves down when you bike or up when you’re using the machine as an elliptical. Lastly, to move from the elliptical to the bike, you simply flip up the pedals. 

While it doesn’t have a fancy touchscreen, the Hybrid XT is compatible with iFIT, which you can stream from your own device. However, the stride length is short at just 15 inches, which may not fit very tall users. We also can’t help but notice the low user weight capacity at just 225 pounds, and a short, 5-year frame warranty.

To learn more, check out our in-depth ProForm Hybrid Trainer review.

ProForm Elliptical Comparison Chart

*ProForm does not list the exact weight of each of its products, so we researched to find these numbers. 

Discontinued ProForm Ellipticals

There are quite a few ProForm ellipticals that have been recently discontinued:

• ProForm Carbon EX
• ProForm Hybrid Trainer
• ProForm Hybrid Trainer Pro
• ProForm Pro 9.9
• ProForm Smart Pro 12.9
• ProForm Smart Pro 16.9
• ProForm Endurance Series
• ProForm Smart Strider Series

You may be able to find some of these online through third-party sellers, though many are more expensive than some of the base models available on ProForm’s site today. 

Benefits of ProForm Ellipticals

There are a few reasons you might choose a ProForm elliptical over one from another brand, including:

• Our testers find ProForm ellipticals to be well-built and high-quality.
• ProForm is more affordable than its sister brand, NordicTrack.
• ProForm ellipticals come with iFIT programming.
• As of this writing, you get free shipping on the machines.
• The brand offers a 30-day return policy.

ProForm Policies

If you’re interested in ProForm exercise equipment, it’s good to know the brand’s policies.

Warranty

Just about every ProForm elliptical comes with a 10-year warranty on the frame, two-year warranty on parts, and one-year warranty on labor. The exception to this is the Hybrid XT, which comes with a five-year warranty on the frame and one-year warranty on parts and labor.

These are a little disappointing. Typically, the frame of a quality cardio machine comes with a warranty that is 15 years to life. 

Returns

There is a 30-day return policy on ProForm equipment. If you decide to return your elliptical, you will face a $250 shipping fee as well as a 10% restocking fee. Unlike other brands, ProForm accepts returns even if they aren’t unused, as long as it’s within 30 days of receipt. However, the brand won’t refund any shipping fees.

Financing

ProForm offers 0% financing over 36 months on a lot of its cardio equipment through TD Bank, N.A.

Final Verdict of Our ProForm Elliptical Reviews

ProForm offers solid cardio equipment in an affordable price range. While the brand doesn’t have any super-budget items, it does offer several machines under $1,000. If you’re looking for iFIT-enabled equipment that gives you access to thousands of workout programs, these ellipticals deserve a look.

ProForm Elliptical Reviews FAQs

Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1

Kate has nearly two decades of experience working in both the fitness and content industries. On the fitness side, she has worked in a number of settings: youth athletics, owned a CrossFit affiliate, personal training, weightlifting coach, CrossFit coach, and fitness floor consultant at a YMCA. Personally, Kate enjoys competing in weightlifting and stores her barbell in her bedroom.On the content side, Kate’s background is in newspaper journalism. She branched into public relations for the American Red Cross for about five years and then moving into content marketing.Today, her work at Garage Gym Reviews blends her excitement for fitness and love of writing. If she isn’t reviewing fitness equipment, you can find her working out or spending time with her two children.Certifications:NASM Certified Personal Trainer CrossFit Level 1 Trainer USA Weightlifting Level 1 Trainer

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