Tested and Proven: The Best Ellipticals for Home in 2024

The AirGlide is the new kid on the block; sort of. In the summer of 2023, NordicTrack released an upgrade to our previous best overall elliptical, the Commercial 14.9, which our team has used and reviewed at length. We got to test the AirGlide for several workouts, and are pleased to note that it is even better than the 14.9 in terms of features and price. First, it’s priced around $1,799 (the Commercial 14.9 was priced at $2K when it was released).

Lindsay Scheele, lead reviewer for our YouTube Channel GGR Everything, did a 25-minute “Climbing Pyramids” class using iFIT on the AirGlide 14i. She says, “This is such a solid machine, there was no shaking to it and it felt super smooth throughout the workout.”

However, Lindsay does note that even at a 0 setting, the AirGlide feels like it’s set to a higher resistance than other ellipticals she has tested.

Also, we are thrilled to see that this elliptical has decline capabilities. That’s rare on ellipticals, but the AirGlide has a range of -5% decline to 15% incline. We rated this machine a perfect 5 out of 5 in five of 14 rated categories: durability, customizations, ergonomics, programming, and tech capabilities.

The iFIT programming is one of the main selling points of this elliptical and what makes it the best elliptical for beginners. iFIT is interactive and plays out on a 14-inch, full-color HD touchscreen (just like it did on the Commercial 14.9). You can pick on-demand, HIIT, or live classes, or go exploring all over the world with runs through countrysides, mountains, and beaches. What I really like is the personal training aspect of iFIT, which can cater workouts to help you meet your specific fitness goals. The more we use the program (which we have used on the best NordicTrack treadmills as well), the more the program learns our fitness levels and adjusts incline and resistance accordingly.

When you buy this machine, you get an iFIT family membership free for 30 days. This means you and up to four other people can access your own profiles on the machine. After a year, if you want to keep iFIT, you’ll have to fork over about $39/month to keep that family member. Without the iFIT subscription, you can still access a few free workouts, but honestly, I would just point you to a more affordable machine at that point.

NordicTrack pretty much throws everything at you with this one: Bluetooth speakers, a cooling fan, heart rate monitoring, and cushioned foot pedals. There are also fixed and moving handles, though Lindsay points out that due to where the grips are on the moving handles, there is essentially only one place to put your hands, and she would have liked more options.

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One unique aspect of the 14i that you don’t find on many of the best ellipticals is the adjustable stride length. You can set the stride to either 17.8 or 18.5 inches. This is another key difference between this and the previous iteration, the Commercial 14.9, which allowed a stride length of up to 20 inches, which is more ideal for people over 6 feet tall. That said, a shorter stride length may be easier on the knees. If you’re looking for the best elliptical for knee pain, the AirGlide 14i may be it.

Another “downgrade” we found between the two machines is that the AirGlide’s weight capacity is just 300 pounds, compared to the Commercial 14.9’s 350 pounds.

We assembled the Commercial 14.9, and it took a few hours. With the AirGlide, we chose white glove assembly, but it was a bit of a disaster due to missing parts. If you put this together by yourself, keep in mind that you have to do the wiring and lift some fairly heavy pieces. Also, the AirGlide weighs more than 240 pounds and isn’t easy to move, so assemble it where you plan to keep it.

For more on this great machine, check out our full NordicTrack AirGlide 14i review.

For around $1,200, the Sole E25 is a serious force to be reckoned with. Both myself and Lindsay Scheele, expert GGR product tester, used this machine and agree that it’s selling point is its affordable price and the fact that it’s packed with high-end features. The elliptical is constructed using durable steel and comes with cooling fans, Bluetooth speakers, 10 preset workouts and oversized foot pedals.

Not only do you get a lifetime frame warranty, but you also get three-year parts, and one-year labor warranty. Sole Fitness also offers an unbeatable return policy and money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your machine within 30 days of purchase, you can return it for a full refund. They’ll even pay for the return postage, which is virtually unheard of.

RELATED: Sole F65 Treadmill Review

The actual workout experience on the E25 is very pleasant for the price. There is slight shaking when in use, probably due to the lack of floor stabilizers, which means it got a 4.5 instead of a 5 out of 5 for durability. It definitely wasn’t a dealbreaker for me, but it is worth noting.

This is a simple monitor; since you’re not paying top-dollar, you can’t expect a fancy touchscreen. And if that’s okay with you, you’ll still get a variety of information shown on the LCD screen like time elapsed, calories burned, and pace. I usually prefer more advanced technology, but something about the simplicity and easy-to-use functionality of the E25 stood out to me.

My big callout with the E25 is the difficult assembly. When we first ordered this machine, white glove assembly wasn’t an option. Now, two years later, you can pay a whopping $350 for assembly in the room of your choice. If you have the money, I say spend it: the poorly written instructions and difficult-to-follow pictures let to a 2+ hour assembly for me (and I’ve assembled many commercial-grade treadmills, bikes, and ellipticals much quicker than that).

For more, check out my full Sole E25 review or watch Lindsay’s Sole E25 elliptical video review.

Ellipticals are inherently a low-impact cardio option, but the Bowflex Max Trainer M6 makes it even more low-impact with the addition of large, cushioned pedals, padded grips, and an adjustable media rack. So yeah, you’ll be sweating, but at least you’ll feel good doing it.

I had this machine in my small apartment for a full year, hopping on it about once a week for a sweat-inducing workout. Even my kids enjoyed it from time to time! We all agreed this gets a 5 out of 5 for a butt-kicking workout.

Over the years, Bowflex has put out a number of Max Trainer ellipticals, each one building on the last. Today, they have the M6, the M9 and the Max Total. The biggest difference, other than a jump in price, is that the M9 and the Total have a large, 10-inch color touchscreen, and a few additional resistance levels.

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If you’re looking for a full gliding machine, this isn’t it. The entire Max Trainer line is more of a stair stepper with just a small stride. It will still make your quads burn and leave you breathless, make no mistake about that. But it won’t simulate running the way some ellipticals do.

I recommend the M6 because I like the price point at under $1,500, and you still get nearly all the benefits as the more expensive machines. You have to use your own tablet or phone to sync your workout with the JRNY app, which gives you endless options for workouts. JRNY actually customizes your workouts based on your performance, so the fitter you get, the more advanced the workouts become.

The M6 has many of the conveniences you want: water bottle holder, Bluetooth capability for a heart rate monitor, and even a USB charging port so if you use your own smart device, you don’t have to worry about it dying. From a footprint perspective, the M6 is only 46 inches long, which is nearly half the size of many other ellipticals. I had no problem moving it around my small space, thanks to the front transport wheels.

I’m disappointed that the warranty on this machine is just two years. Most machines have at least a five to 10-year warranty.

Check out the full Bowflex M6 review, or watch our video review.

The NordicTrack FS10i gives you all the perks of a large-sized elliptical in a much more compact design, making it a perfect option for people who live in small spaces to get compact stair steppers.

This is a center-drive elliptical, which means that the resistance mechanism is in the middle of the machine, as opposed to having the flywheel in the front or back. That means that the overall footprint of the FS10i is smaller than a traditional elliptical.

It also means, however, that the movement pattern is a little different from the traditional elliptical movement. In fact, it’s more of a 3-in-1 machine: a stair stepper, and elliptical, and a treadmill.

“I got on the machine and started using it like a traditional elliptical, which was no problem,” our product tester reports. “I then tried to do a stepping motion, which was harder than I thought it would be. It almost felt like the oversized pedals didn’t want to transition with me.”

In terms of customizations, the FS10i scores a 5 out of 5 with us, as it has up to a 10% incline as well as 24 levels of digital resistance. It is equipped with a 10-inch touchscreen that streams iFIT, should you choose to subscribe to that programming (which we love, as evidenced in our iFIT review).

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We ordered the FS10i with white glove assembly to see how NordicTrack handles putting a machine together for the customer. Halfway through, the build was haulted due to missing parts. The builders had no information on how to get the parts, so we reached out to NordicTrack to send them. The downside for the buyer when this happens is the white glove serves does not come back out, so we had to finish the build ourselves.

In terms of portability, you definitely can move this machine, but it’s heavy at 284 pounds. I personally lifted it to move it, and even with the wheels on it, it was a difficult job.

For more, check out our NordicTrack FS10i review.

Horizon Fitness does a great job of giving you a lot of features at an affordable price. I see this, especially in their treadmills and their ellipticals. We used to have the brand’s 7.0 AE in this spot, but it was discontinued in the summer of 2023. Fortunately, we have also used and tested the EX-59, and at around $600, this was a shoe-in for our favorite budget elliptical.

Lindsay Scheele, lead reviewer for GGR Everything, used the EX-59 and rated it a 4 out of 5 for overall value because she says it’s at a good price for what it offers.

So, what does it offer?

Lindsay rated this machine a 4 or higher in several categories, including conveniences. The EX-59 comes with three water bottle holders, a large shelf to place your smart device, a USB charging port, built-in speakers, and an audio jack for headphones. She also gave this machine a 4 out of 5 for ergonomics, because you’ll find fixed and moving handlebars as well as large foot pedals.

When it comes to her actual workout, Lindsay gives the EX-59 a 3 out of 5. “It is a very basic machine with basic programming,” she says. It’s true: You won’t find interactive workouts streaming from a fancy touchscreen on this machine. Instead, there are four programs: calories, weight loss, distance, intervals.

If you’re shopping for a budget elliptical, you can expect some budget aspects. On this machine, it’s the display. This is a very basic console, but it gives you everything you need in terms of tracking your metrics.

Lindsay says that this machine is easy to move around. It weighs 145 pounds, considerably less than higher-end ellipticals. “One person can easily move it,” she says.

Horizon claims it takes 30 minutes or less to assemble the EX-59. For more, read our in-depth Horizon EX-59 elliptical review.

Before you go any further, let me warn you: The Cubii Move isn’t your traditional elliptical. It’s more of a small pedaler you can keep under your desk, allowing you to move throughout the day.

We have used and reviewed the Cubii JR, which is no longer in production and has been replaced by a line that includes the Move, the the Go, and the Total Body+. We chose the Move for the best under-desk elliptical because it’s the most affordable on the list, and it offers much of what the rest of the line does (though the Total Body+ has handles if you want a full-body workout, but most of us need our hands to type, which is why we don’t necessarily think that’s the best for under-desk movement).

RELATED: Cubii JR Review

In our experience with the Cubii JR, which is almost identical to the Move, is great for just about anyone. Our product tester, Caroline Lubinsky, says she likes to use it throughout her workday. “My grandfather routinely uses his Cubii while sitting in his easy chair and can use it without fear of falling,” she says.

It features eight levels of resistance, which you control by turning a knob. The display is very simple, tracking your workout time, stride count, mileage, and calories burned.

We rated the Cubii JR highest for assembly (as there is basically none) and gave it a perfect 5 out of 5 for portability, because it weighs less than 20 pounds.

You can download the Cubii app to track your progress over time, though you have to manually enter your workout information because there is no Bluetooth connectivity on this machine.

Since this machine costs under $600, I wasn’t expecting much from it but I was quickly surprised by how good it felt during my testing period. I did a 15-minute interval workout, rotating through all the resistance settings, pedaling forward, and pedaling backward.

My verdict: This is a machine that is largely just okay, but it’s excellent if you want a basic and very quiet elliptical.

For one, it’s made with steel instead of plastic (which is what you see on most budget cardio equipment), which not only makes it more stable than other budget ellipticals but more durable as well. It also has a fantastic weight capacity at 400 pounds. However, I only gave it a 3.5 out of 5 for durability because there is quite a bit of shifting side to side while you exercise.

It also comes with magnetic resistance instead of friction resistance, which, again, you’ll often see on budget equipment in an attempt to cut down costs. The steel construction and magnetic resistance mean you’ll be able to keep this machine in your home gym much longer, giving you much more bang for your buck.

But is it worth buying in the first place? Honestly, if you just need an elliptical and aren’t looking for anything fancy then we’d say yes. Yeah, you’ll only get a basic LCD display, won’t have any water bottle holder, and the flywheel is only 16 pounds, but there’s also a lot to like about this machine.

This machine doesn’t require any electricity and has 16 resistance levels. There are ellipticals that cost twice as much as this one that don’t have half of those features. In other words, it’s not one of the best ellipticals but as I like to say it will get the job done (and then some).

I should note that it is a little shaky during use, but nothing that’s going to make you feel unsafe.

Check out the full NiceDay Elliptical Machine review for more information.

It can be hard to find good budget fitness equipment that still is of great quality. I have been on cheap cardio machines, and it’s awful. They don’t feel sturdy and they break down easily.

The Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Machine surprised me with how smooth the workout was. It’s a rear-drive elliptical, which means the wheel is in the back of the machine as opposed to the front. Rear-drive machines tend to have a more natural feel than front-drive machines, but most people barely notice a difference.

Of all the best ellipticals on the market in this price range, I like this one the most because it has 24 built-in workouts, which is a lot for a machine that doesn’t have an accompanying app. Also, it’s lightweight at 105 pounds but still has a weight capacity of 330 pounds.

However, this is a motorized elliptical, as opposed to having a flywheel. The issue here is that a motor may be more susceptible to breakdown or require more maintenance. But, you get what you pay for.

I put this machine together myself, and the instructions weren’t the greatest, which is why it got a 3.8 out of 5 on our assembly rating. This is one of those companies that tries to put three assembly steps into one, so you really have to pay attention to the drawings to make sure you go in order. It took me a little over an hour to do on my own. Doable, but again, not the easiest process.

RELATED: Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Machine review.