Best Elliptical Machines, 2024: Hand-Selected & Sweat Tested

NordicTrack FS14i FreeStride Trainer

Best Elliptical Overall

Sole E95 Elliptical

Best Elliptical For Bad Knees

• Star Rating
• PriceMSRP: $2,099
• ManufacturerSole
• TypeFront Drive

Best Price at Sole

91

A heavy-duty standard elliptical with adjustable pedals makes for a comfortable, low-impact workout on this elliptical.

Rating MatricOur Rating

• Workout Experience

  8

• Specs / Features

  9

• Dimensions / Storability

  6

• On-Board Workouts & Apps

  8

• Build Quality

  8

What We Like:

• Standard, comfortable design
• Heavy-duty construction
• Stream free trainer-led workouts
• Stream from apps like Netflix
• Adjustable pedals
• Magnetic resistance and incline
• Lifetime warranty

Areas For Improvement:

• Stride a little longer for shorter users
• Heavy and hard to move

The Sole E95 Elliptical is one of Sole’s most popular ellipticals. It offers high-quality components at a great price. We love the solid design and sleek pedal movement.

Sole’s E95 Elliptical is a highly rated elliptical designed for home use, but its solid design rivals commercial equipment found in fitness centers. Its quiet drive system is one of our favorite features; you get a smooth forward and reverse pedal motion that creates hardly any noise. The E95 has a heavy 27-lb flywheel, which makes the motion even throughout the pedal stroke. There is no heaviness on the back end since the flywheel gently propels you.

The 20” stride length is sufficient for most users. The oversized foot pedals are cushioned for comfort. Sometimes, ellipticals can cause a bit of numbness in the toes since your foot stays in one position with no toe-off, as you do when running. The cushioned pedals on the E95 are supportive underfoot, with no discomfort or numbness after a long workout. Each pedal can also be adjusted to change the angle to avoid foot numbness. This is why we’ve named the E95 the best elliptical for bad knees.

This elliptical weighs 242 pounds but will support a whopping 400 pounds! Its power-adjustable incline with 20 levels of incline and 20 levels of resistance combine to give you one heck of a challenging workout! The Sole E95 has also been updated to include a 13.3” touchscreen that includes onboard workout programs and streaming from 12 preloaded apps like Netflix and Hulu.

There are also trainer-led workouts from the Sole+ app integrated into the screen. You can take elliptical and mat classes. Plus, if all of this isn’t enough, you can stream content from your phone for practically unlimited options. So, you’ll never get bored on an elliptical again with the Sole E95!

Click here to read our detailed review of the Sole E95 Elliptical.

Interested in the Sole E95 Elliptical?

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Sole E25 Elliptical

Best Budget Elliptical

• Star Rating
• PriceMSRP: $1,199
• ManufacturerSole
• TypeFront Drive

Best Price at Sole

82

Stable, quiet, low-impact, AND affordable? This elliptical is a great budget pick!

Rating MatricOur Rating

• Workout Experience

  7

• Specs / Features

  6

• Dimensions / Storability

  7

• On-Board Workouts & Apps

  6

• Build Quality

  7

What We Like:

• Excellent value for the price
• Adjustable resistance and incline
• Onboard workout programs and device rack
• Sturdy with a lifetime warranty
• Comfortable for smaller users
• Compatible with Sole+ app for trainer-led workouts

Areas For Improvement:

• Speakers are weak
• Less tech than others

Although it’s the lowest-priced elliptical on this list, the Sole E25 doesn’t sacrifice quality or features. It shares the same standard design as Sole’s other ellipticals, featuring a front-mounted flywheel and adjustable pedals to help prevent foot numbness. The frame is also made of steel with a narrower width and long length.

The E25 handles up to 350 lbs, which is a significant amount of weight. Although it’s a little smaller than some of Sole’s other ellipticals, most people will enjoy using it. Our shorter product experts favor the E25 because of its design and comfortable 20” pedal stride.

Along with its price and build quality, another reason we love the Sole E25 is that it doesn’t have a touchscreen. Touchscreens are everywhere nowadays and on almost every home elliptical, but not this one! The E25 has a simple 7.5” white backlit LCD screen. It displays your workout metrics and the built-in standard onboard workout programs.

You can unplug from the world a bit while working out or stream whatever you want on your phone or tablet by utilizing the device rack on the console. The E25 also has Bluetooth to connect to the Sole+ app for free trainer-led workouts when you purchase the elliptical.

With less tech on the console, you get to choose how you want to exercise. So, if you’re looking for a standard elliptical without subscription content and a touchscreen, check out the Sole E25. You’ll save a bit of money, too.

Click here to read our detailed review of the Sole E25 Elliptical.

Interested in the Sole E25 Elliptical?

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NordicTrack AirGlide 14i Elliptical

Best Front-Drive Elliptical

• Star Rating
• PriceMSRP: $1,799
• ManufacturerNordicTrack
• TypeFront Drive

Best Price at NordicTrack

85

Elevate your elliptical workouts with iFIT on this quiet, standard design.

Rating MatricOur Rating

• Workout Experience

  8

• Specs / Features

  8

• Dimensions / Storability

  7

• On-Board Workouts & Apps

  9

• Build Quality

  7

What We Like:

• Streaming from iFIT with a subscription
• Standard low-impact workout
• Front-mounted 32-lb flywheel
• Incline and decline
• Cushioned, adjustable pedals
• Comfortable stride length for most users

Areas For Improvement:

• Incline and decline a little loud
• Screen is low

NordicTrack’s newer elliptical is the AirGlide 14i. This front-drive elliptical is sleek and functional, providing an enhanced traditional elliptical training experience. The heavy, 32-lb flywheel is mounted on the front of the machine to provide stability and a smooth pedal and handle stroke.

With the majority of the weight and center of gravity being at the front of the AirGlide 14i, the console remains steady. Because of this design, we’ve awarded the NordicTrack AirGlide 14i as the best front-drive elliptical on this list.

The 14i has a comfortable 17.8” to 18.5” stride length appropriate for most heights. The pedals have foam cushioning that feels comfortable underfoot. They can also be adjusted to different angles to help prevent foot numbness. The upper handles move in conjunction with the pedals to provide a total-body low-impact workout. The handles are vertical and lengthy to offer a comfortable grip, depending on your height.

The middle stationary handles remain stable to provide an isolated lower body workout when you want it. These handles also serve as a way to hold onto the AirGlide 14i when you get on and off. The pedals move even when unplugged, so having these handles makes stepping on and off the pedals easier.

All in all, no matter which handles you’re using, the AirGlide 14i feels smooth and stable to use. It also offers a 15% incline and -5% decline to really amp up your training by providing a good amount of variety.

The 14” touch screen is also enabled with iFIT to offer thousands of workout classes with a subscription. Without a subscription, you can still access structured workouts, too.

Click here to read our detailed review of the NordicTrack AirGlide 14i Elliptical.

Interested in the NordicTrack AirGlide 14i?

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Sole E35 Elliptical

Best Elliptical For Home Use

• Star Rating
• PriceMSRP: $1,599
• ManufacturerSole
• TypeFront Drive

Best Price at Sole

84

Comfortable for most people, quiet for most homes, and Netflix streaming makes this elliptical ideal for most.

Rating MatricOur Rating

• Workout Experience

  7

• Specs / Features

  7

• Dimensions / Storability

  7

• On-Board Workouts & Apps

  8

• Build Quality

  7

What We Like:

• Comfortable design
• Excellent build quality
• Trainer-led workouts and Netflix
• 20 levels of incline and 20 levels of resistance
• Adjustable pedals
• Lifetime warranty
• Great for most people

Areas For Improvement:

• Large and heavy
• Fan and speakers are a little underpowered

The Sole E35 is a great all-around elliptical for most people and homes. It’s right in the middle of Sole’s lineup of solid standard ellipticals. It provides primarily lateral pedal and handlebar motion, and the overall construction, 350-lb weight limit, and design are ideal for most body types.

The Sole E35 features a front-mounted 25-lb flywheel. Its position makes for stable workouts. The incline and resistance make for good training variables to mix up the intensity of your workouts, too.

Even with just the construction and training features on this elliptical, we were falling, but the 10” touchscreen packed with free content has us in love. You don’t have to pay a subscription to access the trainer-led workouts from the integrated Sole+ app on the screen. There are also 12 preloaded streaming apps, like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify, ready for you to log into your account for each and start streaming.

You can also screen mirror content from your phone and charge your phone on the console for added convenience. If you’re looking for a great midrange, standard elliptical that’s well-priced, built for most sizes, and entertaining, we highly recommend this best-seller from Sole.

Click here to read our detailed review of the Sole E35 Elliptical.

Interested in the Sole E35 Elliptical?

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NordicTrack FS10i FreeStride Trainer

Best Hybrid Elliptical

• Star Rating
• PriceMSRP: $1,999
• ManufacturerNordicTrack
• TypeMid-Drive

Best Price at NordicTrack

88

This is a versatile elliptical trainer for streaming iFIT and varying your training.

Rating MatricOur Rating

• Workout Experience

  7

• Specs / Features

  8

• Dimensions / Storability

  6

• On-Board Workouts & Apps

  9

• Build Quality

  8

What We Like

• Three machines in one
• Streaming with iFIT
• Resistance and incline
• Cushioned pedals
• Quick-adjustment buttons
• Unique and fun

Areas For Improvement:

• Pedal movement requires more space cleared
• Full stride is long for short users

The NordicTrack FreeStride FS10i Trainer is a multi-functional hybrid elliptical trainer with high quality components and enhanced functionality. It checks all the boxes for a great at home elliptical trainer.

The FreeStride pedal motion is unique; moving your feet with the pedals makes it feel like you are gliding. As opposed to traditional treadmills that hold your foot in a horizontal plane, the Freestrider allows you to push the pedal up and down and forward and back. You have control of the movement.

The FS10i also offers 32” of stride length, so you have extra range as you glide on the pedals—nearly double the length of a standard elliptical! The power incline helps stimulate posterior chain muscles for a well-rounded (no pun intended) workout! The moving handlebars make it easy to engage upper body muscles as well.

In addition to quality design, the FreeStride Trainer includes access to iFIT, with hundreds of class options to choose from! The 10” touchscreen will display iFIT classes and content. iFIT is updated frequently, so you won’t get bored or run out of training options. We love the SF10i FreeStride Trainer for its advanced functionality, great content, and unique design!

Click here to read our detailed review of the NordicTrack FS10i FreeStride Trainer.

Interested in the NordicTrack FS10i FreeStride?

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What to Consider when Buying an Elliptical

An elliptical is a large and expensive piece of fitness equipment. We highly encourage consumers to consider the following when buying to ensure they get a quality machine.

Flywheel

The flywheel generates the magnetic resistance. It also contributes to the elliptical’s overall stability and durability. The flywheel’s weight affects how the elliptical feels and functions.

For top performance, we recommend looking for an elliptical with a flywheel of 20 pounds or heavier. The heavier flywheel creates a smooth motion through the stride. Lighter flywheels of less than 10 lbs usually make for a poorly constructed machine.

Stride Length

Many ellipticals have a fixed stride length. For most people, around 18” to 20” is ideal. Our team consists of people ranging from around 5’ tall up to 6’5”. In our testing, ellipticals with this stride length are comfortable for both sides of this height range.

Some ellipticals have adjustable strides, like the NordicTrack FreeStride Trainers. This means you control the pedal motion, and you can change the type of workout you get on these machines. There are also a few ellipticals with pedal motions that are more vertical than horizontal, like the Bowflex Max Trainers. This machine targets your glutes more than standard ellipticals.

You should check out the length of the stride and what type of motion it provides to determine if it will be comfortable for you and effectively train how you want to.

Your Home Space

Ellipticals are large pieces of fitness equipment. Many take up a significant amount of floor space, not to mention, most are heavy. Using an elliptical on an upper-level floor or apartment might not be possible due to the size of some models.

It’s important to consider the overall dimensions, the elliptical’s weight, and its step-up height. Ensure you have plenty of floor space and ceiling clearance to use it. Many ellipticals incline, so when we create our reviews, we measure the step-up height of the pedals when inclined to give insight into the minimum ceiling height you can have for the machine.

Many ellipticals come with transport wheels to move them when needed. It is important to note that most, including the ones on this list, are heavy and hard to move. Moving an elliptical from room to room often isn’t recommended. Occasionally, shoving one over against the wall is more realistic for some ellipticals.

Handles

Many ellipticals have moving arms that users can pull and push to engage upper body muscles. This makes most ellipticals a full-body exercise machine. Many have moving handles and non-moving handles. The moving handles are for engaging your upper body. Some have multi-grip handles to hold onto at different spots to engage different parts of your upper body. All of the best ellipticals we have on our list have moving handles that accommodate a wide range of heights.

The non-moving handles are for isolating your lower body. They are also helpful for getting on and off most ellipticals. Oftentimes, the pedals move, even when unplugged, so having a stationary handle to grab onto when getting on and off is helpful.

Pedals

Ellipticals can often cause foot numbness. When you’re gliding the pedals, your feet don’t lift entirely off the pedals. Because your toes often keep consistent contact with the pedals, they can go numb after a while. Many ellipticals nowadays come with adjustable pedals to help prevent this.

Most ellipticals with adjustable pedals have multiple angles that lift the heel of the pedals more or less, depending on your preference. Many pedals are oversized and compatible with tennis shoes. Some have extra padding for comfort, too.

Maximum User Weight

We like to see ellipticals with at least 300-lb weight limits. A high weight limit usually indicates a heavy-duty design. When choosing an elliptical, you want to be sure you don’t exceed the weight limit to ensure the machine lasts.

Construction

Of course, the overall construction is important to consider. An elliptical is designed to support you while the pedals and handles move. You want one that is heavy-duty, smooth, and durable. Most have steel frames and components. Check the materials to help assess the construction.

Drive Design

Depending on flywheel placement, ellipticals have either a front, center or rear drive design. Many commercial ellipticals have rear-mounted flywheels. These are generally more durable but also tend to take up more floor space. Front-drive ellipticals can be more compact, so if you’re short on space, we recommend looking into one of these.

Warranty

Checking the manufacturer’s warranty helps to understand the overall build quality. We look for warranties of at least ten years in well-constructed ellipticals. We also recommend purchasing directly from the manufacturer to ensure the warranty is included.

Resistance

Most home ellipticals have adjustable magnetic resistance. You can control the resistance on the console and sometimes on the handlebars. Many provide several different levels to vary the tension against the moving handles and pedals. The higher the level, the more resistance. Most have 20-30 levels.

Also, ellipticals with magnetic resistance, like the ones we recommend above, tend to be quiet and appropriate for most homes.

Incline

The incline is a little more unique and is only found on some ellipticals. This feature lifts the pedals to incline the user, placing them in a different position from when the elliptical is flat. The incline tends to target even more of the glutes on most ellipticals.

Some also include a decline with the incline for even more training options. The decline typically targets more of the fronts of the legs while working out.

Preloaded Onboard Workout Programs

Most ellipticals come with a handful of standard, preloaded programs you can run on the machine, such as Fat Burn, Hills, Intervals, Manual, etc. These are included and like what you would find on a commercial elliptical in a public gym.

Subscription Content

Usually, fitness equipment with touchscreens, offer subscription content. This includes ellipticals. It’s a good rule of thumb to assume that if an elliptical has an attached touchscreen, it has a subscription that you’ll need in order to utilize all of the content on the screen.

This isn’t the case for every elliptical. Sole ellipticals have included trainer-led video workouts and preloaded apps like Netflix available to use without a subscription fee.

Subscription training content can be very helpful on elliptical machines, especially. Our team often gets bored on ellipticals, but having subscription training content keeps us engaged and entertained. We highly recommend checking out content like iFIT, which can be found on NordicTrack and ProForm ellipticals. The library of over 17,000 (and counting) workout videos features an instructor with many of them filmed in beautiful locations worldwide. iFIT enhances the overall experience on ellipticals from these brands, as well as watching Netflix and other streaming apps on Sole machines.

Just be aware that subscription content requires a separate fee apart from the cost of the elliptical.

Heart Rate Control

The best method of heart rate monitoring is an included heart rate strap that syncs to the console. Many ellipticals also pair with devices like Garmin to track your heart rate. EKG grips on the handlebars are also good, but these are typically less precise. Heart rate training allows you to find the right intervals for you personally.

Additional Features: Fans, Speakers, Bluetooth, Tablet Holder

Look for features that matter to you. Some ellipticals have fans, which is really nice when you are working hard. Speakers will play programming music, and Bluetooth connectivity often allows users to sync their music to play through the elliptical speakers. Some ellipticals include a tablet holder for your phone or device so you can watch it while you exercise.

There are lots of options when choosing a home elliptical machine, so do some research to find the best one for you!

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes a good elliptical?

A good elliptical is one that you’ll use regularly. We look for ellipticals with over 20lb flywheels and maximum weight capacities of 300 lbs+. A solid build and warranty are also indicators of a good elliptical.

Does the elliptical burn belly fat?

Ellipticals provide low impact workouts that burn calories. It may help burn belly fat, but be aware that you can’t spot reduce fat from specific areas on your body and you must be in a calorie deficit to lose fat. This means that you have to burn more calories than you consume.

The elliptical is a great option for getting into shape, improving endurance, and burning calories.

Which elliptical is best for home use?

We’ve rated the NordicTrack FS14i FreeStride Trainer Elliptical as our top elliptical for home use. It performs as three different machines, so you can adjust your stride to move like an elliptical, treadmill, and stair-stepper to target even more muscles. It also has a 14” touch screen that is iFIT compatible, so you can stream from thousands of guided workouts filmed all over the world.

We also consider the Sole E35 to be the best elliptical for home use. It is a standard elliptical with primarily lateral moving pedals and handles. It is stable, comes with a lifetime warranty, and has a 350-lb weight limit. It also comes with a touchscreen that includes trainer-led workout content and streaming from apps like Netflix without a subscription. Both of these ellipticals are excellent for home use, as well as the others we’ve included on our best elliptical machines list.