NordicTrack Elite Treadmill Review – 2024

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Last Updated: May 1, 2023

The NordicTrack Elite Treadmill has a unique design that we haven’t seen on a treadmill. If you’re familiar with NordicTrack’s X32i and X22i Incline Trainers, you’ll notice some similarities, most notably the incline and decline ranges. The Incline Trainers are some of our favorite treadmills that’s why we’ve rated them at the top of our best treadmills list, and we’re happy to see that the Elite Treadmill shares the same training content, and screen size options. But how does it perform and compare to those treadmills? We’ll go over everything you need to know about the NordicTrack Elite Treadmill in this review. But first, here’s a quick overview.

The NordicTrack Elite has a lot of capabilities to amp up your training.

The NordicTrack Elite Treadmill inclines up to a 40% grade and declines to a -5% grade. You’ll have plenty of variability in your training options with this feature and the maximum 12 mph speed. The large 32” and 22” touch screen options are iFit enabled and allow you to get the most out of iFit’s variety of classes because the screen pivots to each side. You can go from hiking up a mountain in Iceland to doing downward dog on a beach in Hawaii all from the same adjustable screen. Talk about versatility!

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Why You Should Trust Our Review Of The NordicTrack Elite Treadmill

Our reviewers do a lot of running on treadmills to bring you these reviews. We line up treadmills and jump from one to another to test everything from the cushioning, console, motor, incline/decline feature, and more. We work to pay close attention to things like sound output, responsiveness, and comfortability. We’re also all of different heights ranging from about 5’ up to 6’5”. This lets us get different perspectives of each treadmill and helps to give you an idea at home if the treadmill will work for you and your goals.

When testing the NordicTrack Elite Treadmill, we compared it to the NordicTrack Commercial X32i, X22i, and 2950, ProForm Pro 9000, BowFlex Treadmill 22, and Peloton Tread. This way we can give you some insight into how the Elite compares to these other popular treadmills.

Our NordicTrack Elite Treadmill Video Review

In-depth Review of the NordicTrack Elite Treadmill

iFit

iFit is the interactive training program that NordicTrack uses and it comes free for the first month with a purchase of the Elite Treadmill. iFit does require a wifi connection to use.

iFit is like having your own personal trainer on the screen.

The classes are filmed indoors and out and feature a trainer who guides you through exercises. With a subscription to iFit, you’ll have full access to the expanding library of over 16,000 classes. You can take classes for the treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical, rower, and mat with just bodyweight or free weights. Classes on the mat include yoga, Pilates, HIIT, and strength training, just to name a few.

All of these class types give you a comprehensive training app to work your entire body. Plus, there are classes to work on your mind as well, like guided meditations and TED Talks.

I really love iFit’s outdoor content. They film all over the world in impressive locations. You can follow an instructor across beaches, up mountains, and through cities. The videography is of high quality and makes you feel like you’re there, too. The indoor classes are like taking a studio exercise class. Often, there are other users in the background and the trainer in front, leading the group.

You can take a class whenever you want and even schedule to take it ahead of time for added accountability. There’s also a leaderboard to show how you rank among other members. iFit also offers series and monthly challenges, too. You can even train with Olympic athletes like Michael Phelps!

There is a wide variety of music options available, just know that the music isn’t integrated into the classes. Instead, you can pick from preselected playlists that are divided up by different genres. We do wish that iFit integrated some of the music in their indoor classes.

One of my favorite iFit features is SmartAdjust. This is where the Elite Treadmill automatically adjusts the speed/grade levels while you take a class. So if you’re following an instructor up a hill, the treadmill will raise the incline to match the landscape. As you take classes, this feature tailors the treadmill levels to work for your fitness level, so if a speed is too slow or fast for you, it will adjust it based on your performance in previous classes. That way as you progress, iFit recognizes that and cranks up the intensity of your workouts. You can of course opt to adjust the treadmill yourself at any time, too.

Pre-Programmed Workouts

If you don’t want to pay a monthly subscription to iFit, you don’t have to. There is a manual mode that can be used with or without iFit and it doesn’t require WiFi to access. The manual mode displays a track and will show all of your workout metrics as it does while taking a class through the subscription.

You are in control of your speed/incline through the workout in manual mode, so it makes it nice to just hop on and go.

There is also a free version of iFit that has some pre-programmed workouts and a couple of trainer-led classes. There’s typically always a featured iFit class to take with an instructor and a few other class options. There are also workouts that have preselected speed/incline levels programmed that aren’t led by a trainer. These have the same screen as manual mode but the treadmill will adjust to match the programmed settings. This can be bypassed at any time.

Console

The NordicTrack Elite Treadmill comes with two different screen size options: 32” and 22”. Both of these screens can be turned to either side so you can take classes off the treadmill deck. The 22” touch screen simply tilts and pivots by pushing the screen. The 32” screen slides to one side before turning in order to move the screen around the upper handlebars. Being able to turn the screen to the side and take iFit’s mat classes is a game-changer, in my opinion. The two vertical handlebars can block the screen when you’re using it this way, but I’ve found that I can position the screen so this can be avoided.

This feature lets you get more out of iFit’s content and more out of the screen on the treadmill.

One thing that we noticed right away, is how high the screen sits on the console. Instead of having to look down, like we do on other treadmills, the screen is right at eye level. At least it is for me and I’m about 5’1” (with shoes on). For taller folks, the screen can be tilted to better meet your gaze. Our tallest reviewer who is 6’5” even said that he didn’t have to look down like he does on other treadmills, including the NordicTrack Incline Trainers which have the same 32” and 22” screen size options.

Beyond the screen, the console is really sleek and has been streamlined for just the essentials: two cupholders, a fan, adjustment buttons, a safety key, and a speaker bar below the screen. The cupholders are shallow but hold my water bottle just fine. You don’t have to reach around the screen for your water like on the Incline Trainers. There isn’t a device rack to use your phone, so you’re more locked into using the screen.

An aspect that I really like about the NordicTrack Elite Treadmill with the 22” screen, is that there are quick-touch speed and incline buttons to the right and left of the screen. These make shifting from various speeds/grades quickly, possible. You can also use them to input a specific increment of speed. If I press the number 3 on the right side of the screen twice, the speed will adjust to 3.3 mph. When I press the buttons on the left, the treadmill adjusts to that grade percentage. These aren’t available on the 32” screen, however.

There is also a start and stop button below the screen along with speed and incline buttons.

By using the speed and incline buttons below, the speed can be changed by 0.1 increments, while the grade can be adjusted by 0.5%.

The speakers are front-facing and can be heard well. A button to adjust the volume is under the speakers and fan. A button for the fan is next to the volume button. The fan provides a nice breeze and feels a little more powerful than the NordicTrack X22i, X32i, and 2950. It hits my neck and chest, and it has multiple settings. It however doesn’t adjust like the Incline Treadmills though. It might not work well for taller users, especially if you’re wearing a shirt. Our 6’5” tall reviewer couldn’t feel the fan under his shirt because it was pointing towards his torso.

As a shorter person, I’m able to reach all of the control buttons on this console as well as the screen. All of this functionality can be adjusted on the screen in iFit, too.

Construction Quality/ Durability

The Elite Treadmill from NordicTrack has a design that looks really sleek and streamlined. It has a 300 lb weight capacity which is the same as all the treadmills we compared it to, except for the BowFlex Treadmill 22 which has a 400 lb weight capacity. 400 lbs are one of the highest weight capacities we’ve seen on treadmills we’ve tested. 300 lbs are sufficient but limiting for some users.

Frame

The frame under the deck is steel like most other treadmills.

However, instead of having two uprights on either side, the Elite has a singular upright that looks like a column. It supports the handles, console, and screen. The incline mechanism is built into it as well. We haven’t seen this design on a treadmill before. It’s definitely unique. The upright is encased in a sleek, black plastic coating to conceal the wires and other components built-in that are required for the Elite to have the capabilities that it does.

Steel is also found at the bottom of all the handles, with plastic secured at the top. The steel makes the handles feel really secure and the plastic makes the handles not feel cold to the touch. They don’t feel slippery either. I do wish the plastic covering had a textured coating though. The Peloton Tread and the NordicTrack Commercial 1750 and 2450 Treadmills have coatings that feel luxurious to touch and help keep your hands from slipping when sweaty.

Motor

The NordicTrack Elite has a 3.6 CHP motor. In our experience testing, this should be a nice size for all kinds of training from walking, hiking, jogging, running, and sprinting. It should also handle a good amount of use.

NordicTrack has pretty quiet treadmills. In fact, some of the quietest treadmills we’ve tested are the X22i, 1750, and 2450. When compared to the X22i, the motor is just as responsive and fast, but the treadmill makes more noise. The noise isn’t excessive, but we want to be clear that the Elite Treadmill isn’t the quietest. Staying true with most treadmills, the motor gets louder as it reaches higher speeds up to its 12 mph max.

What makes the Elite stand out is its incline and decline levels. It inclines up to 40% and declines to -5% grades. This, along with NordicTrack’s Incline Trainers, is the highest incline we’ve seen on home treadmills. The next highest incline level is 20%, which the BowFlex Treadmill 22 inclines up to. The incline and decline on the Elite are impressive and allow for a high variety of training options.

As I mentioned, the incline function is built into the singular upright, the decline function however is under the back of the deck. It is a small motor that raises the back of the deck to decline it up to -5%.

Here is the Elite fully declined.

The incline and decline functions are both quiet and quick to adjust making the NordicTrack Elite perfect for interval training.

Deck

The running surface is 22” wide and 60” long and offers a nice amount of room to perform all kinds of exercises.

Most users will be able to run and sprint comfortably on the 60” long deck, and enjoy the treadmill inclined up to the max grade. We also appreciate that the new design has the edges of the deck tucked under the side rails for a cleaner look, too.

The Elite has a low step-up height of 9.5”. This is when the deck is at a flat 0% grade and measured from the top of the side rail to the floor. While this isn’t the lowest step-up height we’ve seen on treadmills, it is significantly lower than the X32i and X22i which are 14” high. This makes getting on and off the Elite, easier.

When fully inclined, the height from the front of the deck to the floor is 36”. Because of this height, be sure that you have a high enough ceiling to allow full use of the treadmill. Low ceiling heights might not allow you to incline the deck all the way to its 40%.

Treadmills from NordicTrack have some of the softest cushioning in treadmills that we’ve tested. The Elite Treadmill has nice cushioning that provides excellent shock absorption to lessen the impact when running. Compared to the X22i and the X32i Incline Trainers, it does feel a little firmer, however, it isn’t bouncy. When at higher speeds over 8-9mph, the cushioning can feel slightly bouncy to run on these treadmills. The Elite doesn’t get bouncy but still feels soft underfoot.

Performance & Functionality

The NordicTrack Elite Treadmill offers a wide variety of use. Its features let you walk, run, hike, interval train, sled-push and more. All of this paired with an iFit subscription makes this a well-rounded piece of training equipment.

Even just walking on the deck at a 40% grade gets me huffing and puffing.

We did notice however that the deck shifts from side to side when you’re running and even walking. Every time each foot hits the deck, whichever side the foot lands on causes the front of the deck on that side to lower slightly under the pressure. This might be because the treadmill has a singular upright column, instead of an upright on either side of the deck to give more support. This doesn’t seem to impact the functionality of the treadmill, but it is something we noticed and haven’t seen on a treadmill before. While we like the look of this design, we would like to see this improved in future models of the Elite.

All of our reviewers are still able to run on the deck and find it to be very stable despite its slight shifting.

Also, the foot noise is a bit louder than other treadmills from NordicTrack. I already mentioned that the motor is a bit louder too, but we noticed that when our reviewers ran on it, the thudding from our feet was fairly loud.

I love the large 22” screen on this model and 32” screen options, but the base is small that holds the screen so it wobbles when you use the treadmill at higher speeds. I noticed once I go over 7 mph, the 22” screen moves. Our other reviewers noticed the screen moving even while walking. This can be expected when you have a large screen attached to a treadmill, and we experience it on other models like the ProForm Pro 9000 and the Peloton Tread. I do really like that the screen moves to either side though.

One thing to keep in mind about the NordicTrack Elite Treadmill is that it doesn’t fold up. It’s also extremely heavy at 505-520 lbs which makes moving it difficult. It isn’t impossible to move because there are wheels on the front, but because of the weight, we don’t recommend moving it often. It might also require two people to move depending on how strong they are.

Warranty

NordicTrack backs up the Elite Treadmill with a standard warranty package. They offer a 10-year warranty for the frame, a 2-year warranty for parts, and a 1-year warranty for labor. We recommend at least two people assemble the Elite for a smoother process.