Find Your Stride With the Best Elliptical Machines of 2023

The benefits of cardiovascular exercise are constantly touted: A few cardio workouts per week can help boost your mood, improve your health, decrease the risk of diseases and increase your energy levels and the quality of your sleep, to name a few. When many of us think of cardio, we picture intense workout classes or lacing up running shoes, but cardio comes in many forms. Especially for older individuals, finding a form of exercise that doesn’t place unnecessary stress on the joints is a must, which is why we rounded up the best elliptical machines in this article. Ellipticals offer users a way to work their entire body and get their heart rate up without the constant pounding or pressure that comes with running or HIIT classes. Most ellipticals come with moving handlebars, allowing customers a way to work their upper body and lower body simultaneously for a full-body workout. If you’re looking for a low-impact cardio workout to add to your home gym or to keep up with your favorite weight loss app, an elliptical machine offers an easy way to torch calories while keeping the stress off your joints.

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• Best Overall Elliptical – Schwinn 470
• Best Elliptical for Small Spaces – Bowflex Max Trainer M9
• Best Features on an Elliptical – Nautilus E618 
• Best Affordable Elliptical – Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical
• Best Luxury Elliptical – NordicTrack FS14i FreeStride 
• Best Hybrid Elliptical – ProForm Hybrid Trainer
• Best Elliptical for Seniors – Sole E35

If you’re looking for a high-quality, low-impact elliptical trainer that still gets the heart rate up, the Schwinn 470 is the best in the business. Twenty-five resistance levels make it easy to tailor the difficulty of your workout to your needs/desires that day, and 29 customizable workouts (nine of which incorporate heart rate control) give you plenty of options for exercise. This elliptical has a power incline of up to 10 degrees for more of a stair-stepping workout, or users can opt for a traditional elliptical workout with a 20-inch stride length and moving handlebars. Customers can create up to four user profiles, making this suitable for families or couples who want to share the machine. The Schwinn 470 is compatible with fitness tracking apps and wireless heart rate monitors, though both need to be purchased separately. This elliptical is very sturdy and has a max user weight of 300 lbs. 

When building out your home gym, space is one of the most important factors to consider. The Bowflex Max Trainer M9 is a high-tech elliptical cross-trainer with a small footprint, making it the perfect addition to your home gym. With 20 resistance levels, hundreds of classes, workouts and scenic routes available through the JRNY app, and the ability to stream movies and shows onto the 10” display, this elliptical makes getting (and staying) fit easy from the comfort of your gym, basement or garage. A USB port and water bottle holder on this piece of exercise equipment allows you to keep the necessities close during your home workout. It comes with an included heart rate monitor armband, allowing users to keep track of their heart rate during exercise, which is especially useful for the high-intensity interval training workouts offered by the M9. The machine is lightweight (148 lbs when assembled), making it easy to move around, and can support users up to 300 lbs. 

With cushioned foot pedals, Bluetooth connectivity, 29 workout programs, a cooling fan and an included heart rate monitor, the Nautilus E618 is chock-full of awesome features that make your workouts more pleasant. The built-in workout programs make this a great pick for beginners to elliptical machines, providing follow-along guidance. Nautilus ellipticals include access to the Explore the World app, which includes more guided workouts and allows users to run alongside other users in real time. Motorized incline up to 10 degrees allows for easy stair-climber workouts, adding intensity and more focus on the glutes. A 22” stride length and 350-pound user capacity allows taller and larger individuals to use the machine without issue, and the sturdy frame, heavy front-drive flywheel and larger footprint ensures the Nautilus E618 remains stable during use. 

If you don’t need a ton of fancy features and prefer to save a bit of cash and opt for a no-frills elliptical machine, you won’t find a better affordable option than the Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical, which is available for less than $500 on Amazon. For a budget-friendly elliptical, it’s incredibly sturdy and doesn’t feel shaky or unstable, even when using maximum resistance. A 330-pound weight capacity speaks to the quality build of this machine, and allows larger customers to use it without worry. It’s fairly easy to move around the house: It weighs less than 110 lbs and includes transport wheels on the bottom. While the screen is a fairly simplistic LCD display, it does include 24 guided programs for those who want to follow a workout instead of creating their own. The biggest downside is the shorter stride length (15.5 inches) which might not be long enough for tall users to comfortably use it. 

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line elliptical machine that boasts access to interactive classes, a high-tech touchscreen, incline and decline capabilities and much more, the NordicTrack FS14i FreeStride Trainer is our pick. This cross-trainer offers three different movement patterns: The traditional elliptical movement, a stair-stepping option, and one that closely resembles a treadmill. As with all NordicTrack devices, it comes with access to iFIT programming, which includes unlimited guided workouts and classes, plus the option to participate in live or on-demand workouts, during which your personal trainer can modify your resistance, incline and decline for a completely immersive experience. It’s super stable and boasts a maximum user weight of 375 pounds, plus an adjustable stride length that reaches up to 32”, ensuring users of all weights and sizes can use this machine. One downside is that an iFIT membership is required to use the programming on all NordicTrack fitness equipment, so you can expect to pay $39 a month for access to it. 

If you can’t decide on a single low-impact cardio machine to purchase for your home gym, we’ve got a solution that might just solve your problem: The ProForm Hybrid Trainer is a combination of exercise bike and an elliptical trainer, giving users the option to switch between the two if you and your partner share different preferences, or if you want the ability to mix up the muscle groups you’re working on this exercise machine. With a padded seat that offers ergonomic lower back support, cushioned pedals for both the elliptical and recumbent bike and an adjustable screen so users remain comfortable when they’re using either. The ProForm Hybrid has the ability to sync with iFIT programming, which it does via Bluetooth connection to your phone or other smart device. The machine can control the resistance for you once it’s set up via Bluetooth if you want to participate in interactive classes offered by iFIT, but you don’t need a membership to use the device. There are eight preset elliptical programs and eight bike programs that operate on the LCD display for those who prefer a simpler workout. 

As we age, our flexibility lessens, our joints become more difficult to move and as a result, exercise becomes a bit more difficult. The Sole E35 Elliptical is our top pick for seniors and older folks who want to maintain their health and fitness because it offers a lot in the way of customizability and is great for users of all fitness levels. The pedals on this elliptical can be adjusted to different angles, giving your ankles and achilles tendons a little more stability or wiggle room. A 25-pound flywheel with magnetic resistance and a heavy-duty frame (that has a lifetime warranty!) ensures the elliptical is incredibly sturdy and remains quiet while in use. Added features include a cooling fan, wireless heart rate chest strap and Bluetooth speakers, so you can listen to your favorite music, audiobook or podcast while you exercise. The Sole E35 comes with six standard preset programs, two custom programs and two heart rate-based programs, giving users some options if they want to follow along with a workout. 

How to Find the Best Elliptical Machine 

When browsing home elliptical machines, there are a ton of options out there and narrowing down your selection can be incredibly difficult. We’ve outlined some of the more important considerations to keep in mind while you’re shopping, so you end up with the elliptical that’s best suited for your needs.

Price: The price point on elliptical machines varies a ton, with some models costing well over $2,000 and others just over $500. The amount you should spend on an elliptical depends on your needs, budget, weight/height, frequency of use, intensity of your workouts and what sort of features you’re looking for in an elliptical machine. Be sure to have an idea of whether you want a machine that offers all the bells and whistles or if you just want a basic cardio machine, as that will affect your budget the most. 

Technology: The technology available on elliptical machines comes in many different packages. Some ellipticals offer HD touch screens that allow users to stream movies and shows, follow along with interactive programming, set and work towards goals and much more, while others are more spartan, offering only metrics measuring and a few preset workout programs on an LCD screen. Consider which level of technology you prefer for your elliptical machine and it can help you determine which options suit you best. 

Resistance Levels: If you’re trying to get in a serious resistance workout, an elliptical machine with high levels of resistance can help get those body muscles burning, especially in the calves and hamstrings. Conversely, if you’re more inclined to lighter resistance, cardio-based workouts then you likely won’t need a device that has a ton of resistance on it. One perk of machines with higher resistance is that you can increase the difficulty of your workouts as you get in shape. 

Portability/Size: Realistically, we don’t all have a ton of space in our house for a large home gym. Footprint is something to consider when buying an elliptical machine, especially if you don’t have a dedicated home gym and are trying to put a machine in a guest room, home office or corner of the basement or garage. Before deciding on an elliptical, we recommend measuring your available space and comparing the dimensions of different models to find one that fits your area. 

Other Elliptical Factors to Consider

Workout Features: Some machines come equipped with a whole host of features: Interactive classes that automatically adjust the incline or resistance of the elliptical, programming that offers personal goals, scenic route options and a whole lot more. Other machines offer simpler features, such as wireless heart rate monitoring, preset workouts and user profiles. Some ellipticals can double as a stair-stepper and have automatic incline, while others are more straightforward. Once you realize which of these features you care about and which you could pass on, you’ll have a much easier time determining which elliptical machine is right for you. 

Ergonomics: While most exercise certainly isn’t “comfortable,” it shouldn’t be incredibly uncomfortable, either. The pedal size and stride length can make a big difference in your exercise, especially if you’re taller. Tall individuals want to be sure they get a machine with a longer stride length (20” or more is usually suitable), and larger individuals want to be sure they get an elliptical that can support their weight. This will make your workouts much more comfortable and ensure a longer lifespan of whichever elliptical machine you choose. 

Convenience/Tech Capabilities: If you like to follow along with a trainer during your workouts, want streaming capabilities or want to view your workout history, you likely need a machine that offers some more tech features. Some users prefer a simpler machine that gives them a good workout, isn’t too loud and can fit in their house. Figuring out which capabilities and convenience factors matter to you can help you make the right choice in equipment.