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The 7 Best Ellipticals For Your Home Gym

Believe it or not, elliptical machines haven’t been around all that long—the first ones you could buy appeared in the 1990s as an alternative to high-impact treadmills. And they still excel at exactly that; if you want to get in your cardio without eventually ruining every joint from your waist down, you need a low-impact elliptical machine.

The best ellipticals do a lot more than just save your joints. They give you a full-body workout, targeting muscle groups in your arms, chest, back and legs—all while amping up your heart rate and helping you pass the time with tech. Some ellipticals offer the same kind of subscription-based large-screen live coaching and curated workouts as you’ll find in premium-priced treadmills and stationary bikes. Others eschew that but include Bluetooth so you can use fitness apps on your phone. Then there are modest models that emphasize simple workouts and smaller form factors, or pack up easily when the workout is done.

No matter what kind of elliptical you’re looking for, you’ll find it here. We’ve rounded up 7 of the best ellipticals you can buy today. Check out the list; your knees will thank you.

Dave Johnson

Dave Johnson

Forbes Shopping Staff Writer

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Best All-Around Elliptical: Nautilus E618 Elliptical Trainer
 
 
 
Best All-Around Elliptical: Nautilus E618 Elliptical Trainer

If you want an elliptical machine that’s rugged, versatile and features great ergonomics, the Nautilus E618 Elliptical Trainer is a solid choice. You get 25 levels of resistance to customize 29 different programs, and the system tracks details like time, distance and calories on the LCD display. Overheating during your workout? Nautilus also includes a three-speed fan. And it offers a comfortable workout thanks to the adjustable footplates with customized heel support.

$1299

BUY AT NAUTILUS
 
 
Best Full Body Workout Elliptical: Bowflex Max Trainer
 
 
 
Best Full Body Workout Elliptical: Bowflex Max Trainer

Bowflex’s Max Trainer series is what you get when you cross an elliptical machine with a stair stepper. The result is a machine that delivers full-body, low-impact exercise with an intense calorie-burning workout. Bowflex says that lets you burn more calories in less time for more efficient workouts and more time not on the machine, and the company cites a study that asserts the M8’s unique motion provides greater upper body muscle activation than traditional ellipticals. Because the M8 is vertical rather than horizontal, it also takes up less space.

$2299

BUY AT AMAZON
 
 
Best Almost-Silent Elliptical: ProForm Pro 12.9
 
 
 
Best Almost-Silent Elliptical: ProForm Pro 12.9

While far from, the least expensive elliptical machine on the market, the ProForm Pro 12.9 is an excellent value that will feel like a great investment. You’ll appreciate the lack of noise; the Pro 12.9 is relatively quiet, built around ProForm’s own ultra-quiet, frictionless Silent Magnetic Resistance (SMR) technology. You can dial in any of 24 resistance levels and 0-20 degrees of incline. It’s also easy to lift, roll and store if you need to reclaim the space after your exercise.

$1499

BUY AT PROFORM
 
 
Best Budget-Priced Elliptical: Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Trainer
 
 
 
Best Budget-Priced Elliptical: Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Trainer

If price were no object, you’d probably work with a personal trainer every morning. But price often is an object. Sunny Health & Fitness offers the Magnetic Elliptical Trainer, a $500 model that shows you can get a quality exercise machine without breaking the bank. This machine is best for people with a short stride—the stride length is a15.5 inches—and the motorized magnetic resistance system has 16 levels.

$450 $480

BUY AT AMAZON
 
 
Best Elliptical for Sensitive Joints: Sole Fitness Sole E35 Elliptical
 
 
 
Best Elliptical for Sensitive Joints: Sole Fitness Sole E35 Elliptical

The Sole Fitness Sole E35 has a feature not a lot of other elliptical’s can claim: foot pedals designed in collaboration with physical therapists. The oversized pedals have adjustable foot beds and a 2-degree inward slope that reduces ankle and knee stress which is common in other ellipticals. The overall design of the E35 eliminates strain on your knee, hip and ankle joints so that turns an ordinarily low-impact workout into essentially a no-impact workout, regardless of which of the 20 resistance levels you choose.

$1500 $2800

BUY AT SOLE FITNESS
 
 
Best Compact Storage Elliptical: NordicTrack SpaceSaver SE9i
 
 
 
Best Compact Storage Elliptical: NordicTrack SpaceSaver SE9i

It’s right there in the name—this NordicTrack SE9i is called the SpaceSaver, and it gets that title by folding up like a transformer vertically for storage—it can easily stand unobtrusively in a corner instead of taking up half the room.

But there’s a lot more to this elliptical than just easy storage. Thoughtful ergonomic touches include padded foot pedals that lower the impact of your workout as well as an integrated fan. You get 24 resistance levels and 10 degrees of adjustable incline. The 7-inch HD touchscreen it compatible with iFit software, so with a subscription, you can take advantage of live coaches and trainers, and jog your way through courses that take you to gorgeous real-world locations. Meanwhile, the SE9i can automatically changes incline and resistance based on your route and workout.

$1699

BUY AT NORDICTRACK
 
 
Best Commercial-Grade Elliptical: Life Fitness Club Series Elliptical Cross-Trainer
 
 
 
Best Commercial-Grade Elliptical: Life Fitness Club Series Elliptical Cross-Trainer

You’ve probably used Life Fitness equipment at the gym, but you might not be aware that the company makes home versions of its elliptical trainers as well. These machines are just as durable as the commercial models. Case in point: the Life Fitness Club Series Elliptical Cross-Trainer is a quiet and reliable machine that feels as solid as gym equipment. It features an especially long stride of 20 inches, oversized pedals and 25 resistance levels to keep you challenged.

$7549

BUY AT LIFE FITNESS
 

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