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3 min readFeb 22, 2022

Overall, the best elliptical

The NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 has it all: a 14-inch color touchscreen, huge cushioned pedals, auto-adjustment capabilities, and Bluetooth connectivity. This elliptical machine boasts one of the biggest flywheels on the market, weighing 32 pounds. When you combine that with magnetic resistance, you get a machine that is remarkably quiet and moves smoothly.

One of the features that sets this machine apart is its integration with iFit, an immersive training experience that gives you access to professional personal trainers and planned, guided exercises to help you reach your fitness goals. When you choose an iFit workout, you’ll be guided through terrain in countries like Chile and the Canary Islands by an elliptical trainer, which will automatically adjust the incline and resistance on your machine as you go. It was even better and more realistic with the 14-inch touchscreen.

With the NordicTrack Commercial 14.9, you receive a year of iFit for free, after which it’s $15 per month for an individual plan or $39 per month for a family plan. You may also use the machine without iFit and do it manually, but the iFit experience elevates this elliptical trainer equipment to new heights.

The only true drawback to this exercise equipment is its size. This elliptical workout machine takes up a lot of areas in a home gym, both horizontally and vertically, because it was developed for commercial gym use. It’s not only the biggest horizontally, but it’s also the tallest, so even at normal height, I felt like my head was very close to the ceiling when I stood on it.

If you want all of the features of the 14.9 but want something a little smaller (and a little less expensive), the NordicTrack Commercial 12.9 is essentially identical to the 14.9 but in a more compact size. It does have a smaller screen and a little lighter flywheel.

For smaller places, the best elliptical is

The size of a standard elliptical machine is one of the main deterrents to buying one. There are several compact ellipticals available, but in general, performance must be sacrificed for compactness. However, this is not the case with the ProForm Carbon HIIT H7. Unlike other ellipticals that take up a lot of horizontal room in your home gym, the Carbon HIIT H7 features a vertical design that makes it look more like a stair stepper than an elliptical machine.

It takes up about half the space of a normal ellipse because of its design. However, it isn’t just about gym equipment space. The 10-inch vertical and five-inch horizontal elliptical courses were purposefully mixed to provide a more intense workout and increased calorie burn. The stride was distinct from that of a regular elliptical machine, but when I used it, my legs felt like they were on fire in all the greatest ways. It was notably noticeable on my glutes and the backs of my thighs, which are similar to the areas targeted by a stair climber. However, because your foot never leaves the foot pedal, it’s still a low-impact exercise that puts less stress on your body than stair climbing or other aerobic exercises.

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