Compact ellipticals redefine convenience and accessibility to fitness, offering efficient and effective workouts without requiring much space. These sleek, space-saving machines cater to various fitness needs, whether you’re creating a home gym in a small apartment or looking to maximize space in a commercial fitness area. Our comprehensive guide is your go-to resource for exploring the best compact ellipticals available on the market, featuring the latest models that blend performance with space-saving designs to fit seamlessly into your chosen fitness environment.
From foldable and home-friendly options to compact commercial-grade ellipticals, our guide covers a wide range of preferences and budgets. We’ve conducted the necessary research to identify the top compact ellipticals, ensuring that you can make an informed choice that aligns perfectly with your health and fitness goals, regardless of the available room. Let our guide be your fitness companion, leading you to the compact ellipticals that combine efficiency, durability, and convenience. With these top-tier machines, you can embark on your fitness journey in 2024, even in the coziest of living spaces, ensuring health and well-being are accessible to all.
Best overall compact elliptical: NordicTrack FS14i Elliptical
The NordicTrack FreeStride FS14i Elliptical emerges as the ultimate choice for home fitness. This revolutionary elliptical machine redefines your workout routine by seamlessly integrating stepper, elliptical, and treadmill functionalities, offering a comprehensive exercise experience. Its unparalleled versatility empowers you to customize your fitness regimen according to your unique preferences. At the core of its features lies a 30-day iFIT trial, granting you on-demand access to a plethora of expert-guided workouts tailored to diverse fitness levels and objectives. The integration of Google Maps workout technology virtually transports your workout to global destinations, ensuring every session is engaging and dynamic.
A standout feature of this elliptical is the 32-inch auto-adjustable stride length, accommodating users of varying heights and workout preferences. You can choose from 26 digital resistance levels to fine-tune the intensity of your workouts. Moreover, the elliptical provides an adjustable incline ranging from -10% to 10%, enabling you to target specific muscle groups and introduce variety to your exercise routines. The incorporation of Soft Touch Upper-Body Grips ensures a secure and comfortable grip, actively engaging your upper body during workouts. Despite its robust performance, this elliptical operates with remarkable smoothness and silence, courtesy of the 20-pound Effective Inertia-Enhanced Flywheel and SMR Silent Magnetic Resistance.
Crafted from commercial-grade solid steel, the NordicTrack FreeStride FS14i Elliptical is engineered to withstand the test of time. It supports users with a maximum weight capacity of up to 375 pounds, ensuring longevity and reliability. The elliptical’s 14-inch Smart HD Touchscreen serves as your portal to an immersive workout experience. Access to Global Workouts and Studio Classes allows you to diversify your exercise routines. Integrated transport wheels make it effortless to relocate the elliptical, facilitating efficient space management.
Top Reason to Buy: This elliptical rightfully claims the title of the best overall compact ellipticals, thanks to its unparalleled adaptability, extensive range of features, and advanced integration with iFIT and Google Maps technology. The elliptical’s comprehensive adjustability, encompassing stride lengths, resistance levels, and incline settings, ensures tailored workouts that yield optimal effectiveness for users of all fitness levels. Its sturdy steel construction guarantees enduring durability and robust support. The elliptical’s exceptional features, including the 14-inch touchscreen, Soft Touch Upper-Body Grips, and effortless maneuverability, collectively enhance the overall fitness journey. Whether you’re targeting muscle development, cardiovascular health, or endurance, the NordicTrack FreeStride FS14i Elliptical is a standout choice for the best compact elliptical available, delivering a comprehensive home workout experience.
Best cheap compact elliptical: Sunny Health & Fitness Elliptical – Smart
When it comes to affordability and compactness, the Sunny Health & Fitness Elliptical Stepping Machine shines as the top choice. This elliptical offers a smart fitness solution that lets you stride alongside Sunny Health & Fitness expert trainers through the SunnyFit App. With Bluetooth connectivity, you can easily connect your preferred mobile device and monitor your performance metrics in real time.
The all-new SunnyFit App takes your workouts to the next level by providing real-time metrics as you virtually tour the world with location maps, allowing you to customize workout plans and access over 1,000 workout videos tailored to your schedule and goals. You can even compare your results on the elliptical leaderboard, share your fitness experiences, and get valuable workout tips. Keeping track of your fitness progress is vital, and this elliptical ensures you stay informed. The digital monitor displays essential workout metrics, including calories burned, distance covered, odometer, pulse rate, speed, time, and a convenient scan feature. Choose your ideal level of resistance with the magnetic tension knob, offering eight different resistance levels. This feature adds versatility to your workout, accommodating varying fitness needs and training goals.
The Sunny Health & Fitness elliptical provides bidirectional striding with an 11-inch stride length, ensuring an efficient and optimal striding motion. Plus, transportation wheels make it easy to move and store the elliptical in tight spaces. You can actively monitor your cardiovascular performance with the built-in pulse-sensing grips. The data can be displayed on the digital monitor or within the SunnyFit App. Additionally, the elliptical includes a device holder, making it convenient to follow along with Sunny Health & Fitness trainers using your phone, tablet, or any other mobile device of your choice.
Top Reason to Buy: The go-to elliptical if you’re seeking an affordable and compact workout solution. It offers an engaging fitness experience through the SunnyFit App, providing real-time metrics, customizable workout plans, and an extensive library of workout videos. With eight levels of magnetic resistance and bidirectional striding, it’s suitable for users of various fitness levels. The elliptical’s compact design and transportation wheels enable easy storage in tight spaces. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced fitness enthusiast, the Sunny Health & Fitness Elliptical is your cost-effective, space-saving solution for effective workouts at home.
Best virtual streaming experience: BowFlex Max Total 16 Elliptical
The Max Total 16 stands out as an elite compact fitness machine, tailored to elevate your workout potential, even within confined spaces. This exceptional fitness solution harmoniously blends cutting-edge technology with entertainment, making it the prime choice for individuals seeking an enriching workout experience while indulging in their favorite shows. At its core, the Max Total 16 boasts a 16″ interactive console featuring an HD touchscreen. This console is equipped with built-in coaching software that assesses your fitness level and prescribes personalized targets that dynamically adapt as you progress, ensuring that your workouts consistently challenge and deliver desired results.
A defining feature of this fitness machine is the ability to seamlessly stream your preferred shows from popular entertainment platforms such as Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO Max directly on the console. This entertainment integration significantly enhances your exercise sessions, making them engaging and enjoyable. The Max Total 16 further augments your fitness journey with the JRNY All-Access Membership, offering an extensive array of adaptive workouts, motivational trainers, streaming entertainment, and more. This subscription service presents a comprehensive approach to fitness and fun, catering to various preferences and fitness levels.
The Max Total 16’s 20 levels of magnetic resistance ensure that it accommodates high-intensity workouts, characterized by intervals of intense effort punctuated by recovery periods. This style of training delivers an invigorating fitness experience that is not only effective but also highly motivating, making it an ideal choice for individuals in search of an elliptical that excels in hill sprint workouts.
Top Reason to Buy: The Max Total 16 excels as the best compact elliptical for the ultimate virtual class experience in 2024 Its interactive console with integrated coaching software enables fitness assessment and personalized target setting. The option to stream your preferred shows from leading entertainment services elevates your workout entertainment. The JRNY All-Access Membership introduces adaptive workouts, inspirational trainers, and streaming entertainment, ensuring a well-rounded fitness regimen. With 20 levels of magnetic resistance, this compact fitness machine is expertly designed to keep you returning for more exhilarating, high-intensity workouts. Whether you are space-constrained or desire an engaging, streaming fitness experience, the Max Total 16 offers an all-inclusive solution.
Best for high-intensity interval training (H.I.I.T.): ProForm Pro HIIT H14 Elliptical
If you’re seeking an elliptical designed for high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in a compact form, the ProForm Pro HIIT H14 is your ultimate choice. This elliptical brings the indoor workout studio to your home through the iFIT platform, offering a diverse range of workouts led by expert trainers. The Pro HIIT H14 is equipped with interactive training sessions. iFIT trainers actively control the resistance during your workouts, ensuring your training sessions are dynamic and challenging. You can explore outdoor workouts worldwide, from running through cities to hiking trails, all while following a personal trainer’s guidance. The elliptical is designed for efficient connected fitness tracking, as every training session is automatically recorded and can influence your future exercises and nutrition plans. With the included 30-Day iFIT Trial, you can access a wealth of live events, on-demand global workouts, and studio classes.
The Pro HIIT H14’s unique design features a 10-inch vertical and 5-inch horizontal elliptical path, perfect for burning calories and building strength. This motion engages multiple muscle groups, including calves, hamstrings, quads, glutes, biceps, and triceps, all within a single movement. The elliptical is equipped with a 14-inch high-definition touchscreen for a cutting-edge experience. You can effortlessly manage resistance levels, audio, fan settings, workout programs, and more through the user-friendly interface.
One of our favorite features is the ability to say goodbye to noisy workouts. The Pro HIIT H14 features SMR Silent Magnetic Resistance, providing a quiet, smooth, and durable exercise experience without disrupting your home, while your joints will appreciate the zero-impact design of this elliptical. Your feet never leave the pedals, ensuring a gentle, low-stress workout for your legs and back. Finally, space-saving capability is a top priority with the Pro HIIT H14. Its compact footprint takes up half the space of a standard elliptical, making it an excellent choice for smaller workout areas.
Top Reason to Buy: Perfect elliptical for HIIT enthusiasts and those looking for efficient space usage. With interactive training sessions and global workouts available through iFIT, it provides a studio-quality experience in the comfort of your home. Its unique elliptical path activates various muscle groups in one motion, and the quiet, zero-impact design makes it a convenient and joint-friendly choice. The 14-inch touchscreen and compact footprint enhance its user-friendliness and space-saving capabilities. If you’re looking for an elliptical that offers versatility, challenging workouts, and compactness, the Pro HIIT H14 is an excellent investment for your home gym.