Getting yourself an elliptical machine to use at home is a smart idea. It can give you a great workout to tone your muscles and burn excess calories but, because your feet don’t leave the pedals, it puts less stress on knees and other joints than hopping onto a treadmill.
When you’re buying you can choose from gym-style elliptical machines, or opt for a lower-body workout-only version that can fit under a desk or could be used from a chair or couch. These smaller machines allow you to get a workout in the office, plus they’re ideal if you don’t have the space to store a larger machine. The best elliptical machine in our opinion is the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E905 elliptical machine, which provides an upper and lower body workout with eight resistance levels to pick from but is still compact. Discover all our top choices below.
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E905 elliptical machine
Compact design with multiple resistance levels
With monitors for heart rate, and distance and time shown, this machine can help you get fitter.
Pros:
- Compact dimensions
- Eight resistance levels
- Digital monitor
- Anti-slip handles and foot pads
- Floor stabilizers
Cons:
- Shorter stride length
The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E905 elliptical machine is our top pick. It’s compact enough to fit into apartments and smaller houses as it keeps stride length to 11 inches, but it provides an effective upper and lower body workout.
There are eight resistance levels you can set through the tension control knob so you can increase the challenge of your workouts. It has a hand pulse monitor to track your heart rate, and you can also see the time, speed, distance, and calories used during your workout. The machine has floor stabilizers to keep it in place on carpet or hard flooring, and anti-slip foot platforms.
Body Max Body Rider elliptical trainer and exercise bike
Swap two machines for one
An elliptical with an adjustable seat, this machine gives you feedback on distance, time, speed, and calories consumed.
Pros:
- Use as elliptical or bike
- Adjustable tension
- Time, speed, distance, and calorie tracking
Cons:
- No heart rate monitor
If you like the idea of varying your workouts, the Body Max Body Rider elliptical trainer and exercise bike could be the machine for you with the option to swap to using it as an exercise bike as an alternative to an elliptical trainer. The seat can be moved both vertically and horizontally for comfort when you’re cycling.
You can adjust the tension knob to raise or lower the resistance level to get the right workout and keep track of time spent, your speed, and the calories you’ve burned. It won’t track your heart rate, though.
Stamina Inmotion elliptical
Can be used sitting or standing
This mini machine lets you work out at your desk or on the sofa and there are multiple colors to pick from.
Pros:
- Multiple colors available
- Compact
- Portable
- Use sitting or standing
Cons:
- No upper-body workout
- No pulse monitor
Looking for an elliptical that won’t take up much space? The Stamina Inmotion elliptical is just 24 x 17.5 inches and can be tidied away into a closet when you’re done working out. Unlike full-size ellipticals, it won’t exercise your upper body, but it does allow you to burn calories while you’re at your desk, or on the couch.
The resistance can be controlled, and the monitor shows strides per minute, total strides, time, and calories burned. You can move both forwards and in reverse to target different muscles, and use the machine standing as well as when you’re seated.
Our verdict
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The best elliptical machine is the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E905 elliptical machine. The Body Max Body Rider elliptical trainer and exercise bike combines, as the name suggests, an elliptical and exercise bike in one, while the Stamina Inmotion elliptical is a machine you can take along to the office. The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E1405 flywheel elliptical trainer is a value choice that will feel like a gym machine.
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