Owning home fitness equipment is an excellent way to improve your fitness, improve your health, and burn some excess body fat. But unless you live in a mansion, space can often be an issue. This is why we thought it would be a good idea to review some of the best folding elliptical machines that are currently on the market. This way you can use them when you want to exercise, but them fold them up and store them out of the way afterwards. The perfect compromise.
What to Look for in a Folding Elliptical Machine?
Just because an elliptical machine can fold properly, does not mean that it is the right choice for you. There are other considerations that need to be made. How large is it? Can you easily transport it around the house? Does the price and quality represent good value for money?
In this section, we will talk about what criteria we will be looking at and why. We will then provide a table that ranks all four folding elliptical machines, so that you can then find the perfect fit for you. Here are the criteria that we will look at:
- Size – How big is the elliptical machine, how small can it be when fully folded? This is important if you live in a small apartment, or if the room you are keeping your fitness equipment in is quite small.
- Durability – One of the issues with folding elliptical machines is stability and their ability to withstand high intensity exercise. That’s why a high score on our durability scale is crucial. You want your elliptical machine to last you for as long as possible, and you want to feel safe and secure while using it.
- Value – Whether you are purchasing the lowest priced elliptical machine on the market or the most expensive, you want your purchase to be good value for money. Does the price fairly reflect its longevity and quality? That’s what we are reviewing.
- Mobility – How easy is it to move the elliptical machine around between use? There is no point in owning a folding elliptical machine if you can’t easily move it out of the way for storage.
- Noise – How loud is the machine when in use? If you are searching for a folding elliptical machine, then you may well be living in an apartment, where your neighbours or other members of the home are sharing a wall with your exercise room. If so, then noise can be a real issue.
These are the five criteria that we will be judging each folding elliptical machine on. Now let’s take a look at how each elliptical machine ranks in our table. Each criterion will be scored out of five, and the total score will be out of 25.
| Best Folding Elliptical | Size | Durability | Value | Mobility | Noise | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunny Health SF-E902 Air Walk Trainer | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 22/25 | Check Price |
| NordicTrack Spacesaver SE7i Elliptical | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 19/25 | Check Price |
| Sunny Health Portable Elliptical | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 21/25 | Check Price |
| Gazelle Edge Glider Machine | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 21/25 | Check Price |
There you have it, four of the best folding elliptical machines available right now. Full disclosure, the Sunny Health & Fitness Portable Elliptical is not exactly foldable. Just really easy to construct and take apart the handle post-exercise, meaning it can be easily stored away afterwards.
As you can see, the Sunny Health SF-E902 Air Walk Trainer is the highest scoring foldable elliptical machine on this list. It scores highly for size, value for money, and mobility, with a decent 4/5 for noise.
The only downside is that it is not as durable as some of the higher-end elliptical machines that are on the market. But then again, most foldable cardio equipment is not going to be as durable as regular models.
Now that you’ve seen the rankings table, let’s take a closer look at all four of the folding elliptical machines that we’ve mentioned.
Best Folding Elliptical Machine #1: Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E902 Air Walk Elliptical Trainer
We’re starting off with the highest scoring foldable elliptical machine on our list, the SF-E902 Air Walk from Sunny Health & Fitness. It’s everything that you would expect from a foldable elliptical machine. It folds away well (obviously), it takes up little space when it is being used, or when it is folded away. You can transport it incredibly easily, and it represents incredible value for money.
Provided you have set it up properly, there is virtually no noise from the SF-E902 Air Walk. This makes it the ultimate choice for people who live in a small apartment, or who have a lack of space in their house.
Sure, it scores low in durability, but that’s an obvious issue for any cardio machine that can be folded up! It’s not going to handle the same level of intensity as a more stable, more expensive, machine. But that is besides the point.
Amazingly, this very small elliptical machine still manages to have a digital monitor, it has an abdominal pad to help you stay stable while moving, and it has fully functional arms and non-slip foot pedals. Making for a much more stable exercise experience than you may have expected.
Overall, this is a wonderful folding elliptical machine, and deservedly tops our list of the best folding elliptical machines.
Best Folding Elliptical Machine #2: NordicTrack Spacesaver SE7i Elliptical Trainer
From one extreme to the other. The first elliptical machine we looked at is the leanest machine out there. It’s absolutely tiny! This NordicTrack Spacesaver SE7i Elliptical is absolutely massive! This is a gym quality machine, that is available for home use if you want something that will last you forever.
Amazingly, it is actually possible for you to fold this machine away! It can be folded vertically for compact storage. Though even when folded it isn’t exactly small. While this is the lowest scoring foldable elliptical machine on this list, that can be pretty deceiving.
See, this is probably the best elliptical machine in terms of exercise quality. It is certainly the most durable, and it can be very quiet when in use. But it is expensive (though thanks to the durability we still believe it represents excellent value), it is massive, and transporting it around the house is not going to be easy.
If you are looking for a robust, well-made elliptical trainer that can be folded away on a non-regular basis (when guests come round for example), then this may just be the best choice on this list. However, if you are looking for a small, easy to move and store foldable elliptical, then the NordicTrack Spacesaver SE7i Elliptical Trainer is probably not the right choice for you.
Best Foldable Elliptical Machine #3: Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Portable Elliptical Machine
This elliptical machine is absolutely tiny! Seriously, if you are looking for an elliptical machine that can fit in even the smallest of spaces, then the Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Portable elliptical machine is definitely the right choice for you.
The issue here is that it’s not really foldable. However, the handlebar can be very easily adjusted or removed completely when not in use, which creates the same result as folding it. So we feel justified in including it here.
You’ve got 8 resistance levels, a digital monitor, and two non-slip foot pedals. Transportation is ridiculously easy, with transportation wheels and a carry handle making it as simple as carrying a suitcase across an airport (okay, maybe not as easy as that).
Like the other Sunny Health & Fitness elliptical machine on this list (#1), we’ve scored this quite low for durability. But hope that you accept that this is when compared to incredibly durable models such as the NordicTrack (#2). Anything that is easy to fold, easy to transport, and very low in price, is obviously not going to be able to compete with top of the range robust competition. That’s a given.
But as a low impact elliptical suitable for smaller people who don’t plan on sprinting, this is a great product. It’s billed as an under-desk elliptical, thanks to the adjustable handlebar, and should be viewed in that light.
Best Foldable Elliptical Machine #4: Gazelle Edge Glider Home Fitness Equipment Machine
At first glance, this machine looks more like some form of ironing board than an elliptical machine. But the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” applies here. Though not as robust as the NordicTrack elliptical above, the Gazelle Edge Glider is a well-constructed, and cleverly designed machine.
It is easy to fold, can be transported, and is virtually silent when in use. The Gazelle Edge Glider represents excellent value for money, has amazing range of motion, thanks to patented dual-action split suspension, and provides a superb workout with no impact on your joints whatsoever.
Overall, this is a great product to finish our review with, and something a little different from the high powered competition.
