Getting an elliptical machine for your home is a wonderful step to take, allowing you the ability to improve your cardiovascular fitness and burn fat from the comfort of your own home. But a lot of the machines that are on the market can be very expensive. In this article, we will be searching for the best affordable elliptical machine.
Best Elliptical for the Money
What counts as affordable? For some people $1,000 is affordable, for others $200 is too expensive. It’s difficult to answer that question. For the purposes of this article, we will be looking at elliptical machines that are usually priced below $500. Please note that prices may vary without prior notice. Make sure to check the actual prices by clicking on the links below.
We feel that this is a reasonable price point, and that anything under it would be classed as affordable. That doesn’t mean that all of the ellipticals on this list will be near that price. We are going to have a range of different affordable ellipticals. But none was over $500 at the time of writing this article.
Finding an affordable elliptical for home use will hopefully help you to invest wisely and get the most out of your new cardio equipment.
What to Look for in an Inexpensive Elliptical Machine?
Simplicity is one of the first things you should look for. An inexpensive elliptical that is offering hundreds of bonuses and features should be viewed with some suspicion in our opinion. Here are the criteria for a good quality inexpensive elliptical machine:
- Durability – This is the most important aspect of an inexpensive elliptical. How long will it last you? How hard can you use it without issue? Is it stable? These questions are vital and will save you from purchasing a badly made elliptical that collapses after a week.
- Value for Money – Being inexpensive in itself is not necessarily a benefit. A $1 elliptical machine is still a bad investment if it falls to pieces in the car ride over. No, you want an elliptical that is inexpensive but also represents excellent value for money.
- Size – This is not an issue specific to expensive or inexpensive elliptical machines, but it is still important. Most people who are looking for a home elliptical machine will want something that doesn’t take up too much space. That’s not always the case though, if you have a lot of space then a larger elliptical isn’t such a big deal, and there are sometimes benefits (more stable and durable).
- Noise – One issue with a lot of lower priced cardio machines is noise pollution, with ellipticals in particular guilty of squeaking and driving neighbours or other family members to distraction! Finding a noiseless elliptical at a decent price is obviously advantageous.
Comparison Table
Now that you know what we are looking at specifically, it’s time to rank them in our table. You will find which affordable elliptical is the best before we go into detail. Each criterion will be ranked out of five, with the total score marked out of twenty.
| Best Affordable Elliptical Machine | Value | Durability | Size | Noise | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SNODE Elliptical Machine | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 15/20 | Check Price |
| JKANGFIT Elliptical Machine | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 15/20 | Check Price |
| PooBoo Elliptical Machine | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 16/20 | Check Price |
| Body Power 2-in-1 Elliptical Stepper Machine | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 20/20 | Check Price |
One thing you should remember about these scores, is that they are to be placed in the context of being affordable. We’ve reviewed the Body Power 2-in-1 elliptical machine before and it hasn’t had perfect scores, but it was being judged against much more expensive models.
As an affordable elliptical machine, it is pretty much perfect and more than justifies topping our table with a 20/20 score.
Best Affordable Elliptical Machine #1: SNODE Elliptical Machine
SNODE is a relatively new fitness equipment brand, but they are quickly establishing themselves as a high quality outfit. Their products are often midrange in price, and the SNODE elliptical machine is no exception.
This is a solid if not spectacular product, which has a high durability score, is excellent in terms of noise, and only scores low for size. It offers 8 levels of resistance, which is controlled using magnets, and uses a 3PC crank, which increases the durability, and explains the quiet noise levels.
The SNODE elliptical machine has a maximum user weight capacity of 265lbs, which is very decent for an elliptical machine, and is a good indicator of how durable the machine is. The average user weight capacity for affordable elliptical machines is around 220lb, to give you an idea of what we are comparing it to.
The digital monitor is practical, with a decent sized screen, and a fairly easy to use software system. The tension knob is industry standard, which is easy to use, and makes switching between resistance levels fairly straightforward.
Overall, this is a great affordable elliptical machine. It is durable, quiet, and excellent value for money. It is only partly let down by its size. There are more slimline elliptical machines on this list, so if space is important to you, keep that in mind.
Best Affordable Elliptical Machine #2: JKANGFIT Elliptical Machine
The JKANGFIT elliptical machine (name just rolls off the tongue) is at a similar price point to the SNODE elliptical machine, but it is a lot smaller and a little less durable. This is a fair trade-off really; a smaller elliptical machine is going to naturally have less stability.
This is a lovely size, and as such it is easily transported. Useful if you plan on storing your elliptical machine in a different place to where you use it. It’s also quite quiet and scores a 4/5 in our table. The company promise that the noise is lower than 30 decibels.
The LCD monitor is decent, and there is a fairly reliable device holder, where you can place your iPad, tablet, or smartphone to keep you entertained during your cardio session. There are pulse sensors in the inner handles, which will allow you to track your heart rate. This is vital for fat burning workouts, and to analyse your cardiovascular system over time.
There are 8 levels of resistance, just like the SNODE, and they are very easily adjusted. The elliptical machine is surprisingly stable, thanks to floor stabilisers on the frame, and a well made flywheel. This is an excellent low-budget elliptical trainer.
Best Affordable Elliptical Machine #3: PooBoo Elliptical Machine
PooBoo may just be the worst named fitness equipment company ever, but they have a huge range of well made cardio equipment. The PooBoo elliptical machine is a great example of that. While it is not the most durable, nor is it the smallest in size, it is whisper quiet, well built, and delivers a superb workout.
We’ve rated it a 5/5 for value for money, as we believe that this is elliptical machine is amazingly priced for what you get. The PooBoo has 8 levels of resistance, and these are easily adjusted using the knob just beneath the LCD display.
There is also an iPad and tablet holder, as well as pulse rate monitors on the inner handles. In short, the PooBoo elliptical machine has all the features you would hope for in an affordable elliptical machine, and it easily makes second place in our list thanks to the price and value for money.
Best Affordable Elliptical Machine #4: Body Power 2-in-1 Elliptical Stepper Machine
The final elliptical machine on our list is the Body Power 2-in-1 elliptical stepper machine. A hybrid machine that offers both elliptical functionality as well as a very decent stepper workout. There is so much to love about this machine, and it absolutely dominates the competition in the affordable elliptical machine category.
When it comes to space, this machine is by far the best. It takes up very little space thanks to its upright design. It is whisper quiet which is thanks to the curve crank technology that Body Power has employed, this improves efficiency and helps to provide constant tension throughout the movement (rather than creating dead-zones, where the machine can make a lot of noise).
The LCD display is decent, with four simple buttons, a small screen, and a simple to use tension knob that allows you to adjust the resistance easily. There are pulse rate monitors on the inner handles, and a built-in media shelf for your smartphone or tablet.
The machine can be easily transported around the house, thanks to well-placed wheels at the front. Considering the price, this elliptical stepper machine really stands out, delivering a perfect score for this category.
This is a really smart choice for any home gym and represents excellent value for money. Though any of the four ellipticals on this list will provide an excellent workout provided you look after them.
