Ellipticals Enabled iFit Coach

Good-looking and loaded with smart features, ellipticals enabled with iFit Coach are favorite partners for low impact exercise. They catch attention with vivid full-color displays, and they keep attention with on-demand coaching that pays off. This page explains how the iFit Coach app and iFit Coach enabled ellipticals can support your fitness goals 24/7.

Best iFit Coach Enabled Ellipticals

More than a dozen elliptical models are enabled with iFit Coach. All have moving arm bars in addition to foot pedals, so they let you tone your whole body at once. They differ in terms of touchscreen size, resistance and other key features.

Buying Guide for Ellipticals Enabled with iFit Coach

Three top-rated iFit Coach enabled ellipticals are shown above. But for your home gym, which features matter most? This guide can help you make a wise buy.

Color Displays for iFit Coach

A full-color web-enabled touchscreen is the control panel for each iFit enabled elliptical. These screens come in two widths: 7” and 10”. Some are high definition to make the most of iFit Coach HD video workouts and Google Maps workouts.

All iFit enabled ellipticals by NordicTrack have 7” or 10” HD displays. Two enabled ellipticals by ProForm (the Pro 12.9 and Endurance 920 E) have 7” high definition displays as well.

Elliptical Flywheels for Resistance

With elliptical exercise your pedals spin a wheel-shaped weight, the flywheel. In general shoppers should choose the heaviest flywheel in their price class:

• Heavier flywheels create smoother rides. A lighter flywheel has more potential to produce a choppy ride, especially for heavier trainees.
• Heavier flywheels allow challenges at the beginner level and beyond, so you won’t quickly outgrow your fitness machine.

Comparing this year’s home ellipticals enabled with iFit Coach, we see flywheels ranging from 18 to 32 pounds. Eighteen pounds is respectable for most beginners, and 32 pounds wanders into light commercial territory. They support especially low impact cross training.

Some iFit enabled choices with 32-pound flywheels are: NordicTrack C 12.9, NordicTrack Commercial 14.9, ProForm PRO 12.9 and ProForm PRO 16.9.

Frame Styles

Elliptical machines have three frame styles: rear drive, front drive and center drive. The names describe where the flywheels are stored. Each design takes up a different amount of floorspace:

1. A rear drive elliptical has its flywheel at the back. This design most easily promotes natural-feeling low impact exercise. Another advantage is that these machines have fewer components that could wear. Rear drive ellipticals are rather long, but some have Space-Saver designs to reveal more floor space after your workout sessions.
2. A front drive elliptical saves room by tucking its flywheel under the front of the frame. The best front drive ellipticals have adjustable pedal incline to let each user find a natural-feeling footpath.
3. A center drive elliptical is the most compact. Its flywheel is hidden beneath the pedals. People like how a center drive machine makes it easy to keep a good posture during workouts.

Our elliptical reviews include dimensions for each machine.

Stride Length

Stride length is the size of the elliptical footpath. The most common design we see on health club ellipticals and good home ellipticals is a fixed stride of 20 inches. This works well for most teens and adults. However…

• If you’re especially tall, you might prefer a 21” or 22” stride.
• If you have trouble keeping up with friends on the sidewalk, your best elliptical might have 17”, 18” or 19” stride.

For many family gyms an adjustable stride elliptical is best. It ensures that users of different sizes can have comfortable and ergonomically healthy workouts. Also, NordicTrack FreeStride Trainers allow up to 38” strides. These machines suit almost everybody, and they work both as ellipticals and low-impact treadmills.

Durability

Shoppers of course have different priorities. You might want a starter elliptical -- a machine that costs less and lets you try elliptical training but won’t take you to an elite level. A starter iFit elliptical might need some maintenance within a year or two. Or you might want a high-end elliptical -- a machine that you won’t outgrow for many years, and that won’t need much maintenance.

A great clue about durability is the machine’s warranty package. If the parts warranty is just for one year, generally you can expect trouble. When parts warranties are longer, you tend to get a much better value. Warranty details are included in each of our iFit elliptical reviews.