With the cost of exercise equipment shooting through the roof, you don’t have to either buy expensive stuff or do it without any. On the contrary, there are models in the market that are an excellent blend of ergonomics, aesthetics, and affordability.
And they aren’t so high-tech that people without much tech knowledge can’t handle them. In this review, we aim to capture as many of such budget elliptical models to give you as much variety as possible and to make your eventual purchase of the best cheap elliptical worth your money.
Factors to Consider when Buying an Elliptical Trainer
If you’re looking to buy an elliptical trainer but are overwhelmed by the vast array of slickly produced, tech-heavy machines, perhaps you should know what to look for when making such a purchase. The following pointers are essential when considering the best budget elliptical for the most value for money.
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Stride Length
This is the most important feature of an elliptical, whether budget or premium. Ideally, stride length should hover between 17’’ and 21’’ for those of average height. If you are short, then a lower stride length would suit you better, or if taller than average, you would need a larger stride length.
The options in this bracket are many with ellipticals having adjustable stride lengths, so be careful when choosing.
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Smooth movements
Get on to the trainer to check that the pedals move silently and smoothly. If it feels jerky, move on to another.
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Adjustable Resistance
If an elliptical offers you adjustable resistance, that’s good. And, if the resistance range is wide, so much the better. At the lowest setting, it’s easy to maneuver, but as the resistance increases, it can be challenging to pedal on. This gives you the necessary endurance and strength.
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Height
By height it meant the maximum height that you will reach when standing at the highest point of the elliptical. By calculating this, you will be able to calculate whether at this height you will be safe from hitting your head against the ceiling or not. A practical point to consider.
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Are Your Arms Comfortable?
To increase intensity, it’s best to have arm handles. So, check that your hand grips are comfortable.
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Silent Worker
It’s always preferable to have a machine that works silently, particularly if you work at it while the rest of the family is asleep.
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Adjustable Incline
Though this feature may not be entirely essential, yet it would help if you could adjust the ramps so that your workouts could get an extra dimension of intensity. You might choose to go with a machine with automatic or manual adjustment.
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User Experience
Your experience of using the elliptical should include seamlessness and silence. It shouldn’t be jerky when in use nor should you be disturbed by noise from the motor.
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Safety
Ideally, an elliptical that has built-in safety features will have both warm-up and cool-down periods. For better balance, handrails are usually provided, and an easy-to-read LCD display with all the necessary data should be provided.
Other safety features include a low maintenance machine with a good warranty. Before buying, ask the dealer if you can get trained staff to service the machine in question.
If you have boisterous kids, who want to get on to your elliptical, ensure that it comes with a pin lock so that the pedals remain stationary.
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Reverse Motion
If you use an elliptical machine in forwarding motion, you already know you gain in muscular fitness. However, few people know that you can also have great health benefits by running in reverse. In this condition, you work your muscles from the opposite direction, but care must be taken to run safely and carefully while in reverse.
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Cost
When you’re ready to buy an elliptical, the cost factor will bother you a lot. But it’s wrong to assume that this type of machine is expensive. You can get a cheap elliptical on a budget, so set a budget for yourself and choose from among them.
Check out the features you get for the money you’re about to spend and if you feel that’s adequate for your needs, go ahead and make your purchase.
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Extra Features
Your elliptical can come home with a bagful of accessories. So, look out for them, or if you need to, ask for them. Some of them include:
- A water bottle holder to keep you hydrated while you work out and a tablet to keep you entertained.
- An interactive heart rate monitor that can automatically adjust your workout so that you remain in your zone.
- A Wi-Fi, fitness tracker app, and motivational software can also be added on if you have the budget for them. Many machines include pre-set programs, though the more you spend, the more you’ll get.
Top 6 Elliptical Trainers That You Can Get On A Budget:
1. Stamina In-Motion Elliptical Trainer-Best Under Desk Elliptical
If you’ve ever felt you should be moving your legs while working at your desk, you should check out the Stamina In-Motion Elliptical Trainer. Place it below your desk or by your couch and get on to it at will.
This is the best affordable elliptical trainer at present. It gives you a joint-free workout that you can do when you like, where you want and as much as possible. Use it standing up or sitting down, and you’ll find it’s extremely lightweight and compact. If you have certain fixed fitness goals to achieve, this trainer can help you get there.
Features:
- Robust, stylish and has a solid steel frame that lends stability and long-term durability to the machine while you pedal.
- It gives you a good low-impact, cardiovascular workout that strengthens the muscles of the buttocks, hips, hamstrings, thighs, quads, and calves.
- Well-integrated handle for enhanced stability and support when needed.
- Adjustable tension controls the resistance levels.
- Large, non-slip pedals can be used in forward and backward directions for focused training.
- An LCD display shows exercise time, speed, distance, calories burned and the number of strides.
- It’s small enough to fit in any part of one’s home or office
- One year frame warranty; 90 days parts warranty
- Minimal assembly required
- Maximum user weight: 113 kg
- Product dimensions: 20” x 12”
- Price on amazon.com: $150
Pros:
- Easy assembly
- It actually gives a great cardio workout and brings heart rate to target levels.
- Perfect for small homes
- Good value for money
Cons:
- The machine wobbles.
- The stride is jerky.
Concluding Remarks
This affordably priced trainer is compact, works silently and gives you a good workout. Overall, it has several admirable features that make it highly recommendable to new users. No wonder, it’s really good value for the price.
2. Body Rider Elliptical Trainer and Exercise Bike -Two- in-one elliptical
The Body Rider Fan Elliptical Trainer isn’t just a compact, space-saving trainer but is also an extremely affordable elliptical that works your upper and lower body with minimal impact. You can enjoy a total body cardiovascular workout on this machine and gift yourself lifelong fitness.
This machine is actually two fitness machines rolled in one, with two elliptical arms and foot pedals for use as an upright elliptical and an adjustable seat which can be turned into an exercise bike. Due to this, you can vary your workouts so that you reach your fitness goals. In today’s market, it is rated as the best budget elliptical 2024.
Features:
- This patented 2-in-1 fitness machine can be used as an exercise bike and an elliptical trainer.
- High-momentum fan blades offer smooth and quiet rides and with no impact on your knees.
- The electronic console enables easy tracking of your workout by displaying measurements of time, distance, calories burned and speed.
- Easily adjustable resistance level by turning a knob for minimal joint impact
- The electronic console displays statistics such as time, speed, distance, and calories burned
- The seat can be adjusted both horizontally and vertically for the best exercise and so that users of different weights and heights can be comfortable using it.
- It has a built-in transport wheel which makes it easy to move around.
- Tension can be adjusted with a knob.
- Maximum user weight: 113 kg
- Product dimensions: 48” x 28.5” x 59.5”
- Price on amazon.com: $143
Pros:
- Easy assembly
- Space-saving
- The stand-up/sit down option is great.
- Ideal for the cost-conscious
Cons:
- Not enough tension to work up a sweat
- The bike is unsteady when handlebars are in use.
Concluding Remarks
Undoubtedly, the Body Rider BRD2000 Elliptical Trainer is a great exercise asset in any home, whatever the level of fitness may be. It is also user- and family-friendly and a solid trainer for those looking for a relatively inexpensive elliptical. Being easy to use, it is also very effective and helps users reach their fitness goals steadily.
If you want something easy to use and certainly an affordable elliptical machine, this is a good option for you.
3. Sunny Health & Fitness Air Walk Cross Trainer Elliptical Machine – Best space saving
The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E902 Air Walk Trainer offers a total aerobic workout, with all the added benefits of stretching, running, jogging, walking, skiing, cross-country, and aerobic dancing without it negatively impacting your joints, particularly your knees.
That apart, this unit is also easy to set up and use and offers you the kind of workout you can do while watching TV. It’s also one of the cheapest in the market right now, so if you want a combination of all these factors, head over and buy the E902.
Features:
- Being an air walk trainer, its non-slip pedals help users move in a smooth but arched path.
- It offers a total body workout with continuous motion without any jerks or interruptions.
- You get a full body workout with target muscles in the arms and legs. When you are in an upright position using the machine, your abs muscles will help to increase your endurance and stability.
- It has only one setting so it cannot be customized.
- Ideal for people with osteoporosis as they need to do low-impact exercises. With the smooth movements on an air walker, there’s less joint strain than high-impact exercises give, and this strengthens the bones.
- It is so space-saving that when not in use, it can be folded and stored under the bed, in your closet, or in a constricted space.
- An LCD monitor displays vital statistics such as calories burned, time spent, speed covered and total distance walked.
- Maximum user weight: 113 kg.
- Product dimensions: 15” x 19” x 61.5”
- Price on amazon.com: $83.99
Pros:
- Stability and adequate support are provided by an abdominal support pad.
- Small footprint is an advantage for use in home gyms where space is small.
- Movable handles work on upper body muscles, providing the user with a full body workout.
- Large-sized footplates keep the user’s feet from slipping when training at high intensities.
Cons:
- Very little resistance
- Not fit for tall or heavily built people, above 91 kg
Concluding Remarks
This trainer is definitely a money-saver for you. Instead of spending at the gym, you can invest in this trainer and see the difference in your body weight. If your fitness ability is limited in any way, but you still want to stay fit, the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E902 Air Walk Trainer is a good choice for you.
4. Sunny Health and Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Bike – Best Home Trainer
The Magnetic Elliptical Machine Trainer is a typical product of the Sunny Health and Fitness Company, known for its consistently high quality and comfortably-priced exercise machines. Not only is it designed to be space-saving, but this elliptical provides you with a low-impact cardio workout that you can comfortably do in your home.
It is a good entry-level elliptical trainer and has considerable magnetic resistance that makes it more reliable and offers silent operation, besides providing a smooth, jerk-free workout for the entire body. One of the most compact elliptical machines these days, it certainly packs a punch.
Features:
- Eight levels of magnetic resistance to choose from, making customization as easy as pie
- Large textured pedal surfaces prevent users’ feet from slipping
- Moving handlebars affords a good upper body workout
- A hand pulse monitoring system is integrated into the stationary bars to monitor and take care of the user’s target heart rate.
- The console offers several statistics such as time, speed, calories, distance, pulse, and heart rate, plus a scanning facility
- It is lightweight, compact in size and easily portable due to the attached wheels
- Weight capacity: 100 kg
- No warranty offered
- Maximum user weight: 100 kg
- Product dimensions: 37.8” x 26.6” x 60”
- Price on amazon.com: $139.99
Pros:
- Micro-tension controller
- Forward and backward striding for variety in workouts
- Inexpensive
- Compact design
Cons:
- Short stride
- Difficult assembly, loud squeaking sounds
Concluding Remarks
Overall, this elliptical is as effective as it is inexpensive. It has several features that promise a great workout and what would also benefit prospective buyers is that they can get this machine at a fraction of the cost of other equally competent machines.
For those who find it difficult to move a heavy machine, this one is ideal because its small design makes it lightweight enough to be portable. Plus, it’s space-saving too. These features make this one a must-have for a workout-at-home situation on a small budget.
5. Stamina Inmotion Compact Strider– Best Compact Ellipticals
If work exhausts you so much that you can’t find the stamina to go to the gym, why not have a home gym comprising a Stamina InMotion Compact Strider? This is a good budget trainer with both sitting upright and standing options. In fact, it’s the best cheap elliptical home use.
Space-saving and low impact, it is your perfect cardio trainer in the comfort of your own home. Though unlike its competitors it doesn’t have a sleek design, yet this model always catches a prospective buyer’s attention for its attractive and not-to-be-missed price.
Features:
- This low-impact trainer is good for the joints, builds endurance and tones and strengthens the lower body.
- Its compact design enables easy transporting and storage and taking the strider wherever the user wants to work out.
- With the adjustable tension feature, you can get an intense session or a light-resistance one. The adjustable resistance of this cheap elliptical machine provides you with full control.
- The multi-function fitness monitor tracks your progress and keeps you motivated. It displays your time, distance, workout time, calories burned and your stride count. It can also scan through these parameters.
- Standing or sitting while you work out is made easy with the large and non-slip pedals.
- The carrying handle is easy to use and carry the unit with.
- Maximum user weight: 113 kg
- Product dimensions: 24.5” x 17” x 11.4”
- Price on amazon.com: $150
Pros:
- It is adaptable enough to be used anywhere.
- It is about 11 kg, so can be easily picked up and placed elsewhere.
- The inbuilt pedometer records the number of steps you walk, miles covered and calories burned.
- Easy to assemble
Cons:
- It lacks a handle, so cannot be moved easily.
- It has a short stride.
Concluding Remarks
This elliptical is an under the desk elliptical, not a hard-core fitness one. Though it may not be perfect in every way, yet it is still a wonderful machine if you don’t have the time or room to accommodate one at home.
6. Exerputic 6000 QF Magnetic Elliptical – Best maximum capacity
The Exerpeutic 5000 “Mobile App Tracking” Magnetic Elliptical Trainer is a class apart from the rest of the ellipticals within the same price band. It is endowed with mobile app tracking and is Bluetooth-enabled. For all its features, this elliptical’s prices are comfortable for most people.
It is also compatible with Android and Apple products and provides you with the freedom to track your workouts and use all the features on your app devices while staying comfortable at home. You could easily call this the best value elliptical for the price.
Features:
- Solid steel frame lends greater stability and durability to the machine.
- 18” stride length
- 12 workout programs in 7 training modes
- 8 levels of adjustable magnetic tension resistance for a more challenging workout.
- A large LCD display shows statistics such as distance, time, speed, calories burned and scan.
- For an upper body workout that tones the entire body, the Dual Action Workout Arms feature comes into play.
- Heart rate monitoring is possible thanks to the hand pulse pads available on the extra handlebars.
- Smooth and silent operation is afforded by a precision balanced flywheel coupled with a V- belt drive.
- Easy pickup and placing are possible due to the inbuilt transportation wheels included in the unit.
- Accessories include a Smartphone holder, Bluetooth Smart Cloud Fitness along with the free app, MyCloudFitness.
- Jerky movements of the trainer are avoided thanks to the machine’s natural elliptical motion.
- 3 Workout goal settings through MyCloudFitness App: time, distance, and calories burned
- Maximum user weight: 136 kg
- Product dimensions: 24.5” x 17” x 11.4”
- Price on amazon.com: $224.79
Pros:
- The LCD monitor is easy to read.
- The user’s feet don’t slip out of the pedals.
- It is transportable
- Compact design
Cons:
- Difficult to assemble with difficult instructions to follow
- Short elliptical stride length
COMPARISON TABLE
| Model | Max user weight | Stride | Resistance | Console |
| Stamina In-Motion | 113 kg | 10”-12’’ | Magnetic Adjustable | LCD display for distance, calories burned, time, speed, heart rate monitoring |
| Body Rider Elliptical Trainer | 113 kg | 13” | Manual | Electronic console tracks time, speed, distance, and calories burned |
| Sunny Health & Fitness SF-E902 | 100 kg | 30” | 1 level only | The LCD monitor displays vital information such as speed, distance, time, count and calories burned |
| Sunny Magnetic Elliptical Machine Trainer | 100 kg | 11” | 8 Levels of Adjustable Resistance | Digital monitor displays time, speed, distance, and calories burned |
| Stamina Inmotion Compact Strider | 113 kg | 10’’-12’’ | 8 Levels of Magnetic Resistance | Multi-function one-touch monitor for reading workout time, calories burned, distance, the total distance on machine and rotations per minute; scan possible |
| Exerpeutic Heavy Duty | 136 kg | 17’’ | 8 Level Magnetic Resistance Adjustments | The LCD display shows up distance, time, speed, pulse, calories burned and scan |
Concluding Remarks
If you’re looking for high performance with average pricing, the Exerpeutic 1000XL Heavy Duty Magnetic Elliptical with Pulse has it all for you. It helps to have a machine like this at home, and the fact that it has no impact on your joints is a further plus point in its favor.
To stay in shape, these six elliptical machines are worth their weight in gold. Users recommend these based on their experiences in terms of low impact on their knees, cardio workout, increased stamina, ease of use and assembly.
If you are still keen to buy an under desk elliptical machine or the best cheap elliptical, read this review and then check out the comparison review and take your own decision to invest in the best value elliptical.