ProForm Pro 12.9 Elliptical Review 2024

Quick Summary

Now discounted to $1,387 (originally $1,999) and carrying ProForm’s best warranty, the SMART Pro 12.9 elliptical is a top value for total-body training that’s gentle on your frame.

Unlike comparably priced competitors the ProForm Pro 12.9 has a powerful resistance system with force like that of a commercial elliptical.

It also features a 20″ stride, the spa standard. Other highlights include a 20% incline and a 7″ touchscreen enabled for iFit. Read on for details…

Specifications

Model	ProForm Pro 12.9
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the elliptical's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	88.3%
List Price Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	$1,999
Best Price Since prices change daily, this link goes to our preferred retailer for the best price we've found.	$1,387
Resistance Resistance is what determines calories burned per stride. The more levels, the more precisely you can control the difficulty.	26 Levels
Resistance Type The type of resistance affects the performance of your elliptical. Magnetic and Eddy-Current are the most common types.	Silent Magnetic
Stride Length Stride Length is important for comfort and smooth strides. A stride length of 18-21 inches is ideal for most heights (5'3 - 6'7).	20 inches
Pedals Elliptical pedals can be cushioned and adjustable for maximum comfort and minimum impact on joints for injury prevention.	Oversized, Adjustable & Cushioned
Incline Some elliptical trainers can be set at an incline to increase difficulty and burn more calories.	0 - 20 Degrees
Flywheel The flywheel controls the smoothness and resistance of your workout. In general, the higher the better.	32 Lbs
Programs Elliptical Programs allow you to complete a workout with changing speeds and inclines, without changing anything manually.	35
User Profiles For each profile the elliptical allows, you can create a custom user account with saved programs and goal settings.	1 User
Heart Rate Heart Rate programs allow you to track how many times your heart is beating per minute (bpm), and some control the workout for you.	EKG Pulse Grips + Chest Strap
Display Elliptical Display refers to the screen you'll look at to monitor workouts. LED and LCD displays are similar to TV screens.	7" Full-Color Touchscreen
Max. Weight Max User Weight is the amount of weight, in pounds (lbs), that it can safely support, which can represent durability.	375 lbs
Dimensions Dimensions are included to help you figure out if this elliptical will fit properly (Length x Width x Height and Height x Depth).	79.75" x 25.75" x 66.25"
Upper Body Most ellipticals have handles to hold while you're working out that provide an upper body workout.
Accessory Tray Some ellipticals include an accessory tray for holding items such as water bottles, wallets, keys, or MP3 players like iPods.
Speakers Ellipticals that include a sound system allow you to listen to your MP3 player/iPod through built-in speakers (without headphones).
Cooling Fans Cooling Fans are designed to help keep you cool during an intense workout on your elliptical.
Folding? Some ellipticals are designed to conserve space by folding up. This is a convenient option, but some features might be reduced.
Quick Controls Quick Controls allow you to select speed, incline and even workout programs with the touch of a button (usually on the handles).
Warranty The warranty is an important part of your investment. The longer the warranty, the longer you can get free/discounted repairs.	Frame: Lifetime Parts: 5 Years Labor: 3 Year

Our Rating

Rating: 88.3/100. The front drive SMART Pro 12.9 elliptical is a top ProForm model from the 2017 model year. Now that newer models are available it’s sold at a discount — down to $1,387 from $1,999 — but it’s a top performer and hardly out of date. Here you’ll get a 7″ touch screen, smartphone-compatible speakers and other modern features… and more importantly, the Pro 12.9 has a 32-pound effective flywheel for producing exceptionally smooth elliptical motion. This heavy drive helps justify the machine’s original price, and it’s superior to what you’ll generally find for the price. Other high-end specs include a 20″ stride, a power incline up to 20 percent, and multi-position handlebars for varied upper-body exercise. Pro Series ellipticals are also loaded with training guidance. The ProForm Pro 12.9 arrives with 35 workout apps and is also iFit-enabled. You can use the integrated touch screen or your own computer (mobile or desktop) to add new iFit workouts anytime.

Purchased factory-direct, the ProForm Pro 12.9 elliptical is paired with a five-year parts warranty, a two-year labor warranty and other customer protections.

Pros:

Quick assembly
32-pound effective flywheel
26 resistance levels
20″ stride
Power incline to 20%
Cushioned pedals
Multi-grip handlebars
35 built-in workouts
iFit-Enabled
7″ touch screen display
Wireless and contact pulse monitoring
Tablet computer shelf
Smartphone-compatible (Port and speakers)
Two-speed workout fan
Water bottle holder
Five-year parts warranty
Two-year labor warranty

Cons:

Machine isn’t foldable, unlike some other ProForm ellipticals
ProForm customer service gets negative reviews

Introduction

The ProForm Pro 12.9 elliptical is a popular cross-trainer with high quality parts and a new closeout price. With variable stride length and an excellent resistance system, it offers very smooth motion for users of diverse sizes and strengths. Also iFit-enabled and equipped with plenty of preset workouts, and paired with a very competitive warranty, it’s an excellent all-around value. Here are details about the Pro 12.9 workout programming, other features and factory warranty.

Workout Programs

Helping you maximize your workout time, this cross-trainer has a menu of 35 workout programs all designed by a fitness professional. Each program directs the Pro 12.9 to adjust its incline by up to 20 percent and alter the magnetic resistance to help you efficiently exercise for calorie burn and better performance.

Beyond the built-in programs, the Pro 12.9 is enabled for iFit to deliver unlimited workout variety and other fitness support. Using the built-in touchscreen with an iFit membership you can access high-definition video workouts, customized personal training workouts, and interactive Google Maps workouts that replicate terrain. For virtual outdoor tours the Google Maps workouts alter your pedals’ incline to simulate the topography of charted routes, and when available they sync Google Street Views with your stride.

ProForm SMART Pro 12.9 Features

Smooth and steady resistance is a key strength of the ProForm Pro 12.9. A member of ProForm’s top-tier elliptical series, it has a 32-pound drive to accommodate heavy trainees as well as lighter trainees and give each user a just-right challenge.

Boosting the challenge is an electronic incline with maximum 20 percent setting. With multiple elliptical paths to choose from, you can diversify your exercise motion and target-tone different muscle groups, all with low impact on your joints and other connective tissues.

Varied upper body toning is supported too, as the Pro 12.9 elliptical has premium handlebars. These allow for different grip positions as you exercise your arms, shoulders, back and core.

The Pro 12.9 has a 7″ touch screen, plus it provides a secure ledge for holding your tablet computer or phone.

For audio motivation this unit has an smartphone-compatible port and speakers.

Heart rate monitoring with the Pro 12.9 is available with contact grips or a wireless chest strap (included).

Other specs to note are cushioned pedals, a dual-speed fan and an integrated water bottle holder.

Warranty & Guarantee

The ProForm Pro 12.9 elliptical warranty includes:

– Frame: Lifetime

– Parts: 5 Years

– Labor: 2 years

ProForm elliptical machines have a 30-day money back guarantee when purchased on the ProForm brand website.

Conclusion

Whether you focus on price, performance or frills the ProForm SMART Pro 12.9 elliptical is ready to impress. It compares very favorably with other ellipticals in its price class. If you’re drawn to this particular model we recommend taking action sooner rather than later, as limited quantities are available (at the time of this review).