ProForm Pro 9.9 Elliptical Review (Pros + Cons)

Quick Summary

At $999 the new ProForm Pro 9.9 elliptical with optional iFit is a top value for total body training.

A nice match for the average home gym, it’s ready to help a wide range of users enjoy physical fitness.

Highlights include handlebars that support multiple exercise poses, a pedal incline up to 20 degrees for targeted toning, and 24 resistance levels from light to very powerful.

Learn more from FitRated’s full Pro 9.9 review below.

Specifications

Model	ProForm Pro 9.9
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the elliptical's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	86.8%
List Price Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	999
Best Price Since prices change daily, this link goes to our preferred retailer for the best price we've found.	$999
Resistance Resistance is what determines calories burned per stride. The more levels, the more precisely you can control the difficulty.	24 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).	21 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 - 10 Degrees
Flywheel The flywheel controls the smoothness and resistance of your workout. In general, the higher the better.	28 Lbs
Programs Elliptical Programs allow you to complete a workout with changing speeds and inclines, without changing anything manually.	32
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.	6" Backlit LCD
Max. Weight Max User Weight is the amount of weight, in pounds (lbs), that it can safely support, which can represent durability.	350 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: 3 Years Labor: 1 Year

Our Rating

Rating: 86.8/100. Designed to torch calories and sculpt your whole body, the ProForm Pro 9.9 elliptical with optional iFit has big appeal at the $999 sale price. (Full price is $1699.) One key to its high rating is the drive, which runs much more smoothly than those on most ellipticals under $1000. And even better than a standard elliptical machine, the Pro 9.9 has an electronic incline to create multiple ellipse-shaped footpaths. If you move the pedals from zero incline up to the maximum 20 degree slope, your gait will gradually shorten from 21” to 18” long. You’ll feel the emphasis of exercise move upward from your calves to the hamstrings and glutes, and you can choose your favorite setting for targeted muscle toning. At the same time your upper body can benefit from diverse exercise too; the moving handlebars on the Pro 9.9 aren’t merely straight like those on low-budget ellipticals, but are shaped to support multiple grip positions.

Besides having very respectable essentials the Pro 9.9 elliptical is loaded with useful programming and creature comforts. Features include 32 preset workout apps, optional iFit integration for unlimited workout downloads, a ledge for your tablet computer, a smartphone-compatible sound system, a two-speed console fan and a water bottle holder.

Purchased factory-direct, the ProForm Pro 9.9 elliptical arrives with a three-year parts warranty, a 30-day money back guarantee and other buyer protections.

Pros:

28-pound effective flywheel
Cushioned pedals
32 built-in workouts
Backlit display
iFit-Ready
Tablet computer shelf
Smartphone-compatible (Port and 2” speakers)
Two-speed workout fan
Water bottle holder
Low price
Three-year parts warranty

Cons:

Grip heart rate sensors aren’t always accurate; lacks wireless sensors
Machine isn’t compact (Footprint is 79.75” L x 25.75” W)
ProForm customer service can be slow

Introduction

The ProForm Pro 9.9 elliptical is powerful, versatile and loaded with extras to enhance your workout time. Whether you’re a beginner or an elliptical training pro, you’ll find an appropriate challenge level for efficient total-body exercise. Preset training programs are provided and you can add an iFit membership for unlimited workout downloads and a digital workout calendar.

The preset programs are shown on a 6” console screen, and your own tablet computer attached to the console can show iFit programming including HD video workouts. Below are details about the Pro 9.9 elliptical’s workout programming, other features and factory-direct warranty.

Workout Programs

ProForm cardio trainers make it easy to spend workout time efficiently. The Pro 9.9 console has a menu of 32 training programs, all designed by a fitness professional to target goals for performance and calorie burn. Just press a button to start your session! The Pro 9.9 will automatically adjust the incline and magnetic resistance so you can focus your mind elsewhere, whether that means getting lost in thought, focusing on your workout form, or enjoying audio/video entertainment.

To support even more workout variety the ProForm Pro 9.9 is iFit Ready. With a household iFit subscription your own tablet computer can serve as a secondary monitor for the elliptical machine. Three main types of iFit workouts are available:

To build upon the Pro 9.9’s built-in menu, you can download a new customized personal trainer workout everyday. Like the preloaded workouts, these adjust the machine’s resistance and incline to help you reach specific goals in an efficient manner.
Download Google Maps™ workouts that simulate real-life routes. Virtually tour the world! Just specify a map route and the ProForm elliptical will adjust its incline by up to 20% to simulate the topography. If available for the specified route, a Google Street View will add to this virtual outdoor training.
Download from iFit’s library of high-definition workout videos created by famous personal trainers. The video selection is excellent and the collection is ever-growing.

Some other iFit member benefits are an online workout calendar and automated logging of your workout stats.

ProForm Pro 9.9 Features

Smooth resistance is a main benefit of elliptical training. While many other ellipticals under $1000 skimp on the smoothness, the ProForm Pro 9.9 has a 28-pound inertia-enhanced flywheel and offers 24 resistance settings.

A power incline on the Pro 9.9 gives it an advantage over fixed-stride elliptical trainers. As the incline adjusts from zero to 20 percent, the length of the elliptical path shortens from 21 inches to 18 inches. This variation makes the Pro 9.9 a great option for sculpting the lower body, as your muscle fibers are worked in different ways.

The Pro 9.9 has a ledge for holding a tablet computer. The ledge can hold your computer at eye level without obscuring the console’s built-in display screen.

For audio motivation ProForm ellipticals are smartphone-compatible. This model has a port for your phone and has 2” speakers built into the dashboard.

To monitor your pulse the Pro 9.9 has contact grips built into the handlebars. These can be handy but aren’t so reliable, especially when you’re training vigorously. For more accurate heart rate data we recommend using this elliptical along with your own wireless heart rate monitor, or else upgrading to the ProForm Pro 12.9.

A few more features are worth mentioning for their contributions to comfort: The Pro 9.9 has cushioned pedals, a two-speed CoolAire™ fan and an integrated water bottle holder.

Warranty & Guarantee

The ProForm Pro 9.9 elliptical warranty includes:

– Frame: Lifetime
– Parts: 3 Years
– Labor: 1 year

ProForm elliptical trainers also have a 30-day money back guarantee.

Conclusion

The ProForm Pro 9.9 elliptical trainer is entry level for its series but has respectable specs all-around. Comparing this model with other ellipticals under $1000, you’ll likely find that it’s superior from the ground up! A shortcoming though is the lack of wireless heart rate monitoring, so some readers would consider ProForm’s Pro 12.9 ($1299 on sale) to be a better buy.