Quick Summary
The new Schwinn 430 Elliptical is a low-budget fitness machine for home use. Main features are its 20-inch stride; 20 resistance levels; a manually adjustable incline up to nine degrees; and a console with 22 preset programs for two user profiles. Get details from the full Schwinn 430 Elliptical review below.
Specifications
| Model | Schwinn 430 |
| Rating |  75.3% |
| List Price | $799 |
| Best Price | $799 |
| Resistance | 20 Levels |
| Resistance Type | Electronically Adjustable |
| Stride Length | 20" |
| Pedals | Large cushioned footplates |
| Incline | Manually adjustable ramp |
| Flywheel | n/a |
| Programs | 22 |
| User Profiles | 2 |
| Heart Rate | Contact Grips |
| Display | DualTrack™ 2 LCD screen system |
| Max. Weight | 300 lbs |
| Dimensions | 70.1" x 28.2"x 63.2" |
| Upper Body |  |
| Accessory Tray | |
| Speakers | |
| Cooling Fans | |
| Folding? |  |
| Quick Controls |  |
| Warranty | Frame: 10 years Parts: 2 years Electronics: 1 year Labor: 90 days |
Rating:
Our Rating
Rating: 75.3/100. The Schwinn 430 Elliptical is an especially low-priced elliptical with front drive design. It’s the cheaper of two Schwinn ellipticals sold factory-direct online in 2019: The 430 sells for $799 plus delivery, and the 470 sells for $999 plus delivery. For comparison, ellipticals rated as the best values here at FitRated tend to be priced around $1,499 and up.
Choosing an elliptical machine under $900, it wouldn’t make much sense to expect great durability. However, with new Schwinns you can expect to get some fun features.
Schwinn most recently updated its ellipticals in 2017. Compared with the older Schwinn 430, the new Schwinn 430 elliptical is enhanced with Bluetooth. This addition lets you automatically log your statistics such as distance covered and calories burned with elliptical exercise.
Other extras on this model are a media shelf for your mobile device, a USB port to keep battery power, stereo speakers, and a three-speed cooling fan.
Performance specs for the 430 Elliptical include a front drive; a 20-inch stride; a manual incline with six settings up to 9°; and moving handlebars.
As for the console, the display is a midsized LCD. It shows multiple data fields at once, and it provides 20 workout programs and two fitness tests.
Here are lists of pros and cons to consider.
Pros:
- Home-friendly machine size
- 20” elliptical stride length
- Quiet digitally-controlled resistance
- 20 resistance levels
- User-friendly backlit LCD display
- 22 preset workout programs
- Two user profiles
- Bluetooth data export
- Mobile device shelf and charging port
- Sound system for MP3 player
- Multi-speed cooling fan
- Water bottle holder
- Transport wheels
Cons:
- Tends to work well for less than a year or two
- Customers have warned that this machine is dangerous because handlebars, pedals and other parts have broken during use
- Pedals don’t have adjustable angle; are less ergonomic than pedals on higher quality ellipticals
- Manual incline instead of automated incline
- No wireless heart rate monitoring
- Inaccurate calorie estimates according to customer reviews
- Plastic rollers wear down quickly
- Short labor warranty (90 days)
Introduction
The Schwinn 430 Elliptical sells for $799 plus delivery. It’s meant to compete with elliptical trainers priced hundreds more. Some of its features, such as 20” stride, are comparable to features of average-priced ellipticals. In other ways this machine is less robust. Below are details about the 430’s workout programming, parts and warranty.
Workout Programs
Schwinn ellipticals provide good training guidance for their price bracket. The new Schwinn 430 has 22 program slots including:
- Quick-start (manual mode)
- Nine profile
- Eight heart rate control
- Two user-defined
- Two fitness tests (beginner and advanced)
The heart rate control programs work with contact pulse sensors, which are built into the moving handlebars. Schwinn ellipticals for 2019 don’t support wireless heart rate monitoring.
Schwinn 430 Features
To support total-body crosstraining the Schwinn 430 has moving handlebars. These are slightly curved to give you flexibility for hand placement.
The elliptical footpath is 20 inches long. Typically low-priced ellipticals have shorter strides, which tend to feel choppy.
Resistance is precisely calibrated with magnetic braking. You get 20 choices from a 13.2-pound flywheel.
For extra resistance and muscle toning, this unit has manually adjustable incline. You can choose from six settings. The maximum slope is nine degrees.
To help keep you entertained or exercising to a beat, Schwinn ellipticals for 2019 each have a mobile device holder, sound system and USB charging port.
A three-speed fan is built into the console.
A water bottle holder is centered in front of the handlebars.
This elliptical needs to be plugged in to operate. An adaptor cord is included.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Does the Schwinn 430 fold? No, this unit does not fold at all.
- How does the Schwinn 430 weigh? The machine weighs 150 pounds.
- Where are Schwinn ellipticals made? Most of the company’s products are made in Taiwan.
- Does Schwinn make good ellipticals? Yes, there’s a reason for the reputation and year-after-year success.
Warranty & Guarantee
The new Schwinn 430 Elliptical has the following standard warranty:
– Frame: 10 years
– Parts: 2 years
– Electronics: 1 year
– Labor: 90 days
Conclusion
The Schwinn 430 Elliptical has a low sale price, but it doesn’t strike us as a bargain. Positive customer reviews are often written at the start of ownership, but then troubles seem to arise quickly with a significant percentage of the units. Our main concern would be reports of parts breaking in ways that could cause injury.
We also don’t like to see resources wasted. In the long run it would be better for your finances (and kinder to Mother Nature) if you bought a durable $1,500 elliptical trainer instead of two cheap ellipticals under $800.
In sum, we recommend moving up to the next price category for much better elliptical exercise experiences.
If you’re committed to spending less than $800 on a fitness machine, then consider a treadmill or exercise bike instead. Schwinn and other manufacturers are able to build durable versions of these machines for less.
Schwinn 470