Best Compact Ellipticals of 2018

Choosing a compact elliptical, you can allow room for other gym equipment or otherwise maximize your living space. Very cheap compact ellipticals are generally sketchy characters, but others can be trusted fitness buddies. The chart below shows five top-scoring models for 2018.

The compact machines shown here have non-folding frames. They conserve space 24/7 by housing their drives at the front or center. You can compare compact ellipticals with the most popular folding ellipticals, which are longer when in use but can be folded for storage. Folding ellipticals usually house their drives at the rear.

Good values on compact ellipticals can be found in most price points. The machines on our comparison chart range from mid-priced to high-end.

Top 5 Best Rated Compact Ellipticals

	1	2	3	4	5
Model	Bowflex M6	Bowflex BXE216	NordicTrack C 9.5	NordicTrack A.C.T. Commercial 10	Sole SC200 Stepper
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the elliptical's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	Rating: 94.5 %	Rating: 92 %	Rating: 91.6 %	Rating: 91.4 %	Rating: 91.1 %
Resistance Resistance is what determines calories burned per stride. The more levels, the more precisely you can control the difficulty.	16 Levels	25 Levels	24 Levels	24 Levels	20 Levels
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).	n/a	22"	18" - 20"	18-22 inches	n/a
Programs Elliptical Programs allow you to complete a workout with changing speeds and inclines, without changing anything manually.	n/a	11	32	35 Programs	10
Flywheel The flywheel controls the smoothness and resistance of your workout. In general, the higher the better.	n/a	35 lbs	25 lbs	25 lbs	n/a
MSRP Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	$1,699	$2,199	$1,299	$2,999	$1,499
Pricing After carefully evaluating each online retailer that offers this Elliptical, this is the website we recommend purchasing from.	See Best Price	See Best Price	See Best Price	See Best Price	See Best Price

Compact Ellipticals Buying Guide

If recent trends present any clues, consumer products are definitely becoming much more compact with the prime example being cell phones. Do you remember when cell phones first became available? They were ridiculously massive! Today, some cell phones fit comfortably inside the palm of your hand. As a result, the exercise world has begun to imitate what some companies are doing in the personal electronic market.

Compact ellipticals offer several distinct advantages. Compact ellipticals are lighter, smaller and may or may not fold. As a result, compact ellipticals are easy to transport, require less floor space and may fold to save even more room when not in use. Compact trainers obviously make a lot of sense for a consumer-driven society that is running out of space to put things.

Compact Ellipticals — Pros vs. Cons

So what are the pros and cons of compact ellipticals? Learning what these are will help you make a more informed decision of which one is going to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.

Pros:

Are very lightweight and can be moved from room to room with ease.

Whether you want to simply move the elliptical from the center of the room in front of the TV to the side or you want to move it to a totally different room for storage, these compact ellipticals are quite easy to transport and move. To make the job easier, they typically come with wheels on the legs so you can just pick up one end and roll.

Have a smaller footprint

Have a small space? With their shorter measurements in both width and length, compact ellipticals are ideal for those who don’t have room to spare.

Often come with a foldable feature

To help make your home gym even more space friendly, these ellipticals typically also fold up. This allows you to do free weights if desired in the same space your elliptical rests so you can get a complete workout all in one very small room.

Are more affordable than full sized ellipticals

If you’re on a budget, you’ll generally see these coming in at a lower price point to accommodate.

Cons:

Do not have as many features as the full sized ellipticals do

Because of the lower price point and the fact these ellipticals aren’t as large, they typically don’t carry as many features. If you want a full scale experience, you will need a full scale machine.

May not be as durable so may require repairs more often

Because of their small size, they are not usually as durable. The materials used to make these machines are typically not as great as what’s used to make heavier duty machines at a higher price point.

The machine may feel unstable if used by a heavier individual or at very high intensity levels

Also because of the difference in their frame, you may find that these ellipticals feel a bit unsteady when you begin exercising at very high intensity levels, or if you are a heavier user to start with.

So consider your own situation. Are you looking for a compact elliptical that will help you minimize your space requirements? Or are you looking for a full scale elliptical that will ensure you have plenty of room to progress with your workouts and that you are always having the best user experience possible?

This will help you determine whether a compact elliptical is right for you. These machines have come a long way since their original days when they were definitely regarded as inferior to the commercial elliptical models, so don’t think that you are getting a junky machine when you go this route. But do know that they won’t give you quite the same experience as a machine you may have tried at the local gym before.

Compact Elliptical Features

There are three main features that compact ellipticals typically provide that you’ll want to know about. These include:

Their Weight
Their size (length by width)
Folding vs. Non-Folding

When shopping for your compact elliptical, keep these features in mind. Compare models based on these so that you can ensure you are getting one that will give you exactly what you need.

The weight is the most important feature here to consider as weight dictates how ‘compact’ that elliptical really is. Beyond that, the size is another very important consideration. Since the primary purpose of these is typically to put them in small spaces, you’ll want to have this as a clear point of comparison.