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	Cybex 770AT	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: 92.3 %	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.	Up to 900 Watts	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).	24"	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.	13	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.	$8,645	$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

Lightweight, easy to transport if you move often
Require less floor space in tightly condensed rooms
Often fold to create extra room
Regularly equipped with transport wheels for additional mobility
Traditionally affordable
Since the trainer is smaller, compact ellipticals may sacrifice specs
Stability of the frame may not be as consistent
Arguably not as well produced

In the end, it all depends on availability. If space is a premium in your household, you need a space efficient elliptical. However, if you have the extra storage compact ellipticals might not provide the most attractive option.

The stereotype inside the fitness world for years has been that compact ellipticals (like other compact home gyms) are inferior to other ellipticals that are not as concerned about saving space but performance. While true to an extent, compact ellipticals have actually traveled miles in terms of quality production.

For starters, manufactures have managed to find ways to transform high quality performance and durability from larger models into the compact designs. In addition to better design, more exercise companies have come into the picture thus creating stronger competition between manufactures and more options today than ever.

Compact Elliptical Features

Today, the three distinct features of compact ellipticals are:

Weight
Size (Length x Width)
Folding vs. Non-Folding

Simply put, if you want a compact elliptical in the 21st century your first benchmark for comparison is weight of the machine. Obviously, the lighter the elliptical the more compact the trainer. Secondly, the size of the elliptical will quickly give you an idea of just how compact the elliptical stands. Of course, features like transport wheels and 2 side flywheel design are other clear signs of compatibility.

Unfortunately, folding ellipticals have not quite caught on like folding treadmills. Therefore, not a ton of folding ellipticals exist and not all of them are that well produced. Hopefully in the next few years we will begin to see more folding ellipticals because the market is pointing toward the desire for more compact ellipticals.