ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 Trainer Review

Quick Summary

The ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 Trainer is an update of the brand’s now discontinued HIIT Trainer. Much like the original model, the Carbon HIIT H7 is a hybrid fitness machine. It fuses the smooth, low-impact motion of an elliptical with the intense calorie burn of a stairclimber. Think of it as low-impact HIIT training, allowing for high-intensity workouts that are kind to your joints. Unlike the discontinued model, the H7 has an iFit-enabled touchscreen for interactive training. iFit’s integral importance to the machine is demonstrated by the fact that you can now get the machine free if you buy a 3-year iFit membership (payments totalling $1,403).

Specifications

Model	ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 Trainer
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the elliptical's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	88.5%
List Price Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	$1,403
Best Price Since prices change daily, this link goes to our preferred retailer for the best price we've found.	$1403
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 Resistance
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).	10” Vertical, 5” Horizontal
Pedals Elliptical pedals can be cushioned and adjustable for maximum comfort and minimum impact on joints for injury prevention.	Oversized, Cushioned
Incline Some elliptical trainers can be set at an incline to increase difficulty and burn more calories.	no
Flywheel The flywheel controls the smoothness and resistance of your workout. In general, the higher the better.	30 lb. Flywheel
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.	5 Users
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 Grip Pulse & Wireless
Display Elliptical Display refers to the screen you'll look at to monitor workouts. LED and LCD displays are similar to TV screens.	7” Smart HD Touchscreen
Max. Weight Max User Weight is the amount of weight, in pounds (lbs), that it can safely support, which can represent durability.	325 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).	66.7" L x 29.25" W x 52" H
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: 10 Years Parts: 2 Years Labor: 1 Year

Our Rating

Rating: 88.5/100.

As with ProForm’s original HIIT trainer and their current Pro model, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is the key training focus of the Carbon HIIT H7. As you will probably know, this type of training demands that you push yourself to the limit for a set amount of time, rest for a short period, then repeat. It’s fantastic for keeping your heart rate up and burning the maximum amount of calories in a short amount of time.

The main difference between the models is that the H7 has a built-in capability for iFit interactive training via its 7″ Smart HD touchscreen. Although the original model was iFit enabled, you had to connect your own tablet or smartphone for this. ProForm takes this a step further by offering the H7 for free if you purchase an iFit membership to use with the machine over three years ($1,403 in total). iFit will add a whole new dimension to your fitness routine. It will allow you to stream outdoor workouts around the world with top-class personal trainers who can automatically adjust your resistance using live control technology. This is on top of the basically unlimited library of workouts and Google Maps trails around the globe. The H7 also works with any Bluetooth heart-rate monitor for performance tracking. What’s more, iFit allows for you and up to 4 other users, so it’s good for all the family.

The Carbon HIIT H7 fuses a 10” vertical by 5” horizontal stride path with multi-function handlebars which add an upper-body workout to your routines. Combining the steep path with the upper-body movement, the H7 allows you to engage a variety of muscles in one routine. This includes your hamstrings, quads, calves, glutes, biceps, and triceps. The 24 levels of magnetic resistance from a 30-pound flywheel allows for a smooth and quiet workout. What’s more, this type of force and variety of resistance will provide enough challenge for most users. Although not foldable, at just 66.7″ long by 29.25″ wide, it’s a compact machine that will suit most home gyms. Dig deeper into the pros and cons of the ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 below.

Pros & Cons

Pros:

Price: As you would probably want to pay for iFit anyway, the fact that you get this machine for free with a 3-year subscription is a very good deal.
Total-Body Training: With the multi-function handlebars and vertical step design, the H7 allows for a full-body workout that targets different muscles with every step.
Low Impact: Much like an elliptical, the Carbon HIIT H7 eases the pressure off from your knees, ankles and hips.
Resistance: The H7 has a wide selection of resistance settings (24) from a 30 lb. flywheel. This will be enough to keep most users challenged as they progress.
Touchscreen: The 7″ HD touchscreen allows you to view iFit workouts.
Heart-Rate Monitoring: The H7 has EKG Grip Pulse sensors and also works with any Bluetooth chest strap for accurate heart-rate monitoring.
Compact: At 66.7″ long by 29.25″ wide, the H7 will work in most home gyms.
Preset Programs: Much like the discontinued HIIT trainer, the Carbon HIIT H7 has 32 onboard workouts built in.
Speakers: The Carbon HIIT H7 has an audio aux port and Bluetooth speakers.
Pedals: The oversized, cushioned pedals will be comfortable for most users and allow for a variety of different foot positions.
Comfort Extras: The Carbon HIIT H7 has a water bottle holder and cooling fan to support endurance.

Cons:

HIIT: This type of training isn’t for everyone. Although this is a low-impact machine, HIIT training in general can be too stressful on some bodies.
Not Foldable: Although the H7 is a compact machine, it isn’t foldable like some other ellipticals. Yet, it does have transport wheels for easy portability.
Labor Warranty: Although the warranty on a whole is OK (10-year frame and 2-year parts), the 1-year labor warranty is a bit short for our liking. That said it’s becoming more common in the industry and the machine is technically free.

Introduction

HIIT training is a unique type of training that delivers rapid results. It’s been growing in popularity over the years, and ProForm has answered the consumer demand for a machine that supports this type of training at home. The ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 trainer takes the impact out of these high-intensity workouts by providing a unique, hybrid machine that supports a total-body workout every time. Work your way up through the 24 resistance levels with guidance from world-class iFit trainers and 32 built-in workout apps. What’s even better? The H7 is free when you pay for an iFit membership across 3 years ($39/month over 36 months totalling $1,403). As you would likely want to pay for an interactive subscription with this type of machine anyway, it’s an undeniably stellar deal. Explore the ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 trainer’s workout programs, features, and buyer protections below.

Carbon HIIT H7 Workout Programs

Interactive training is integral to the ProForm Carbon HIIT H7. This is demonstrated by the fact that you get this machine for free if you pay for a 3-year iFit membership. iFit will give you access to unlimited workouts including customized routines and Google Maps trails which show interactive street views. iFit trainers can automatically adjust your machine’s resistance within the programs, so it’s a really immersive experience. Although the last HIIT trainer had iFit connectivity, you had to bring your own tablet/ console to the machine for this.

Like the discontinued model, this new ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 also has 32 onboard workouts. Professionally designed by certified personal trainers, the preset workouts can really bring your training regime up a notch. What’s more, we’re glad some are included considering the machine’s key focus is iFit. This means if you don’t want to pay for iFit after your 3-year membership is paid up, you still have a variety of onboard workouts that are free for life.

Features

Although the ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 was designed for intense high-intensity interval training, it manages to deliver this in a low-impact way via its unique design. It has a 10” vertical by 5” horizontal elliptical path on which your feet stay in constant contact with the pedals. This means you’re not pounding your feet up and down onto a deck as you would on a treadmill. The steep vertical stride in combination with the upper-body movement supports a full-body workout. The multi-position handlebars allow multiple grip positions so you can target different muscles each time you work out. This is also true of the oversized, cushioned pedals. As well as adding to the comfort factor of your workout, they allow for different foot positioning so you can target different parts of your lower body.

You can ramp up the challenge as you work your way up through the H7’s 24 levels of silent magnetic resistance. The force comes from a heavy-duty 30-pound flywheel, enough to challenge most trainees. As mentioned, iFit is unique due to the fact that the iFit trainers can automatically adjust your resistance mid-workout. It’s much like having a personal trainer in your living room, pushing you to the limit. You can view your iFit workouts and workouts stats on the Carbon HIIT H7’s 7” Smart HD touchscreen. It allows you to connect your own Bluetooth chest strap for wireless heart-rate monitoring if you want a more accurate reading than the built-in pulse grips can provide. As well as this, the H7 has Bluetooth speakers, a water bottle holder, and a cooling fan for comfort. Although the Carbon HIIT H7 doesn’t fold, it’s still a very compact machine. It also features transport wheels for easy re-positioning after workouts. To keep your workouts stable, it also has oversized leveling feet and can hold up to 325 pounds.

Warranty & Guarantee

The ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 has a good warranty package for the price point:

– Frame: 10 Years

– Parts: 2 Years

– Labor: 1 year

Currently, the ProForm Carbon HIIT H7 is free with a 3-year iFit membership via ProForm Financing ($39/month over 36 months), totalling $1,403. It’s worth looking at the return policy in more detail though, as the brands’s general return policy doesn’t apply to the free items promotions. According to the ProForm website, “your monthly payment is $39 for 36 months until you pay the full price of $1403… You may return your ProForm equipment and cancel your iFit membership within 30 days of receipt of the product. After 30 days, you may cancel your iFit membership at any time, but your remaining balance will then be due.”

Conclusion

If you had planned on paying for iFit over the next few years anyway, the fact that you get the Carbon HIIT H7 for free with a 3-year subscription makes it a top-value buy. This hybrid trainer supports intense aerobic workouts that build both strength and endurance while torching calories. If you want the rapid results of HIIT training—which saves time, energy, and in this case, money—the Carbon HIIT H7 could be your perfect workout partner. Keep in mind that HIIT training is not for everyone. It’s an intense form of exercise. That said, the Carbon HIIT H7 manages to deliver it in a comfortable and low impact way. The wide variety of resistance levels from its heavy-duty 30-pound drive will satisfy most trainees. This is in combination with the iFit connectivity, generous programming, and other entertainment and performance tracking features allows for a unique, immersive kind of HIIT training at home.