Best ProForm Ellipticals of 2023
ProForm Fitness is the world’s best-known brand of ellipticals, treadmills and other fitness machines for home use. It’s especially popular for including 24/7 personal training across the price spectrum. All ProForm ellipticals for 2020 have iFit Coach, a powerful app that can adapt to your activities -- exercise, diet and sleep -- to be a comprehensive and affordable 24/7 fitness and nutrition guide.
Most exciting, ellipticals with iFit let you virtually tour the world! Using Google Maps data the iFit Coach app can 1) stream interactive views of real routes and 2) adjust the fitness machine’s incline to mimic topography. You might be training indoors, but your online self can stride through sunflower fields, scale mountaintops and explore city streets.
If you upgrade to iFit Coach Plus you’ll automatically receive personalized virtual route suggestions every day. For example, you might log into the app and see routes based on your preferred workout length or calorie burn goal.
Top 5 Best Rated ProForm Ellipticals
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
Model | ProForm HIIT Trainer Pro | ProForm Carbon | ProForm SMART Pro 16.9 | ProForm SMART Endurance 920 E | ProForm Carbon |
Rating | Rating: 96.0 % | Rating: 92.5 % | Rating: 91.9 % | Rating: 89.2 % | Rating: 89.1 % |
Resistance | 26 Levels | 20 | 26 Levels | 24 Levels | 18 |
Stride Length | n/a | 19" | 20 inches | 19" Power Adjustable | 19" |
Programs | 50+ iFit | iFit only | 35 | 32 | iFit only |
Flywheel | 30 Lbs | 20 lbs | 32 Lbs | 25 Lbs | 15 lbs |
MSRP | $1,599 | $999 | $2,499 | $1,349.99 | $799 |
Pricing | See Best Price | See Best Price | See Best Price | See Best Price | See Best Price |
ProForm Ellipticals Buying Guide
ProForm Fitness builds a wide range of home elliptical machines in terms of durability and performance. For three price limits, this FitRated.com guide presents the best ProForm combinations of parts quality and special features. We also recommend a Hybrid Trainer, which isn’t as high quality but does let you sit during total-body training.
Best ProForm Elliptical Under $1,000
Customers’ favorite ProForm elliptical under $1,000 is the ProForm Hybrid Trainer XT, priced at $599. The 2-in-1 machine which serves as both a bike and elliptical features a large LCD display and brings impressive performance to the home.
Features to note are the 13-pound flywheel, a power-adjustable 15″ stride, EKG Grip Pulse Sensors, and a Watts Power Meter.
- Measuring 60.5″ x 24.5″ x 70.5″ with a 350-pound maximum user weight, the ProForm Hybrid Trainer XT brings a lot to the home. Its size helps produce a smoother low-impact workout compared with lighter alternatives. It also helps make this trainer a good match for larger users.
- The 15″ power-adjustable stride might be a short for taller users, but considering this is a budget class, it’s sufficient for the average person. A 20″ stride is the standard fixed stride on commercial cross trainers, but most people rarely use all that.
- This model has a 16 levels of digital resistance which, considering its dual functions as a bike and elliptical, will be sufficient to help users earn the burn.
- Using its WiFi connection you can access a new workout from iFit Coach anytime. This includes Google Maps workouts with Street View, video workouts from personal trainers, and standard workouts as well. If you choose an iFit Coach Plus membership, then three custom-tailored workouts will automatically be downloaded to your elliptical machine every day.
- The ProForm Hybrid Trainer XT also offers an integrated tablet holder and integrated audio port. This allows folks to bring their own screen, whether a phone or tablet, and enjoy high-end entertainment while exercising.
The ProForm Hybrid Trainer XT also has an adjustable seat, a water bottle holder, transport wheels and other amenities. All-in-all it’s easily one of the best ellipticals under $1000.
Best Low-Budget ProForm Elliptical Machine
If you own a tablet computer, and you seek lighter workouts, the Endurance 720E could be your best ProForm deal. This model number was also our “best cheap elliptical” for ProForm in 2016. The machine has been updated for 2018 but still has the old $799 discount price and a two-year parts warranty. Compared with most other ellipticals for the price, the 720E is built for superior performance with its heavier drive, longer stride, and steeper incline… and since it’s a ProForm, it works with iFit Coach.
A special appeal is that without being too low-end, the 720E offers an affordable way to train with iFit Coach Google Maps — so when you escape to your home gym, you can virtually tour the globe! The machine even supports up to 20% incline to beautifully sculpt your muscles as it copies landscapes. Additionally, 24 standard elliptical workouts are built in.
This elliptical is “iFit Coach Ready.” That’s the cheaper alternative to being “iFit Coach Enabled” like the 920E. A machine that’s iFit Coach Ready lacks its own touchscreen with WiFi, but it can connect with iFit Coach through your tablet computer (Android or iOS).
Comparing elliptical machines, we usually start with two basics: flywheel resistance and stride lengths.
- The Endurance 720E’s 20-pound flywheel is significantly heavier than the norm for a $799 trainer. That’s not heavy enough to be mistaken for a health club resistance system, but it does help make this elliptical a top value for shoppers seeking light to medium duty fitness machines. (The heavier the wheel, the smoother and lower-impact your total body workout will be.) You can choose from 20 levels of magnetic resistance.
- The 19-inch stride length on the 720E is comfortable for most users anywhere from 5 feet to 6 feet tall. For comparison, the typical stride on good home ellipticals is from 18 to 22 inches. The norm on health club cross trainers is 20 inches.
The 720E is a bargain at the $799 discount price. The 920E brings lots of benefits for another $200… but if you want to stay at $799, this could be your best buy. If you visit the ProForm website and the asking price is $1,299, just wait! A sale will likely kick off within several days.
Best ProForm Elliptical Under $1,500
ProForm’s top-rated cross trainer just under $1,500 is the Pro HIIT H14 with a 14-inch touchscreen and ultra-smooth elliptical motion. Inspired by health club quality, it features a commercial steel frame, a 30-pound flywheel, and EKG Grip Pulse heart rate sensors. Physically the Pro HIIT H14 is a great match for just about anyone… and with the high-def 14-inch display and iFit-enabled programming, it’s hard to turn down if it fits your budget.
Exercise guidance is available from 34 preloaded workouts. All ProForm workouts are designed by certified personal trainers, and here you get options organized by workout goal such as “calories” or “performance.” Most engaging though are the workouts downloaded with an iFit Coach or iFit Coach Plus membership. The iFit app adapts to your activity to supply custom-tailored workout routines as well as menu tips, sleep reminders and more.
This machine arrives with a chest strap for wireless heart rate monitoring. Some other amenities are speakers, a tablet computer shelf, a bottle holder and a cooling fan.
Full price is $1,499 with shipping and a 30-day membership to iFit included. When we consider the generous 10-year frame warranty, the Pro HIIT H14 really looks like a bargain at the discount price. It’s a clear winner among under-$2000 elliptical trainers.
Best ProForm Hybrid Trainer (Recumbent Elliptical Bike)
ProForm sells two recumbent ellipticals, or elliptical exercise bikes, called Hybrid Trainers. Each model is very low priced. A ProForm Hybrid Trainer can be used in a seated or standing position. It might be preferable to choosing a “standing room only” elliptical machine if your back or lower body joints are especially sensitive. However, these fitness machines are only useful for lower intensity total-body training. The maximum resistance is very light compared with the best ProForm ellipticals we named above.
The better machine is the Hybrid Trainer Pro with $599 online price. This cross trainer is most comfortably used by trainees of shorter to average heights because it has a short stride of 17 inches. It also is best for people who aren’t heavy. The more you weigh, the more you’ll understand the shortcomings of a 15-pound flywheel. Whether you stand or sit to exercise, you can move the arm bars as you pedal.
The Hybrid Trainer Pro has 20 preset workouts. As ProForm puts it, you can just press “Start” and you’re ready to ride. Each program is designed by a certified personal trainer. Data are shown on an LCD console with an adjustable angle to suit different people’s heights.
But the most engaging workouts are accessed with iFit Coach. Hybrid Trainers are iFit Coach Ready, which means they can use your own mobile device as a workout control panel. By choosing a trainer with iFit Coach, you can receive — or create — new and customized Google Maps elliptical workouts anytime. With an iFit Coach membership you can also get recipe suggestions that match your fitness profile; access hundreds of video workouts on your computer or mobile device; track your daily steps with a wearable device, and optimize your progress in many other ways.
The Hybrid Trainer Pro has a one-year warranty on parts and labor.
ProForm Fitness Company Profile
ProForm Fitness developed out of an import company founded in 1977. Three Utah State University business majors founded the company Weslo to import diverse raw materials and finished products from Asian markets: furniture, wood-burning stoves, marble and more. To attract more customers in the summer months Weslo eventually invested in mini trampolines… and with this move, ProForm Fitness was born. Weslo and ProForm expanded to offer exercise bikes and then a wider range of fitness products such as treadmills and the elliptical trainers are obviously shown here.
Since 1994 ProForm Fitness has been part of the ICON Health & Fitness portfolio. It is headquartered in Logan, Utah. ICON currently manufactures its products overseas and provides customer support from the US.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are ProForm elliptical machines any good?
As one of the industry’s top brands, the answer is undoubtedly yes. The question is whether or not a specific model is right for a particular buyer. - Can you lose belly fat by using an elliptical?
Yes, the elliptical machine is an outstanding tool for the burning of calories and building muscle. - How long should I do the elliptical daily?
That largely depends on one’s fitness levels. As a rule, most users can benefit from 30 minutes a day. - Do you have to have iFit to use ProForm elliptical machines?
No, the ProForm machines work with or without iFit. - How do I activate my ProForm elliptical?
Each model requires slightly different steps but comes with detailed instructions
More ProForm Ellipticals
The following did not make the Top 5 ProForm Ellipticals, but are still worth a look: