HARISON Recumbent Bike Review: cheap but good

It’s not a Peltoon Bike, it’s not even a mid-level recumbent bike; what you have here from Harison is a low-cost well made recumbent. And that’s the best you can hope for in this price bracket.

As long as the build quality is there with these low-cost machines, you won’t go far wrong, and this is the reason I like the Harsion Recumbent Bike. Yes, it has a few drawbacks, assembly is tough, and the monitor is pretty basic, but none of these issues are deal killers. Overall, this is one of the better budget recumbents I’ve reviewed.

It’s certainly a recumbent bike that makes me want to take a closer look, and today we’ll take a close look at everything it offers, including those drawbacks I mentioned. At the end of the review, I’ll compare the Harsion Recumbent bike to another best seller in this price bracket, the Exerpeutic 900XL.

First, let’s take a quick look at the Harison’s product specs!

Why Do We Like The Harrison Recumbent Bike?

What I like most about this recumbent bike is the seat. It’s adjustable. You can adjust the seat to fit your size, with a height range of 5’2″ to 6’3″. This is impressive for such a low-cost recumbent. One of the biggest problems you find with budget recumbent bikes is that the seat isn’t adjustable, which restricts the height range.

Also, the seat is nice and comfy, using high density foam for the padding. 

High-density foam is the gold standard for comfort. It’s not too firm to be uncomfortable or too soft to cause stability issues, its just right. And best of all, the seat backrest is vented to prevent sweating, making everything feel that much more comfortable when pedaling.

The seat and the comfort it provides are among the most important features when choosing a recumbent bike. Harison got everything right with their seat. 

Easy To Use

I’ve already mentioned in the intro the build quality is there with this recumbent, it’s a sturdy, well-made machine, but something else you’ll love about this recumbent is how easy it is to use. There’s nothing complicated about it.

There are no annoying menus to scroll with the monitor, and there’s no subscription apps to set up. Once assembled, you can just get on it and get going. 

The no bells and whistles design is something I’ve always found appealing about budget recumbent bikes, as it makes them the easiest to use.

Click here to check price of Harison Recumbent Bike on Amazon

14 Levels of Frictionless Resistance

You have a choice. You can get an air resistance recumbent or a magnetic resistance recumbent bike. Magnetic resistance is the best choice because it’s frictionless the magnets never have to make contact with the flywheel; thus, it’s whisper-quiet, making it the perfect choice for a home gym.

You can watch TV or listen to music without being disturbed by the sound of the machine. Also, because it’s a frictionless system, there’s little to no maintenance.

Plus, you have a belt drive system with the Harison recumbent bike, which is much quieter than the noisy chain drives.

A belt drive and a magnetic resistance system is the best combination. It’s the smoothest and quietest combination you can find for a recumbent bike.

How Strong is The Resistance

This is a low-cost recumbent bike, so don’t expect commercial-grade resistance strength like you’d find on a recumbent bike in your local gym.

Still, you have a 20lb flywheel with the Harsion recumbent bike, which is impressive for the price point I’ve reviewed many with just 10lb flywheels in this price bracket. That extra 10lb of weight you get with the Harison will ensure resistance strength in those upper levels is strong. Strong enough for beginners and intermediates.

Having a 20lb flywheel also makes the resistance feel smooth. You don’t want the bike to feel jerky when pedaling. You need that extra little bit of weight to keep things moving smoothly.

To adjust resistance strength, you use a resistance knob which is situated under the monitor. You have 14 levels, with level 14 being the strongest.

The only slight drawback when adjusting the resistance strength is that you must manually adjust it using the resistance knob. I was hoping you could adjust the level from the monitor, but as with most budget recumbents, the Harsion recumbent comes with the manual resistance knob. It only takes a second or two to turn the knob, so it’s not a big deal.

And because you are manually adjusting rather than electronically, the Harsion recumbent doesn’t need to be plugged into a wall which is always a good thing.

Basic Monitor

The monitor is, in a word, basic. It’s about as basic as they come. There’s no workout programs, there’s no Bluetooth, fitness apps, or an HD color screen. This monitor tracks just the essential workout stats like distance, time, calories, and speed. That’s about it. It doesn’t do anything else.

Basic for most people is fine; it means it’s easy to use and keeps the price of a recumbent bike down. Still, even for $400 recumbent bike, I expected a few workout programs.

Workout programs, I feel, are important as they challenge you and keep you coming back to the recumbent for more. It’s a shame there aren’t any. 

However, at least there are some pulse sensors built into the handlebars so you can monitor your pulse rate while working out. And you have a tablet holder, so you can download a free fitness app if you need something extra to keep away the monotony of long workout sessions.

How Many Calories Can I burn?

Recumbent exercise bikes are very similar to an upright bikes in that they work the same groups of muscles. With a recumbent bike, you’ll work those large posterior chain muscles like your glutes and hamstrings. The glutes are the largest muscles in your body and have the highest caloric output requirement.

Depending on your workout pace and your resistance level, you can burn anywhere from 100-300 calories per 30-minute session on a recumbent bike. So they’re just as good as any other piece of cardio equipment for burning calories and losing some of that unwanted belly fat.

Assembly Can Be Tricky

Assembling any recumbent bike is kind of tricky because of all the parts you need to put together. Still, the Harison is particularly tricky because the assembly manual isn’t very clear. So rather than explain what needs to be assembled, here’s an assembly video that is sure to make everything a lot easier.

Can This Bike Really Handle 400lb?

A lot of budget recumbent bikes love to boast high-weight capacities when in reality, the actual capacity is much lower. The Harison Recumbent exercise bike is a well-made machine for the price point, but it’s still a long way off commercial-grade quality. I’ve reviewed commercial-grade machines with heavy duty 200lb frames with lower weight capacities than the Harsion recumbent.

I wouldn’t want to risk putting a budget recumbent bike like The Harrison B8 under such heavy loads daily. A more realistic weight capacity for the Harison recumbent is 300lb, and that’s still being generous.

Exerpeutic 900XL Recumbent bike

Exerpeutic are a company I’ve always liked. They’ve been around for decades specializing in low-cost fitness gear. They are one of the only companies you can rely on to deliver high quality equipment with affordable price tags.

And their 900XL is one the most impressive recumbent bikes you’ll find for under $300. The 900XL is over $100 cheaper than the Harsion recumbent, yet it still manages to compete with it. It boasts a 70lb build, so it’s not a cheaply made machine. The 70lb build is a good clue it’s made from quality materials. It’s not heavy duty, far from it, but for the price bracket, it’s a good weight, and that weight really helps keep feels stable as well.

Like The Harsion Recumbent bike, you also get the frictionless magnetic resistance system, but you only get 8 levels with the 900XL compared to the 14 with the Harsion. You also have the belt drive and oversized padded seat for extra comfort.

But what surprises me most about the Exerpeutic recumbent bike is that the seat is adjustable. This is excellent for a machine costing under $300 and gives the 900XL a height range of 5’2″ to 6’2″.

Still, this is a budget recumbent bike, so the monitor, just like the Harison bike, is very basic, tracking only your vital workout stats like distance time, pulse, and speed.

I wanted to show you this recumbent bike because it offers so much bang for your buck. It’s a well-made recumbent bike for beginners with a sturdy walk-through frame. 

To Sum Up

The Harison Recumbent Exercise bike impressed me; great seat with high-density foam padding and a vented backrest. Something else that surprised me was how heavy the flywheel is. At 22lb, it’s as heavy as some semi-commercial recumbents, impressive stuff from Harison.

Overall it’s a sturdy machine for the price. It’s not something that feels cheap or unstable. Many users have praised how good it feels exercising on this recumbent bike, which is reassuring to hear, especially for a low-cost recumbent.

The monitor is really where this recumbent is let down. It’s so basic you don’t even get any workout programs, but it’s not a deal killer. As I mentioned earlier, you have a tablet holder, so if you get really bored, you can always download a free fitness app to keep you challenged and coming back for more.