ProForm Elliptical Reviews: which one is best for you?

For home gyms, I’d always choose a front-drive elliptical. They’re more compact, and most come with an incline feature essential for working those large posterior muscles. And the best ProForm elliptical is a front-drive machine; in fact, they offer two front-drive ellipticals; one is a mid-level the other boasts all the mid-level essentials but doesn’t come with so much tech, so is half the price.

ProForm also offers a couple of HIIT machines which I dont think so highly of, but we will feature the best one in this guide because I feel it’s still worth considering, especially if you like the idea of a stepper.

Still, not all of us want iFIT, which is why ProForm sells the Carbon EL front drive elliptical; it’s a stripped-down version of the E10 it’s half the price but still manages to shine on all the important stuff you need. It doesn’t come with a fancy HD screen or some of the other power options, but just like the E10, it’s a well-made study machine.

So in today’s guide, we’re going to focus on the Carbon series from ProForm and a look at one of their steppers.

For those in a rush, below is a comparison table. If you have more time, please scroll past the comparison table and read the review summaries.

Best ProForm Elliptical Comparison Table

ProForm Elliptical Reviews

1. ProForm Carbon E10 Elliptical

The Carbon E10 is the most impressive front drive elliptical that ProForm offers; it’s a mid-level elliptical, so it’s a full-featured machine. You’re not left wanting with the Carbon E10.

And one of its best features has to be the flywheel weight. It’s nice and heavy at 25lb, and the weight of the flywheel is important because it is the main factor that determines how smooth the elliptical motion will be; the last thing you want is a jerky, stuttering elliptical, especially when paying over $1k.

Plus, you have the desirable belt drive, and magnetic resistance systems, both of these systems are also essential to keep that elliptical motion smooth and quiet. So yes, everything feels smooth and consistent with the Carbon E10, which is exactly what you want.

Also, in this price range, we expect something heavy. You dont want a lightweight, cheaply built elliptical. Always remember the weight of an elliptical is a telling sign of the overall quality of the materials used.

You should expect a weight between 150lb and 250lb in this price bracket, and the ProForm E10 weighs 200lb which is easily heavy enough to give the elliptical that solid feel, and we also know with a 200lb weight, it’s not a cheaply made machine.

So, the two main essentials are there with the ProForm elliptical, a smooth elliptical motion, and a sturdy build.

Adjust The Stride Length to Suit Your Size

Still, it boasts some other excellent features like the 19″ adjustable stride, allowing users up to 6’2″ to achieve a full stride without feeling restricted. Not many ellipticals come with an adjustable stride in this price range, so it’s great to see and handy if there’s more than one person using the elliptical in the home.

Excellent Power Adjustable Incline

But perhaps what’s most impressive and most beneficial to your workouts is the 0-20 degrees power adjustable incline.

An incline is essential with a front-drive elliptical. Why? Because you tend to lean forward and stand on the front of your feet with a front-drive elliptical as you have to push the flywheel to get it spinning, which only works your anterior muscles like your quads.

To get the most out of your workouts, you need to shift the focus of your workout to the much larger posterior muscles like your glutes and hamstrings, which have a higher caloric output requirement, and to do that, you need an incline feature.

And the Carbon E10 has one of the best inclines you’ll find in this price bracket, and best of all, it’s power adjustable, so you don’t have to get off of the machine to adjust it manually. You can adjust it either from the quick touch bottom of the monitor or let the iFIT trainers adjust it for you.

Lastly, I must mention the 10″ HD touchscreen. It is crisp and looks great, and you won’t find better on any other elliptical for under $1500. Only ProForm and NordicTrack offer such impressive monitors, and with over seventeen thousand workouts to stream from their fitness app iFIT, you’ll never get bored with this elliptical.

I’ve always thought the Craboin E10 to be ProForm’s best elliptical. Even without the deal, it excels on all the essentials, which is most important, and the 10″ touchscreen and three years of iFIT just add to an already impressive machine. If you want an elliptical from ProForm, this is the one to go for.

Our Full Review: ProForm Carbon E10

2. ProForm Carbon EL

This is the ProForm elliptical to choose if you dont want iFIT, as there’s no HD touchscreen or deals thrown in on the subscription. This is the main reason why the Carbon EL comes in at half the price of the Carbon E10 despite boasting the same heavy-duty frame.

Surprisingly Sturdy For Something Under $800

I like the EL because its a solid machine; even though it’s half the price of the E10 ProForm still decided to keep that nice heavy frame, so it’s not a lightweight machine. It weighs just 10lb less than the Carbon E10. It really is a sturdy machine for something that costs under $800.

Also, you get the 0-20 degree incline, but it’s not power-adjustable. Still, it’s great to have an incline whether it’s power adjustable or not. You’ll just have to get off the machine to adjust it.

I think what you’ll notice most about this EL elliptical is that the resistance strength in the upper levels won’t be quite as strong as the Carbon E10, and thats because you have a lighter flywheel, its 7lb lighter than the Carbon E10’s flywheel and you will feel the difference.

However, an 18lb flywheel is nothing to moan about on an $800 elliptical; in fact, it’s pretty good for the price point and will help keep that elliptical motion smooth.

As I mentioned in the intro, this is a stripped-down version of the Carbon E10. But what’s vital is they didn’t take away anything important, as the build quality is there.

And you still get to burn extra calories working your glutes and hamstrings when pedaling on that impressive 0-20 degree incline.

To Sum Up – It’s a quiet, well-made elliptical with all the essentials, and if you can go without an HD touchscreen and power incline? Save yourself $700 and go for the Carbon EL. It’s a decent fuss-free elliptical.

Our Full Review: ProFrom Carbon EL

ProForm Carbon HIIT H10

Is it an elliptical or a stair climber? With a 5″ horizontal path and a 10″ vertical, it’s much more like a stepper; you’re at a permanent incline with this machine which is a good thing if you’re after heavy calorie burning because it means you’re really giving those large posterior muscles a serious workout.

Still, being at such a steep incline has its drawbacks. I used one of these things for a few months, and it hurt my knees. It won’t be the same for everyone, but steppers with such high inclines will always put more stress on the joints, and you won’t get that nice low-impact feel you get from an elliptical with a large horizontal stride.

However, many people love these machines because the workout is so intense, they’re packed with HIIT workouts for maximum calorie burn, and im talking three times that of a treadmill, which makes it a winner for anyone looking to burn off some belly fat.

Compact and Sturdy

The machine; it’s a front-drive machine which means it’s compact, and this is about as compact as ellipticals/climbers get.

It has a small footprint, so if you’re tight on space, the H10 is a good choice. It’s heavy, which is always a good thing because steppers often suffer from stability issues. Still, as this weighs close to 200lb and has those long stabilizing feet with adjustable levers, stability won’t be an issue.

But what I love most about this machine, or maybe the only thing I love about the H10, is the heavy flywheel. It weighs 31lb, which means this machine is smooth. Great to find a flywheel this heavy for under $1500, and it also means resistance in the upper levels is going to be extra strong, perfect for the more advanced users out there.

And just like the Carbon E10, you have that impressive 10″ color touchscreen, and yes, they’re offering the three years of iFIT deal with the H10, which certainly sweetens the deal. So basically, you get the H10 for free if you subscribe to iFIT for three years.

This is an excellent machine for people looking for more intense workouts, maybe I have been slightly too hard on it because of my experience with this type of cardio machine, but dont let that put you off. It might be a good idea to try a stepper in your local gym for a month before buying one for home, just to see how it feels.

Buying Tips/General Info

iFIT Explained

For those of you who have never heard of iFIT or are unsure if you want to purchase an elliptical with a subscription app included? I think it’s worth taking a closer look at the app and what exactly is included in the subscription. And remember if you purchase any ProForm elliptical from their website here, you get a year’s free subscription to the fitness app.

Bringing The Gym To Your Home

Bringing the gym into your home is the iFIT app’s main selling point, you don’t have to go out to find your fitness classes the fitness app will bring all that fun workout stuff to your home!

The iFIT app can be used in conjunction with any of the ProForm and NordicTrack fitness gear, including ellipticals; you get to stream interactive iFIT Trainer-led studio or destination trainer-led classes to your equipment’s console, tablet or smartphone.

The great thing about iFIT is that you can perform all of your fitness routines in your own time, and what’s cool about this is you are never alone. You are in a class, which makes the whole experience more challenging and fun. And the best bit is you can pick your favorite instructors and locations.

The iFIT trainer’s workout alongside you, they work the challenges just as hard as you are, they keep the workouts light, but fun, and importantly they get more challenging as you progress.

The video above shows some of iFITs global routes and a few of their trainers, but you have to remember there are literally 1000s of workouts to choose from in their vast online library, and also you can stream their indoor studio classes lead by world-class fitness coaches.

The Tech

This has to be the most impressive feature of the iFIT app, the tech! This thing can recognize which piece of cardio equipment you are using and allows trainers to make real-time adjustments including adjusting your speed, level of incline/decline, and resistance strength to mimic the class activity you are currently performing. Cool! No need to even touch the controls…

And of course, there is a manual mode where you can adjust all the settings to your liking if you don’t want it done for you.

And lastly, I thought worth a mention is their Google maps feature, this feature lets you plan your own route literally anywhere in the world, you can even map out a route near your house if you wish, again if you choose to use it, the incline feature will automatically adapt to the terrain of the course you mapped out.

Is iFIT worth it? Yes I think so, for a dollar a day you can have fun exploring the world with GlobeTreck or stay in the studio for your cardio workout the choice is yours.

Long cardio sessions can get boring and having a decent fitness app to keep you interested and coming back for more is important, not only that the added bonus of choosing a trainer to workout alongside will challenge you and bring some much-needed motivation to your workouts helping you hit your fitness goals.

Elliptical Drive Type – (Flywheel Position)

While there are many design varieties out there, ellipticals can be divided into three categories. All three of these categories are defined by the placement of the flywheel (drive system). The drive system is the main component that facilitates the elliptical motion.

When you first take a look at an elliptical, the first thing you will notice is where the drive wheel is situated. Some are placed at the front of the machine; you’ll also see there are ellipticals with flywheels placed in the center of the machine. And finally rear-drive ellipticals.

The placement of the flywheel can be particularly important as it can affect the smoothness of the elliptical motion, the length of the machine and the level of noise while the elliptical is in motion.

Front Drive – Front-drive machines are the most popular mainly because their price is slightly lower than a rear or mid-drive; they also tend to have smaller footprints, so they are best suited for home use.

A basic yet durable design, front-drive machines are typically a little noisier than their front and rear drive counterparts but nothing too noticeable or offputting.

Centre Drive – Centre drive ellipticals are a recent addition to the elliptical market, having only been around for a few years. Designed to be similar to a treadmill, except the pedals are where the track would usually be. Centre drive designs allow for a gentle workout.

Centre drive, just like the front-drive, tends to be compact in design. However, you need to be careful when choosing a center drive machine as the compact design can lead to short stride lengths!

Rear Drive Ellipticals – Most rear-drive ellipticals have a smaller wheel housing that is located behind the pedals making these the longest in design. Many manufacturers claim the rear-drive machines allow for a smoother, more circular pedal motion.

The pedals can also be on a track, which allows for an incline. Rear drives systems are usually reserved for high-end ellipticals. Some of the widest stride lengths can be found on rear-drive ellipticals.

Other Key Components To Look Out For

Resistance Type – There’s a couple of resistance types available for elliptical machines; one is magnetic; the other is air. Which is best? For home use, I’d always recommend you go with magnetic.

Magnetic resistance is much quieter in use than air resistance. You’ll be able to exercise without disturbing yourself or others around you. A near-silent machine is great for people who live in an apartment or do not have a dedicated room to house a machine.

Magnetic resistance has another useful advantage over air resistance. Because magnetic resistance is constant i.e the resistance strength only changes when you manually select a higher or lower level. You can exercise at a slow pace on a high resistance level, something that is impossible with air resistance as air resistance is dynamic; it only gets stronger when you walk/run faster.

Resistance Strength 

Budget ellipticals $600 and under typically provide eight levels of resistance. While this isn’t a ton of resistance levels, it will provide enough resistance for medium to light cardio workouts.

That’s not to say you won’t burn any calories on a cheaper machine; it all depends on your fitness levels. Still, in general, a machine with eight resistance levels is usually best suited for beginners, walkers, seniors, or anyone looking for lighter workouts.

When you spend a few more bucks $600+, we start to see 16-24 resistance levels here; you can expect reasonably strong resistance in the upper levels. the machines are, in general, of higher quality and will provide the user with much more of a challenge and will allow for years of growth.

$1.5k+ ellipticals will, of course, come with the most resistance levels and heavier flywheels – Great if you can afford one but sometimes overkill for a home gym

Stride Length

The most important feature you need to look out for when buying an elliptical is the stride length, the last thing you want is to set up the machine only to find the stride length is too short for you to run or walk freely.

If you don’t know how the stride length is measured? It’s the measurement from the toe of the front pedal to the heel of the rear pedal while the pedals are at their widest stride.

For many who only plan on walking or running slowly will find they can get away with a shorter stride length, but for taller users or anyone wishing to use an elliptical for fast-paced walking or running, you will need a stride length of at least 18″.

If you have exercised on an elliptical in your local gym – nearly all have a stride length of between 20-22″ So if you’ll able to run freely using a machine at your local gym you should have no issues with the NordicTrack ellipticals.

Over 6’2″? You may need to find an elliptical with a stride length of 22″+ especially if you plan on intense workouts which require longer strides

Workout Space

Even compact ellipticals are large machines; most people are surprised how big elliptical machines are once they are delivered to their doors. So be don’t be caught out, take a look at measurements of the elliptical you are interested in and make sure your home has the space needed to house one comfortably.

Most ellipticals are between 5 and 7 feet long, and remember, you’ll need to leave room for the pedals of the machine while they are in motion.

If you are going to opt for a rear-drive, another important thing to remember is the pedals can extend a foot behind the mainframe. Also, allow for 20″ either side of the machine.

And let’s not forget the height. This is particularly important for those of you who might be thinking’ of keeping the elliptical in the basement. Check the elliptical max pedal height plus your hight- the combined height of both will be the maximum height of the chosen elliptical. The last thing you want is to be banging your head!

Above are the most important features you should consider when first buying an elliptical. Of course, there are bonus features such as wifi, fun workouts app, workout programs, HD screens, wireless heart rate monitoring, etc. just remember the more bonus features you choose, the higher the price of the elliptical.

To Sum Up

ProForm doesn’t have that many ellipticals to choose from, but the ones they do offer are impressive for the price point. You’re not going to find anything commercial-grade with ProForm. Most of the gear is targeted toward beginners and intermediates, which is fine, commercial ellipticals are typically overkill for a home gym, and only seasoned athletes really need a commercial-grade machine.

The one elliptical that does stand out is the Carbon E10. It boasts all the features you need for a smooth elliptical motion but also a decent incline and, most importantly, a sturdy build, so you dont feel unstable when you’re pushing your limits.

The 10″ HD touchscreen and three years of iFIT certainly adds to the appeal of the Carbon E10 and gives it an edge over the competition.

ProForm Elliptical Reviews FAQs

Are NordicTrack and ProForm The Same?

Icon Fitness owns NordicTrack, ProForm, and iFIT. However, the ProForm brand focuses more on mid-level cardio gear, while NordicTrack offers both mid-level and high-end cardio machines.

Are ProForm Ellipticals Any Good?

ProForm mostly makes ellipticals for beginners and intermediates, their equipment isn’t commercial grade, but it’s not low-cost or cheaply made either. These guys offer well-made ellipticals with some impressive features for the price point.

Can I Use ProForm Without iFIT Membership?

Yes, all ProForm Ellipticals can be used without the iFIT app. You simply need to enable the manual mode.