YoungFit Elliptical Machine Review: cheap but good

I reviewed the YoungFit Elliptical Machine a few years ago, but it wasn’t branded by YoungFit. Instead, it was called the Niceday elliptical, and I’ve also seen the same elliptical under the Snode brand. This isn’t unusual, often, you’ll find large factories in china making a product, and it gets branded under different names.

It’s an elliptical designed for beginners and intermediates on a budget. It has a fairly heavy flywheel for the price bracket, which ensures a smooth elliptical motion, a stable build, and its whisper-quiet thanks to the magnetic resistance and belt drive systems. Best of all, it’s a rear-drive machine, so you’ll be giving the glutes and hamstrings a good workout.

In today’s review, I’ll go over everything this low-cost elliptical has to offer, including any drawbacks, and I’ll compare it with another fav or mine in this price bracket, the Schwinn 411.

First, let’s check out the YoungFit elliptical product specs!

Why Do We Like The YoungFit Elliptical Machine?

The first thing you’re going to love about this elliptical is how easy it is to assemble. Ellipticals are usually tricky to assemble, much more so than treadmills or exercise bikes, so to find an elliptical that takes just 20 minutes to assemble is great. It saves a 3-hour headache.

The YoungFit elliptical isn’t just easy to assemble, it’s also very easy to use. It’s a fuss-free machine, and that’s what sells it. If it’s your first elliptical, don’t worry; you won’t find anything complicated here. There are no annoying menus to scroll through or subscription apps to deal with.

It’s a no bells and whistles, simple elliptical, and that’s what so many people like about it.

Naturally Puts You in an Upright Position

This is a rear-drive elliptical, so the posterior chain muscles do most of the work. The flywheel is behind you, so you must pull it to get it spinning, which works the large posterior muscles like your glutes and hamstrings.

And because you’re pulling more than pushing, the body naturally stays in an upright standing position which is much better for your back than leaning forward and pushing the flywheel as you would with a front-drive elliptical.

Plus, you’ll burn a load more calories pedaling a rear-drive elliptical simply because the large posterior muscles have a much higher caloric output demand than the smaller anterior muscles that the front drive machines work.

Click here to check price of YoungFit Elliptical on Amazon

Stride Length – Suitable For Users Up To 5’9″

I know the guys at YoungFit have put a max height for this elliptical at 6’3,” but that really is only for walking, which requires a shorter stride. If you want to jog or run on this machine, the max user height will be significantly lower.

The YoungFit elliptical boasts a 15″  stride, which isn’t too bad for the price. It’s about what I’d expect to find. Still, for 15″ strides, I’d recommend a max user height of 5’9″ as the last thing you want when exercising on your elliptical is to feel restricted.

Basic Easy To Use Monitor

As I mentioned in the intro, everything about this elliptical is fuss free, and the monitor is no exception. Monitors dont come much easier to use than this. The tech is limited to just basic tracking of your workout stats, such as distance, time, speed, and pulse. And everything can be accessed with a single touch of a button.

What you might find slightly disappointing is that you can’t change resistance strength from the monitor. You have to manually adjust it via the resistance knob under the monitor. It’s easy to do.

Also, there’s no workout programs which is a shame, but thankfully this is a quiet elliptical, so you could watch TV or listen to music to keep away the monotony of long cardio sessions, and you won’t be disturbed by the sound of the machine.

I should also mention there are some grip pulse sensors built into the fixed handlebars.

How Smooth Does The YoungFit Feel?

Something that’s vital when choosing an elliptical is to find one with a smooth elliptical motion. There are a few factors that contribute to a smooth elliptical motion, and the main one is the weight of the flywheel. 

You have to remember this is a low-cost elliptical, so you can’t expect heavy-duty flywheels. Anything over 12lb is a bonus in this price range, and the YoungFit elliptical flywheel weighs 15lb. There’s enough weight there to help keep the motion smooth and consistent without stuttering.

Also, you have a frictionless resistance system that will aid the motion’s smoothness and a belt-drive system that’s much smoother than a chain drive.

So yes, you have all the features to keep things smooth, not as smooth as a commercial machine, but good enough for a home elliptical.

22 Levels of Magnetic Resistance

The YoungFit Elliptical uses a magnetic resistance system. This type of resistance system is always the best choice for ellipticals, not just because it’s smooth but because it’s so quiet.

It’s a frictionless resistance system. The magnets of the system never have to make contact with the wheel; thus, there’s little to no sound, and best of all, there’s no wear or tear, so it’s a maintenance free resistance system as well.

You get 22 levels of resistance with the YoungFit elliptical, with enough strength in resistance for beginners and intermediates. The flywheel isn’t heavy enough for commercial strength resistance. You need to pay a lot more if you want a heavy duty machine.

But for beginners looking to lose weight and increase their overall fitness levels, the YoungFit should provide years of use. (before outgrowing)

Stationary and Moving Handlebars

Most ellipticals come with a stationary pair and moving pair of handlebars. If you’re a beginner, the stationary pair of handlebars will come in useful as you can hold onto these for your first few sessions while you get used to the elliptical motion. Then once you have built your confidence, you can move on to the moving handlebars for a full-body workout.

Still, it’s not just beginners who use the static pair of handlebars; seasoned elliptical users love them too, because they allow you to focus fully on your lower body. You can put the resistance on a high level and really give those leg muscles a hard workout.

20 Minute Assembly

Assembly is easy with the YoungFit elliptical, as 90% of it comes pre-assembled. All you have to do is attach the stabilizing feet, the two pairs of handlebars, and the monitor. Most people got this together in 20-30 minutes. All tools for the job are supplied, so too is a detailed manual, and there’s an assembly video on Amazon just in case you get stuck.

Maintenance: There isnt much maintenance on this elliptical as it uses a magnetic resistance system etc. However all ellipticals, whatever their price tag, will develop a squeak over time. Hence, it’s best to keep things lubricated.

Alternative

Schwinn 411 Elliptical

Schwinn has been around for over 100 years and has been building fitness gear for well over 50. They are a company I always trust to deliver quality, and their 411 elliptical has been more impressive than anything else in this price range for years.

The 411 has recently been updated, so it now includes a better mother, but even before the update this machine outshined its competition, and the reason I like it so much is the stride length.

It boasts an 18-inch stride, which is excellent for a $500 elliptical, and when you consider the Schwinn 411 is also one of the most compact ellipticals in this price range, that 18″ stride is even more impressive.

But it’s not just the stride length that impressed me, the build quality is there, too, as you’d expect from Schwinn, with users praising how good this elliptical feels when exercising.

And the monitor comes with 13 workout programs and access to their app. Also, you get wireless heart rate monitoring with the Schwinn 411, something you never see in this price range. A much more accurate way to monitor your heart rate than the pulse sensors.

Overall, the 411 is an impressive machine and unbeatable for a front drive in this price bracket, but the front drive may be the only drawback. You won’t get the benefits of a rear drive with this elliptical.

To Sum Up

I couldn’t really find anything that holds the YoungFit elliptical back. For the price, it has everything I’d expect and a little more. I’m glad to see a decent weight for the flywheel, as this really will help keep everything feeling smooth; the build is pretty sturdy too, it’s not super lightweight, there’s some weight there to keep the machine planted to the floor. It won’t feel cheap and unstable.

Overall it’s a good buy for the money and an excellent choice for a first elliptical.