A sturdy elliptical machine is a must in every basic home gym, mainly if your fitness goals include weight loss and cardio exercising. While they usually excel at performance and quality, professional ellipticals can be very expensive and thus limit your gym budget severely. Focusing on the essential features, best-rated brands, and long-term customer satisfaction, we’ve compiled a list of worth-a-try ellipticals that won’t leave you penniless.
Continue reading to explore the best ellipticals under £500 you can buy in the UK, to find the one that perfectly fits your needs.
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Is £500 enough for a good-quality elliptical?
Yes, while high-end ellipticals offer more durable construction and advanced features, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a model under £500 that won’t adhere to your home-gym needs.
Even most affordable ellipticals possess important features, such as a heavy flywheel, multiple resistance options, an LCD, sometimes even extra attachments, like a media rack, bottle holder, etc.
What’s different from professional machines is that budget-friendly ellipticals strive towards balancing the price and standard. For instance, some low-cost ellipticals may offer the incline option, but they won’t be adjustable like in costly ones.
To assure you that cost is not always a determining factor for quality, we included only the best ellipticals under £500 in our list, with top-notch reviews and a positive customer experience.
Buying the best elliptical under £500 – What to consider
A comprehensive elliptical needs to cover at least some of the must-have criteria. Here are the research essentials for getting a 5-star elliptical under £500 for home use:
Size
The bulkiness of an elliptical can depend on the stride length options – the farther you can pedal, the more space you need for handling the elliptical. Larger ellipticals can also include an optional seat that requires a bigger frame and a longer construction to enable a comfortable seating position while moving.
The quality of the flywheel
The flywheel is the life and soul of an elliptical, controlling the inertia and precision of rotations. The heavier and bigger the flywheel, the smoother and more controlled the movements are. If you’re looking for more challenging running sessions, you can get more resistance from 6-9 kg heavy flywheels. Users who have joint problems and want to work on their stamina can benefit more from lighter flywheels.
Stride length
Stride length can also determine the effectiveness and intensity of exercising. Stride length around and above 35 cm is an optimal feature that will provide you with fat-burning, intense running.
Resistance levels and pre-set workouts
This is where an elliptical can show off its capability. Different workout programs and more options for resistance are directly connected to workout versatility and maximizing results. Most ellipticals under £500 can offer around 20 resistance levels and more than a dozen already programmed workout sessions.
Extra features
Do you like to use your phone while running? Is it necessary that you have a water bottle holder at your disposal? Do you need a seat for safely operating the elliptical? Answers to these questions can determine which product will be more or less appealing.
Best ellipticals under £500 – Reviews
If you’ve decided to take the leap with affordable ellipticals, consider the top picks we’ve carefully selected to fit any home gym:
Proform 325 CSE
This elliptical enables you to experience advanced running programs while staying within the budget. A 9 kg flywheel offers smooth and silent operation with 20 levels of resistance for both light jogging and high-speed running.
The 325 CSE was designed to mimic the real-life running experience, offering various pre-set programs, Bluetooth iFit compatibility that opens the opportunity to use Google maps routes to recreate different mountainous terrain or beach breeze.
You can also organize your workouts and make progress at your own pace. The elliptical features an LCD with necessary metrics, tracking speed, distance, calorie burn, and pulse, thanks to the additional immobile handles with EKG monitoring.
The sturdy construction can withstand up to 115 kg of user weight, making it an excellent investment for the whole family.
Customers are delighted by the versatility this elliptical offers and point out that it makes running more fun and engaging.
Pros
- Versatility in pre-set workouts
- More options to make your programs
- 20 resistance levels
- Durable and sturdy
- Suitable for different types of users
Cons
- No extra features (media rack, etc.)
- Not foldable
Available from: John Lewis / eBay
If Proform 325 CSE is not in stock anywhere, consider ProForm 525 CSE+ elliptical cross trainer which costs a little bit more but still affordable.
Proform 450 LE
Slightly more expensive than Proform 325 CSE, but with even more amazing features, the 450 LE is another real-life running simulator. Apart from the basic metrics, this elliptical features a large LCD monitor compatible with Google maps and fantastic running routes to help you get in the mood for exercising.
The 450 LE is large but foldable by length and comes with transport wheels, so you can store it when not in use. Still, make sure to free up at least 167 x 68 x 159 cm of space for comfortable running.
This elliptical is a great running buddy, offering 18 in-built programs with 16 different resistance levels and 8 trainer-approved weight-loss ones for achieving better results. Great for tall or short users, it offers a stride length of 46 cm to maximize muscle effectiveness.
To make your running sessions even more appealing, this elliptical features a handy bottle holder and an air fan to keep you cool and refreshed during your intense training sessions.
Customers praise the heavy-duty construction of this elliptical (withstanding up to 115 kg of weight) and like the iFit compatibility that brings more versatile workout options.
Pros
- 18 pre-set workouts + 8 weight-loss programs
- Extra features: water bottle holder, air fan, tablet holder
- Foldable and stored easily
- Transport wheels
- iFit Bluetooth compatibility
Cons
- Lighter flywheel, not challenging enough for advanced runners (6 kg)
Available from: eBay
If Proform 450 LE is not in stock anywhere, consider ProForm 525 CSE+ elliptical cross trainer which costs a little bit more but still affordable.
Viavito Sina Elliptical Cross Trainer
Viavito came up with this budget-friendly, versatile model to help newbies and high-level running enthusiasts achieve the best results. It comes with a 9kg heavy-duty flywheel that enables a whopping 32 levels of magnetic resistance and a consistent, smooth motion. You can also utilize 20 different pre-set workouts or make up your own running routine.
This elliptical comes with ample and comfortable foot pedals that can reach 38 cm stride length for more challenging muscle engagement and a natural running feel.
There are mobile and fixed handlebars so you can adapt your position and running style.
The monitor tracks speed, distance, calorie burn, heart rate, body fat analysis, etc. It offers 4 pre-set profiles that you can customize to get more detailed feedback.
Another nifty thing about this elliptical is that you’re not restricted to handlebar movement to get precise heart-rate monitoring as it has a built-in wireless receiver you can connect with a chest belt.
Customers are satisfied with the flywheel and sturdiness of the product. It proved great for weight loss and low-intensity, long-distance jogging, as it can withstand up to 120 kg.
Pros
- Heavy-duty flywheel
- 32 resistance levels
- 20 pre-set workouts
- Easy-to-use LCD and great tracking options
- Customizable profiles
Cons
- No secondary features (water bottle holder and media rack)
- Reported to be squeaky after some time of use
Available from: Sweatband / eBay
Viavito Setry 2-in-1 Elliptical Trainer and Exercise Bike
This bike-elliptical hybrid is an ideal machine for people with joint problems who need extra low-impact workouts. Technically speaking, the pedals are designed to mimic walking or running strides. Still, you can minimize the pressure on hips, knees, and joints by combining running upright with low-intensity, highly controlled cycling.
What’s more, the padded ergonomic seat is adjustable horizontally and vertically, while you can also adjust handlebars depending on your height.
A 5 kg flywheel is ideal for beginners with fitness goals, including working on weight loss, starting with low-impact cardio, and preparing for more challenging machines.
The elliptical features an LCD monitor with easy-to-use controls and essential feedback (time, speed, distance, calorie burn, pulse rate).
There are 20 pre-set workout programs and 4 customizable running profiles that help you define your goals and precisely measure progress. You can measure the pulse by using the fixed handlebars or a wireless chest belt.
This 2-in-1 elliptical is very popular among customers due to its versatility, great features, and reasonably sturdy construction.
Pros
- Both elliptical and low-impact bike
- Heavy-duty construction (max. weight capacity 120 kg)
- 32 magnetic resistance levels
- 20 pre-set programs and 4 customizable profiles
- Chest belt compatible
Cons
- Not suitable for more advanced runners (5kg flywheel)
- No extra attachments (water bottle holder, tablet holder)
Available from: Amazon / Sweatband
Conclusion – What’s the best elliptical under £500?
When shopping for an elliptical under £500, the most important thing to look for is the flywheel quality and resistance options which will determine the intensity of your workouts.
If you are an advanced user we recommend you opt for Proform 325 CSE as it will give you high-intensity workouts you require. For lighter and occasional workouts, Proform 450 LE elliptical machine or Viavito Setry 2-in-1 Elliptical Trainer and Exercise Bike are both a good choice. If these are not in stock online, consider ProForm 525 CSE+ elliptical cross trainer which is an excellent substitute.
Another factor that will determine the purchase is the space you’re willing to free up for the machine and whether you need it foldable and storable.
Keep in mind that for an attractive price, some features need to be compromised; every product focuses on a variety of customer needs, so it’s your task to search for the specs that fit your preferences.
You can find top-rated ellipticals under £500 in our review, so whichever you choose in the end will prove best in the long term.
Author Bio
Sofia Alves is a fitness enthusiast who loves running and motivating others to adopt and stick to healthy habits. She is always learning, searching and investing in further education to build her knowledge. She strongly believes the worst workout is the one you didn’t bother to do.
