5 Best Ellipticals with Screens (for Online Classes and Streaming)

Ready to bring studio-quality classes and streaming to your home gym? Here’s a look at the best elliptical machines with screens, including essential factors to consider when shopping around.

Elliptical machines with a screen bring home the experience of training at your local big-box gym and doing classes.

Instead of paying for pricey studio classes, an elliptical with an HD screen means you can do trainer-led workouts and stream your favorite shows in the comfort of your home.

No cardio machine sign-up lists, waiting for your favorite machine, or commuting to the gym.

When it comes to the ellipticals with a screen, some elliptical brands are better than others, with the main difference makers being screen size, flywheel weight, and elliptical and subscription pricing.

The best brands for ellipticals with screens include NordicTrack, thanks to their wide range of elliptical types, Bowflex for the reduced cost of its subscription services, and ProForm’s bundled iFit subscription that can save you money over the years.

There are several other ellipticals with screens that are best for specific situations and circumstances, which we will cover in detail below.

Read on, and let’s find the best elliptical with a screen that matches your budget and training goals.

NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 Elliptical

⭐ Best overall elliptical with screen

Key features:

• 14” HD touchscreen compatible with iFit
• 32lb flywheel
• Bluetooth compatible
• Price: $1,699

The NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 Elliptical is an absolute beast of an elliptical machine and ranks at the top of our list of the best ellipticals with a screen.

The Commercial 14.9 has a best-in-class 32lb magnetic flywheel—easily the heaviest on the market for residential gyms—for an incredibly smooth striding experience that is also very quiet.

And, the 14.9 has a massive 14” touchscreen that is perfect for doing classes and streaming your favorite shows. The screen can be tilted and is designed for accessing iFit’s huge library of workouts and online workouts. iFit comes with workouts that can be performed on the elliptical as well as off the machine (strength training, yoga, etc).

One of the key things I like about the Commercial 14.9 is the extra cushioney foot pedals. One of the key benefits of ellipticals is the reduced weight-bearing impact compared to walking or jogging.

A study published in 2014 by the medical journal “Gait and Posture” showed the elliptical machine averaged 73% APBW (average percentage body weight) compared to overground walking (112%), treadmill jogging (175%), and overground jogging (201%).

The foam cushioning on the NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 takes full advantage of the reduced impact of ellipticals, which means you can spend more time exercising and less time tending to sore ankles and knees.

The only downside of the NordicTrack 14.9 is that the iFit programming gets pricey ($39/month) after a 30-day free trial.

✅ PROS	❌ CONS
Huge 14” touchscreen	iFit subscription costs $39/month after 30-day trial
Compatible with iFit
32lb flywheel is the heaviest on the market for residential ellipticals
Value pick—costs less than $1,600

ProForm Carbon E10 Elliptical

⭐ Best elliptical with screen for subscription savings

Key features:

• 10” HD touchscreen compatible with iFit
• 25lb flywheel
• Bluetooth compatible
• Price: $1,403

The ProForm Carbon E10 is a budget-friendly elliptical with a beautiful 10” screen, sturdy 25lb flywheel (significantly heavier compared to similarly priced ellipticals), and 36 months of iFit access.

iFit includes a massive library of guided workouts, interactive training, studio classes, an “around the world” option where you can exercise up and down trails and locations across the planet, and strength training workouts that can be done in conjunction with your cardio sessions on the E10.

In terms of striding experience, as a taller fella I appreciate the 19” stride length, power incline (up to degrees of incline), and the relatively compact footprint of 25” x 68.5”.

While there are ellipticals with screens that are slightly less expensive than the Carbon E10, there are serious savings to be had with the three years of iFit subscription included.

That represents a savings of over $1,400 when you consider that ellipticals such as the NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 require a $39/per month subscription after the first 30 days.

One of the things I don’t love about cardio machines with online programming are the added costs of subscriptions. The ProForm Carbon E10 takes away the subscription sting, for 36 months, at least.

Downsides: Max user weight on the Carbon E10 is low at just 275lb, making it a less ideal elliptical for heavier people and those just getting started on their fitness journey. Also, the Commercial 14.9 has a much larger screen and heavier flywheel for about the same price.

✅ PROS	❌ CONS
10” HD touchscreen	Low weight capacity (275lbs)
36 months of iFit access included	The Commercial 14.9 has a larger screen and flywheel for almost the same price
25lb flywheel is sturdy enough for most users
Budget-friendly

Bowflex Max Total 16

⭐ Best elliptical and stepper combo with a huge screen

Key features:

• 16” HD touchscreen
• 12-month subscription to JRNY included
• Small footprint — 49.3” x 30.8”
• Price: $2,199

The Bowflex Max Total 16 isn’t strictly an elliptical, but rather, a cardio machine that includes the vertical stride path of a stepper with an elliptical-shaped pedaling motion.

The result is a cardio machine that has the added difficulty of a stepping machine without the knee stress. Also, because it’s part stepper, the footprint of the Max Total 16 is significantly smaller (49.3” x 30.8”) compared to regular elliptical machines.

The Max Total 16 has the biggest screen on the market for ellipticals at a whopping 16” large. The screen is awesome for doing online classes and training and also streaming your favorite services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, and so on.

Bowflex has their own online workout programming, called JRNY, and the Max Total 16 comes with 12-months of access to the vast library of workouts and classes.

The Max Total 16 is a more challenging workout compared to regular ellipticals, which is why I highly recommend doing HIIT workouts on it.

Downsides: A highly vertical elliptical movement is not a great option for people with bad knees.

While a standard and horizontal-path elliptical is a great option for people with bad knees, the vertical foot path places added pressure on the quads and knee joint.

Additionally, the Bowflex Max Total 16 is pricey. At $2,199, it’s more expensive than a majority of the ellipticals in our round-up.

That said, if you are serious about high intensity interval workouts, want a huge screen for online classes and streaming your favorite shows, and are short on space with your home gym, the Bowflex Max Total 16 is a killer option.

✅ PROS	❌ CONS
Perfect for people who love doing HIIT workouts	A bit pricey at $2,199
Huge 16” HD touchscreen for online classes and streaming
12-months of access to JRNY included
Smaller footprint compared to standard ellipticals

ProForm Pro HIIT H14

⭐ Runner-up for best stepper + elliptical combo with a screen

Key features:

• 14” HD touchscreen
• 30lb flywheel
• Small footprint – 52” x 29”
• Price: $1,799

The ProForm Pro HIIT H14 is another elliptical and stepper combo that cranks up the difficulty and is perfect for doing high-intensity interval workouts on the elliptical.

The Pro HIIT H14 is built like a tank, with a 30lb flywheel that ranks among the top for weight and resulting ride quality. For the online class enthusiast, the Pro HIIT H14 has a big and crystal-clear 14” touchscreen display for taking advantage of iFit’s broad range of classes and workouts.

The flywheel on the ProForm Pro HIIT H14 is a robust 30lbs, and the overall weight of the machine is over 220lbs. There is no wobbling or teetering when using it.

Like the Max Total 16, the footprint is significantly smaller compared to a standard elliptical, with the Pro HIIT H14 measuring just 52” x 29” at the base.

And like the Max Total 16, this machine isn’t a good option for people with bad knees or total beginners.

There wasn’t much I did not like about the ProForm Pro HIIT H14, but one thing did surprise me: this elliptical doesn’t have a media tray.

Which means if you want to park your smartphone on the machine, it’s going in the water bottle holder or leaning against the screen.

✅ PROS	❌ CONS
Excellent option for HIIT enthusiasts	Might be too challenging for beginners
14” HD screen for iFit classes	No media tray
Less expensive compared to Max Total 16
30lb flywheel for a heavy-duty ride
Compact footprint (52” x 29”)

NordicTrack FS14i Elliptical Trainer

⭐ Best multi-purpose cardio machine with screen

Key features:

• 14” HD touchscreen
• Up to 32” stride length
• Center-drive
• Price: $2,299

The NordicTrack FS14i Elliptical is a multi-purpose elliptical that can also be used as a stepper and low-impact treadmill machine.

The stride length and direction can be adjusted to your natural gait and workout goals, which means you can do stepping and “ellipticaling” in the same workout without having to adjust the machine.

Stride length on the FS14i can reach a whopping 32” in length. To give you a sense of how long that is, standard ellipticals have a stride length of 18” to 20”. This makes the FS14i an excellent option for taller users.

The screen on the FS14i is a crystal-clear 14” HD touchscreen that is powered by iFit. The online training library has over 17,000 workouts at your disposal, and with a little bit of hackery, you can download any streaming service (Netflix, Hulu, etc). The FS14i, and this goes for all of NordicTrack’s ellipticals, are powered by Android.

One of the things I like most about the NordicTrack FS14i is that it is a center-drive elliptical. Center-drive ellipticals are excellent for people who tend to slouch when exercising as they promote better posture compared to front and rear-drive ellipticals.

Finally, some of the things that I don’t love about the NordicTrack FS14i.

For starters, that 32” stride length, when fully extended, takes up a lot of space, so make sure to take care measuring out the workout area. And second, downloading the streaming services can be a bit of a pain in the butt, especially if you opt out of the iFit online programming.

✅ PROS	❌ CONS
3-in-1 cardio machine (elliptical, stepper, low-impact treadmill)	Long footprint when in use
14” HD touchscreen	Streaming services not installed; need to download manually
Center-drive; promotes better posture
Stride length of up to 32”

How to Choose the Best Elliptical Machine with a Screen

When shopping around for an elliptical machine, there are some key factors to consider.

Here are the most important ones:

Screen size. Ellipticals have a screen size ranging from 7” to 16”. A larger screen makes workout metrics easier to see and track while exercising and brings streaming shows to life.

Display quality. Display quality refers to the screen’s resolution, brightness, and clarity. Look for an elliptical with a high-quality display showing workout data, interactive features, streamed content, and virtual scenery in a visually pleasing way.  

Subscription options. Each elliptical listed here relies on a subscription-based service to provide full access to workouts, online classes, and interactive features. Pricing varies, and some machines incorporate free trials, ranging from 30 days (in the case of NordicTrack) to 36 months (as with ProForm).

Connectivity. Connectivity options include Wi-FI, Bluetooth, or good old-fashioned USB for hooking up external devices (smartwatch, for example) and connecting to the internet to access streamed content and online training. Ellipticals are connected to the web and their respective subscription services via Wi-Fi.

Pre-set workout programs. Pre-set programs are a collection of workouts and exercise modes installed on the elliptical. These can be accessed should you forgo the subscription-based workouts or don’t have a connection to the internet.

Resistance levels. Resistance levels dictate the intensity and difficulty of your elliptical workout. Each machine on this list has a broad range of resistance levels, up to 30, providing many resistance options for beginners and advanced trainees.

Flywheel weight. The weight of the flywheel largely affects the smoothness and fluidity of the elliptical stride path. A heavier flywheel promotes a more natural and “clunk-free” stride. Look for an elliptical with a flywheel weight of at least 20lbs.

Weight capacity. The weight capacity of the elliptical is important as matching the machine to your body weight ensures stability, safety, and durability of the elliptical.

Price. Price is an important factor when making any purchase. The cost of ellipticals, especially those with screens, is not low. Ellipticals with screens range in price from $999 up to $2,500. Balance cost with the features and quality you want. Remember to consider the long-term investment and value that an elliptical provides when shopping around.

Which elliptical machine has the largest screen?

The Bowflex Max Total 16 has the largest screen for an elliptical machine at 16”. Runners-up include the NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 (14”), NordicTrack FS14i (14”), and the ProForm Carbon E10 (10”).

Here is a look at how all the ellipticals compare against one another in terms of screen size and price:

ELLIPTICAL	SCREEN SIZE	PRICE
Bowflex Max Total 16	16”	$2,499
NordicTrack 14.9 Commercial	14”	$1,599
ProForm Pro HIIT H14	14”	$1,499
NordicTrack FS14i	14”	$2,299
ProForm Carbon E10	10”	$1,403
NordicTrack Commercial 9.9	7”	$1,499

Can you stream Netflix, Hulu, etc, on elliptical machines?

Yes, most elliptical machines can stream popular streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Diseny+, and more.

JRNY-powered ellipticals come with Netflix and other streaming platforms installed on the console, while iFit-compatible elliptical machines will require using “privilege mode” to download and install Netflix.

Why are screen sizes smaller on ellipticals compared to other cardio machines?

Cardio machines like treadmills and exercise bikes for home gyms have screens as large as 32”. Ellipticals max out at 14” to 16” screen size because of the moving arms and handles that limit the width of the screen that can be installed on the machine.

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