Looking for a budget-friendly elliptical for smaller workout spaces? The Schwinn 411 Elliptical has a full stride length, a small footprint, and a wildly reasonable price. Here’s a full review of the Schwinn 411.
The Schwinn 411 Elliptical is a budget-friendly trainer designed for home gyms.
The 411 is the perfect elliptical for people who want a quality elliptical machine that is feature-rich without spending a million dollars. The machine is one of the shortest on the market, making it awesome for smaller workout areas, whether that is a corner of your bedroom or in the garage.
The Schwinn 411 is also a much better quality elliptical compared to other machines in this price bracket.
In this review of the Schwinn 411 Elliptical Trainer, we are going to cover the pros, cons, comparable machines, and some tips for getting the most from the elliptical.
Let’s jump right in.
Schwinn 411 Elliptical Trainer – The Basics
Here are the key features of the 411:
- $549
- 18” stride length
- 100lb unit weight
- 300lb max user weight
- Fixed and moving arms with heart rate monitors (HR strap sold separately)
- 54” long, 24” wide, 62.5” high
- Optional in-home assembly ($249)
Schwinn 411 Elliptical Trainer – The Pros
Now, let’s jump into the reasons that the Schwinn 411 stands out when compared to other elliptical machines on the market.
✅ Priced very competitively
The Schwinn 411 is the least expensive quality elliptical for home gyms on the market right now.
It’s priced under $600, making it significantly cheaper than most of the ellipticals on the market, which average around $1,000.
(To see how the 411 fares compared to ALL of the ellipticals available for home gyms, this article lists the cost of 44 different elliptical machines on the market.)
One of the main concerns we all have when it comes to investing in fitness equipment is not getting ripped off by buying something that falls apart after three workouts.
While there are cheaper ellipticals out there, some as cheap as $168 (the Sunny Fitness E905 Elliptical, for example), in this case you get the brand quality and brand rep of a company that makes a lot of excellent cardio equipment.
Schwinn also has a long history in making cardio equipment, making them one of the more trusted brands for building a long-lasting and durable elliptical trainer.
✅ Small footprint (perfect for small workout areas)
Elliptical machines are one of the largest when it comes to conditioning equipment.
They require extra height and extra length when measuring out where you are going to put it compared to treadmills, rowers, spin bikes, and so on.
The Schwinn 411 is one of the most compact ellipticals that doesn’t sacrifice on stride length.
(For more on properly assessing stride length, read this article on how to choose the best elliptical stride length for you.)
With a total depth of just 53”, and an 18” stride length, with the 411 you don’t have to sacrifice on range of motion to get an elliptical with a small footprint.
The 411 is 17” shorter in length compared to other Schwinn ellipticals (more on the differences between the 411 and other Schwinn elliptical trainers shortly).
Here’s a look at how the 411 stacks up compared to other ellipticals on the market when it comes to depth:
| MODEL | DEPTH |
| Schwinn 411 | 53” |
| Schwinn 430 | 70” |
| Schwinn 470 | 70” |
| Sole E35 Elliptical | 71” |
| Sole E95 Elliptical | 71” |
| Nautilus E618 Elliptical | 73” |
| NordicTrack SpaceSaver SE7i | 80” |
✅ “Explore the World” compatibility
The console and display on the 411 is very simple and basic (I list this as a “con” below).
Unlike (pricier) ellipticals on the market, the LCD display can look kinda budget.
One of the ways to spice up the visual display is via Schwinn’s “Explore the World” app, which hooks via a smartphone or tablet (or smart TV) to your elliptical.
The app includes dozens of different routes from across the world, video playback that lines up with how fast you are going on the elliptical, and the app tracks your workout performance for easy monitoring.
The base version of the app is free (includes three courses), but for full access, there is a subscription fee of $10 per month.
✅ Workout programs cover all of the essentials
The 411 has 16 different resistance levels, which is plenty enough for most people and multiple users.
The console (even without the “Explore the World” app) has all of the essential programs to line up with your training goals.
Customizable interval training, heart rate specific training (the 411 is compatible with wireless heart rate monitors), and of course, manual programs.
The 411 does the basics really well, which is what I perhaps love the most about it.
If you’re an experienced strider looking for something compact and simplified for your steady-state or HIIT elliptical workouts, the 411 allows you to take advantage of all the benefits of ellipticals.
Schwinn 411 Elliptical Trainer – The Cons
Alrighty. Even though there are some excellent reasons to love the Schwinn 411, there are a couple of drawbacks to this particular elliptical trainer.
They include:
High resistance at the lowest level
The primary thing you should be aware of with the 411 is that the starting resistance on the elliptical is not designed for beginners.
This is something that comes up over and over again in reviews of the elliptical across the web.
Users report that the elliptical feels “stiff” when first starting out at the lowest levels, so this is something to be aware of if you are just starting out with elliptical training or you require lower resistance levels.
No-frills display
This could easily be construed as a positive—a simple LCD display simplifies things and keeps you focused on a good workout—but with the proliferation of HD screens (thanks, Peloton!), the expectations of screen quality on cardio machine displays have shot up in recent years.
The display on the 411 looks a lot like the LCD consoles on air bikes (incidentally, Schwinn is also the company that popularized air bikes) and is not backlit.
When it comes to programming, the console covers the basics when it comes to tracking your workout.
If you are looking for a big and shiny HD display and online classes, you will want to consider ellipticals like the Bowflex Max Trainers, NordicTrack ellipticals, or the Sole Fitness line of ellipticals.
How the 411 Differs from Other Schwinn Ellipticals
Schwinn makes three ellipticals; 411, 430, and 470.
As the model number goes up, so do the features and price.
The 411 is the baby brother of the lineup in terms of build, dimensions, and features. The Schwinn 430 has a significantly heavier footprint and a manual incline, while the Schwinn 470 has the most resistance levels of the three machines and a motorized incline.
Here’s a comparison of the 411 against Schwinn’s other ellipticals:
| 411 | 430 | 470 | |
| Price | $549 | $899 | $1,099 |
| Stride length | 18” | 20” | 20” |
| Resistance levels | 16 | 20 | 25 |
| Unit weight | 100lb | 169lb | 164lb |
| Dimensions | 53” x 24” x 63” | 70” x 28” x 63” | 70” x 28” x 63” |
| Incline | No | Yes (manual) | Yes (motorized) |
The Final Verdict
The Schwinn 411 Elliptical is an excellent option that takes up a relatively small amount of space in your home.
The beginning resistance level may be a little tough for some users, but for experienced striders, the balance of a super reasonable price point, decent stride length, and small footprint make it an easy choice for best budget elliptical trainer.
| ✅ PROS | ❌ CONS |
| Small footprint; great for home gyms | Higher resistance on “easy” settings |
| Budget-friendly pricing | |
| Full stride length with minimal footprint | |
| Easy to assemble |
+ Compact size
+ Full stride length
+ 16 resistance levels
More Elliptical Guides and Articles
How Many Calories Do You Burn on an Elliptical? (and How to Burn More). Wondering how many calories the elliptical trainer burns? Here’s how much calorie burning you are doing, how the elliptical compares to other machines in the gym, and tips for how to burn even more calories on an elliptical.
Elliptical Machine vs Rower: Which One is Best for Your Workouts? Elliptical or rower? Both machines have a ton of fat-burning and weight-loss benefits. But which one will be most effective for you and your goals? Learn about the pros, cons, and similarities of these cardio machines.
