For home gym owners in search of low-impact workouts, it’s hard to beat the convenience the best ellipticals can offer. While stationary bikes and rowers provide an impact-free workout, you’re typically sitting down and only using your legs. And while we love treadmills, they may not be right for people with injuries or joint pain.
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An elliptical offers the best of both worlds, allowing you to engage most of the muscles in your body for a challenging workout, without any high-impact motions like sprinting or jumping. While the ellipticals at your local commercial gym may not feel very challenging, newer models like the NordicTrack X16 can offer more vertical movement, which significantly increases the challenge.
The X16 feels like a hybrid of an elliptical and a stair stepper, and it comes with great tech features, like a 16-inch touchscreen for seamless iFIT integration. We’re impressed with the virtual workouts, incline settings, and smart features, but is it worth the cost? In this NordicTrack X16 elliptical review, I’ll share our tester’s full experience and how she rated this machine for each of our scoring categories.
Our NordicTrack X16 Elliptical Review, Summarized
The NordicTrack X16 uses a vertical movement path that feels like a cross between a stepper and a traditional elliptical, resulting in a unique and challenging workout. It’s a well-built elliptical packed with smart features, but it’s certainly not cheap. It has a relatively compact footprint, but at 289 pounds, it’s not very portable, even though it has built-in transport wheels.
How We Test Ellipticals
Home gym owners know that running out of space is a real concern, so it’s important to make sure you’re choosing equipment that fits your space. Our footprint and portability score considers the total weight of an elliptical, foldability, any built-in transport wheels, and more.
To earn at least 3 out of 5 stars, one or two people should be able to easily move the machine around if needed, though it may be somewhat large and heavy. Higher scores are given to those that are very light and easy to move, even by yourself.
For this score, we’re assessing the various components of a given elliptical machine, which allow us to rate how well it’s made, and how long we think it’ll last. For a 3 out of 5, we need to see little to no shifting during the workout, a weight capacity of at least 275 pounds, and a 16- to 20-pound flywheel. High scores go to machines that feature above-average components and remind us of commercial-grade machines.
This is one of the most important categories, as it rates how good it feels to actually use a given elliptical. To at least 3 out of 5 stars, it should have both fixed and moving handlebars, oversized pedals that should comfortably fit most feet, a stride length of 18 to 20 inches, and comfortable grips on the handles.
Some ellipticals allow you to adjust the pedals, incline, stride length, and more, which helps them earn higher scores.
Before reviewing any cardio machines, we spend plenty of time taking them through a careful testing process. We use it for a variety of workouts, test the speed and incline settings, any built-in classes, we try to move the machine, and more. This helps us get a thorough understanding of what it’s like to own and use a machine, and after testing, we calculate a final score using our elliptical testing methodology.
The Garage Gym Reviews team of expert testers includes certified personal trainers, strength coaches, triathletes, CrossFit enthusiasts, gym owners, and more. We’ve tested countless pieces of equipment over the years, including more than 30 of the most popular ellipticals. We understand how to tell the good from the bad, and we’re here to help you find the best fit for your home gym.
What to Know Before You Buy
- The movement path is fairly vertical, similar to a stair climber, and doesn’t feel like most commercial ellipticals.
- Even though it’s compact and has transport wheels, this elliptical is very difficult to move due to its heavy frame—overall, it weighs 289 pounds in the box (244 pounds assembled).
- The iFIT integration unlocks thousands of classes and virtual workouts on the 16-inch touchscreen, but you’ll need an active subscription, and there’s no media shelf if you prefer to use your own phone or tablet.
NordicTrack X16 Elliptical Video Review
Is the NordicTrack X16 Elliptical Worth It?
The X16 certainly isn’t cheap at around $3,000, and since it has a unique movement path that’s different from most ellipticals, it’s important to do plenty of research before investing in this machine. Here’s who we think would enjoy the X16, and who may want to choose something else.
If you still think this may be the right elliptical for your needs, keep reading to learn about our detailed testing experience and how we rated this machine in each category.
NordicTrack X16 Elliptical: Key Features & Specs
| Price (Original MSRP) | $2,999.99 |
| Footprint | 58.5” L x 29.5” W x 74” H |
| Weight | 289 lbs |
| Resistance Levels | 26 |
| User Weight Capacity | 375 lbs |
| Incline Levels | -10% to 10% |
| Flywheel | 20 lbs |
| Display | 16” touchscreen |
| Programming | iFIT with SmartAdjust |
| Stride Length | 32” auto-adjustable |
| Warranty | 10-year frame, 2-year parts, 1-year tablet & 1-year labor and repairs |
Experience Using the NordicTrack X16 Elliptical
For this review, our tester was Amanda Dvorak, ISSA-CPT, ISSA-CNC, GGR’s managing editor and a cardio equipment expert. She tested the NordicTrack X16 elliptical in our main testing facilities, taking it through a comprehensive workout to try out all of the features.
The first thing to note about the X16 is the vertical movement path. It feels like a hybrid of a traditional elliptical and a stepper, so rather than your feet gliding back and forth on a mostly-horizontal movement plane, the pedals move up and down.
“The pedals felt comfortable and had a textured bottom, and my feet didn’t slip at all,” says Amanda. “The motion was a little weird, though. This is more of a stepper/elliptical combo, and I struggled to get used to the motion since it’s not exactly the same as a traditional elliptical.”
Even though the movement path is a bit unusual, we actually appreciate it. It’s a bit more challenging than most standard ellipticals, and because the pedals glide up and down, it has a more compact footprint that’ll take up less space in your home gym.
We’d expect most people would feel comfortable with the elliptical after spending a few hours with it, but if you’re expecting a traditional elliptical experience, you may want to choose the AirGlide 16 Elliptical, NordicTrack’s other 16-series elliptical that offers the typical elliptical movement you’d expect.
Overall, this machine is very well built and packed with some great tech features, including full iFIT integration to unlock thousands of on-demand workouts. We have a few minor callouts, but for the most part, we’re impressed with the NordicTrack X16 Elliptical.
“It would definitely stick out in your living room because it looks like a gym machine, but it does have a compact footprint. If you have a small space, you can probably easily find somewhere to put this in your home.”
-Amanda Dvorak, ISSA-CPT, ISSA-CNC
NordicTrack X16 Elliptical Rating
Footprint and Portability
For the footprint and portability, Amanda gave this 1 out of 5 stars. At 289 pounds, this elliptical is quite heavy, and even though it has built-in transport wheels, it’s very difficult to move around.
“I feel like I’m pretty strong, and I couldn’t even lift this thing to tilt it to move it,” Amanda explains. “I don’t think someone who doesn’t work out often would be able to move it easily on their own.”
The footprint itself is fairly compact compared to other ellipticals on the market; it’s just not very portable due to the heavy weight.
If you have a second person to help you, you may have an easier time lifting the elliptical to tilt it, but this isn’t something you’ll want to be moving around on a regular basis. The transport wheels are on the back of the elliptical and there’s a convenient handlebar on the front to help you move it, but it’s still very heavy.
Delivery and Setup
We give NordicTrack 3 out of 5 stars for the delivery and setup process. Free ground floor delivery is available, and NordicTrack says it’ll deliver to the first place out of the weather possible, though the company won’t deliver it over any point with stairs.
This means that if you use a flight of stairs to get to your front door, you’ll have to get it up the stairs on your own. White glove delivery and assembly is also available, but the cost varies by location, and it’s not available in all locations. NordicTrack suggests confirming that the service is available in your area before ordering.
We didn’t time the setup process, but NordicTrack says it’s a straightforward process if you have two people. According to the user manual, you’ll need to install the uprights, console, and transport wheels, connect the wires, and attach a few plastic components, but most of the major pieces are already assembled.
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Durability
The X16 elliptical is built to last, and Amanda gave it 4 out of 5 stars for durability. We look for a 275-pound weight capacity to give an elliptical 3 out of 5, and this one features an impressive 375-pound weight capacity.
“The machine itself feels very solid,” Amanda told me. “I didn’t notice any shaking or wobbling while I was on it, and I’m on the heavier side. I can see this thing lasting for a long time.”
Another expert product tester, Demetre (“Tree”), our lead reviewer for the Garage Gym Reviews Everything YouTube channel, agreed that the quality here is excellent.
“It has that premium look and feel that you would expect from NordicTrack,” he says. “From the handles to the frame, even to where the pedals are, everything just looks and feels premium and solid.”
The frame feels very durable, and it’s protected by a 10-year frame warranty, while the rest of the machine is covered by a 2-year parts warranty. We think this will last for quite a long time with regular home use, though of course, your experience may be different if you’re putting this in a commercial facility.
Customizations
For customizations, we’re mainly looking at how many resistance and incline options a given elliptical offers, and the NordicTrack X16 earns a strong 5-out-of-5-star rating for this category.
It offers 26 digital resistance levels, and even has SmartAdjust, which automatically changes your incline settings based on the iFIT program you’re following. Additionally, the X16 has an impressive incline range of -10% to 10%. The AutoBreeze fan also adjusts based on the intensity of the workout, which is another nice touch.
The integrated handle controls allow you to adjust your resistance and incline without letting go of the handles, although the buttons are located at the top of the handle, which we found a bit awkward to reach during our testing (more on that below).
Adjustability and Ergonomics
The X16 earns 4 out of 5 stars for adjustability and ergonomics, and it features some truly unique features compared to other ellipticals.
We tested the standard X16 elliptical, which features a more compact footprint with a movement path that almost mimics a stair climber. While most ellipticals feature a long, horizontal gliding motion, this one is much more upright, which increases the challenge.
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“I’m 5’8 and I have long legs, and the stride length felt quite short, though that’s probably to be expected since this is a combo stepper/elliptical,” Amands says. “It took me a few seconds to get used to the motion of the oversized cushioned pedals because it felt like every time I wanted to go forward, I ended up pedaling backward, and vice versa. However, I did like how this felt more challenging than a traditional elliptical.”
Amanda also noted that the button placement to adjust the incline and resistance is a bit unusual.
“The adjustments felt pretty smooth, but I didn’t like that the buttons were on top of the handlebars,” she explained. “It would have been more comfortable to adjust them if the controls were on the actual handlebars, especially while you’re moving. It didn’t feel very natural.”
Tech Capabilities
For tech capabilities, we give the X16 elliptical 4 out of 5 stars. It has almost everything you’d expect from a smart elliptical, including built-in WiFi, built-in speakers, SmartAdjust to automatically change your resistance and/or incline, and an automatically adjusting fan.
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Amanda was impressed with the screen and built-in programs, saying, “I found everything easy to use, and the touchscreen responded quickly to my touches. I thought everything was organized well and easy to find on the homepage.”
Tree added, “One thing that’s better than advertised is the touchscreen. It’s bright, responsive, and easy to navigate.”
There’s also a new feature called AI coach, powered by iFIT, which helps you create workout schedules, keep you accountable, and more. However, it’s still in beta and some of the features may change, so we won’t spend too much time on this.
iFIT integrates with Apple Health, Strava, and Garmin, though its Google Health integration has been discontinued. If you prefer to enjoy your own shows or music while you workout, you can stream Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, Spotify, and more.
You can use the built-in speakers or your own headphones or earbuds, thanks to the X16’s bluetooth headphone connectivity. Finally, you’ll be able to create custom, simulated routes with Google Maps by selecting your start and end points, and the workouts are generated using terrain simulation and street view.
The tech features are impressive, we docked a point because there are no heart rate monitors on the handlebars. You can use a Bluetooth heart rate monitor and pair with the console, but we’d love to see built-in heart rate monitors, which is pretty common with newer cardio equipment.
Conveniences
For this category, we’re looking for things that make your workout enjoyable and comfortable, like water bottle holders, phone holders, built-in cooling fans, and more. The X16 has just about everything you’d need, and earns 4 out of 5 stars.
The cupholder is conveniently located directly below the main screen, there’s a USB-C charging port for your phone, and the built-in AutoBreeze fan changes intensity to match your workout, giving you a hands-free cooling experience.
Our only callout is the lack of a media device shelf, which is why we docked a point for this category. If you don’t want to use iFIT to follow a pre-made workout, there’s no stand to hold your tablet or phone if you want to use your own streaming media.
Dynamic Programming
For dynamic programming, the X16 earns 4 out of 5 stars. It’s got plenty of options to choose from, thanks to the 16” that’s compatible with iFIT, allowing users to follow trainer-led workouts, scenic workouts, or even watch streaming media if you prefer a steady-state workout without a trainer.
It also has SmartAdjust, which means your resistance and incline will automatically adjust based on the trainer’s instructions. While you’ll need your own heart rate monitor, iFIT also has ActivePulse, which automatically adjusts the workout intensity to keep your heart rate in the target zone.
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We love these features, but it’s worth noting that you’ll need an iFIT Pro Membership, which costs $39 per month. You can save money by pre-paying for one, two, or three years, which can bring your monthly cost all the way down to $24.97 with the three-year plan.
However, it’s still an investment you’ll need to make to take full advantage of your elliptical, especially since there’s no media shelf to use your own phone or tablet.
While iFIT regularly releases new workouts, when we tested this elliptical several months ago, Amanda had a hard time finding the right workout to follow.
“There are lots of workouts available, but I had trouble finding elliptical-specific ones,” she explained. “Most of the ones I saw were things like hiking, running, walk/run, walking, cross-training, yoga, etc… I tried a walking workout because it seemed most relevant to an elliptical, but I couldn’t hear the instructor talking. The music was fun though, and the scenery looked cool.”
iFIT allows you to adjust the volume of the music and instructor independently, so you may be able to tinker with the settings to adjust the levels to your preferences.
Value
For the overall value, we gave the NordicTrack X16 Elliptical 4 out of 5 stars. It’s pricey, especially when you factor in the ongoing cost of iFIT, but we feel it offers quite a bit for the cost.
To start, we really like the hybrid approach that makes the machine feel more like a stepper. The incline is quite steep, which is very intentional. A 2010 study1 found that increasing the incline on an elliptical significantly changed lower-body joint angles and muscle demands, which may allow exercisers to emphasize different muscles throughout a workout.
At the time of writing, the elliptical has an MSRP of $2,999, but we’ve seen it on sale for as little as $2,299. The average elliptical we tested costs $1,299, so you’re paying more, but this is a well-built elliptical with plenty of smart features and virtual workouts to help you get the most out of your machine.
Customer Experience
NordicTrack has some great customer policies, and earns 5 out of 5 stars for the customer experience. You can try out the elliptical for up to 30 days in your home, and if you’re unhappy, the company will come pick it up, but you’ll need to pay a $249.99 return fee.
We also appreciate that financing is available through Affirm or Klarna for qualified buyers, which can help spread out the cost. NordicTrack also has a best price guarantee, and says if you find a lower price within 60 days, they’ll match it, including the retailer’s shipping cost.
The 10-year frame warranty is impressive, too, and there’s a 2-year parts warranty and a 1-year warranty on the tablet and labor.
Customer Reviews
At the time of writing, the NordicTrack X16 has an average rating of 4.1 out of 5, with 84 customer reviews.
Most customers are happy with their purchase, though some commented that the machine is very heavy and difficult to move, and it could use a media shelf.
NordicTrack X16 Elliptical Vs
While the X16 feels like a hybrid of a standard elliptical and a stairclimber, we realize some people may be looking for a dedicated machine with a familiar movement pattern.
- Low-impact training
- 26 resistance levels
- 16" HD touchscreen
If you prefer the traditional, horizontal movement of an elliptical, the NordicTrack AirGlide 16 is a great alternative. It features similar features to the X16, like a 16-inch touchscreen, iFIT, SmartAdjust, 26 resistance levels, and more. However, it features longer strides and feels like an elliptical you’d use at your local gym, which some may prefer, although it has a larger footprint as a result.
- 27" HD touchscreen
- Low-impact cardio
- Compact footprint
On the other hand, if you prefer a traditional stair-stepper experience, the best home unit we’ve tested is the STEPR Stair Climber. It’s expensive, but it features an upgraded 27-inch touchscreen, it’s packed with smart features, and it’s a whole lot smaller than most of the large stairclimbers you’ve probably seen in gyms over the years.
It’s not quite as versatile as the X16, as there’s no way to adjust the incline, but those who love stair steppers will appreciate having the STEPR in their home gym.
| NordicTrack X16 | NordicTrack Airglide 16 | STEPR Stair Climber | |
| Price (Original MSRP) | $2,999.99 | $2,799.99 | $4,999.99 |
| Footprint | 58.5” L x 29.5” W x 74” H | 70.2” L x 24.6” W x 67.4” H | 42” L x 27.6” W x 82” H |
| Weight | 289 lbs | 246 lbs | 286 lbs |
| Resistance Levels | 26 | 26 | 25 |
| User Weight Capacity | 375 lbs | 300 lbs | 375 lbs |
| Incline Levels | -10% to 10% | -5% to 15% | N/A |
| Flywheel | 20 lbs | 16 lbs | N/A |
| Display | 16” touchscreen | 16” touchscreen | 27” touchscreen |
| Programming | iFIT with SmartAdjust | iFIT with SmartAdjust | Built-in console workouts |
| Stride Length | 32” auto-adjustable | 19” auto-adjustable | N/A |
| Warranty | 10-year frame, 2-year parts, 1-year tablet & 1-year labor and repairs; extended warranty options available | 10-year frame, 2-year parts, 1-year tablet & 1-year labor and repairs; extended warranty options available | 10-year frame, 2-year parts, 1-year labor, extended coverage available |
Final Verdict of Our NordicTrack X16 Elliptical Review
If you want an elliptical that has a smaller footprint than most, yet still offers a significant challenge, the NordicTrack X16 is a great choice. It features a wide range of incline, decline, and resistance options, and SmartAdjust automatically changes the settings as you follow iFIT workouts.
Despite its small footprint, it’s heavy, and to make the most of the 16-inch touchscreen, you’ll need an active iFIT membership since there’s no media shelf. If you’re a streaming workout fan and want the trainer-led virtual workouts, this is a great elliptical.
However, if you’re shopping on a budget, don’t enjoy virtual classes, or prefer a more traditional elliptical motion that’s not quite as vertical, you may want to go with another option.
- The NordicTrack X16 feels like a combination of a classic elliptical and a stairclimber, offering both vertical and horizontal movement paths.
- Even though the footprint is more compact than many other ellipticals, it’s very heavy and difficult to move, so we recommend assembling it near its final location.
- The touchscreen offers thousands of virtual workouts and streaming media options if you have an active iFIT subscription, but there’s no tablet or phone holder to watch your own media.
NordicTrack X16 Elliptical Review: FAQs
How much does the NordicTrack X16 Elliptical weigh?
The X16 elliptical weighs 244 pounds when fully assembled (the in-box weight is 289 pounds). It has built-in transport wheels, but it’s still heavy and difficult to move, so we recommend assembling it near its final location.
What’s the difference between the NordicTrack X16 and X24?
NordicTrack uses these numbers to differentiate between the screen sizes. For example, the X24 treadmill and bike both have 24-inch touchscreens, while the X16 treadmill and elliptical have 16-inch touchscreens.
Is NordicTrack a good elliptical brand?
Yes, especially if you enjoy streaming your virtual workouts through iFIT. We’ve found NordicTrack ellipticals to be well-made and durable, but most of them are designed to work with an iFIT membership. NordicTrack ellipticals can be pricey, so those who don’t need streaming workouts may want to find a more affordable option.
References
- Knutzen, K. M., McLaughlin, W. L., Lawson, A. J., Row, B. S., & Tyson Martin, L. (2010). Influence of ramp position on joint biomechanics during elliptical trainer exercise. The Open Sports Sciences Journal, 3, 165–177. https://doi.org/10.2174/1875399X01003010165
