Best Cross Trainer 2022: Top Ellipticals For Home Gyms
It can be difficult to decide exactly how much you should spend when searching for the best cross trainer, particularly if you’re not sure if it will be the most effective machine to meet your fitness needs.
Although not too , cross trainers, also known as ellipticals, train both your upper and lower body by mimicking a motion best described as cross-country skiing.
If this sounds like the machine for you, then our list of top picks, based on price, reviews, and features, is the perfect way to kick off your search.
Whether you’re after something for home use, like this JLL CT300, or you’re looking for something to fit under your office desk, like this Sunny Health & Fitness Under Desk Elliptical, we’ve got you covered right here.
We’ve also answered some of the most commonly asked questions surrounding cross trainers to help you come to an informed decision on which to buy.
Best Cross Trainer
- JLL CT300
- Exerpeutic 6000 QF
- Life Fitness E1
- Schwinn Fitness 411
- Sunny Health & Fitness Under Desk Elliptical
- Gazelle GEDGECAT Edge Glider
Best Home Cross Trainer – JLL CT300
Brand: JLL Fitness | Material: Steel | Dimensions: 120 x 61 x 167cm | Resistance: Magnetic | Max. Weight: 100kg
JLL Fitness is a Birmingham-based fitness manufacturer that focuses on creating quality products, like the CT300, but for great value.
In terms of what the CT300 has to offer, it comes with a 5.5kg, two-way flywheel which should provide a challenging yet smooth workout, and 8 levels of magnetic resistance to up the difficulty when you feel the time is right to progress.
It also comes with an LCD display with 8 readouts including time, speed, distance, and more, which are all crucial for tracking how hard you’re working and to help you improve.
All in all, the CT300 is a great option for home gyms, especially because it comes with built-in wheels which will likely make it easier to transport and store away once you’ve nailed your cardio session.
Best Budget Cross Trainer – Exerpeutic 6000 QF
Brand: Exerpeutic | Material: Metal | Dimensions: 46 x 16 x 64″ | Resistance: Magnetic | Max. Weight: 270lbs
The Exerpeutic 6000 QF looks to be a great cross trainer on a budget, which is why we’ve also included it in our list of the .
What we like about this machine, in particular, is that it features an LCD display which you can connect to via the free MyCloudFitness app to track your workouts with your mobile device.
In terms of design, Exerpeutic states the distance between the two pedals (Q Factor) is only 6” to minimise joint wear caused by a wide workout stance.
It’s also worth noting it comes with a Double Transmission, designed to reduce the overall length and size of the machine. Overall, a great-looking pick!
Best Smart Cross Trainer – Life Fitness E1
Brand: Life Fitness | Material: Unspecified | Dimensions: 209 x 77 cm x 150cm | Resistance: Friction | Max. Weight: 181kg
If you’re searching for something akin to the cross trainers you get in a commercial gym and have the budget for it, then the Life Fitness E1 might be for you.
Although the Life Fitness E1 is a premium product, it comes with a few smart features that make it slightly more advanced like the contact heart rate sensors, something normally found on , to help you keep track of which exercise zones you’re working in.
Moreover, this elliptical offers 20 levels of resistance which should mean there is plenty of room for progression, regardless of your experience and fitness level.
On the whole, if you’re looking for something similar to what you’d find in the gym then the E1 is definitely one to consider.
Best Compact Cross Trainer – Schwinn Fitness 411
Brand: Schwinn Fitness | Material: Unspecified | Dimensions: 53.8 x 24 x 62.5″ | Resistance: Unspecifed | Max. Weight: 300lbs
We’ve previously featured this Schwinn Fitness 411 cross trainer in our list of the , but we’re including it again as we think it should make for a top pick if you’re limited to space.
Even though it features a space-saving design, you still get an 18” stride length which should be more than suitable even if you’re tall.
Also, it comes with 16 levels of adjustable resistance so you can dial up or down depending on how challenging you want your workout to be, which is great as it allows for heaps of progression.
It’s also worth noting that you get what Schwinn calls a built-in media rack to hold your tablet, so you can watch your favourite TV shows whilst you exercise, thus making it, in our opinion, well worth considering.
Best Under Desk Cross Trainer – Sunny Health & Fitness Under Desk Elliptical
Brand: Sunny Health & Fitness | Material: Steel | Dimensions: 20.5 x 16 x 10.5″ | Resistance: Magnetic | Max. Weight: Unspecified
Not only did we discuss Sunny Health & Fitness earlier in this list, but we’ve also featured the brand before in our list as it is one of the top manufacturers of fitness equipment around.
Although this may not be your conventional cross trainer, the Sunny Health & Fitness Under Desk Elliptical will likely be a great way of incorporating lower body movement into your working day.
Measuring just 20.5″ long and 10.5″ tall, this machine should easily fit under your desk and it comes with an integrated handgrip so you can pick it up and store it more easily.
In terms of the difficulty, the Sunny Health & Fitness Elliptical has 8 levels of magnetic resistance to make things progressively harder if you feel like it, and a 3.52lbs flywheel which will likely be heavy enough for low-intensity exercise whilst working.
Ultimately, this may not include all the features of a standard cross trainer, but it does tick a lot of boxes in terms of the perfect machine for office workouts.
Best Cross Trainer For Beginners – Gazelle GEDGECAT Edge Glider
Brand: Gazelle | Material: Unspecified | Dimensions: Unspecified | Resistance: Manual | Max. Weight: 250lbs
If you’re just starting your fitness journey or perhaps recovering from injury, then a low-impact machine like this Gazelle GEDGECAT Edge Glider could be the way to go.
It works using a dual-action suspension system that moves with your body through a complete range of motion, allowing you to increase or decrease the intensity at your own pace.
Moreover, it comes with a display that will keep track of your speed, distance, time, and calories burnt, helping you follow your progression through informed statistics.
Overall, we feel the Gazelle GEDGECAT Edge Glider could be a great option to consider if you’re after something low-stress and impact to kick off your workout journey.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cross Trainers
People often have a tonne of questions about ellipticals, but we’re here to clear up a few common queries to help you make your purchase.
Is A Cross Trainer Worth It?
Ultimately, this depends on your budget and what you’re looking for in a piece of cardio equipment.
Generally speaking, using an elliptical is a good way of incorporating your whole body into one workout which is ideal for burning calories and for improving mobility.
If you’re looking for a way to build muscle, then even the most intense elliptical workout won’t compare to weight training with a , but, for improving cardio, the cross trainer is up there as one of the best and is sometimes even compared to the .
Can You Lose Weight Using A Cross Trainer?
According to Havard Medical School, a 155lbs person will burn 334 calories in 30 minutes on an elliptical, therefore suggesting you can lose weight whilst using an elliptical.
However, it is important to pair your training with the right nutritious diet.
The key here is to be in a calorie deficit, i.e. burning more calories than you consume throughout the day.
A handy way to track this is by picking up a which should give you a general estimate as to how many calories you burn during your day, which you can then compare to the calories you consume.
Should You Use A Cross Trainer Every Day?
Even though you can use a cross-trainer every day, it is normally advised, like with any form of exercise, that you have a least one rest day a week for recovery purposes.
Also, undergoing the same exercise every day can become repetitive and your muscles will likely adapt to the elliptical motion, so a smart choice would be to incorporate other forms of exercise like walking, running, or swimming to workout different muscle groups and avoid repetition.
Is A Cross Trainer Better Than A Treadmill?
We have previously covered and, in the said guide, we state that both can offer an effective cardio-based workout.
However, a cross trainer has an advantage over running in that it’s a much lower impact activity which is ideal if you’re a beginner, you’re recovering from an injury, or you’re looking to complete longer sessions regularly.
With that being said, you may be able to burn more calories more efficiently on a treadmill compared to an elliptical.
For example, a 2017 study into the effects of HIIT training found a treadmill to be effective for burning calories, reducing body fat, and improving cardiovascular fitness in a short period of time.
Also, if you’re training for a specific goal like a marathon, for example, then regularly running on a treadmill will likely be a better tool to help in your preparation.
Ultimately, we feel both treadmills and cross trainers are great for their own specific purposes, and choosing which is right for you will come down to personal preference and your fitness goals.
How Long Should You Use A Cross Trainer For?
There’s no one definitive answer to this question as it will vary depending on your type of training.
However, research suggests that at least 15 minutes a day on a cross-trainer can have major health benefits, most notably improving your cardiovascular fitness.
If 15 minutes is all the time you have to use your elliptical, then the American Council on Exercise recommends you use that time as efficiently as possible by doing High-Intensity Interval Training to maximise your benefits.
Are Cross Trainers Good For Bad Knees?
As previously mentioned, a cross trainer workout should be a relatively low-impact session.
Low-impact exercises typically put less strain on your joints, therefore, cross trainers are widely regarded as good exercise machines to use if you’ve got joint pain or health conditions such as arthritis.
This is supported by Mayo Clinic which states an elliptical machine provides a less stressful way for people with bad knees to get a regular workout compared to using a treadmill or jogging and running.
Are All Cross Trainers Electric?
Not all cross trainers are powered by electricity; however, most of the ones you’ll likely find on the market are, particularly if they come with an onboard computer to analyse fitness metrics.
Having said that, there are some manually powered machines, similar to the Gazelle GEDGECAT Edge Glider, which come with no electronic components.
Manual ellipticals tend to be most beneficial for beginners, but we recommend an electric piece of equipment if you’re looking to continue to progress towards your fitness goals.
Read More:
