Rear drive elliptical machines are commonly found in gyms or home. Rear-drive implies that the drive system or flywheel is situated at the back of the machine. These types of machines have few moving parts and an incline ramp that can be adjusted either manually or automatically. Also, its pedal movement is more of a circular, smooth motion, which mimics the feel of running or walking. Since its drive system is located at the back, the user feels more upright, and it is easier on the back.
7 Best Rear Drive Elliptical Machine Reviews
#1. Best Overall -SNODE Magnetic Elliptical Trainer
The SNODE Magnetic Elliptical Trainer is one of the modern exercise machines you will find. You have the freedom to use this machine to achieve your goals of losing weight. It offers eight levels of magnetic resistance to offer you different exercise intensities and even make your training quite efficient.
In fact, the flywheel offers a quiet and smooth operation. Also, the machine has a display monitor that provides you with real-time data. You will find this machine to be a great addition to your household.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Magnetic ResistanceÂ
The fact that you are provided with eight levels of magnetic resistance means you can customize a challenging workout. That is because the magnetic control system offers quiet and smooth exercising.
2. Digital MonitorÂ
You can now plan and record your exercising details by using an LCD digital monitor that tracks calories, speed, pulse, and time.
3. Quiet Operation
The inertial weight offers a quiet and smooth-riding. You do not have to worry about disturbing other people and focus on your workout.
4. PortableÂ
Other than being a portable machine, it has transportation wheels that can help you move it from one place to another with ease. Also, you can store it easily after use.
#2. Best Powerful – NordicTrack SE9i Rear Drive Elliptical
The NordicTrack SE9i Rear Drive Elliptical is designed to take your workout to another level. It helps increase your calorie burn and even tone muscles by using an adjustable incline.
This elliptical machine is built to last. It uses various innovative elements and innovative engineering to offer you an excellent workout each time.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Excellent ResistanceÂ
The machine offers 24 levels of resistance that allow you to get the right workout you need and even move up the resistance with a lot of ease.
2. Enhanced FlywheelÂ
The inertia-enhanced flywheel comes with the silent magnetic resistance to offer a smoother, quieter workout.
3. Space-Saving DesignÂ
You have the freedom to use your space as you want. The incredible vertical space-saving design means that storing your machine is stress-free and simple.
4. Infinite VarietyÂ
Ideally, you have an ever-expanding library of workouts that are led by experienced coaches that cover everything from cool-down yoga to calorie-busting exercises. Also, you can follow the elite trainers as you control the machine’s resistance to enjoy an immersive experience.
5. Studio WorkoutsÂ
You will be guided by the top coaches to perform high-energy, heart-pumping studio workouts whilst controlling your resistance. That makes it easier to achieve your fitness goals.
#3. Best for Home Use – Proform 495 Elliptical
As you know, traveling the world requires a lot of time. However, that is no longer the case with Proform 495 Elliptical. With this machine, you can be guided by personal trainers through some of the most stunning locations across the world, thanks to iFit Coach. In fact, you can draw your path on Google Maps and enjoy an ever-growing library of workouts.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Stress-Free Setup
After unboxing your new elliptical trainer, you will find it fully assembled. Thus, it will only take you a few minutes to set it up.
2. Full-Body Strength
You should note that elliptical training helps engage the entire body with each step. With this machine, you can incorporate your upper body and core along with the legs to enjoy a single workout. Also, by adding the movement and resistance to the upper body, you can easily challenge your back, shoulders, core, and arms.
3. LED DisplayÂ
You can watch your workouts with the LED display. In fact, it is easier to see the power output on the console with the bright LED lights.
4. DurableÂ
This elliptical machine is made of solid steel construction. Thus, you can enjoy incredible workouts for many years before replacing it.
#4. Best Cross Trainer -Teeter Recumbent Elliptical
The Teeter Recumbent Elliptical is designed to help you enjoy pain-free exercises. Ideally, it delivers another level of exercising with zero-impact strength and cardio workouts. The FreeStep technology makes it easier for your joints and back, elevating the comfort beyond the traditional treadmills, steppers, and ellipticals. This exercise machine delivers amazing calorie-burning results.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Stride TechnologyÂ
With this feature, you can take the load off the back, hips, knees, and joints. In this way, you can elevate the comfort beyond the traditional ellipticals, steppers, and treadmills. In fact, the stepping motion helps prevent the knees from traveling over the toes.
2. Dual Power Motion
It has push-pull mechanics that promote total body workout and even lower your body simultaneously. In this way, you can build more lean muscle and keep burning fat long after the workout.
3. Muscle TargetingÂ
You can easily modify your workouts by isolating the legs. In this way, you can strengthen your quads, hamstrings, and glutes. You can target the upper body as it re-positions handles and isolates triceps and biceps by engaging the back muscles and chest for added intensity.
4. Digital ConsoleÂ
You have the freedom to enjoy listening to music and reading from your device while monitoring distance, speed, time, and even calorie burn.
5. Quiet Operation
You can conveniently exercise indoors. In fact, you can enjoy the workout without having to create a noisy environment or even straining to hear your TV.
#5. Best with Incline – ProForm 895 Rear Drive Elliptical
You can easily transform your training into complete body experience with the upper body resistance and even target the arms, shoulders, back, and chest.
With one-year iFit membership, you have the opportunity to take your exercising to another level and even unlock interactive personal training. Ideally, you can embark on a virtual tour of the world and transform your room into a great studio. Moreover, you can get to enjoy some personalized workouts each day.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Easy to Use
This fitness machine features a 7-inch Smart HD touchscreen that allows you to connect to what you want most. In fact, you can easily check your workout stats or even follow world-class fitness coaches on iFit.
2. Build Up Your Strength
The machine provides 24 resistance levels. Even then, you will find the workout being silent, frictionless, and smooth with the silent magnetic resistance.
3. Simple Storage
The elliptical machine folds up easily and out of the way when done with the workout. Thus, you do not have to sacrifice space for the home workout.
4. Comfortable Workouts
You can keep cool as you exercise, thanks to a built-in fan that has two adjustable settings. Moreover, you can use quick console controls and even adjust the speed at any given time.
#6. Best Compact -Precor EFX 222 Elliptical
If you want to tone your muscles and build cardio endurance, then the Precor EFX 222 Elliptical is the perfect machine you need. The elliptical trainer offers natural, smooth, low-impact workouts that can help you get the much-needed results. With moving handlebars, you have the opportunity to engage your arms and core in a complete body workout.
Also, this is a perfect fitness equipment for those who want something that can last. This machine is bound to last for many years and will keep you engaged. It offers a fitness center quality workout from the convenience of a home. One of the things you will like about this fitness machine is that it has the design and features meant to help you attain your fitness goals and even enjoy the workouts more.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. Cross-trainerÂ
You have a true cross-trainer with a wide range of ways to change workouts and maximize muscle recruitment as you build cardio endurance.
2. Ample Comfort
Its patented design offers a smooth, natural feel. Moreover, it keeps your body in a perfect posture to ensure you enjoy the workouts.
7. Best for Commercial Use -Precor EFX 845 Elliptical
The Precor EFX 845 Elliptical combines ease of use and reliability with the natural converging stride path that offers you perfect elliptical. The design enhancements ensure easy maintenance and cleaning, while the adjustable CrossRamp technology and the upper body handlebars deliver the much-needed workout.
Key FeaturesÂ
1. InclineÂ
The machine provides an incline ranging from 10 to 35 degrees. Thus, you can enjoy training in a wide range of inclines.
2. Resistance TrainingÂ
This fitness trainer provides 20 levels of resistance provided by a magnetic mechanism. Thus, you can target a wide range of muscle groups for a complete body workout.
3. LED Display
The P30 console provides easy-to-use controls and display that provides data on the vital fitness stats.
Best Rear Drive Elliptical Machine Buying Guide
You have to consider a lot of things before purchasing a rear-drive elliptical. Remember that features vary from one model to another. Although you need a silent and smooth functioning machine with great design and efficiency, there are other different things you ought to consider, such as size and warranty. When purchasing an elliptical machine for the home, space is a major issue. In fact, the larger the elliptical, the more room is bound to take.
1. Display
Remember that the right display can act as a motivator for you to workout. Other than enhancing the appearance of a machine, it displays other things such as heart rates, number of strides, and even the duration of the workout.
2. Mobile/App Compatibility
Ensure you get a rear-drive elliptical machine that supports connectivity with mobile applications. That is necessary as it helps widen the scope of your exercise. When you connect the machine, you help improve programs and even have better exercises.
3. Entertainment Options
You may consider entertainment options as a luxury when you start workouts, but soon you may require them to challenge and motivate you.
In fact, a great workout can help energize you. Check whether your machine has excellent speakers, Bluetooth connectivity, and MP3 players. With these, you can play your favorite music and work hard.
4. Stride Length
This is an important feature that helps determine the size of the elliptical and comfort of workouts. Therefore, if you want a compact elliptical trainer, it should have an appropriate stride length.
5. Resistance
The resistance offered by an elliptical plays a critical role when it comes to the intensity of the workout. Although the impact is low on the ellipticals because of variable resistance, it offers to match the treadmills. In fact, a good elliptical machine can even offer more than 20 levels of magnetic resistance.
6. Programs
The best rear-drive elliptical ought to offer various programs meant to enhance your workouts. In this way, it will help you target all muscle groups and body parts and avoid sticking to only one type of exercise routine.
7. Incline
Inclines mean users can easily challenge themselves to achieve their goals. Moreover, an incline offers you less impact experience.
Front Drive vs. Rear Drive Elliptical
When buying an elliptical trainer, you will realize that there are two major types – rear drive and front drive. Also, there is the center drive, albeit the models are a bit rare.
For the front drives, the flywheel mechanism is placed in front of pedals. On the other hand, rear-drive trainers have flywheel placed behind the pedals.
So, why do we have these two main styles?
You should note that Precor was the first company to make an elliptical, and they had a patent for a rear drive design. Therefore, for competing companies, they had these options:
Come up with a way to work around the patent
Pay the patent holder to use their design, and that is what NordicTrack did.
Come up with a unique design that does not infringe the patent; as a result, companies came up with front-drive elliptical.
When using a rear-drive machine, you will get a feeling like you are walking or jogging. Moreover, when exercising, you feel being centered compared to the front-drive. In fact, a front drive seems like working out on the stair climber. Studies show that a person tends to lean forward when exercising. You should also note that it is easier to get on and off on a front drive elliptical.
There is a lot of debate regarding which type of elliptical offers a better workout. Ideally, if you crank up the resistance of the front drive elliptical, you will get the same intensity of the workout like the rear drive elliptical.
The good thing about rear drive ellipticals is that they have minimal moving parts. In fact, they have fewer parts that need service. For example, the front drive ellipticals have the foot pedals, which run on rails, with cheaper machines.
Conclusion
When purchasing the best rear drive elliptical machine, there is a need to avoid cheap machines as they may not suit your needs.
Remember that you need a machine that can help you achieve your fitness goals. Thus, you need to consider various things such as smooth motion, stability, and stride length. The machines reviewed in this guide are highly rated by different users. They can help you target various groups of muscles and build the perfect you.
