Schwinn Fitness Elliptical Machine

I would deduct 1.2 points for packaging, and some issues with the user manual, and one of the features I miss on the display. The shipment arrived on time but the box was busted up pretty badly. I could not rescue it. The Amazon Driver stayed near by while I inspected the contents to make sure nothing was damaged inside, then he helped me place it in my entryway after I established that nothing was wrong the machine itself or the internal packaging. I am over 70 years old and found no problems assembling the machine by myself, although I did take all afternoon to do so. The user manual was fairly well designed except that some of the detail images were way too small for my old eyes to pick up 'details'. For that reason I deducted .03 points from the overall score, (BIGGER DETAIL IMAGES PLEASE). You don't need any extra tools to assemble this. They are all included with the clearly labeled hardware. With a little planning this can be easily assembled by one person. As I said, I am over 70 years old, I have a bad back, and I had no issues assembling it. The heaviest part to move is the main flywheel assembly, and even with a bad back I was able to pick it up and carry it into the living room for assembly, and in it's permanent location. Another option I considered to move it would be to tilt the assembly onto an old beach towel and pull it across the floor to the location to assemble, but, as I mentioned, it was light enough for me to carry a short distance (about 14 feet). I have been using it for a week now and have only one complaint - it does not have a step counter. The machine is very sturdy and supports the 230 lbs of my body weight without issue or noise. It is smooth and very quiet compared to my cubi I have been using. I also like the customizable display options for each user. Before purchasing the 470 my wife and I read a review online. The reviewer noted that the machine's lowest resistance level was still much higher than other machines. I have no other experience with ellipticals, but my wife does and she confirms that it is harder than those she uses at the gym. That being said, after a week both she and I have improved our endurance and I can now do 30 minutes non stop at the lowest sittings, She was spending 30 minutes on the elliptical at the gym and it took her three days to get to 30 minutes. Neither of us has tried any of the default programs yet. We still need to get in better shape. My greatest complaint is the packaging. I think the packaging they use is more suitable for delivery to a department store or fitness store, not to a residence where the deliver van has to be loaded with objects of various sizes and weights. The riggers of transporting a large item like this requires stronger materials. The carboard box was the consistency of dry bread. It practically fell apart in my hands. The Styrofoam survived the shipping, but not the unpacking. Beads of Styrofoam popped out all over the place no matter how carefully I removed parts or tape. It was a total mess to clean up and accounts for most of my assembly time. For that reason I would deduct .17 from the total score. Overall it is a great machine for the price and I'm getting back tone in muscles I rarely use any more, even after only a week. It's a great bargain.

I chose this machine because I am a gym rat and they have been closed and it seems they will remain so for a while. It's not cheap, but I can't necessarily afford a whole new wardrobe if I gain 10-20 pounds in the next few weeks, either. Heart attacks and diabetes aren't cheap, either. It seems like a lot of these are going out of stock, so I'd suggest ordering one sooner rather than later if you're a real gym nut. Who knows if this pandemic will keep resurfacing in the next few months... The machine I got was assembled in 2017, so I wasn't worried about contagion from the country of manufacture. A while back I checked out a few models in a sporting goods store and noticed the Schwinn ellipticals seemed to have a nice stride and seemed sturdier than the other models within the under 1k price range. No matter what machine you buy, it's going to be bulky and in the way, so it might as well be sturdy. Many "economical" home use ellipticals have a really short stride that make my knees and shins hurt, seem flimsy, and many of them have super low weight limits which make them limiting if you share them with others or ever need to re-sell them due to a move, etc... My gym preferences are the cybex and the elliptical the precor rear drive elliptical. This model seems to resemble those machines to me in terms of how I feel when I work out. I gave this five stars with the knowledge that this is NOT supposed the kind of high-end machine you'd find at the gym that usually cost several thousand dollars. This is a home-use piece of equipment, so it won't have a fancy computerized touch-screen display. I DO notice that you can step off the machine for a few seconds and grab a bottle of water without it "timing out" on you, which I think is great, and I also love the little fan the display comes with. It's very easy to set a phone/ipad/drink /towel on the machine while working out. I'm a short small-statured woman. I was able to assemble this myself within a few hours, although it was a bit difficult at times. I have a big bruise on my big toe to prove it. (You might want to wear heavy boots while putting it together!) It's not super lightweight, so I'd recommend assembling it in the room you plan to keep it in. If you have someone to help you, I'd recommend having a second person on hand to assist sliding the pedals on and to help keep the display in place while you screw it in. When sliding the handle bars onto the machine, I wished I had access to a pair of stronger arms, but I still managed. I think the hardest part was placing the pedals on because you need to have them at the perfect angle to slide them onto the machine. Don't discard any plastic wrap with lubricant, because you might need it when you assemble certain pieces. You don't have to be a part time handyman to put this together-- just keep the nuts and bolts in orderly piles and make sure you use the correct ones. You can still manage to assemble this on your own as long as you can follow instructions to a T, don't mind cursing a bit, have some pillows handy, and don't have to move the largest piece onto a different floor in the house. Having wood floors I was able to push the biggest piece into the room I wanted to assemble it in. Although it was a pain, I'm glad I assembled it on my own, as I imagine if something "goes wrong" I'll be able to pinpoint the issue in the future. The machine is super quiet and it comes with the adapter so you can plug it into the wall. Keeping certain components lubricated and free of dust will probably help avoid any squeaks or weird noises, but that's why cleaning people who work at the gym constantly vacuum and clean off the equipment. I imagine if you don't follow the assembly instructions perfectly, and don't tighten the bolts perfectly, you might have noise problems. The machine rocked and jiggled a little at first, but I realized I had accidentally omitted the washers when I screwed on the display. I popped the top off, unscrewed that part and fixed the problem, and now it doesn't rock or jiggle at all. Follow the instructions to a T. Keep the instructions and tools and leftover nuts and bolts. The only weird issue I've noticed is that the calorie counter seems really off-- it seems to underestimate the amount of calories burned considering how much I'm exerting myself. This sets my OCD off a little, however, I notice that many kinds of extremely expensive cardio equipment in the gym will give me different numbers. The experience I have while I'm exercising leads me to believe that I'm still getting a great workout even without the calorie count being precise-- even with the resistance level and incline fairly low, it doesn't feel "too easy". I also feel no bizarre aches and pains as I would with a badly functioning/designed elliptical. The design of the handlebars is great in that shorter folks can easily grasp them because the center parts of the handles curve inwards toward the user. Ellipticals you find at the gym often have handle bars often seem poorly designed for people with shorter arms. I can easily grab these without leaning forward too much. I'm 5'3", so slightly smaller than the average woman. I can't answer for how well a tall person would like the design, but the weight limit seems higher than many home style ellipticals and the foot pedals seem large enough to handle a person with a large footprint. Like I said before, the stride length seems much better than most home ellipticals. If you're super tall, you might want to get the more expensive models that have longer than a 20" stride. If you're tall, I'd check out the reviews of other tall folks before making a final decision. Edit: It's been a year since I bought this, and haven't had any major issues yet. Biggest gripe is that the calorie counter seems to underestimate the workout I feel I'm doing. I wish the stride were longer, but as it's not one of those industrial grade machines, I wasn't expecting it to be great. I definitely suggest remembering to grease the components periodically, and making sure you vacuum the machine to remove dust. Edit: I really hope they “fix” the low calorie count issue so many people point out. I’m drenched in sweat, on here for almost an hour, and have only burned about 300 calories? Makes me feel like a loser and a failure, because I’ve drank two bottles of water already and I feel like I can’t push any fügtet. On the expensive gym elliptical machines, I would have been past 500 calories burnt by now for the sweat and soreness I feel.

I like the Schwinn 470 Fitness Elliptical Machine, and recommend it. I purchased it on a Black Friday Sale 3 months ago, and have been regularly using it; 20-30 times so far. I wish it were a little better, but glad I bought it. I have not used a lot of elliptical machines, so it is hard for me to compare against a more pro model from the gym or some of the other home models. 1. Setup: I paid the extra money from Amazon to have the delivery guys set it up. Seemed worth it to me and unless you are really handy, I would have someone else do it. It looked like like a pain to setup, and I heard one delivery guys tell the other that he set up this model before and its a hassle. 2. The machine is pretty sturdy. I am almost 6 foot and 220lbs and I feel it is sturdy enough and heavy duty. At points I can feel a little waver, but I don't have concerns over it. Seems sort of pro like. It has a pretty big footprint. You need some space for it, and it kind of takes over that room. 3. Mine squeaks! It is pretty annoying and I am curious about the reviews that say it is whisper quiet. You do have to put silicon lubricant on it EVERY time you use it. I feel like I am putting on a good amount, and 50% of the time it starts squeaking within my workout time, and other times it doesn't. I don't know if there was some issue in the setup, or if the machine is just prone to squeaking. I put mine downstairs, and I couldn't imagine working out next to someone sleeping! They also don't give you a lot of lubricant, so buy another bottle of silicon lubricant when you buy the machine. The tiny bottle they included lasted maybe 7-10 workouts. I am experimenting with just putting what seems to be more lubricant that you think would be needed. Also note, you have to get on the floor and underneath the pedals to put on the lubricant. Might not be easy for some older people. 4. I haven't tried the app and mostly use it on manual. I didn't really like my first forays into using any of the programs. I feel like I get a pretty good cardio and leg workout, and the resistance levels help work the leg muscles. I can't seem to engage the arms enough. It feels awkward to me to get the arms to do more of the workout as the mechanics of it just seem to favor the legs, but maybe that is all elliptical machines. 5. I don't like the metrics and I think this is a big negative that I assume Schwinn could fix this. You only have time, distance and calories. You put in your weight etc and it can estimate calories burned. And you get to choose resistance levels and incline. But super weird and annoying, the distance is NOT accurate. I haven't measured this any objective way, but you just can see the issue immediately. If you are on manual mode, are you pick no resistance (the easiest), and you start on like a running pace, somehow after 30 minutes the machine says you have gone a mile!! You can walk a mile in 20 min. Instead, if you put the machine on full resistance and go half the pace, it counts you as going 3 miles in 30 minutes?!?! So the distance is connected to the intensity instead of the actual revolutions. It is like saying if I go out jogging and I carrying a heavy bag, that I have run further even though I am going slower. I don't know if other elliptical machines are similar, but it seems super dumb. Big negative as you only have 3 metrics, and one is off. You can still get a good workout, but I really don't know how far I am going and kind of have to measure it against myself. I don't know if the numbers are even consistent if you keep the intensity consistent. But I don't think it is stopping me from getting good workouts. 6. I have some knee and back issues, and it has not been a problem working out on the machine. This is something you might need to consult a doctor or physical therapist about, but for me, I have not been experiencing pain while working out. Even a couple days my knee was feeling a bit sore walking around and doing steps, but I decided to do a light workout, and it didn't bother me. Overall, my doctor had recommended an elliptical machine to me, as they said I shouldn't be getting the impact of running with my back pain. 7. I have only had it for 3 months, so I don't know about long term potential issues. Hope you find this review helpful Michael

Another review update: I am now at 3.5 months since the unit broke and it is still in pieces in my basement. I've spent countless hours communicating with Schwinn and diagnosing the unit per their instructions. The last straw was when they finally sent a technician out to repair the unit and he stated that they don't do those kinds of repair. I'm currently preparing a case against Schwinn to file a refund claim and all the hours spent to be their diagnostic technician. Review update: I've had the machine for about 1.5 years and it broke. While using it, the machine suddenly made a loud racket and became extremely difficult to step. Awaiting info from Schwinn to repair or replace. ------------------------------------------------- The machine itself is very nice. It seems durable and its very easy to operate. The only thing I wished that it had is a bit more range of motion, maybe 10 % more. I do get a good workout and I've been keeping up on my routine since it's so easy to go to the basement, get on, and start exercising. I almost gave this product a 3 start because of the delivery and assembly. The delivery boy damaged my door while trying to slam the box through the door way when it obviously didn't fit. I was stunned as I watched him force it through. Then he had the gall to act like nothing happened. When I asked him what he was going to do to fix the door, he acted like he did nothing wrong let alone apologize. The install was supposed to happen upon delivery but did not. The delivery boy told me someone would come that afternoon to do the assembly. It was a no call no show. Three calls to amazon and three more no call no shows, amazon finally credited my account so I could pick another assembler. So, if you buy this item, make sure Amazon is not doing the delivery or assembly. Otherwise, I do recommend elliptical itself.

Differences between the 430, 430(2016), 470, and MY17 470: 430: base model (2 user profiles, upload data to thumb drive for connectivity to SchwinnConnect.com, manual incline) 430 (2016): updated console (looks only I think) 470: 4 user profiles + 7 additional programs + motorized incline MY17 470: 4 user profiles + 7 additional programs + motorized incline + bluetooth connectivity to the SchwinnConnect App (free). Pros: -Assembly was easy to understand. -Love the Bluetooth/app connectivity, -motorized incline, -speakers (seem loud enough), -that it charges my phone with the usb port -that it has a headphone jack that I can use to listen to music/shows though the speakers, -it has a fan that works well. -Gives a killer workout. -For home gym equipment, it seems sturdy. -Plenty of programs to choose from. Cons: -Assembly was a little time-consuming. It took me (mostly by myself) 4 hours. It's a bit awkward to move and assemble the heavy parts, but honestly, what can you expect; you are assembling an elliptical. -Workouts seem much harder than on the one I used at the gym; I think this is because the weight of the fly wheel isn't as heavy as the gym-quality ones and it isn't free spinning. -The fan makes a small vibrating sound and the console makes a vibrating sound when I adjust the resistance or incline. -The programs aren't super easy to browse through - read the instructions on how to use the console. Assembly tips: -Can be awkward to maneuver depending on your physical ability. I did it mostly by myself, but needed my kids' help keeping things out of the way while I connected the electronic wires. -Speaking of connecting wires, make sure they are connected correctly before moving on. I was so nervous after I put it together that the wires wouldn't be connected right and that I would have to take it apart to fix it. -Read the steps twice and make sure you know where all the bolts and screws go and have everything needed for that step within arms reach BEFORE starting each step. -Set it up where you intend to put it when it's done. (I bought the mat and I'm glad I did.) -The screws for the water holder are pre-attached to the static handlebars, not the holder. (I figured this out after searching through all the trash packaging.) -The Schwinn Connect App (free) is required to connect to the Bluetooth. (This app syncs with Google Fit and MyFitness Pal.) -Buy the silicone lubricant. It comes with enough to last a couple of weeks, but you'll need to lubricate the tracks weekly. (Another good reason to buy the mat is that the lubricant can get on the floor - glad the mat catches it.)

I read all the reviews for this machine, both on Amazon and throughout the net, before making the difficult decision whether to purchase it. I was a bit worried due to the negative comments on Amazon re difficulty to assemble, machine making noises, and poor customer service, but the detailed, research reviews I read on other sites comparing it to their machines pursuaded me to try it. Besides, I have had a Schwinn treadmill for over 15 yrs now, which you can see next to my new elliptical in the pics I uploaded. Keeping the Amazon reviews in mind, I was determined to document the process of receiving, setting up, and using to post here. First, I am happy to say it came four days earlier than expected. The FedEx people called me that morning to make sure I would be home to receive it. I was so excited! I posted a pic of the box, which was easy for one person to move with a regular 2 wheel dolly. I took all the pieces out of the box and then followed the instructions, page by page. It was very easy, all I had to do was insert/tighten screws/bolts—many times the bolts/washers were already inserted into their respective parts, all I had to do was take them out, combine them with another part, and put them back in (see pics I posted of these bolts). I did not need to use any of my own tools, everything was provided (Allen wrench, Phillips screw driver, 3 open ended wrenches, and 2 socket-type wrenches). I got it all put together very easily—and all by myself, a 46 yr old woman! No need for two people or a mechanic! I downloaded the Schwinn app into my phone to sync via BlueTooth my exercise stats and keep tract of goal attainment, which was also very easy and took only 5 mins to download and set up. My machine immediately acknowledged my phone via the BlueTooth. And then the time had come to ride it... it was so amazing! It has a 3-speed fan, cup holder, Phone holder, and iPad holder with USB port! It also has an audio/headphone type jack (with cable provided) for MP3 audio to its speakers. All in all, I’m a happy camper excited to get into better shape. I love how smoothly and silently the machine works and how it really works my whole body without putting any stress at all on my joints. I hope others decide to give this machine a shot—I’m glad I did!!!

I’ve had this for a several weeks now - let’s start with the bad... - Handle bars are to close to the console (control board) so every time you go on it with a iPad or tablet, using their tablet stand attached to the console to adjust or change something you’re watching while exercising — your elbows are going to get smashed by the handle-bars, and your tablet may fall off the stand and onto the floor because of this design flaw. SOLUTION: make each handle bars (both right and left) four (4”) inches wider, SCHWINN! Or after you redesign these handle bars because of this flaw - ship them in a separate box! This design was clearly basses on shipping restraints. - You won’t be able to read anything (like on other Ehlipticals) while working out because of this handle issue (same thing as above - the bars are to close to your elbows and arms) and because there is no stand for you to place a book on at reading level. - The console (or control board) is TOO BRIGHT and there is no way to reduce this brightness - this will bother you more if you are a morning person who likes to workout at that time. - The second arm grips (where it takes your pulse) is to low down and uncomfortable for you to grip for the 30 seconds to a minute it takes for your pulse to appear on the console. * If you are under 5 foot 5 inches, this might not be a problem for you. - The length of this machine is noticeably shorter then most Elipticals I have been on, therefor your strides are shorter as a result and the amount of distance you will be running in any given length of time will be shorter too. For example, if I run for ten minutes on a longer machines, I would have reached a mile of distance in that ten minutes of time — but on the Schwinn 470, because it’s not as long as other machines (and your strides are shortened) I’m only getting a half mile in distance, on the Schwinn 470, because of the shorting in its length. - Calorie burning is less on this machine as well (by at least half) verses the longer framed ones I’ve been on that allows you to achieve longer strides. -The RPM and speed somehow increases as you move up the resistance, even though you haven’t increased your strides at all — that’s just weird. The good: - It is affordable... - You will have a good workout... - It is sturdy.. - There are a lot of bells and whistles with this machine, all part of the console options or near the console. — To bad you can’t use these options without getting your elbows smashed by the handle bars, and then dropping your tablets on the floor... So - if you like your elbow smashed while working out - this is the perfect machine for you! If there was an option to rate this machine a 2.5 out of 5 stars, I would have done so.

I had lived in apartment complexes with gyms for years, but only really ever used the elliptical (or ran outside). I exercise consistently for 30 minutes a day, but haven’t run more than five miles at a time if that helps you gauge my fitness level; I am a relatively fit mid 30s woman. When I moved to a house last month I knew I needed my own elliptical. Given the high review on Consumer Reports balanced with the cost (and good reviews on Amazon) I went with this machine. I paid the $89 for Amazon assembly. Money very well spent. A thorough and professional man arrived and it took him 2 hours to set this up even though he’s done lots of ellipticals (including one earlier that day). I imagine many issues people have with this machine are due to the complicated assembly leading to mechanical errors. We would have really struggled with assembling this ourselves. Overall I love the machine. The control system is comprehensive and easy to use. The buttons for automatically adjusting the resistance and incline are big and accessible (and this unit has automatic incline, one of a few extras that makes it worth more than the base model of the same Schwinn). It provides a good workout that is changeable. It is fairly quiet with some swishing/rubbing noises as you exercise but nothing too loud or distracting. It is ergonomically comfortable. The heart rate monitor seems fairly accurate (gauged by my Apple Watch). Negatives would be that even on the lowest settings the resistance is pretty high. I naturally went to level 2/25 though was much higher on the gym machine I was using last month. It isn’t whisper quiet. The mileage and calorie counters seem way off -much lower- from previous machines I’ve used, if this is something you like to track with the machine (I just go by workout time). For a sub $1000 machine I think this is very close to gym quality. I am happy I chose it (along with assembly!). I will try to update again when I’ve had it for more than several weeks as others’ reviews have helped me.

Esta mal hecha, los mangos están muy pegados a la consola, situación que hace que te peguen, si eres alto olvídalo mido 1.90 y si se sube la inclinación te romperás una rodilla, sumale que el bluetooth es solo para una aplicacion que aparte no es compatible ya con este modelo entonces no sirve de nada, tuve que ponerle un bluetooth en el puerto usb para poder usar mi iphone (spotify), Otro gran defecto para mi espacio el cable de corriente es corto, arnarla con otra persona me tomo 3 horas solo imposible.

El producto venía con defecto de fábrica y devolverlo era todo un show, evidentemente Amazon no se hace responsable, tampoco te ayuda con darte un contacto y los "contactos" de la página y que vienen en instructivo de la empresa shwinn jamás respondieron. Te dirigían a un correo y nuevamente al mismo sin darte respuesta . No recomiendo POR NADA.

This elliptical has been broken more than it worked. First of all, it was a huge hassle when ordering and the delivery kept getting delayed. This was super annoying because you have to be home for the delivery and Amazon would not say it was delayed until the delivery day was already over. Lots of schedule rearranging. It finally came and I paid to have it assembled with Amazon Expert Assembly. When it did work for the first couple of weeks, it was okay. Of course, it is a home elliptical so definitely not gym quality. It doesn’t run as smooth and the lowest resistance feels like around a 6 setting at the gym. Do not rely on the calorie estimator built into the machine. It told me I burnt about 20 calories after a 35 min moderately intense session. At the gym, this would be around 300 for me (I have used many different gym ellipticals). The fan has a very mechanical smell when turned on. I also find the interface annoying to use. The stats keep cycling but I wish there was a way to choose which stats I want to always display. The moving arm handles are also set more narrow so if I try to hold onto the static smaller handles in the middle or grab my water bottle to drink, the moving handles often hit me on the arms. I expected these kinds of issues from a home machine and even with them, I was fairly happy with it since I could work out at home. However, within 3 times of using it, one of the pedals started clicking with every revolution making it not a smooth movement. This just got worse over time but it was minor. Now, on the other side toward the front where the wheel is, a loud scraping sound has started with every revolution so I can no longer use the machine. I called in to Schwinn for assistance and the warranty is still active but the process will likely take a couple weeks. I’m so frustrated with this machine. I’m ready to dismantle it and leave it in the garage forever. Would definitely not recommend buying. I got it because I wanted to easily work out at home but it’s been nothing but a headache.

Purchased the 470 model after a few months of trolling the price. The price ranged from $500 to $1050 during these months and we finally pulled the trigger and bought when the price was $500. Shipping took a while (9 days) but it's a 190lb large box so what can you expect. Assembling the elliptical took around 2 hours*. *Please pay close attention to the instructions/illustrations. Especially when attaching the moving handlebars.* Once assembled, my wife got on the machine right away and had no issues. She loves it. Fan is powerful enough to cool you down. Speakers are not the best, but aren't terrible either. We installed the android app that works with the on board bluetooth to track our workouts. The incline motor isn't too loud when it is being adjusted and the machine strides during the workout are quiet; no squeaks or rattles. Overall, if you are patient, buy this machine when it gets around the $500 mark. You won't regret it. Seems to be built very well. Hopefully it lasts a long time.

Have had this elliptical for 3 months now. Very solid construction, fairly quiet too. My two issues (nothing major at all) is that the interface is not the best, but I knew that going in, the other is that the setup time is about 2-3 hours, but as well that was expected. Love the size of the machine, the quality of build is great, it has a great flywheel in it. Looks pretty good as well. Screws and bolts will strip if you install with a drill (don't do that the instruction book says not to I just gave it a shot on one).