Best Cardio Machines for Your Home in October 2024 | GQ

Oct 28, 2024

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Drop by just about any gym, and you're likely to see a steady parade of dudes bypassing the treadmills and ellipticals to head straight to the weight room. That’s a mistake: Ditching cardio could be limiting your gains. Studies indicate that doing 45 minutes of moderate to intense cardiovascular exercise four days a week can lead to about an 8% increase in leg muscle size. It can also help you live longer.

Four days a week might sound like a hefty commitment, but if you’ve got one of the best cardio machines right at home, there’ll be no excuses. “No matter what the weather is outside, no matter if you only have 15 or 20 minutes, the barrier between you and actually being active is significantly reduced when you have your own piece of cardio equipment at home,” says Harley Pasternak, MSc, a celebrity personal trainer and commercial gym designer.

Although plenty of cardio contraptions promise benefits, not all of them deliver. To assist in your decision-making process, we've broken down the best home cardio machines—and what you need to know about each before you press GO.

If you only want to look at the very best cardio machines, here are your options:

Methodology

GQ won’t recommend any old home gym equipment simply because it looks good in our living room (although that’s a plus). To find the best exercise machines that are actually worth a major chunk of your change, we polled certified personal trainers, coaches, and elite athletes. Then we put our team of fitness testers to work to analyze how those recs actually held up for real people, evaluating durability, set-up process, and how well all the (kettle)bells and whistles performed. We also tapped our network of medical experts, like doctors and physical therapists, to see how our findings stacked up to the latest research. TL;DR: There’s a lot to consider before springing for a home cardio machine, and we’ve thoroughly thought through it all so you don’t have to.

ProForm

ProForm

Low impact ain’t the same as low intensity—and you’ll feel that all too intimately with the ProForm Carbon E7 elliptical.

Product Features

Got creaky joints? A low-impact cardio machine like the elliptical will be your friend. The Carbon E7 from ProForm allows for a short, intense sprint, or a long, endurance-based one with an adjustable 19-inch stride. You can also push the moveable handlebars to get in some upper body work, or keep the motion in your lower body by gripping the stationary handlebars.

The biggest reason to spring for this machine is the iFit programming—you can take a trainer-led class or go on a scenic “hike” via the 7-inch touchscreen. Yes, that means you do need to purchase a separate iFit Membership (starting at $396/year). You can technically use the Carbon E7 without iFit, but in that case, you'll have to adjust your workout manually.

As far as the machine itself, we found it both sturdy and surprisingly quiet. Adjust the incline up to 20 degrees if you feel up for an uphill challenge. You’re also going to want to have a dedicated space in your home for this big boy—he doesn’t fold up, and he weighs over 200 pounds.

NordicTrack

NordicTrack

This has everything you want in a solid treadmill: quick and smooth adjustments, a shock-absorbing belt, and a stable frame. Plus, it’s even capable of decline training.

Product Features

Just about every treadmill adjusts up to give you an incline, but this one lets you do decline training, too—and it moves quickly. Our testers found it went from a -3% decline to a 12% incline in 22 seconds—without any jerking or hesitation—then went all the way back down again in just 17 seconds. Just beware that only the belt adjusts; the monitor and handles don’t come with it.

No matter what kind of workout you’re trying to get in, we found this NordicTrack simple and straightforward to use. It’s easy to control via buttons on the side of the touchscreen, which stays responsive even when you get sweaty. “I’ve been in fitness for the past 15 years, and this is by far one of the better treadmills that I’ve used,” says one of our testers, a high school track coach and trainer.

That’s partially thanks to the bouncy, shock-absorbing platform that moves comfortably with your body weight, even at a light jog. When we ramped up the speed, a couple of testers said the belt felt like it slipped sometimes. Yet the frame itself is exceptionally stable, and the belt has great traction. Plus, unlike some treads, it’s easy on the ears. “This treadmill would not wake a sleeping baby,” says one tester.

For the price of this cardio machine, we highly recommend springing for an iFit membership (starting at $180 per year) to get the most out of it. You’ll get tons of options for coached workouts that adjust your incline and speed automatically, and you’ll be able to track your progress over time.

Horizon Fitness

Horizon Fitness

Sturdy and powerful enough to give you a legit run, the Horizon Fitness 7.4 AT treadmill lets you fold it up and wheel it away after you’re done.

Product Features

Not every home has enough room to have a treadmill sitting out at all times. That’s why the 7.4 AT Treadmill from Horizon Fitness folds up and locks into place automatically with a simple foot lever so you can put it away whenever you’re not running on it. It’s got wheels, but be warned: At 318 pounds, moving it into the closet could count as its own workout.

We didn’t mind since this folding tread is designed for those who want to go hard. It adjusts to a 15% incline for serious climbing. At 60 by 22 inches, the long, wide deck is spacious enough to feel comfortable sprinting (up to 12 mph) without fear of falling off. Shifting from flat to full incline took just 18 seconds, and it didn’t stick or wobble while adjusting. Throughout our runs, it felt rooted to the ground and super stable.

“I think everyone should have one of these bad boys,” says our tester, a personal trainer and high school football coach. That said—this piece of cardio equipment doesn’t come with a touchscreen; you need to use your phone or iPad to stream any fitness classes, though we found the Bluetooth connection was seamless. “The functionality didn’t require a lot of thinking on my part,” our tester notes, calling the monitor “the definition of user-friendly.”

WalkingPad

The WalkingPad A1 Under Desk Treadmill makes hitting your step count at home very doable.

Product Features

If TikTok has convinced you to get a walking pad to rack up your step count during work hours, this simple, no-frills option can help you do that without any fuss. The set-up is dummy-proof—you just have to plug it in, and start walking. Plus, it’s only a couple of inches tall, so it’s easy to slide under your desk (and you won’t be falling off a massive platform if you somehow miss a step).

Just know that it’s a little harder to stash away than it might seem. “In theory, I love that it can be folded up. But in reality, folding it brings the height to just under five inches, which is too tall to fit under my couch,” says Kristen Geil, a contributing GQ writer and a certified personal trainer. “This means the walking pad stays out in the open more than I'd like, although I can fold it and store it under my desk at the end of the day.”

There is an "automatic" mode where the machine auto-detects your walking speed and adjusts to meet it. While Geil says the idea of this sounds intriguing in theory, in practice, she actually just uses the remote control to manually change the speed when she needs to.

Peloton

Peloton

Amazon

The Peloton Bike is an iconic pandemic darling that we still consider the GOAT of at-home fitness programming.

Product Features

Peloton may have had its moment in the sun during the peak of the pandemic, but when it comes to at-home fitness classes, it’s still the best there is. “The quality of instructors is second to none,” says Geil, who’s owned a Peloton Bike for over four years. The Peloton teachers’ energy ensures we don’t phone it in from home while the leaderboard revs up our competitive side. And we feel like minor celebrities whenever an instructor calls out one of our milestones during a live workout. Although the ride is smooth and the design is sleek, really you’re buying this bike for the classes—just remember you’ll need to pay a $44 monthly fee to access them, on top of the price of the bike itself.

We’ve found it’s worth the cost, and it feels pretty reasonable compared to other smart bikes. Geil says her Peloton has required basically zero maintenance in the time she’s owned it. “Nothing has broken, gotten wobbly, or made concerning screeching noises,” she says. “I'm still a card-carrying member of the Peloton fan club, and I expect to continue using it at least weekly for a long, long time.”

Assault Fitness

Assault Fitness

The Assault Fitness Assault Runner Pro is a durable workhorse that's super steady and reasonably priced.

Product Features

If you need your handheld while running, this isn’t your treadmill. It’s a bare-bones machine with no “smart” programming or even a fan. Heck, it doesn’t have a motor or the ability to adjust the incline, for that matter. What it does have is one of the most stable decks we’ve ever run on. The AssaultRunner Pro is exceptionally sturdy and comfortable. We didn’t notice any shaking or weird noises while running. And the deck is supportive; you don’t sink into an overly cushy platform. With a steel frame and corrosion-resistant materials, it also seems quite durable, though you get a five-year frame and three-year moving parts warranty in case anything goes awry.

Just know that there’s a learning curve when you first start running on a manual treadmill like this—it takes a minute to figure out exactly where to land to keep things smooth and how to power the belt at slower paces. For light jogs, it’s best to strike toward the middle of the treadmill, whereas for sprints you’ll want to aim your foot towards the front tip to generate maximum power output. Yet one tester, a collegiate strength and conditioning coach, notes that the curved platform not only made treadmill running more pleasant for him but helped reinforce “great running posture and form.”

Titan Fitness

Titan Fitness

This Titan Fitness Fan Bike delivers the bonus features you didn’t know you needed—at a budget-friendly price.

Product Features

Doing a workout on an air bike can be brutal. But the Titan Fitness Fan Bike is loaded up with extras that help make it feel a little more manageable. For instance, a retractable, grippy phone holder on the monitor lets us zone out watching SportsCenter. A removable fan guard kept the air from the wheel from blasting our legs—not a pleasant experience when you’re getting your sweat on in the garage in the winter. (Though you can take it off on days you want that extra breeze.) Large turf tires also mean you can easily roll this baby over any terrain—even plush carpet. These details might be offered as accessories on other exercise bikes, but they come standard on the Titan.

Our biggest complaint about this bike is the console. For having such a smart design everywhere else on this machine, we were disappointed by how clunky the interface is. For one, the buttons are pretty small. But it also simply isn’t intuitive to use—weirdly (and annoyingly), it asked us to input our age every time we pressed start. Clearly, Titan doesn’t realize that 40 is the new 30.

Concept2

Concept2

It may look modest, but the Concept2 RowErg rower is by far the best rower your money can buy—even pricier options can’t compete with this top-seller.

Product Features

You’ve probably seen the Concept2 US RowERG before—it’s been a mainstay at CrossFit boxes and local gyms for years, and it’s beloved by the Olympic rowing team. It’s both durable enough to withstand constant use and comfortable enough to actually make you want to get on (and stay on).

As an air rower, it can generate unlimited resistance via the flywheel (the front part that spins), so anyone from a novice to an elite rower can get in a legit workout. “The resistance can grow as you get stronger and more technical on the machine, allowing you to continue to break new boundaries,” says Michelle Parolini, NASM-CPT, manager of coach development for Row House. She names Concept2 as her all-time favorite rower, saying that it “provides a nice, smooth row” and that “the sound of the fan when you have the perfect ratio is meditative.” We found the catch, drive, finish, and recovery seamless, making us feel like we were gliding on the river on a crisp fall morning.

Bonus: If you take the plunge, you won’t have to wait long to start working out. Our delivery arrived quickly and assembly only took us 10 to 20 minutes before being completely set up.

Bells of Steel

Bells of Steel

The Bells of Steel Blitz Air Bike is one of the best-priced air bikes you can buy, especially considering the intense resistance you can typically only find in a commercial gym.

Product Features

If you want a piece of cardio equipment that can check off both leg day and arm day, look into this budget-friendly air bike from Bells of Steel: You can seamlessly switch between pushing with your feet or your hands. Just know that most of us typically fall back on driving with our legs, so you need to be pretty deliberate to get in a chest and arm workout.

With a belt drive system, the ride is smooth and quiet and won’t require as much maintenance as a chain drive. It’s also got a massive 25-inch fan—you typically only find ones that big in commercial gyms. That means it creates serious resistance that will have you cursing in minutes.

Note: One thing many reviewers have found is that while the solid metal frame is sturdy, the seat gets wobbly and needs regular tightening to keep it from twisting underneath you during workouts. This is also a cardio machine you’ll want to set and forget—small wheels mean it’s not super portable.

MaxiClimber

Amazon

One of the best cardio machines for someone on a tight budget, the MaxiClimber Cllassic adds some arms to a stair stepper, so you can imagine you’re scaling El Capitan.

Product Features:

Not everyone wants a bunch of “smart” extras on their cardio equipment—or to spend the money those features demand. Coming in at under $200, the MaxiClimber Classic won’t put a major dent in your bank account, nor will it take over your living room. It’s just over three feet wide and folds up for easy storage, and at only 33 pounds, it’s easy to move wherever you want. It doesn’t even need to be plugged into an outlet to work, so you can carry it out to your yard to spy on the neighbors while you sweat.

One thing: This MaxiClimber is definitely meant for the smaller folks among us. Constructed with lots of plastic, it’s only good for users up to 6’2” and 240 pounds, and we can’t imagine it lasting long under heavy use. We found that even the pedals are on the small side; our large feet didn’t quite fit all the way on. (We also wished they came with straps to help us feel a bit more secure.) If you’re looking for something more substantial, you’ll want to check out the MaxiClimber XL, which also offers 12 resistance levels rather than just relying on body weight.

You do get to download the MaxiClimber fitness app for free with your purchase, which gives you access to coach-led interval and endurance classes. But you’re on your own to figure out how to watch them, since the machine doesn't have a phone or tablet holder.

We take finding the best cardio machine for home seriously. Before coming to any conclusions, we intensively test each piece of cardio equipment over a period of days or months to find the standouts we truly want to recommend to you. We rate each one on how it performs, how sturdy it feels, how durable the materials are, what delivery and set-up are like, whether it’s portable and easy to store, how much space it takes up, how ergonomic the design is, and whether it accommodates a range of body sizes. We also note whether there are custom features and how good the “smart” programming is (if any). Because you’re buying these for your home, we know you also want them to look good, so we are considering the style details as well.

Also, since you’re probably not living on an unlimited income, we take into account the value you’re getting for your money. Part of that includes researching how good the warranty is, what the return policy is like, and how customer service is to deal with.

There are good reasons that so many people fork over an entire paycheck (or more) to buy one of the best cardio machines for their home.

You Can Get Incredibly Precise Workouts

Sure, you could just head outside for a run or bike ride. But when you’ve got a machine setting the pace or resistance, you know you’ll get the exact workout you're after with no wind, changing terrain, or lack of motivation to get in the way. You want to hit an eight-minute mile at a 2% incline? Well, that’s precisely what your body will do on a treadmill. (Trust us, the alternative will hurt.)

They’re Convenient

Taking a boat out on a lake may be more scenic than hopping on an indoor rower, but it’s not exactly time-efficient. When you’ve got one of the best home cardio machines sitting steps away from your bed, you don’t have to drive anywhere or, you know, haul a boat in and out of the water. The weather won’t matter. And you can watch Family Guy while you’re at it.

Your Heart Will Thank You

Aerobic exercise is undeniably good for us, particularly when it comes to our hearts. It’s why the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends adults get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise each week. One 2022 study found that hitting these targets could lower our risk of dying by as much as 25 percent; doing two to four times can further bump up the protection. We’ll take those odds.

We get it: Buying a home cardio machine is a significant investment. Here are a few things to consider to make sure the one you choose is something you’re actually going to use enough to make it worth it.

Price

The best cardio machine for home ranges from just over $100 to $20,000 or more. When thinking about how much you want to budget, be honest about how often you’ll get on it and what other regular fitness costs you have (like a gym membership or race entry fees).

Space

When mapping out what will fit in your space, don’t just look at the footprint of the actual machine; consider how much room you’ll need around the frame in order to actually work out comfortably without hitting a body part. And if you’re investing in a piece with fitness programming like Peloton or iFit, think about reserving some space next to the machine for the yoga and strength classes you’ll be able to access. Also, know that many warranties are voided if you keep the equipment in the garage since extreme temps can do a number on the machinery.

Features

Extras like heart-rate monitoring might sound nice in theory, but ask yourself if they’re something you’ll use. “Some people want all the bells and whistles, and then there are people who just don't care,” says Dianne Clemente, equipment and project manager for Crunch Fitness. Figure out which you are before getting swept up in marketing.

Your Injury History

Even the best cardio machines aren’t right for all bodies. “Try and find a piece of equipment that does not exacerbate [your] injuries,” Pasternak says. “For example, people with arthritis or spine or knee issues might want something that is lower impact, like an elliptical.” Bikes, rowers, and vertical climbers are also joint-friendly.

Noise

If you’re planning to work out while other people are sleeping or you live in a crowded apartment complex with unfortunately thin walls, you’ll definitely want to check out how loud the machine will be when you’re using it.

Fitness Goals

Consider the muscles each machine will use, and what you want to get out of your workouts. For instance, while a rower might give you a better upper body workout than a treadmill, it won’t prepare you as well if you’re training for a marathon.

Comfort

“It doesn’t matter how technologically advanced or high-quality a piece of equipment is, if you’re not comfortable on it, you’ll never use it,” Pasternak says. How can you tell before you buy? Find out if there’s a showroom nearby, or ask for a day pass to a gym with the machine you’re interested in, suggests Clemente.

What is the best cardio machine for a full-body workout?

We found the best cardio machine for a full-body workout is the Bells of Steel Blitz Air Bike because it lets you push both handles and pedals. But Clemente warns that most of us just hold on with our hands and don’t truly push with our arms on air bikes, so you have to be really focused. “Everyone in the fitness industry kind of knows that it can be done, but it would take a lot of control,” she says. “The bigger muscles [usually] take over, and those are your legs.”

What cardio machine is best for home?

Bikes, rowers, and treadmills are some of the best cardio machines to have at home. Though Pasternak says what’s “best” for you comes down to what you actually like doing. “For me, it’s a treadmill. I can walk very slowly and multitask and do lots of work or watch television,” he says.

Which cardio machines burn the most fat?

Treadmills, ellipticals, and vertical climbers are the cardio machines that burn the most fat, since they don’t let you sit on your butt while working out. “Any time you stand on your own two feet and carry your own body weight, you will burn more calories than if you are seated,” Pasternak says.

Can I do cardio workouts every day?

You can “absolutely” do cardio workouts every single day of the week, according to Pasternak. A 2018 paper in the journal Missouri Medicine actually recommends a “moderate dose” of daily aerobic activity, noting that tribes that follow hunter-gatherer lifestyles engage in light to moderate movement every single day and have remarkable health and virtually no heart disease.

Harley Pasternak, MSc, is a celebrity personal trainer and commercial gym designer. He's trained dozens of celebrity clients over the past 30 years (including Common, Diplo, and Jeff Goldblum), and he's written five New York Times best-selling books on nutrition.

Michelle Parolini, NASM-CPT, is the Manager of Coach Development and Senior Master Coach for Row House. She holds multiple fitness certifications including her NASM-CPT and Pilates Comprehensive with over 5000 hours in one-on-one training, specializing in sports training of numerous athletes from the LPGA, NHL and NFL, as well as D1 collegiate athletes.

Dianne Clemente is the equipment and project manager for Crunch Fitness. She has an expert's eye on the gym equipment people actually use every day and keeps her pulse on the most high-tech, durable cardio equipment.

This article was expertly reviewed for accuracy and clarity by Pete Nastasi. Nastasi is the owner of Nastasi Nutrition, is a NASM certified Sports Nutrition Coach and Personal Trainer with a degree in Biochemistry currently residing in North Carolina.

Resources