Home Exercise Equipment Adviser

Compare todays price for the Schwinn 420 Elliptical at :

Amazon , Walmart and the official Bowflex catalogue

The Schwinn 420 elliptical trainer is the latest budget home elliptical trainer from Schwinn and replaces and updates the best selling Schwinn 430 elliptical that had been on the market for three years and had consistently topped the lists as the best elliptical for home use under $1000.

As you would expect, rather than an outright redesign, Schwinn have opted for a don’t fix what ain’t broken approach and in the 420 model have retained all that was great about the 430 and added a few extra touches, the most significant of which is an upgrade on user weight limit to 300 pounds. This indicates some further strengthening and re-engineering to the frame and components have taken place to make the 420 trainer even more solid than its predecessor which was widely recognised as the most stable and smooth ride of all the ellipticals on the market under $1000. Coming in at under $600 this makes the Schwinn 420 truly great value for money considering some of the more expensive elliptical machines for sale on the market have been tested against it.

Who Should Use This Machine?

This machine is ideal for beginners through to moderate intermediate users. Despite this models solid construction, if you are looking for a heavy use model and you are at a high level of fitness you probably want a gym quality machine at a higher price. The 420 is a solid model compared to others in the price range and the brand has a great reputation for quality. If you are looking to take up a fitness program, or want something you can use a few days a week to stay trim but includes room for fitness improvement and offers a host of features found on higher priced machines this model is for you.

Features

What you get with the Schwinn 420 elliptical machine is a piece of equipment that is built with quality and durability in mind. The sturdy construction ensures you won’t get squeaks, rattles and moans and the 300 pound user weight limit indicates just how stable this machine is. Like it’s predecessor this elliptical is famed for the smoothness of operation which is, frankly, missing from lesser machines. As well as outstanding build quality and smoothness of ride, the 420 elliptical is packed with features to the extent that you think you might be looking at a machine in a far higher price bracket. The Schwinn 420 elliptical trainer features :

18 inch stride length ideal for adults up to 6ft tall.

Magnetic Eddy Current Brake Resistance through a front drive dual action unit with 18lb fly wheel.

16 adjustable resistance levels

1 manual and 8 profile programs

Fixed and moving handlebars with contact heart rate grips

Cushioned and pivoting footplates

LCD read out offering data on speed, time, distance, RPM, watts, pulse, calories, interval time, course profile and resistance.

300lb/136 kgs user weight

Transport wheels

Ipod Holder

Assembled Dimensions : 62″L x 26″W x 71″H

Warranties – 5 year frame, 1 year parts and electronics, 90 days labor

Positives

Fantastic sturdy construction with ultra smooth and quiet action.

Expansive resistance levels to really improve your fitness levels over time without growing out of the machine.

Small footprint.

Great Price.

Negatives

The LCD readout is not backlit so can cause minor issues in low light levels.

Magnetic ECB requires an AC/DC power source so placement needs to be considered although the transport wheels making moving the machine around relatively straightforward (elliptical weight 154lbs).

You may need an extra pair of hands to put assemble this machine on delivery.

What Other Users Think

This cross trainer elliptical gets a 4 out of 5 star rating across the internet. The reason for such a great rating is that the 420 is simply value for money. Most users are amazed at the solid construction of this model compared to other brands top models. The negatives, of which there are very few, are that the user manual could be improved and made clearer and that in isolated instances the machine has become faulty after six months although whether this is due to heavy use is not known.

The main points to take away are that the build quality and solid, quiet action of this machine are impressive and that if you have any concerns about reliability on this best in range machine it may be worth taking out an additional 3 year warranty to ease your mind.

Any Other Comparable Models?

Both Horizon Fitness and Proform offer elliptical machines in the $600 range that may be worth considering when evaluating this model. Check out the Horizon Fitness EX 59 and Proform 10ZE for models of similar price.

Our Verdict

You are going to find it extremely hard to find a better elliptical trainer for under $1000 and at a price of circa $600 this machine offers real value for money. Sturdy construction and careful engineering give this machine the feel and durability of a club machine in your own home.