Nautilus E514 Elliptical Trainer Review

Nautilus currently builds only one elliptical trainer, it is the Nautilus E514. They also build a couple of treadmills and exercise bikes, and several home gyms. In addition, Nautilus manufactures Schwinn elliptical trainers. And in fact, the Nautilus TE14 is almost an exact duplicate of the popular and award winning Schwinn 420. Besides getting my "Best Buy" award in the sub $1,000 category, it received a "Best Buy" rating by a popular consumer magazine.

To give you a bit of history on the Schwinn 420, it is the 2010 version of the Schwinn 430. Which is interesting, because typically a new version would probably have a higher number like the Schwinn 440.

Note: The Nautilus E514 elliptical trainer typically sells for $612 with shipping at www.Amazon.com.

Also consider the Schwinn 420 elliptical, which sells for under $600 with shipping at Amazon.com.

The Schwinn 430 came out about four years ago. It usually sold for $599, which is not a lot of money for a cross trainer. However, for the money it has been a stand out value. It is fairly stable, sturdy and durable. Which is not always the case in this price range. The Schwinn 420 is virtually the same as the 430 — why mess with a winner!

Evidence of the quality of both the Schwinn 420 and the Schwinn 430 are the customer ratings on Amazon.com. As of the writing of this review, together these ellipticals have 574 reviews with ratings averaging 4-4.5 stars. Not bad for $600 cardio machines.

Nautilus E514 vs Schwinn 420

So I am not going to rehash the features of the Schwinn 420, you can read the Schwinn 420 review and get a feel for the overall quality of the Nautilus E514. I will though talk about the difference in cost and what justifies the difference.

The Nautilus E514 cost $729 and the Schwinn 420 typically sells for $599 on Amazon.com. Both prices included free shipping. They are the same price on the Nautilus and Schwinn web sites, although you have to pay $149 for shipping. So Amazon offers a much better deal.

Here are the additional features on the Nautilus E514...

• Backlit LCD Display
• 4 Polar Heart Rate Programs with Telemetry Chest Strap
• Built-in Fan in Console
• Oversized Footpads
• 6 months vs. 3 months labor warranty

Do these items justify the additional $130 in cost?

• The backlit display is definitely easier to read.
• Using your heart rate to set the level of your exertion is a way to optimize your exercise.
• Having a fan focus directly on your core is beneficial, but the fan is not going to blow you away.
• The oversize footpads have the benefit of allowing you to move your foot around to a more optimum position.
• The extra labor coverage is nice, but probably worth about $25 when you factor the cost to get an extended warranty for a year.

If you don't feel you need these extras save yourself $130 and go for the Schwinn 420. If you find these features appealing, then they are probably worth the extra cost to you.