NordicTrack Elliptical Trainer Review
"Value and Innovation"

nordictrack elliptical trainer review NordicTrack Elliptical Trainers are the premium brand for Icon Fitness. I recently went to their manufacturing facilities in Logan, Utah where I got a tour of the operations, and met many of their department heads. In addition to testing many of their elliptical trainers, I learned a lot about their quality control and customer service.

Icon Fitness dominates the budget market, offering good value for certain models. Their fitness equipment has some of the most innovative features in the industry. They spend considerable money on R&D. This results in exclusive features like the iFIT technology, StrideSelect and PowerRamp and the FreeMotion.

Note: You can buy NordicTrack Ellipticals direct and get free shipping. They normally have some serious discounts on select models. Go to www.NordicTrack.com for the latest deals.

Bargain Buys

NordicTrack AudioStrider 990 - $899 ($100 Savings)
NordicTrack A.C.T. - $899 ($100 Savings)

Special Offer: Get 5% Off when you enter "NT5off" at Checkout.

Of all the Icon brands, NordicTrack offers the best quality. This is reflected in the warranty, which covers parts and labor for one year. Many of the other budget brands come with a 90-day warranty. NordicTrack ellipticals are sold online and through Sears. The prices range from $600 to $2,000. It should be noted, their treadmills have received some favorable reviews from reputable organizations like Consumer Reports.

Reasons to Consider a NordicTrack Elliptical Trainer:

Value - Icon sold 4 millions units of fitness equipment last year. Whew! When you consider the economy of scale, that would suggest NordicTrack can offer better value than their competitors.

iFIT Technology - Having been in the fitness industry for a number of years, I believe iFIT technology is one of the most innovative ideas to come out in awhile. It consists of a series of workout cards (Purchased separately), that are designed by certified personal trainers.

There are four categories of cards - weight loss, performance, wellness and body shaping, along with three levels of intensity; beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Each card has 24 workouts that cover an 8-week period.

With each workout, there is an audio of a trainer who motivates and coaches you. The trainer also recommends ways to improve your performance with tips on posture, stride, breathing, etc. A very cool feature that gets people moving, and considerably cheaper than hiring a personal trainer.

PowerRamp - Several NordicTrack elliptical trainers allow you to adjust the incline, just like a treadmill (See NordicTrack AudioStrider 990). The benefit of incline control is the ability to exercise different parts of your lower body. It is also an excellent method to crank up your cardio and burn more calories. Currently, the only other manufacturers that offer this feature are Precor and Octane, with machines costing in excess of $3,000.

FreeMotion Technology - The FreeMotion design is one of the most innovative concepts to come out of the fitness equipment industry in years. It is a hybrid between an elliptical trainer and a stepper. Unlike an elliptical that has a fixed and limited motion, the FreeMotion has a variable stride that goes up to 35". In comparison to ellipticals you exercse more muscles and get an improved cardio workout. (See the FreeMotion S5.6 review, and the TV equipped FreeMotion S5.8 review.)

NordicTrack Quality and Service

Quality Control - I have watch this company go through a major transition in the last couple of years. In the past their focus was selling dirt cheap ellipticals that often were not very durable. Lately, they have not only improved the quality of their budget models, they also offer some impressive models in the $1,000+ price range.

The one issue I have with NordicTrack is their warranties. They are generally 1-year coverage for parts and labor. I recommend you upgrade another year or two. The cost is very reasonable.

Customer Service - Another area that NordicTrack has made strides is their customer service. Two years ago I received numerous complaint about an unresponsive service department. Back in Aug. 2007, I went out to their corporate offices and met with the head of service, Dan Jones. He stated they were committing several million to improve the quality of their customer service. Since then, I have seen the number of complaints drop dramatically. (Considering the volume of their sales, you can expect a few!)

NordicTrack Elliptical Trainer Reviews

Our Review

As I've mentioned, this company has gone through some dramatic improvements in the last couple of years. They not only offers some of the best value for budget elliptical trainers, they are also building some impressive mid-range models. (See Best Buy Reviews on the NordicTrack 990.).

NordicTrack excells in two areas - value and innovation. Because they are part of the largest fitness conglomerate in the world, they can offer impressive value. The economy of scale allows them to build more for less. In addition, this company is fanatical about innovation. They invest considerable amounts of resources in some of the most innovative features found on fitness equipment.

When buying a NordicTrack Elliptical Trainer, you want to check out their sales items. In my reviews I try to keep up with the latest prices, but they change regularly. When the offer an exceptional bargain I will attempt to alert you through my reviews.

A couple of models I particular like are:

NordicTrack AudioStrider 990
NordicTrack A.C.T.

Note: Regarding the suggested weight limits on budget models, almost every manufacturer overestimates the weight capacity. It is a marketing ploy. If you are over 250 lbs, you are probably pushing it to buy a budget elliptical (under $1,000) from any company.

Popular Consumer Magazine Review

CR gave the NordicTrack AudioStrider 990 a "Best Buy" rating. They gave it a "good" rating for ease of use and construction, and an "excellent" rating for exercise range.

Customer Reviews

"Great machine for the money. Solid construction; extremely smooth motion; long stride length; features comparable to much more expensive units."

"Bought this back in January and worked great for the first month. February it started to make noises in the moving parts. In March the thing broke right where the reinforced weld was at the wheel. If you are going to use everyday like we did. I would not get this model. It just seemed like it wore down pretty easy but we did use it alot. But for the money it should have lasted longer."

"Most Bang for Buck! Well Built Machine. Smooth comfortable stride, sturdy construction, no adjustment to pedals between users, "bumpless" resistance changes."