Horizon fitness 7.0 AE elliptical vs Nordictrack elite 12.9i

This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness 7.0 AE elliptical and the Nordictrack 12.9i including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

If you want the most up to date news or ask direct questions, then you can follow me on Instagram.

Overview and review of Nordictrack Elite 12.9i $1499

This is a review of the Nordictrack Elite 12.9 model. You will learn about the specifics, pros, cons and alternatives of this elliptical to make a decision. This article was originally published in "Which elliptical to get from Nordictrack".

Overview of the Elite 12.9i

The Elite 12.9i elliptical is the mid-range front-drive elliptical from Nordictrack. Its main features are the 30-pound flywheel, 20% incline, and 10-inch TOuch screen. The full list of features includes:

10” Smart HD Touchscreen
1-Year iFit® Membership Included*
Bluetooth® Audio Capabilities
Two 2” Digitally-Amplified Speakers

Front Drive
30 Lb. Effective Inertia-Enhanced Flywheel
SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
24 Digital Resistance Levels
Auto-Adjustable Stride
0-20% Incline
Commercial Solid Steel Construction
Oversized Levelers
350 Lb. User Capacity

AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
Soft Touch™ Upper Body Grips
Oversized Cushion Pedals

Front-Mounted Transport Wheels
Water Bottle Holder
68.5" L x 28.75" W x 68.25" H Footprint
10-Year Frame Warranty
2-Year Parts Warranty
1-Year Labor Warranty

This is a good value for money elliptical for commercial buyers and home gym owners. You will get a larger touch screen compared to other Nordictrack ellipticals and a reasonably sized flywheel to make the machine last longer.

Pros of the Elite 12.9i

The pros of the 12.9i elite are:

Biggest front-drive elliptical touch screen
Good value for money
20% incline

The 12.9i has the biggest touch screen which Nordictrack can put in their ellipticals to date. Compared to other front and rear drive models you get the most real estate in touch screens with this machine.

For the $1499 you get a big flywheel, big screen, and a good warranty. This is the best value for money machine in the elliptical line up of NordicTrack. If you want a workhorse elliptical which becomes the backbone of your commercial fleet, this is a good option. Home gym owners who intend to put a lot of miles on their elliptical (read multiple users in the home) also want to consider this elliptical over cheaper options due to the bigger flywheel.

With the 20% incline, you can work at any intensity levels to get a workout in and make you feel good about yourself after starting the day with a good workout.

Cons of the 12.9i elliptical

The cons of the 12.9i elliptical are:

No wow factor
High price for doing everything moderately good
Low-calorie burn

If you are already forking out more than $1000 on an exercise machine, you might as well get a bit of wow-factor out of the machine. This is not the case with the 12.9i. There is no cool mechanics like with the FS7i or a massive screen like you get with the 14.9i. All you get as a solid elliptical, that's it. Good for buying in bulk when you do not need to impress that much. Most home gym owners should go for the 10.9i instead with the 20-pound flywheel to save some money.

As with all ellipticals, you get a relatively low-calorie burn per minute compared to treadmills and bikes. If this is your main concern, go for a VersaClimber model or the Rogue echo bike.

Alternatives to the 12.9i elliptical

Alternatives to the 12.9 elliptical are:

The FS7i would be a good alternative for home gym owners with a little extra money to spend. This free stride model would provide a little bit more of a wow factor rather than just having an elliptical at home. If you are buying new and not used, I think this is the better option. If you buy a used elliptical and budget is your main concern, try to find a Nordictrack elite 10.9i on craigslist or eBay.

The NordicTrack 10.9i is the most affordable front-drive elliptical out of the Nordictrack line up. It has no touch screen and a smaller flywheel. This is a good option for the home gym owner who wants to occasionally train without having to go to the gym. In this scenario, you do not need a big flywheel to take the beating of several thousand miles.

The VersaClimber H/Hp model is the product that VersaClimber designed for home use. If you already run outdoors and want to maximize your warm-up when you workout at home, this is the machine for you. The calories burned per minute of this are not matched on a machine with that low a footprint.

The concept 2 rower is the home gym variation for anyone who likes rowing or does not want to stand or sit on a bike while exercising. There a re two models available, the E and the D. If you are older and struggle to get very low, go for the model E. Otherwise get the Model D to save some money. Commercial buyers might find it interesting that these machines can be hung on the wall, if you get multiple, to save space and make your gym more modular. Hard to do with an elliptical.

The Rogue echo bike is in my opinion one f the best options for a home gym to burn the most amount of calories with the smallest footprint at a competitive price. Unless you have reservations for airbikes, this is the one to get at about $700 apiece.

Summary for the 12.9i

The 12.9i is a good elliptical to be bought in bulk by a commercial gym. It will please a lot of customers without breaking the bank like the 14.9i. Home gym owners might consider to either move up or down the Nordictrack portfolio as they do not have to take economies of scale into consideration. You will probably only buy one or two ellipticals in your life so you might as well either maximize your savings or maximize the wow factor.

Overview and review of the Horizon fitness 7.0 AE elliptical

This is an overview of the Horizon fitness AE 7.0 elliptical including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was first published in Which Horizon fitness elliptical to get?

For the most up to date information and asking direct questions you can follow me on Instagram.

Which Horizon fitness treadmill to get?
Which Horizon fitness bike to get?
Which Horizon fitness elliptical to get?

Which Nordictrack treadmill to get?
Which Nordictrack elliptical to get?
Which Nordictrack bike to get?

Which Cardio Equipment to get from TITAN?
Which conditioning equipment to get from Rogue Fitness?

Overview of the 7.0 AE elliptical $999

The 7.0 AE elliptical is the best value for money option in the Horizon elliptical lineup. This is mainly due to the most modern console out of all the Horizon ellipticals. The size and layout are more than enough for home gym use. In a commercial setting, you might want to bet on something with a bigger frame and different warranty options. The full specifications are:

Frame Type: Six Star Non-folding

Flywheel: 23

Stride Length: 20

Incline Range:20 Levels 0-100%

Resistance Range: Magnetic, 20 levels

Step on height (inches): 10 3/4"

Extras: Built-in Speakers, Fan, Tablet rack, Water bottle holder

Electrical requirements: 120V - 60Hz

Weight: 194lbs

Assembled dimensions: 76" x 24" x 65.5"

Max user weight: 325 lbs.

Warranty - Frame: Lifetime

Warranty - Brake: Lifetime

Warranty - Flywheel: 1 year

Warranty - Parts: 3 year

Warranty - Labor: 1 year

Pros of the 7.0 AE elliptical

The pros of the 7.0 AE elliptical are:

Price
Compact design
Console

This is a great elliptical for under $1000 to put into your home. The updates to the console to make it YouTube friendly and more compatible with the devices you already own is a big step forward for Horizon fitness. We hopefully see more of that in their treadmill and bike products to catch up to Peloton in terms of gamification of workouts. This is the Best Buy from Horizon in my opinion if you are looking to get an elliptical for your home.

Cons of the 7.0 AE elliptical

The cons of the 7.0 AE elliptical are:

It’s an elliptical
Not best for commercial use

There is not a lot I can find wrong with the 7.0 AE for an elliptical except ... that it is elliptical. I personally prefer something that can really hit hard for my cardio like an Airbike or even the BlazePod system. Ellipticals are great and easy on you but just not the preferred choice for cardio. But, if you are into a good workout that does not put you at risk of injury, this is it.

For commercial use, the 7.0 AE frame might not be the best. Go a bit upmarket for $1500 upwards to get an elliptical that is not foldable and has a bit of weight on it so it can take some of the weirder crowd that comes with running a big commercial gym.

Alternatives to the 7.0 AE elliptical

Alternatives to the Horizon 7.0 AE elliptical are:

The Horizon Evolve 3 is bigger than the 7.0 AE and foldable. If you are invested in the idea of a foldable elliptical this is the better choice even though the console is not as up-to-date.

The Nordictrack SE7i is currently the low-end option for entering the elliptical market with this brand. This can be an option when you want something fast and Horizon is out of stock.

The Rogue Echo Bike is in my opinion the best solution on the market for someone who does not want to pay a leg and an arm and have intense cardio workouts on a small footprint. The Rogue Echo Bike is high quality at an affordable price. It will kick your butt I’m a good way. The copycat lower-cost competitor of the Rogue Echo bike is the TITAN fan bike.

Conclusion for the 7.0 AE elliptical

If you like Horizon fitness as a brand and want an elliptical for your home, the 7.0 AE is the best choice for bang for your buck as long as you have the space to place it in.