Horizon fitness Evolve 3 elliptical vs Nordictrack 14.9i

This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness Evolve 3 elliptical and the Nordictrack 14.9i including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview and review of the Nordictrack Elite 14.9i $2499

This is a review of the Nordictrack Elite 14.9 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 14.9i

The 14.9i is the flagship front-drive elliptical from Nordictrack. Its main features are a massive 15-inch flat-screen, 32-pound flywheel and up to 20% of incline. This front-drive elliptical leaves nothing to be desired for commercial use. The full list of features includes:

7” Smart HD Touchscreen
15” Integrated HDTV
1-Year iFit® Membership Included*
Auxiliary Audio Port
Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers
Bluetooth® Smart Receiver for Heart Rate Strap (not included)
EKG Grip Pulse Heart Rate Sensors

AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
Multi-Position Upper-Body Grips
Oversized, Adjustable Cushion Pedals

Front Drive
32 Lb. Effective Inertia-Enhanced Flywheel
SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
20” Power-Adjustable Stride
26 Digital Resistance Levels
0-20% Incline
One Touch® Controls
Commercial Solid Steel Construction
Oversized Levelers
375 Lb. User Capacity

Front-Mounted Transport Wheels
Water Bottle Holder
80.25" L x 36" W x 70" H Footprint
10-Year Frame Warranty
2-Year Parts Warranty
1-Year Labor Warranty

This is the ultimate front-drive machine for commercial use or home gym owners with a lot of space. You will have a hard time breaking this machine.

Pros of the 14.9i

The pros of the 14.9i are:

32-pound flywheel
15-inch TV
20% incline

This machine is built to last. With the 32-pound inch flywheel as a front-drive, you have a predictable line of motion and a sturdy built which will last even in the toughest scenarios. If your gym clocks thousands of miles per machine, this is the one to get. Especially if your clients expect to have a massive screen while doing their exercises.

The 15-inch tv is the crown jewel of this machine. If you want to get the full use out of the Ifit options of Nordictrack, this is the machine to get. You might need fewer instructors in your gym or just enjoy the big screen at home right in front of you to keep motivated.

With up to 20% incline there is no limit to the number of different workouts you can do. Combined with the Ifit run simulations you can go all over the world and simulate any track you want.

Cons of the 14.9i

The cons of the 14.9i are:

Price
Size
Low-calorie burn
Limited variety
Shorter stride

For an elliptical, the 14.9i is quite pricey. You definitely need to ask yourself whether you really need that big screen or not. If you don't you can almost shave off $1000 from your purchase by going with the 12.9i which is the same model, except without the TV: If you are home buyer who does not want to fix a screen to the walls and needs the motivation and convenience of the multimedia station, this is a good option. Commercial buyers who want to make a statement in urban areas might also consider getting a fleet of these machines. If you have no to little competition in your local area, I do not see the reason to spend almost $1000 extra per machine just to get a massive screen.

hile size is good for durability and creating clear lines of movement in a commercial gym, it can be a burden when space is limited. This machine is huge, so make sure that you check your space. Home gym owners might even fill their entire space just with this machine. As it can not be folded it will also be hard to move around. Be mindful when you purchase.

As with all ellipticals, the calorie burn per minute is relatively low compared to treadmills and exercise bikes at similar intensity levels. If you want to maximize the calories burned per minute a VersaClimber or Rogue echo bike are probably better options for you.

Compared to the free stride range from Nordictrack the 14.9i provides only a limited variety of exercises. You can only use it as an elliptical and not as a treadmill and steppers like the FS9i, Fs10i, and FS7i.

As the flywheel is in the front of this machine it limits the stride length to 20" compared to the 32" of the free stride machines, If you want to work with different stride lengths and you are a very tall athlete, you might want to look in the upper echelons of the Free stride range,

Alternatives to the Elite 14.9i

Alternatives to the Elite 14.9i elliptical are:

The NordicTrack FS7i is the most affordable version of the free stride range of Nordictrack to date. Compared to the 14.9i elliptical you will give up the 15-inch screen and gain the center flywheel with three in one technology. This is a good swap for home gym buyers who do not care about multimedia and have many family members using the gym.

The Nordictrack Elite 12.9 is basically the 14.9i without a TV. I think this machine is a great option for a commercial gym that wants to buy in bulk and still impress. Of course, if you are targeting very tech-savvy clients in urban areas with a high monthly subscription fee, the big ass screen might be a way to attract clients. Just make the calculations whether the $1000 more per machine justify themselves in terms of marketing opportunities and brand image. Only consider this if the competition is fierce and no gym in the area has screens on all their ellipticals.

The VersaClimber SM model is the commercial-grade machine from VersaClimber. This is the machine to get for anyone who wants to maximize calories per minute output. Home gym buyers might tend to go for the VersaClimber H/HP instead with limited warranties for home use. In the home, this is the right machine if the entire family are hardcore fitness nuts and already run outdoors. For commercial use, I would recommend these if you already have a fleet of ellipticals and want to attract more clients in a "hardcore" endurance corner of your gym.

The concept 2 rower is a great option for anyone who does not want to run because of their hips and also does not like bikes. This machine has been around for years and is reliable. You can choose between the model D and Model E which are targeted at different groups. The model E is more recreational while model D is lower to the ground and more for athletes.

My personal favorite for the home gym to burn calories fast and cheap is the Rogue Echo bike. It is competitively priced for a professional machine at $700 and minimizes footprint in your gym. It still delivers a hardcore workout and only falls a little short of the VersaClimber in this area.

Summary for the 14.9i

The 14.9i Nordictrack elliptical is the perfect machine for urban commercial gyms with stiff competition who want to attract tech-savvy clients. Especially if you do not want to run any classes in your gym to save labor costs, this is a good investment with the I fit subscription. Just unload the cost of the subscription per machine to your gym subscription and negotiate a god deal with Nordictrack on the commercial package. Home gym buyers might find this machine to be overkill unless they really want a big screen and can not fix it to a wall in their gym. For commercial gyms with ess competition or home gym owners who want an elliptical at a more reasonable price the 12.9i or 10.9i are better options.

Overview and review of the Horizon fitness Evolve 3 elliptical

This is an overview of the Horizon fitness Evolve 3 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.

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Overview of the Evolve 3 elliptical $1,199

The Horizon Evolve 3 elliptical is a commercial-sized machine that can be folded up when it is not in use. The console is one of the older generations with no integrated touchscreen. This is the middle-of-the-road elliptical from Horizon if you are interested in a big frame. The full specifications are:

Frame Type: Six Star Folding

Flywheel: 18

Stride Length: 20

Incline Range: N/A

Resistance Range: 20 Electronically adjustable

Step on height (inches): 10

Extras: Built-in Speakers, Energy Saver Mode, Passport ready, Tabet rack, Water Bottle Holder

Electrical requirements: 110 Volt / 220 Volt

Weight: 175 lbs.

Assembled dimensions: 69"x 28" x 69"

Max user weight: 300

Warranty - Frame: Lifetime

Warranty - Brake: 3 years

Warranty - Flywheel: N/A

Warranty - Parts: 3 years

Warranty - Labor: 1 year

Pros of the Evolve 3 elliptical

The pros of the Horizon Evolve 3 elliptical are:

Folding mechanism
Price
Size

The folding mechanism is the distinguishing feature of the Evolve series of Horizon ellipticals. It is easy to use and sturdy. If you are looking for an exercise machine that is big enough to take a big person doing a proper workout, but then can shrink to a smaller footprint, then the Horizon Evolve 3 will tick the boxes.

The price of $1.199 is great for how many ellipticals you are getting for the price with a proper folding mechanism. Many competitors with similar-sized ellipticals charge more in the range of $1400 to $1600. The only downside might be the console that has no Touchscreen/Tv Screen included.

This elliptical has a great frame that can take a beating. If you have no concerns about the size of your machine you will get a lot of frame for little money with this elliptical.

Cons of the Evolve 3 elliptical

The cons of the Horizon Evolve 3 elliptical are:

It is an in-between solution
Console
Other cheaper options for hard workouts

The Horizon Evolve 3 falls victim to what I would call the “in-between” trap of product design. The foldable frame makes it a suboptimal choice for commercial use as sturdy frames are better in this scenario. The size and build push it in a price range where many home buyers hesitate to pull the trigger. Walkers might be intimidated by its size while dedicated home warrior won’t take it seriously as it is an elliptical.

The console lacks a TV screen/touchscreen to browse the Internet or extent your devices to. You can plug them in via an audio link but the console is majorly used to navigate the pre-installed programs of the Horizon Evolve 3. In times of peloton and YouTube follow-along videos, this is a little being the time.

If you are someone who wants to go hardcore on your workouts and does not need any entertainment onboard there are cheaper versions of machines out there that will torture better to make gains.

Alternatives to the Evolve 3 elliptical

The Horizon Evolve 5 is the big brother of the Evolve 3. Its main distinguishing feature is the bigger flywheel which translates to a smoother ride and more mileage to be taken before needing to be serviced. I personally don’t k ow whether the extra money is worth the bigger flywheel. I would consider this when more than one person in the house will put significant mileage on the elliptical, otherwise stick with the Evolve and invest the mo way saves to get one of your old television mounted on the wall near the elliptical.

The horizon AE 7.0 is in my opinion the best value for money elliptical from Horizon fitness due to the upgraded console which is more media-ready. If you do not need your elliptical to fold up after use in your home, trade up on multimedia and even save some money with the AE 7.0. Commercial gyms might consider the Evolve line when TVs are installed already nearby or when you get a whole Horizon fleet of different machines for your cardio area.

The Nordictrack SE7i is the lowest-priced elliptical from Nordictrack currently available. If you need an elliptical fast and Horizon has no stock, this elliptical is similarly priced to the Evolve 3. Nordictrack is also a little ahead on their IFit subscription service in an industry where everyone is playing catch-up to Peloton. Horizon is further behind in this regard but catching up with new products like the AE 7.0 or GR3.

The Rogue echo bike is in my opinion the best option for cardio at home for someone who wants go hard after the calories and interval training. This machine has no extra bells and whistles but all the basics have been drilled to perfection at a competitive price for an Airbike. The copycat competitor of the Rogue echo bike is the TITAN fan bike with bigger wheels at a smaller price.

Conclusion for the Evolve 3 elliptical

The evolve 3 elliptical is in my opinion one of the weaker options in the Horizon elliptical lineup. If you want to save Money go for the EX-59. If you like the design you might as well go for the Evolve 5. The best choice for the home gym is the AE 7.0 as I don’t believe that much in the space savings of a foldable treadmill or elliptical.