NordicTrack Fs9i vs X32i

 

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Overview NordicTrack Commercial X32i 3999 - $4999

 

The Nordictrack commercial 32i is the current top of the line treadmill from Nordictrack. It comes with all bells and whistles maxed out and leaves nothing unwanted. Of course with this comes a high price tag which some people might find hard to swallow. The same is the case for the space requirements is this machines doe not fold and is huge. The full list of features includes:

 

 

• 32” Smart HD Touchscreen
• 1-Year iFit® Membership Included ($468 Value)**
• Bluetooth® Audio Capabilities
• Two 3” Digitally Amplified Speakers
• Reflex™ Cushioning
• 22” x 65” Commercial Tread Belt
• Dual AutoBreeze™ Workout Fans
• 0 - 40% Incline
• 0 – 6% Decline
• 0 - 12 MPH Speed
• OneTouch® Controls
• 4.25 CHP DurX™ Commercial Plus Motor
• Reinforced Steel Construction
• 2.5” Precision and Balanced Non-Flex Rollers
• iFit Bluetooth® Chest Strap Included
• 300 Lb. User Capacity
• 50 On-Board Workout Programs
• 76.5” L x 40” W x 73” H Footprint
• 10-Year Frame Warranty
• 2-Year Parts Warranty
• 1-Year Labor Warranty

 

 

The biggest pros of the Nordic track commercial 32i are:

 

 

This ocmbination makes it a great fit for health facilities who want to work with a wide arrange of clients. If you are either a very big athlete or struggle with too much weight, you can get nothing better in terms of cushioning. The screen is massive and with the I fit functionalities which come with this machine you can simulate almost any run you want to prepare for. As long as it is available on Google maps the Nordictrack 32i will simulate the ups and downs. 

 

 

The biggest cons of the Nordic track commercial 32i are:

 

 

While having the best of everything is nice it is usually hard on resources. If you have $4000 - $5000 to spend on a treadmill, this is good. Do you really need a 40% incline and a 32-inch screen which are the mina price drivers compared to other models? Probably not. Apart from this the space requirements for this treadmill are bigger than almost anything else on the market. If you have to fit it in a small space this is not the one to get. In addition, you have no option fo fold the Nordictrack 32i to gain space.

 

 

Alternatives to the Nordictrack 32i are:

 

 

The TrueForm Runner is an alternative to the Nordictrack 32i which plays in the same price range. The True Form runner has no screen or incline and works without a motor. The main concept is that this treadmill runs on bearing. Therefore it is the better fit for fast interval training and sprints with a lot of acceleration. Basketball players, football players, and other team sport/sprint related athletes might get more use to increase performance out of this machine. 

 

The NordicTrack 2950 is the top of the line model which costs $1000 less. You get 15% of incline and a 22-inch screen with about the same bells and whistles otherwise. I still think this is more than enough for running indoors and lets you get 3 instead of 2 treadmills against $10.000. If you want luxury but don't want to go crazy on spending, go with this one. 

 

The Rogue Echo Bike is a very compact low price option at about $700 if you want to keep your knees safe and still get a good workout in. It is robust, easy to store and you can get a whole fleet of them for the price of two X32i. If your gym has not a lot of space or you want to maximize it, this is a solid option. In terms of comfort do not expect too much as this bike does not have any fans and screens or digital gadgets attached to it.

 

 

The NordicTrack 32i is a great option for the very wealthy home gym owner, as you can not get anything better for comfort and performance or a boutique commercial gym. If you only have one treadmill in your facility, this is a good option. the Nordictrack 32i is not a good option for budget gyms which have to maximize the number of machines in their space for peak times or low budget home gym owners. For the price of one 32i you can already outfit an entire home gym. 

 

The FS9i Free stride elliptical is a design that combines a stepper and an elliptical into one machine. The motor of this elliptical has been moved to the center so that you move more freely and have a longer stride for up to 32 inches. It comes with a 10-inch screen and a 20-pound flywheel. The full list of features includes:

 

• 10” Smart HD Touchscreen
• Includes 1-Year NordicTrack iFit® membership**
• Pivoting Integrated Tablet Holder
• Auxiliary Music Port
• Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers

• AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
• SoftTouch™ Upper-Body Grips
• Oversized Cushioned Pedals

• Center Drive
• SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
• 32” Auto-adjustable Stride
• 20 Lb. Effective Inertia-enhanced Flywheel
• 26 Digital Resistance Levels
• 10% Power Adjustable Incline
• OneTouch® Controls
• iFit Bluetooth® Smart Chest Strap Included
• Oversized Levelers
• 375 Lb. User Weight Capacity

 

The pros of the FS9i elliptical are:

 

If you are looking for a center drive elliptical model this is the one with all bells and whistles from Nordictrack. You won't find a center drive elliptical with a longer list of features and all of them brought to the maximum.

 

With this elliptical, you will get two machines for the price of one. As the movement pattern is not fixed on an ellipsis you also get a high-grade stepper with this machine.

 

The free adjustments give your clients or yourself a lot of room to play around. This keeps workouts interesting and also makes it more likely that the stride length fits everyone in the family or your client roster. Front and rear-drive ellipticals have a stride length which can not be changed. This might feel uncomfortable or get boring for some users.

 

As with all ellipticals, a major advantage over treadmills is that you have a lower impact and therefore less stress to the knees and ankles while exercising. This is especially interesting if you or your clients deal a lot with injuries in these areas or have to build-up strength before they can run or walk on a treadmill. 

 

 

The cons of the FS9i elliptical are: 

 

 

As this is one of the high-end machines from Nordictrack you will fork out a respectable sum on acquiring the FS9i. Machines with all bells and whistles have this in common and are designed for this purpose. Keep in mind that for one FS9i you can get four Rogue Echo bikes or a complete rack with plates and a barbell. If money is of no concern and you only want the best, go for the FS9i. Otherwise, you have cheaper options to have the same experience, build an entire gym or run a small cardio class.

 

While the free moving parts enable a great experience and flexibility in the run it also makes this elliptical more prone to error. The more moving parts you have the easier it is to fail. As the flywheel is in the middle it is also harder to design clear footpaths around the FS9i compared to a front or rear-drive elliptical. I see this is a possible challenge when you want to put 5 to 50 of these in a row in a commercial gym. This will leave a lot more risk of someone walking into a machine that is being used than having rear or front-drive ellipticals in a row. This is more a consideration for bulk buys and commercial use, but still should be considered. In addition, the front and rear drive machines are cheaper.

 

The floating experience of the FS9i is not for everyone. Especially if you have balance and spacial awareness issues you might be better off with a front or rear-drive machine.

 

 

Alternatives to the FS9i are:

 

 

The Nordictrack FS10i is a newer model from Nordictrack. When I checked the price was $2999. If you can get this machine at this price I personally think it is the better value for money from Nordictrack while still delivering the same experience as the FS9i. You can spend the $800 you save on a Total Gym to round up your exercise machinery for your home gym. If you buy in bulk you will appreciate an $800 saving on list price per item to invest in a bigger fleet or invest the $8000 saved on a different area in your commercial gym. If you buy in bulk and cash always try to negotiate a discount.

 

The Nordictrack elite 14.9i would be the front-drive alternative elliptical from Nordictrack. It comes with a big TV screen which can be securely fastened to the front. It might also appear to more clients as it is a safer bet and not a novel experience. I think home gym oners are better off with the FS10i while commercial buyers can consider the 14.9i elliptical as a high-end option with nice screens for the masses. No one will think your gym is cheap when you have these, while still not breaking the bank for unnecessary bells and whistles on the elliptical fleet. 

 

The VersaClimber SM would be my personal recommendation for home gym owners with a big wallet who want to maximize their calorie output per minute. If you want to abuse the heck out of your 20 minutes cardio a day and everyone in the house is on that fitness level but does not train at the same time, get a VersaClimber into your home. For commercial use, this is a machine that you can put in the corner for all the lunatics and extreme edge cases of the bulk of your clientele. The money you save from investing in five 14.9i instead of 5 FS9i can be invested in a VersaClimber to make more clients happy on the same budget.

 

The Rogue echo bike is my personal favorite for calories burned per second at the lowest cost. The Echo Bike is a low impact on the joints and does not take up a lot of floor space. It comes in at a price of about $700 apiece and is, therefore, miles below the other options outlined. It is a sparse machine with no entertainment options, so if you buy this in bulk, be aware that it will appeal more to the fitter part of the population who want to push themselves and not watch Television while exercising. For a home gym, to me, this is the ultimate option to cover everything at the lowest price. Unless you cant sit on your bum for more than 5 minutes while exercising.

 

 

The FS9i was cutting edge technology and a new idea at the time of its go to market. Since then I think Nordictrack has managed to drive down production costs in other product lines and came up with FS10i which is better value for money. The FS10i is not available globally yet, but I expect distribution to pick over the years. If you love ellipticals, free choice of stride and stepping in one machine, this is the one to get. If you can take stress to the knee and ankles or want to maximize calorie output per minute, I personally think there are machines out there for you which take less of your hard-earned money.