NordicTrack X22i vs Schwinn Airdyne Pro

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack X22i treadmill and the Schwinn Airdyne Pro. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Schwinn airdyne pro

The Schwinn Airdyne Pro comes in at $999 - $1200. In this article you will learn more about the product itself, its Pros and cons and alternatives you might want to consider. This article has originally been published in the overview "Which conditioning equipment to buy from Rogue".

Overview of the Schwin Airdyne Pro

Schwinn has been in the game of producing bikes for over a century now. The Schwinn Airdyne pro is their flagship take on the Airbike market. The special features of this design are the handles and how the fans are formed. This machine will blow some serious air into your face. Great if you train in a hot environment. The handles of the Airdyne pro give you many options to vary your ride and burn calories.

Air bikes are unique as the resistance increases the faster you go. This makes for very intense workouts which burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. You also have less impact than on a treadmill. The Airdyne comes with the following specifications:

Length 42”
Width 20”
Height 52”
Color black

This is a solid option for your gym which looks a little more space than comparable products. If you care about looks, that is, but why have a gym otherwise.

Pros of the Schwinn Airdyne Pro

The pros of the Schwinn Airdyne are

Noise canceling design
Handles
Design
Experience
Price

One of the biggest pros of the Schwinn is the noise canceling design. Schwinn was one of the first Airbike companies in the market to look into belts rather than chains to propel the wheel on the Airbike. This makes the bike more reliable and silent. Since then it has become an industry standard.

The new handles are clever and take a leaf out the treadmill and elliptical industry. Most Airbikes have simple handles which leave fewer options. I personally liked and some might say this can get in the way of a very intense workout.

Design is always a matter of taste. I personally like the Schwinn. It looks spacey and tasteful and might even make it even a little interior design statement if out in the right spot. I don’t see that happening with other, more down to earth, models in the market.

Schwinn has been building bikes for a while now. You can be sure you will get a top-notch product with a great finish.

For the quality, you are getting it is aggressively priced just around the $1000 mark. Most other Pro/elite/sport models are usually priced nearer to the $1200 to $2000 mark.

Cons of the Schwinn Airdyne Pro

Specificity
Price

What you do on an Airbike is not specific to most sports. Most bikes do not have self-moving handles or blow air in your face while riding them. A gym which trains athletes who compete in team sports will still have to invest in equipment like treadmills and run rockets to offer specific training.

If you only want an Airbike and don’t care that much about design or noise canceling there are cheaper options which can be had to get an Airbike into your place.

Alternatives to the Schwinn Airdyne Pro

Alternatives to the Schwinn Airdyne Pro Are:

Concept 2 bike
Rogue Echo bike
Concept 2 Rower

A concept 2 bike will come in a little cheaper than the Airbike and is more specific for cycling indoors when you can not get out on the road. It will not burn as many calories in the same amount of time but offers you a solid alternative.

The Rogue echo bike is a very solid alternative if you want an Airbike. It sells like hot cake and is very popular in the CrossFit community. It is built like a tank and comes in at a good price. Like everything from Rogue, it is designed to work, not to look pretty. In some gyms, it might look displaced.

The concept two rower is solid, time tested machine to build cardiovascular endurance. If you are a fan of water sports this is probably the better option for you than any of the bikes and treadmills. The only downside is that it takes a bit more space than other options.

Summary for the Schwinn Airdyne Pro

The Schwinn Airdyne Pro has a good design at a good price point. For a flagship product, it is reasonably priced and comes from a vendor with experience in the market. If you are budget conscious there are also solid Airbike options at a lower price.

Overview and review Nordictrack Commercial X22i $2999 - $3999

This is a review of the Nordictrack X22i. The original was published in "Which Nordictrack trwadmill to get". Follow the links for more details.

Overview Nordictrack Commercial X22i $2999 - $3999

The X22i is the little brother of the Nordictrack 32i. It has the same specs and bells and whistles except that the touch screen is 22 instead of 32 inches. Downsizing the screen by this much saves you about $1000 on the purchase to spend on other things for your home gym. The specifications for the X22i are:

22” Smart HD Touchscreen
1-Year iFit® Membership Included ($468 Value)**
Bluetooth® Audio Capabilities
Two 3” Digitally-Amplified Speakers
Reflex™ Cushioning
22” x 60” Commercial Tread Belt
Dual AutoBreeze™ Workout Fans
0 - 40% Incline
0 – 6% Decline
0 - 12 MPH Speed
One Touch® Controls
4.0 CHP DurX™ Commercial Plus Motor◊
2.5” Precision and Balanced Non-Flex Rollers
iFit Bluetooth® Chest Strap Included
300 Lb. User Capacity
50 On-Board Workout Programs
70.2” L x 39.6” W x 71.6” H Footprint
10-Year Frame Warranty
2-Year Parts Warranty
1-Year Labor Warranty

All things being equal this is a good option for a home gym that has been given a good budget or professional facilities that want the best and still be able to buy in bulk. The 32i might be a better option in facilities that work a lot with clients who are visually impaired in some way to give them a bigger screen to look at.

Pros of the Nordictrack X22i

The X22i has the benefits of all of the high-end incline Nordictrack treadmills which includes:

Great cushioning
Big range of inclines
High rate finish
Wide belt
Powerful motor
High weight capacity

This treadmill has been built for professional use. It has the right cushioning and can take up to 300 lbs of weight. In addition, you can go up to 40% of the incline in various increments. The finish is immaculate and combined with a great digital package to round up the experience. This is not the Mayback, but still the Mercedes E class of NordicTrack treadmills.

Cons of the Nordictrack X22i

The cons of the Nordictrack 22i are:

Smaller screen compared to the 32i
Can not be folded
Price
Overkill

If you are already looking at incline treadmills with touch screen chances are high that you not that much of a budget-conscious buyer. These treadmills usually start around $3000 and go upwards from there. If you are already willing to invest that much into a treadmill, why get the smaller screen? Yes, $1000 is a good argument compared to the 32i, but to be honest, if you comparing the X32i and the X22i based on price, I think you went in at the wrong end of the portfolio. But that is just my opinion.

This treadmill uses the same base as the X32i and is, therefore, the biggest frame Nordictrack provides. This treadmill can not be folded and has a wider belt than most standard treadmills. If you have limited space in your home or want to fit as many treadmills as possible into a small space, this is not the right option for you.

As this treadmill provides the best of everything you also pay one of the highest prices for a treadmill from Nordictrack. In most cases, you will not make use of most of the incline options and other bells and whistles and not get your full value out of them. Less is more with most gym equipment as the fancier the use case, the less likely it is that you will actually use what you are paying for. Unless being fancy is part of your brand strategy or what you like. But that relates to Status which this treadmill also can represent.

Alternatives for the Nordictrack X22i

Alternatives to the Nordictrack x22i are:

The True Form Runner is an alternative to the Nordictrack 22i 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 X22i. 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.

Now currently the ultimate holy grail in calories per second is probably a Versaclimber. The footprint is low, the calories per second very high. The only downside the Versaclimber's have compared to the Rogue Echo bike is that they at least are double the price. More likely in the $3000 - $4000 range.

Summary of the X22i

If you want the best of everything but can not afford the 32i, go with the X22i. I am still not a fan of compromising when I am willing to fork out more than $1000 on fitness equipment, but that is up to the individual. If it was for me and I ad decided that I need a touch screen and 40% inclined I might as well wait for a little and put some extra money for the X32i aside and be proud of myself.