Horizon fitness Evolve 3 elliptical vs 7.0 AE
This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness Evolve 3 elliptical and the Horizon 7.0 AE including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Related Articles
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 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.
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
-
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
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
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.
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.
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
-
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
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 warriors 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.