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Nordictrack GX 4.4 vs FS10i

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Dec 3, 2020 5:00:00 PM

Nordictrack GX 4.4 vs FS10i

This is a comparison of the Nordictrack GX4.4 and FS10i including pros, cons, and alternatives . Follow the links for more details.

 

Overview and review of the FS10i Free Stride $3999 - $2999

This is a review of the Nordictrack Fs10i model. You will learn about the specifics, pros, cons and alternatives of this elliptical to ake a deicison. This article was originally published in "Which elliptical to get from Nordictrack".

Overview of the Fs10i

 
The FS10i free stride is the newest addition to the center drive elliptical product line of Nordictrack. In 2020 it comes with a hefty price reduction of $1000 which makes it an attractive buy on the high end of the portfolio. As long as this remains, it is definitely the better option over the FS9i model. The main features of this machine are its center flywheel, the 10% incline option, 10-inch monitor and the free moving ellipticals which make it a stepper, ellipticals, and treadmill in one machine. The full list of features includes:
 
  • 10" Smart HD Touchscreen
  • Includes 1-Year NordicTrack iFit® membership**
  • Bluetooth® Audio Capabilities
  • Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers
  • AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
  • SoftTouch™ Upper Body Grips
  • Oversized Cushion Pedals
  • Center Drive
  • 20 Lb. Effective Inertia-Enhanced Flywheel
  • SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
  • 32" Auto-Adjustable Stride
  • 24 Digital Resistance Levels
  • 0 – 10% Incline
  • OneTouch® Controls
  • Commercial Solid Steel Construction
  • Oversized Levelers
  • 375 Lb. User Capacity
  • Transport Wheels
  • Water Bottle Holder
  • 58.5" L x 29.5" W x 74" H Footprint
  • 10-Year Frame Warranty
  • 2-Year Parts Warranty
  • 1-Year Labor Warranty
This is the newest machine in the line up for free stride from Nordictrack in 2020 with a killer price. Observe how it will develop in the future as this value for money offer might not extend to the future.
 

Pros of the FS10i

 
The pros of the FS10i are:
 
  • All bells and whistles
  • Three for the price of one
  • Long stride 
  • Free adjustments 
  • Low impact
 
The FS10i still has all the bells and whistles in the Nordictrack Free stride line up. You or your clients will have little to desire when you opt for the FS10i as your free stride machine of choice. 
 
The concept of the middle flywheel for your elliptical enables that you can move more freely. This makes the FS10i a stepper, treadmill and elliptical in one machine. If you were considering getting all of these different machines the FS10i is still a bargain in terms of price and footprint which is being used up compared to getting three instead of one machine. Never mind the maintenance and energy consumption of the other machines. 
 
With 32 inches of stride, the FS10i provides longer stride than the Front and read-drove ellipticals from Nordictrack as there is no flywheel in the way. This will especially help your larger athletes or clients. 
 
The free adjustments of the movements will be beneficial for homeowners with big families or commercial gym owners with a wide variety of clients. This is the main engineering idea behind these free stride machines which move the flywheel to the middle of the machine, rather than having it in the front or back.
 
The low impact on knees and ankles is one of the main health advantages of ellipticals compared to treadmills. If you have an underlying condition or work with a lot of clients with weak hips and legs, this is a better machine for health reasons than a treadmill with a higher impact. 
 

Cons of the FS10i

 
The cons of the FS10i are:
 
  • High price
  • No big screen
  • No remote control in the handles 
  • Floating experience
  • More prone to error
  • Low-calorie burn
 
Even when the price is reduced to $2999 the FS10i is still a considerable investment. There are lower-cost options for free striders in the Nordictrack portfolio. Especially if you are not bought into the free stride concept as you do not have to provide a lot of variety or comfort with the machine you buy, definitely look somewhere else. $2999 can buy you a rack, barbell, and plates for a full gym setup if you invest it somewhere else. It depends on your goals, available space, and training preferences.
 
As the flywheel is in the center of this design the FS10i has no real stand or option to attach a big screen as other treadmills or ellipticals would have. In a home gym, this can be solved with a screen on the wall or no screen whatsoever. In a commercial setting, a screen on the wall can become quite small for individuals who are for away or want to do their own thing while they are exercising. If you think that entertainment options are a must for yourself or your clients over the experience of the free stride than opt for a front-drive elliptical or a big treadmill where a big screen can be attached. 
 
Compared to the FS9i Nordictrack model the FS10i has no controls to adjust resistance and incline in the handles. These are positioned in the console. This is the only main advantage I can see for the Fs9i over the FS10i. If you like this convenience, go for the Fs9i instead.
 
While the fleeting experience is great when you have great body awareness and like to experiment, it can be stressful for someone who just likes to have a stable, repeatable experience. The many options you have with the FS10i which require a bit more fine motor skills than on a traditional elliptical might not be for everyone. 
 
Moving the flywheel from the front or back of an elliptical to create more options and a longer stride poses two engineering challenges. One is that the flywheel can not be as big as with front- and rear-drive options, as you have less space. Second is that you need more moving parts to make the machine go in multiple directions at different angles. The smaller flywheel and the more intricate design make the Free stride models more error-prone than the front and rear drive options. While it is unlikely that you will break this as a home gym owner by yourself, the commercial gym owner should consider how much mileage each machine will go through depending on where it is positioned in the gym and how many machines you have.
 
General consideration for elliptical machines is that they burn fewer calories on average compared to bikes and treadmills as the exercise is less intense. If you are generally healthy and want to maximize the calorie output per minute, the elliptical machines are not the right buy for your need.
 

Summary for the FS10i

 
The FS10i is the best buy from Nordictrack in 2020 for a free stride elliptical with all bells and whistles. As long as it is cheaper than the FS9i this will hold. This is a good machine for the home gym owner with a big wallet and some health issues, who still want to exercise regularly. For commercial buyers, the price will be too high for someone who is thinking to buy more than 5 units at a time. Boutique gyms that work with a lot of clients with very specific needs will find this machine useful.
 
 
 
 

Overview and review of the Nordictrack GX 4.4 Pro 649 / 799 (UK / US)

This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack GX 4.4.This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details.

 
The NordicTrack GX 4.4 is the little brother of the GX 4.6 which has been stripped of the touchscreen and heart rate monitor. The GX line is only available in the UK and has been replaced with the "Grand Tour" line in the US undergoing a rebranding. The main features of the GX 4.4 are its 5-inch Backlit Display, 9kg flywheel, and 125kg max capacity. The full list of features includes: 
 
  • 5" Backlit Display
  • iFit Bluetooth - 1 Years Membership Included
  • Smart BlueTooth (BLE) Chestbelt Compatible
  • Dual 2-Inch Speakers
  • Upright Frame
  • 9kg Flywheel
  • 25 Digital Resistance Levels
  • Onetouch™ Controls
  • EKG Handgrips
  • 125kg Max User Weight
  • Oversized Cushioned Seat
  • Vertical and Horizontal Seat Adjustment
  • Extra-wide Ergonomic Pedals with Adjustable Straps
  • AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
  • Water Bottle Holder
  • Product Weight 48kg
  • Box Weight 57kg
  • Front-mounted Transport Wheels
  • 30 Workouts Apps
  • Assembled Dimensions - 105L x 59W x 161H cm
  • Boxed Dimensions - 108L x 65W x 39H cm
  • Warranty - 2 Years parts and labor; 5-year frame guarantee upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.
 
This bike shaves off 350 pounds compared to its bigger brother, the GX 4.6. This is achieved by swapping the 7-inch touch screen for a 5-inch backlit screen, getting a smaller flywheel, and not shipping a heart rate monitor with the machine. This is the middle of the G series from Nordictrack available in the UK. You are compromising on features and on price. 
 

Pros of the Nordictrack GX 4.4

 
The pros of the NordicTrack GX 4.4 are:
 
  • Middle of the lower price range
  • Focuses on the essential
  • Bigger flywheel than GX 4.7
 
The GX 4.4 is the middle of the lower price range of bikes that are available from Nordictrack in the UK. With this, it is the ideal model for someone who does not want to make a decision between saving money and having a lot of features while not spending more than 1000. If this is how you buy, this is the bike for you.
 
The GX 4.4 focuses on the essentials and delivers a display for entertainment and a solid bike to crunch some miles. No-fuss made and still not too cheap to make you worry about the quality of the product. 
 
Compared to the cheapest bike in the UK Nordictrack line up, the GX 4.7, the GX 4.4 has a bigger flywheel and therefore will last longer. Whether that warrants 200 pounds more at the time of writing is a different matter.
 

Cons of the Nordictrack GX 4.4 

 
The cons of the Nordictrack GX 4.4 are:
 
  • Too many compromises
  • No touchscreen 
  • Old Nordictrack model
The biggest point for me about the GX 4.4 is that it makes too many compromises for my tastes. If you are looking into the G series or Grand tour line up of Nordictrack you have decided to spend around 1000 for your home gym cardio equipment. With this you have already ruled out premium features like big inclines or screens. With the GX 4.4 you even further compromise on the lower end and neither save a lot of money or have a great experience. Not all brains are as black and white like mine but either go for the GX 4.6, if you want the ease of use and a great experience for around 1000 or go with the GX 4.7 and maximize your savings to spend on other equipment or a weekend away. 
 
While you are still spending around 700 pounds on the GX 4.4 you neither get a timely screen or a very solid bike. Again the 4.4 is over-compromised. Either get a bike you can abuse the heck out of and has not a lot of entertainment or get a bike that entertains but can not take that much of a beating. This all depends on your user profile and what is important to you personally.
 
The last point about the GX 4.4 is that it is part of a family of products that is very likely to go end of life and continued under the "Grand Tour" line of product of Nordictrack. The GX bikes are available for purchase in the UK but no in the US. As the Nordictrack headquarters is in the US you can make some predictions about the distribution of models that will first be available in the US and then stretch to other parts of the globe like Europe.
 

Alternatives to the Nordictrack GX 4.4

 
Alternatives to the Nordictrack GX 4.4 are:
 
The GX 4.6 is the big brother of the GX 4.4. In my opinion, this is the best value for money bike from Nordictrack you can get in the 1000 budget bracket. The main differences to the GX 4.4 are that the heart rate monitor is included and, a bigger flywheel and a touch screen. As the price is currently 300 pounds higher than for the GX 4.4 you get a better screen, flywheel, and heart rate monitor for 100 pounds each. I think that is a good deal and will leave you with a more complete experience to maximize the entertainment and training options. If I buy a Nordictrack bike for under 1000 I would always go for the GX 4.6 over the GX 4.4 as I don't like to buy twice or disappointments.
 
The GX 4.7 is the better option for penny pinchers. I personally hate penny-pinching as it usually annoys me to look long for things and do not enjoy the process of hunting for bargains. But, if you love this and want to save every possible penny you can save, then the GX 4.7 is the better option than the GX 4.4. For saving around 200 pounds you get a smaller flywheel and squeezed everything from the G line while still getting a functioning bike.
 
The SE3i elliptical is the smallest rear-drive elliptical you can get from Nordictrack. This places it in the same budget bracket as the GX 4.4. Ellipticals are usually a better option when you want to accommodate the entire family rather than just the cycle enthusiast. Remember that your gym will take up community space in the home and you might want to compromise a little. In a commercial setting, an elliptical can tend to more clients than just people who are interested in biking. Beware of low ceilings with ellipticals.
 
The C700 is the smallest treadmill in the Nordictrack line up. This is a great treadmill for anyone who wants to walk indoors and who does not want to spend too much. If you run a retirement home and want to get people to walk more without having them out and about, this can be a good option. Maybe all the families chip in to get two of those. If you are a serious runner who puts more than 1oo miles a week on their machine, stay way clear from the C700. 
 
The concept 2 model D rower is a good alternative if you want to take more care of your upper body when you do your cardio. Concept 2 is the worldwide industry gold standard on rowers and model D is their best seller. A great option for rowers over bikes is that you can hang them on the wall to save space. This usually does not work that well with bikes. Commercial buyers will appreciate that package deals for buying rowers in bulk from Concept 2 are easier to obtain than for Nordictrack products. 
 
My personal favorite for home gym deployment is the Rogue Echo bike. The design focuses on a sturdy frame, cutting out all amenities except a saddle and pedals. This machine is not designed to entertain but make you sweat. For about 700 you get a machine that can take abuse and will last for a lifetime. The downside is that it will not keep you engaged that much. You will have to want to grind for this model. 
 

Summary for the Nordictrack GX 4.4

 
The GX 4.4 is one of these products that emerge when the vendor wants to combine a middle option on all features. The flywheel is ok, but not great. The Screen is ok, but not great. Combined with being in the lowest budget bracket that usually does not create a great product. I get the thought process, but if you are already penny-pinching, go all the way to the floor or try to get the most value for each penny you spent. The GX 4.4 does neither of these. 
 
 
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