Elliptical machines are a great way to raise your heart rate and get a full-body workout — all while giving your joints a much-needed break. Not only do they provide a painless alternative to high-impact cardio workouts like running on a treadmill and HIIT, these low-impact workhorses also burn plenty of calories and help keep your heart healthy.
As a high-impact junkie, I was intrigued when asked to test out the new Schwinn Elliptical 490. At $1299, the Schwinn 490 isn’t the most budget-friendly elliptical on the market, compared to other connected models like the Sole E20 ($799.99) and the Horizon 7.0 AE ($999), but it does offer features like a space-saving design, Bluetooth speakers, a USB charging port, built-in cardio programs and the ability to sync apps with your tablet or smartphone. This put the Schwinn 490 on par with many higher-end ellipticals for a fraction of the price.
Looking to round out your home gym? Here’s everything you need to know about the Schwinn Elliptical 490 before you make the investment.
The Schwinn 490 offers features like a space-saving design, Bluetooth speakers, a USB charging port, built-in cardio programs and the ability to sync apps with your tablet or smartphone.
What we liked about it
The compact design
There’s a lot to like about the Schwinn 490, but the most impressive feature is its unique space-saving design. Unlike most ellipticals, the Schwinn 490 fits into almost any room in your home, thanks to its compact 58-inch footprint. For a frame of reference, the Sole E20 is 70 inches and the Horizon 7.0 is 64.5 inches long.
I don’t have a lot of floor space for bulky equipment so I loved the fact that I could tuck this midrange elliptical into a small corner of my kids’ playroom and still have plenty of room to work out. The Schwinn 490 was so compact, I could even exercise while my kids watched TV or did homework in our shared space.
Even better? This elliptical has a 20-inch stride, which is on par with larger ellipticals, despite the fact that the Schwinn 490 is markedly smaller. This makes it perfect for apartment dwellers or anybody who doesn’t have room for a dedicated workout space in their home.
Some unique features
The Schwinn 490 boasts 25 different resistance levels and, in a unique twist for an elliptical, can decline -5 percent during your workouts. This lets you mimic the feeling of riding downhill without ever leaving your living room — an especially useful feature if you subscribe to the company’s JRNY app ($11.99 per month or $99 a year), which comes free for two months with every Schwinn 490 purchase. The app gives you access to instructor-led classes, as well as adaptive fitness workouts. The latter offers customized recommendations after an initial strength assessment that will adapt with your fitness journey over time.
Some unique features
This elliptical is simple and straight-forward to use. Because it is far less tech-savvy than most of its connected competitors, it’s easy for beginners to get a great full-body workout without a ton of of set-up or instruction. Despite the fact that it lacks all the bells and whistles of more expensive machines like the NordicTrack Airglide 14i ($1599) and the Bowflex Max Trainer M9 ($1599), there are still plenty of neat features to keep you motivated.
I loved the roomy cup holder and USB charger, which allowed me to store a large water bottle and my airpod case, alongside my phone, which conveniently stayed charged every time I set aside time to exercise. The Bluetooth speakers are also great for connecting to the JRNY app as well as Zwift fitness, a video game-style app, which syncs with the Schwinn 490 to provide you with metrics on the 7-inch LCD screen.
I also liked the multi-grip handles, which allowed for comfortable hand placement during workouts, regardless of your height or size. This feature makes the elliptical accessible for everybody in your household, whether they’re 6 feet tall or 4 foot 11.
If you don’t want to deal with syncing the JRNY or Zwift apps, you can also access the 13 cardio programs built into the elliptical. This enables you to take pre-programmed classes without paying extra, which for many is a reprieve from the streaming subscription tsunami. All of the programs are basic and straightforward, but I enjoyed the simplicity of these workouts, which also allow you to track your metrics on the attached 7-inch LCD screen.
What we didn’t like about it
The monitor
The built-in 7-inch monitor is no-frills, to say the least. There’s no built-in touchscreen and you can’t view any streaming classes on the monitor, just your metrics. This makes it a far cry from more immersive platforms like Peloton and NordicTrack. And it definitely took away from the appeal of instructor-led classes since I could only watch the on-demand classes on my tablet or smartphone.
I also disliked the Schwinn 490’s media shelf, which is located directly underneath the monitor. Whoever designed this shelf completely overlooked the fact that propping any device up on it completely blocks the view of your metrics.
The classes
I was wildly underwhelmed by the elliptical classes on the company’s JRNY app. They seemed promising at first, thanks to JRNY’s popular adaptive fitness workouts. However, these only show up on your 7-inch screen as a series of dots measuring your progress, so JRNY’s customer service team advised me to combine them with scenic workouts to keep from getting bored. Unfortunately, despite the extensive on-demand library, the adaptive fitness classes don’t match up with any of the terrain in JRNY’s picturesque outdoor workouts. So you might be running along the beach on the Gold Coast in Australia, but the app has you climbing uphill to improve your endurance. It’s a bizarre experience, and really takes away from what could be a fantastic, immersive experience.
Unfortunately, the instructor-led classes weren’t much better. I tried several of them and was initially excited about the fact that JRNY offers elliptical-specific workouts. However, the few attempts I made at trying them left me just wanting much (and not in a good way). There were no resistance or speed recommendations in any of the classes I took. The instructor simply stated to ride at an easy, moderate or hard pace, which left me feeling slightly cheated since I was looking for specific numbers for motivation. I also wish JRNY offered live classes where you could interact with other riders. But, once again, it seems this feature — which is available on competitors like the Peloton platform — was deemed unnecessary.
How it compares
The Schwinn 490 doesn’t come with all of the high-end features of connected models like the NordicTrack Airglide 14i or the Bowflex Max Trainer M9, which both have large touchscreens and built-in streaming classes. However, these models are also pricier and have significantly larger footprints. So not a great choice if you’re on a budget or tight on space.
The Sole E25 ($1,199), Horizon 7.0 AE and Cubii ($369) are all competitively priced compared to the Schwinn 490. But every single one of them, with the exception of the Cubii, has a larger footprint — making them a less attractive option for renters and homeowners who don’t have enough square footage. Although the Cubii is compact, it’s a completely bare-bones elliptical that you place under your desk with no monitor or fitness classes and just 12 resistance levels, a stark contrast to the Schwinn 490’s 25 incline and decline options. So, even though you can get a sneaky workout in while you’re meeting work deadlines, you won’t get any of the built-in cardio programs, metrics or access to streaming classes that come with the Schwinn 490.
Bottom line
Pulling the trigger on purchasing new fitness equipment can be a daunting task. But, if you’re looking for a great low-impact workout, the Schwinn 490 definitely delivers. Although it lacks some of the high-end features you’ll find from more expensive ellipticals, you get what you pay for. I loved the compact footprint, which offers a lot of versatility as far as far as finding time and space to work out. The built-in fitness programs are also a great option if you want some guidance without paying an annual or monthly fee for streaming subscriptions.
Although I wish the company’s app had better content, the machine itself is a solid buy. The space-saving design, Bluetooth speakers, USB charging port and unique -5 decline make the Schwinn 490 a versatile and accessible elliptical for all shapes and sizes. I wouldn’t hesitate to purchase one for myself and, if you are looking for a compact machine to round out your home gym, neither should you.