The Horizon EX-68 Elliptical Trainer – Rated Better Than Average

The Horizon EX-68 elliptical trainer offers the features you’ve been looking for in a sub-$800 machine: a smooth 20" stride, pivoting footplates, upperbody workout arms, music port, workout fan, and a number of challenging workouts.

What You Get

The attractive console has two orange LED windows and an 80-digit alphanumeric window. The Horizon EX-68 elliptical trainer has an Advanced Goal Center™ with 11 program options; you get 3 Target programs (Time, Distance, Calorie), 3 workouts (Hills, Weight Loss, Reverse Train), Custom, and a 31-day goal training program.

The specs on the Horizon EX-68 include:

20" FLATellipse™ Stride

17.6-lb Flywheel

20 levels Resistance

11 Programs

Pivoting Foot Plates

Contact Grip Heart Rate Monitor

Dual action upper body handlebars

MP3 port + Sonic Surround™ speakers

SixStar Certified™ frame

CoolFit™ fitness fan

300-lb. User Capacity

Unit Weight/Dimensions — 152 lbs; 73" x 22" x 65"

Warranty: Lifetime frame & brake, 1-yr parts and labor

The Word on the Street

UPDATE: The EX-68 elliptical has been discontinued and is no longer available for sale. You can check out all of the latest Horizon elliptical reviews here.

The 17.6-pound flywheel and a magnetic brake resistance system combine for a smooth pedaling experience.

The Horizon EX-68 elliptical trainer also features a low 10" step-on height, pivoting pedals with traction ridges, and an overlapping pedal motion — all of which are part of the new SixStar Certified Frame to give the user the most natural feel when walking and running on an elliptical.

The SixStar engineering incorporates a more upright body position, workout handles that are closer to the body and thus more comfortable to use, and a flatter elliptical pattern which is superior to the choppy step motion found on some other front-drive elliptical trainers.

The one-year parts & labor warranty on the Horizon EX-68 is about average for an elliptical trainer at this price. You can buy a 2-year extended warranty, which Horizon lets you to purchase up to 45 days after you take delivery of your new elliptical, and they even allow customers to renew their warranty plan year after year. It costs more, but it’s a nice option to have.

Another alternative is to buy a third-party fitness equipment warranty. More and more equipment pros are recommending them in elliptical reviews, as long as you buy it from a reputable company.

Our Thoughts

The new Horizon elliptical trainers are greatly improved over the models with the small 14.6-pound flywheels they made a few years ago. And not all of the Horizon line-up has the SixStar certification; only the EX-58, EX-68, EX-78, CE 5-1, and the GS1050E have it.

The Horizon EX-68 is a decent budget model that rates better than average for engineering, noise level, comfort, quality, and reliability.

Along with the $799 Horizon EX-68 elliptical trainer, you should also seriously consider its cousin model, the comparably priced Livestrong LS8.0E, which is also made by Johnson Health Tech.