The NordicTrack Elite Commercial Elliptical – Quality? Value? Nope!

For a trainer with an incline, the NordicTrack Elite Commercial elliptical is a pleasant surprise for under $2000. The parent company ICON Fitness isn’t the leader of the pack in elliptical trainers, but the NordicTrack line is better than the company’s other brands such as Proform, Image and Reebok.

NordicTrack elliptical reviews tend to be mixed; in fact, they are a bit all over the board because the machines can’t be built with quality components yet still keep the costs down for the mass market.

What You Get

The NordicTrack Elite Commercial elliptical has the unique 1-Touch™ Control Resistance to easily move through 16 resistance levels. Its iFit® Workout Card series allows you to follow along to the voice of a personal trainer to pace you through a workout. Just plug it into the console and get started. The list of specs includes:

• 16 Resistance Levels
• 16 personal trainer programs; 2 learn programs
• iFit® Workout Card Technology
• Upper body workout
• 19.5" stride
• Front flywheel
• Power incline ramp
• Heart Rate Display w/wireless chest strap
• 350 lb. user weight capacity
• Warranty – Lifetime on frame; 3 yrs on parts; 1 year labor

UPDATE: The NordicTrack Elite Commercial elliptical has been discontinued, and replaced with the all new C series.  Check out the latest NordicTrack elliptical reviews here.

The Word on the Street

The “commercial” part of the name tends to throw some people who might be swayed to think that this elliptical trainer is a better quality model than other brands in the same price range. Is it true? Well, yes and no.

Experts give the NordicTrack Elite Commercial its kudos for the programs, solid feel, one touch resistance controls, and attractive display. But durability? Quality? Value? Nope, it’s not here. With a $2000 tag, this machine won’t place among the top five recommended models in its price range.

Nevertheless, users tend to like their NordicTrack Elite Commercial. In addition to the larger elliptical stride, heart rate monitor, and range of resistance levels, it comes with the iFit® personal trainer workouts to keep you motivated and involved with your weight loss goals.

These cards contain enough information for 24 workouts for an 8-week stretch. The programmed disk controls the machine’s speed, incline, and duration of each workout. You can start at the beginner level and, as you get fit, increase the intensity up to the intermediate and advanced levels.

Users also like the larger stride length and the power incline ramp which helps to target more muscle groups for faster results.

Our Thoughts

The NordicTrack Elite Commercial has an MSRP of $2999 but be advised you can usually find it for around $1999.

But don’t be lured by a marketing ploy here: the term “commercial” should only be used on highly durable equipment, something that would be used for 100 hours a week in a high traffic public gym, and is backed by no less than a 5-year parts warranty.

The NordicTrack Elite Commercial elliptical is still a residential machine and the warranty reflects that fact. The features are great, but quality and value are lacking.