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The Horizon EX-59 is our compact elliptical pick for the money: it keeps an 18-inch stride, holds 300 lb, has a lifetime frame warranty and typically costs $599 to $799. If you can spend more, the Sole E25 is actually shorter, at 70 inches long to the EX-59's 74, and gives you a 20-inch stride.
Shrink an elliptical's footprint and the stride usually shrinks with it. Under about 16 inches, it stops feeling like walking and starts feeling like a stair stepper. The Niceday is the shortest machine here at 46 inches long, with a 15.5-inch stride and a 400 lb rating, which suits shorter users in tight rooms. The Sole E20 and Schwinn 420 are discontinued, so they're only worth a look used.
The compact Horizon: an 18-inch stride, a 300 lb rating and a lifetime frame warranty for under $800.
A 46-inch-long Amazon elliptical with a 15.5-inch stride, a 400 lb rating and a magnetic drive.
Sole's compact entry elliptical, since replaced by the current E25.
The predecessor to the 430, with a shorter 18-inch stride and a lighter flywheel.
Product photos are representative stock images, not the exact models, until our own test photos replace them.
Prices are typical ranges, not today's. Tap a column heading to sort.
| Model | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon EX-59Horizon · 3.6/5 | $599–799 | 18 in | 74 × 25 in | 300 lb | 14.3 lb |
| Niceday EllipticalNiceday · 3.3/5 | $399–549 | 15.5 in | 46 × 25 in | 400 lb | 16 lb |
| Sole E20Sole · 3.5/5 | $999 | 20 in | 65 × 23 in | 300 lb | 15 lb |
| Schwinn 420Schwinn · 3.2/5 | $699 | 18 in | — | 300 lb | 15 lb |
Tap a column to sort. Ratings come from published specs until we bench test a machine; specs are the manufacturer's unless a review says we measured them.
Of the machines we track, the discontinued Sole E20 at 65 inches, and among current models the Sole E25 at 70 inches. If a listing claims a 20-inch stride in a much shorter frame, check whether the length includes the pedal travel.