At roughly $700, the EX-59 is Horizon’s most affordable elliptical machine to date.
The budget-friendliness of this model is awesome, but it also comes with some nice features for an elliptical in this price range.
The bluetooth capabilities and 18″ stride length are great, but if you ask me, it’s the EX-59’s heavy-dutiness and generous warranty that set it apart from most ellipticals in this price range.
Long-story-short: the EX-59 isn’t perfect, but it’s still easily one of the best ellipticals you can get for $700.
If you’re interested in the longer story, keep reading.
In this review, we’ll go over everything this elliptical has to offer – we’re talking specs, features, warranties, and everything else in between.
I’ll also provide a side-by-side comparison with some of the other top options in this price range, so you can see how the EX-59 stacks up to the competition.
After reading, you’ll know whether or not the EX-59 is worth investing in.
FYI, you can save $100 on Horizon’s EX-59 by using the promo code “HOMEGYM100” at checkout!
Horizon’s EX-59 comes with a simple console and only 10 resistance levels, but it’s heavier-duty and backed by a better warranty than most ellipticals in this price range.
Horizon’s EX-59 Elliptical
Horizon Fitness is a respected home fitness brand that provides budget to moderately priced cardio equipment.
They’re known for generous warranties and friendly customer service, as well as providing solid equipment that won’t destroy your budget.
I actually own their 7.8 AT Treadmill and couldn’t be happier – it’s big, powerful, and incredibly durable.
But back to ellipticals.
Horizon only offers two ellipticals directly these days (although you may still be able to find their ‘Evolve’ models in retail stores) – the EX-59 we’re here to discuss now and the upgraded 7.0 AE.
And as I mentioned earlier, the EX-59 is their entry-level elliptical, costing around $700.
Pros
- Very affordable
- 18″ stride length
- 14 lb flywheel
- Heavy-duty frame
- 300 lb weight capacity
- Bluetooth speakers
- Easy assembly
- Tablet holder
- Water bottle holder
- Good warranty
Cons
- Only 10 resistance levels
- Only 5 workout programs
- No incline settings
Stride Length
Let’s start things off with a rundown on the stride length, easily one of the most important elliptical specs to consider before buying.
This spec tells us how far apart our legs will be moving with each step and it’s critical when it comes to comfort and workout quality.
Essentially, having a stride length that’s too short or too long is going to be uncomfortable and make you less likely to use your new machine.
Well, the EX-59 comes with an 18″ stride length, which is actually pretty good for an elliptical in this price range.
Yes, this is a little on the small side when compared to higher-end models, but it’s pretty spacious when compared to other $700 machines.
That said, taller users may not be able to stretch out completely, but at 18″, it won’t feel like you’re marching in place either.
And shorter folks should likely be comfortable with an 18″ stride, without feeling as if they’re having to stretch out too far with each step.
And the fact is, it’s hard to find an elliptical for $700 with a 20″ stride length.
Overall, the EX-59 scores highly with a stride length that should be comfortable for most users.
Frame
This elliptical comes with a well-sized stride length, but it also comes with a surprisingly heavy-duty frame.
I say ‘surprisingly’ because most budget-friendly ellipticals aren’t that heavy-duty; they tend to be, well, kinda the opposite.
With an assembled weight of 145 lb though, the EX-59 is robust for such an affordable model.
And this is a good thing.
Not only does the extra bulk make it less likely that you’ll feel wiggling and wobbling during use, but it also makes it better able to withstand the stresses of daily use.
That is, being heavier makes it more durable.
For the sake of comparison, Schwinn’s similarly-priced 411 weighs 100 lb… just sayin’.
The EX-59 also comes with a 300 lb weight limit, which again, is great for such an affordable elliptical.
Oh, another stat worth knowing is that the EX-59 comes with a step-up height of only 10.75″ (the ‘step-up height’ refers to how high off the ground you are when you stand on the pedals).
This makes it easier to access than some of the machines with higher step-up heights, but it also means the EX-59 will work well with homes with lower ceilings.
If you have 8′ or taller ceilings, this probably won’t be an issue, but folks with low ceilings (or who are really tall) may appreciate the low step on height this elliptical provides.
Overall, the EX-59 scores highly with such a heavy-duty frame and the low step-up height is a nice perk for homes with lower ceilings.
Resistance
The EX-59 comes with a 14 lb flywheel, which is pretty light for elliptical machines in general, but given the price range, it’s actually pretty good.
Most home ellipticals work just like exercise bikes, meaning they have weighted flywheels and magnetic systems that create their resistance.
And just like (most) exercise bikes, having a heavier flywheel is usually beneficial.
This is because the extra weight builds more momentum as it spins, which helps keep the pedals moving between strokes – thus, creating a smoother pedaling motion.
You’ll see 20 – 30 lb flywheels on more expensive home ellipticals, but again, for $700, 14 lb is solid.
For the sake of comparison, a lot of similarly-priced models come with 10 – 13 lb flywheels, although XTERRA’s FS3.0 does come with a 22 lb flywheel…
But that’s certainly not the norm in this price range.
The EX-59 also comes with 10 levels of magnetic resistance.
I wouldn’t say this is completely out of the ballpark, but most brands do offer more levels than this.
And personally, I think having more resistance levels is a good thing because it gives you more control over the intensity of your workouts.
Now having more levels doesn’t necessarily give you more overall resistance, but it does mean you can make smaller incremental changes.
So, I’d say the small number of resistance levels on the EX-59 is a downside, but definitely not a dealbreaker.
Like all models in this price range, the EX-59 doesn’t come with an adjustable incline system – but that’s par for the course in this price range.
Overall, the EX-59 doesn’t come with many resistance levels, but it does come with one of the heavier flywheels in this price range.
Features
Horizon’s EX-59 comes standard with the following features:
4.5″ LCD console- as you can see above, the display is really just a simple window that shows you workout stats. About as basic as they come.
5 built-in workout programs- not a huge selection to choose from here, but definitely enough to add a little variety to your workouts.
Bluetooth speakers- the built-in bluetooth speakers are a nice touch. You can wirelessly connect your phone or tablet to the console and hear your favorite tunes from the elliptical’s speakers.
Device holder- the built-in place to hold your phone or tablet makes listening to your music or watching a movie a little more convenient, especially since it’s located at the top (and won’t block you from viewing your workout stats on the console)
Grip heart rate monitor- grab the stationary handlebars and get a heart rate reading while your workout. Might not be the most accurate reading in the world, but it’s better than nothing.
Assembly
Horizon does a great job designing their products to be easy to assemble and the EX-59 is no exception.
This elliptical is designed so you should be able to get it unpacked and functional within 30 minutes.
The assembly manual is straightforward and easy to follow.
There are only a few steps and each step has a large image as well as written instructions describing what needs to be done.
The necessary wrenches and screwdriver are all included.
Overall, assembly on this elliptical should be pretty easy.
Anybody who’s even a little handy should be able to assemble themselves without worrying about paying for professional assistance.
Warranty
The EX-59 comes with the following residential warranty from Horizon:
- Lifetime frame
- 1 year parts
- 1 year labor
For this price range, Horizon offers a pretty generous warranty.
Lifetime on the frame is a good sign of a well built elliptical and don’t quote me on this, but I’m not aware of any other lifetime frame warranties in this price range.
One year on the parts isn’t bad for a budget elliptical either, although Schwinn does offer 2 years.
And a year on labor is standard protocol across the board.
Overall, this is a pretty impressive warranty considering the price.
Horizon’s EX-59 vs The Competition
| Horizon EX-59 | Schwinn 411 | XTERRA FS3.0 | Niceday Elliptical | |
| Stride | 18″ | 18″ | 16″ | 15.5″ |
| Resistance | 14 lb flywheel 10 levels | ? flywheel 16 levels | 22 lb flywheel 20 levels | 16 lb flywheel 16 levels |
| Assembled weight | 145 lb | 100 lb | 104 lb | 106 lb |
| Workouts | 5 | 13 | 12+ | 0 |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame 1 year parts 1 year labor | 10 year frame 2 year parts 90 day labor | 5 year frame 1 year parts | 1 year |
| Price | ~$700 | ~$700 | ~$550 | ~$600 |
Ok, time to see how the EX-59 stands up against some of the other top ellipticals in the ~$700 price range.
Honestly, there are tons of really affordable ellipticals out there, especially in the under $500 range, and a lot of ’em are really similar.
There aren’t quite as many in the $600 – $800 price range, but there are still a few solid comps to talk about.
And the first is Schwinn’s 411, which usually sells for around $700.
The 411 comes with an 18″ stride length, 16 resistance levels, and an undisclosed flywheel weight (although it’s estimated to be somewhere between 10 – 13 lb).
At only 100 lb, it’s much lighter-duty than the EX-59, but it does come with 13 workout programs.
That said, it doesn’t come with speakers and Horizon’s frame warranty is longer.
Still, a top contender in this price range.
Another elliptical worth mentioning is XTERRA’s FS3.0, that usually sells for around $550.
The FS3.0 comes with a smaller, 16″ stride and again, is much lighter (~103 lb), but it does come with a 22 lb flywheel and 20 levels of resistance.
XTERRA’s warranty isn’t as long as Horizon’s, but the FS3.0 does come with a nicer console and a lot more workout programs to choose from.
The last elliptical I want to discuss is Niceday’s CT11, which has become quite popular on Amazon.
The CT11 costs around $600 and it comes with a 16 lb flywheel, 16 resistance levels, and a 400 lb weight limit.
However, it only comes with a 15.5″ stride length and its digital display is even more basic than the EX-59’s.
And it only comes standard with a 1 year warranty.
Overall, I think all of these affordable ellipticals offer value, but based on these comps, I’d say the EX-59 holds its own and then some.
Horizon’s EX-59 vs Horizon’s 7.0 AE
| Horizon’s EX-59 | Horizon’s 7.0 AE | |
| Stride | 18″ | 20″ |
| Resistance | 14 lb flywheel 10 levels | 23 lb flywheel 20 levels |
| Incline | No | 20 levels |
| Assembled weight | 145 lb | 194 lb |
| Workouts | 5 | 8 |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame 1 year parts 1 year labor | Lifetime frame 3 year parts 1 year labor |
| Price | ~$700 | ~$1000 |
The last elliptical I want to compare the EX-59 against is Horizon’s own 7.0 AE.
The 7.0 AE is an upgraded model and it usually sells for ~$1k, making it about $300 more than the EX-59.
But as you can see above, this additional cost comes with some pretty significant upgrades.
These include a longer stride length (20″), a much heavier flywheel (23 lb), more resistance levels (20), and the addition of a power incline system (20 levels).
The 7.0 AE also comes with an upgraded console, an even heavier-duty frame, and a much longer parts warranty.
With the 7.0 AE, you get a lot of upgrades for the additional cost, so if you have a little wiggle room in your budget, it’s something to think about.
Final Thoughts
Well, that about does it.
Horizon’s EX-59 is a budget friendly elliptical that’s easy to assemble and straightforward to operate.
The flywheel and stride length sizes are pretty good for this price range, but it’s the robust frame and warranty that really set this model apart from most.
The bluetooth speakers are also a nice touch.
As the above table shows, there are some other nice ellipticals in this price range, but I think the EX-59 easily holds its own.
Speaking of the comps, I think Schwinn’s 411 is the closest rival, but I like how much heavier the EX-59 is.
XTERRA’s FS3.0 would be tempting, what with the heavy flywheel and whatnot, but for me, that 16″ stride length would be a dealbreaker.
And if you’ve got the budget and are looking for a better workout experience, you should consider the 7.0 AE because it comes with a bunch of great upgrades for the price.
Overall though, if you’re looking for a quality elliptical in this price range, the EX-59 is as good as it gets.
And again, don’t forget to save $100 by using the promo code “HOMEGYM100” at checkout…
