These days, if you’re shopping for home fitness equipment, you often have to choose between performance and cool console features.
Well, with NordicTrack’s New AirGlide 7i, this isn’t the case because this spiffy new elliptical kinda has it all.
With a 25 lb flywheel, 22 resistance levels, and a unique system that can offer decline training, the 7i is well-equipped for great performance.
And with a 7″ iFit ready HD touchscreen, it’s packing as many tech features as you can imagine for a $1500 elliptical.
The biggest downside is likely the 18″ stride length, which isn’t bad, but some taller users might prefer a more spacious stride.
All things considered, I think the AirGlide 7i is a nice elliptical for the price range, but it’ got some pretty stiff competition.
With direct competition from brands like Sole and Schwinn, does it make sense to invest in the 7i?
That’s what I’m here to help you figure out.
In this comprehensive review, I’ll discuss everything this elliptical has to offer, as well as where it falls a little short. I’ll also compare the 7i to some of the other top ellipticals in this price range to see how it stacks up.
After reading, you’ll know whether or not the AirGlide 7i is the right option for your home gym.
NordicTrack’s AirGlide 7i scores highly in both the performance and features departments, making it a great choice for folks looking for an elliptical with direct access to streaming workouts. However, if you’re looking for a 20″ stride or streaming that doesn’t require a membership fee, you should consider Sole’s E35.
NordicTrack’s New AirGlide 7i
NordicTrack’s one of the top fitness brands in the game and they have a pretty good reputation for providing nice equipment for the price.
Their warranties could be a little better at times, but otherwise, their products tend to come with legit performance specs and nice features.
One could even say it’s their features that set ’em apart from most other home brands.
Speaking of which, most NordicTrack products come with iFit enabled touchscreens, so if you’re looking for streaming workouts, NordicTrack makes a lot of sense.
If not, it would be smart to consider other brands.
Anyway, the New AirGlide 7i is one of their newest cardio machines and as I’m writing this it costs around $1400.
FYI, the 7i is the little brother to the New AirGlide 14i, which costs about $400 more and comes with a larger flywheel, more resistance levels, and a larger console.
Pros
- 25 lb flywheel
- 22 resistance levels
- -5 – 15% incline/decline range
- 7″ HD touchscreen
- iFit ready
- SmartAdjust feature for iFit workouts
- Bluetooth speakers
- Solid frame
- 300 lb weight limit
- Large, cushiony pedals
- Cooling fan
- Reasonably-priced
Cons
- 18″ stride might be a little short for taller users
- Frame warranty could be a little longer
Stride Length
I like to start with the stride length because I think this is one of the first things we should look at when considering any new elliptical.
This spec tells us how far our feet will be moving with each stride, which is crucial when it comes to workout comfort and satisfaction.
Think about it – if you feel like you’re marching in place (or doing a split) with each step, you aren’t gonna be happy with your elliptical.
Well, your optimal stride length will depend greatly on your height, leg length, and personal preferences, but most users will be happy with a stride somewhere in the 18 – 20″
With this in mind, the AirGlide 7i comes with a stride length that varies between 17.8″ – 18.5″, depending on the incline setting.
So basically 18″.
As someone who’s 6’1″, I like a longer, 20″ stride because it allows me to stretch out a little more during workouts.
So, if you’re taller like me, you may be disappointed with the 7i’s 18″ stride – shorter users, however, likely won’t have any issues whatsoever.
Even if you are over 6′ tall, you’ll still be able to use the 7i, just know that you’ll likely feel more like you’re jogging as opposed to running… if that makes sense.
Resistance
An elliptical’s stride length is crucial, but so is its resistance system.
Even if we’re not looking for high resistance settings and intense workouts, having a nice resistance system is still important because it effect the feel of the pedaling motion.
Most home ellipticals operate similarly to indoor cycles, meaning they use weighted flywheels and magnetic systems to provide the resistance.
And like indoor cycles, having a heavier flywheel is usually preferred because it often provides a smoother feel (heavy flywheels create more momentum as they spin, which helps keep the pedals moving between pedal strokes).
With all of this in mind, consider that the 7i comes with a 25 lb flywheel.
Considering most elite home models top out around 30 lb, the 7i comes with a very heavy flywheel.
There are other ellipticals in this price range packing equally heavy flywheels, but I’ve never come across one with more weight under the hood than the 7i.
So well done NordicTrack.
The 7i also comes with 22 resistance levels, giving you plenty of control over the intensity of your workouts.
More interestingly though, this elliptical comes with a power incline range of -5 – 15%… yes, the 7i declines.
Being able to decline is a unique feature, mimicking the sensation of jogging or walking downhill, and it gives users more room to customize their workouts.
It’ll also make for a more realistic experience when following along with scenic hikes on iFit.
The max incline of 15% is also nice for adding challenge or variety to workouts or trying to target different leg muscles (the higher the incline goes, the more those glutes and hamstrings kick in).
Overall, I think the AirGlide 7i scores highly in the resistance department. I like that it comes with a heavy flywheel and plenty of resistance and incline settings to work with.
Frame
As home ellipticals go, the 7i is fairly compact – there are certainly smaller options out there, but plenty of larger ones too.
More specifically, the 7i comes with a footprint of 69″ x 25″, so it doesn’t take up a ton of floor space (but keep in mind you need additional wiggle room to comfortably get on/off it).
The physical size of this elliptical is pretty average for a home model, but with an in box weight of 235 lb, it’s pretty robust.
You’ll notice I used “in box weight” because this is what NordicTrack offers.
If we’re looking for the true weight of the 7i, we have to estimate and subtract the weight of all the packaging.
If we subtract a conservative 30 – 40 lb for packing, that puts the estimated weight of the 7i somewhere around 200 lb.
Which again, is pretty heavy for an elliptical in this price range (Schwinn’s similarly-priced 490 weighs 187 lb).
And seeing a heavier machine is always a good thing because it means the elliptical will feel more secure during use.
At roughly 200 lb, the 7i is heavy enough to feel stable.
This elliptical also comes with a 300 lb weight limit, which again, is pretty average for a home elliptical.
Overall, the AirGlide 7i doesn’t take up a ton of floorspace, but it’s still heavy-duty for an elliptical in this price range.
Features
NordicTrack’s New AirGlide 7i comes with the following included features:
7″ HD touchscreen- this elliptical comes with a small, HD touchscreen console making it easy to access all your iFit workouts and see all your workout stats during use.
iFit- as a NordicTrack machine, the 7i is designed to pair with iFit for streaming workouts. iFit has become a leader in streaming fitness and through it you can access virtually unlimited instructor-led workouts, scenic routes, metric tracking, and more. You get a free 30-day trial with purchase and then you’ll have to pay the monthly membership fee to continue using (~$39/month).
SmartAdjust- with iFit, you can also enjoy the SmartAdjust feature, that automatically controls your resistance and incline settings to match your workouts terrain/instructor’s cues. A very cool feature, but you can always adjust this stuff manually if you prefer.
Bluetooth speakers- you can listen to your workout jams wirelessly through the bluetooth speakers in the console.
Cushioned pedals- if you check out the pedals, you’ll notice that they’re large and designed with an extra grippy/cushiony surface for extra comfort.
One touch controls- the console also comes with one touch controls, allowing you to instantly jump to a given speed and/or incline setting.
Cooling fan- there’s a built-in cooling fan to help keep you more comfortable during workouts.
Water bottle holder- and finally, there’s a convenient place to put your workout beverage of choice.
Assembly
If you decide to purchase the 7i, assembly is very doable yourself, but the job will be a lot easier with a second person to assist.
The procedure is pretty straightforward and there are helpful videos to walk you through the process (like the one above).
In a nutshell, you’ll have to attach the front/rear stabilizers, connect the handles/pedals to the main frame, and connect the console.
You’ll have to grease a few pivot points where the handles attach and as always, take care not to pinch any console wires.
Overall, putting the 7i shouldn’t be too challenging, but again, grab a friend or family member to assist.
Warranty
NordicTrack covers the New AirGlide 7i with the following home warranty:
- 10 year frame
- 2 year parts
- 1 year labor
This is NordicTrack’s standard warranty they offer on all their equipment now and it’s not bad.
Ten years on the frame is ok, but there are plenty of brands in this price range offering lifetime frame guarantees (Sole, Horizon, Spirit, etc.)
Two years on parts isn’t bad either, considering most comps offer 2-5 years.
And a year on labor is standard operating procedure across the board.
Overall, there are better warranties out there on $1500 ellipticals, but NordicTrack’s coverage is pretty average.
The AirGlide 7i vs The Competition
| AirGlide 7i | Sole E35 | Schwinn 490 | Spirit XE195 | |
| Stride | ~18″ | 20″ | 20″ | 20″ |
| Flywheel | 25 lb | 25 lb | 11 lb | 24 lb |
| Resistance/incline | 22 levels -5 – 15% | 20 levels each | 25 levels -5 – 15% | 20 levels n/a |
| Console | 7″ HD touchscreen | 10″ touchscreen | 7″ LCD | 7.5″ LCD |
| Warranty | 10 year frame 2 year parts 1 year labor | Lifetime frame 2 year parts 1 year labor | 10 year frame 2 year parts 90 day labor | Lifetime frame 5 year parts 1 year labor |
| Price | ~$1500 | ~$1500 | !$1200 | ~$1400 |
Speaking of the comps, let’s take a look at some of the other top ellipticals in the $1500 price range.
The first elliptical that comes immediately to mind is Sole’s E35, which is priced pretty identically.
The E35 comes with a 25 lb flywheel, a 20″ stride, 20 resistance levels, and 20 levels of incline (no declining). It’s frame is a little wider and a bit heavier, but otherwise it’s about the same size as the 7i.
And the E35 comes with a larger, 10″ touchscreen console that comes equipped with entertainment apps and free workout streaming through Sole+.
And as mentioned above, Sole offers a lifetime frame warranty too.
The 7i and E35 are really similar in terms of performance, so choosing between these machines will likely come down to which features you prefer.
Another interesting comp is Schwinn’s 490 Elliptical, which is a bit cheaper at around $1200.
The 490 comes with a smaller footprint (only 58″ x 34″), so it’ll definitely fit in smaller workout areas, but it isn’t nearly as heavy-duty as the 7i.
The 490 only comes with an 11 lb flywheel, but it does come with 25 resistance levels and an incline/decline range of -5 – 15%.
The 490 doesn’t come with a touchscreen console either, but it can hold folks up to 330 lb and it comes with a very similar warranty as NordicTrack’s.
The last elliptical I want to mention is Spirit’s XE195, which usually sells for around $1400.
The XE195 comes with a 24 lb flywheel, a 20″ stride, and 20 levels of resistance, but it doesn’t incline at all.
It’s also not quite as heavy-duty as either the 7i or the E35 and it’s console is the most basic of all the ellipticals mentioned here.
But it does come with a 350 lb weight limit and the longest warranty of the bunch.
If you’re looking for a well-built elliptical and prefer a simpler console, the XE195 could make a lot of sense.
Either way, I think the above shows that the AirGlide 7i can hold its own with any elliptical in this price range.
NordicTrack’s AirGlide 7i vs The 14i
| AirGlide 7i | AirGlide 14i | |
| Stride | ~18″ | ~18″ |
| Flywheel | 25 lb | 32 lb |
| Resistance/incline | 22 levels -5 – 15% | 26 levels -5 – 15% |
| Console | 7″ HD touchscreen | 14″ HD touchscreen |
| Warranty | 10 year frame 2 year parts 1 year labor | 10 year frame 2 year parts 1 year labor |
| Price | ~$1500 | ~$1800 |
Before I wrap things up here, I want to briefly mention NordicTrack’s own AirGlide 14i, which is the upgraded version of the 7i.
The 14i costs about $300 more and it comes with a few nice upgrades that could be worth the extra cash, depending on what you’re looking for.
The 14i comes with an even heavier, 32 lb flywheel as well as a few extra resistance levels to work with (26 vs 22).
The stride length and incline range are identical, but the 14i comes with a much larger, 14″ HD touchscreen.
Otherwise, the 14i comes with all the same other features and warranty as the more affordable 7i.
So, the biggest difference between the 7i and 14i is that the AirGlide 14i comes with a larger flywheel and a larger console.
If you’re looking for a higher-performing machine or want the largest screen possible, the 14i could be worth the extra few hundred bucks.
If not, it could make sense to save the money and opt for the more affordable 7i.
Final Thoughts
Well, that about does it for the 7i.
I think NordicTrack has a winner on their hands here and I really don’t have much to complain about (which is annoying because I enjoy complaining).
This elliptical comes with nice performance specs, including a heavy flywheel, solid frame, and nice incline/decline range.
And with an HD touchscreen console and streaming features, it scores highly in the tech department as well.
My only real complaint is that I’d like to see a longer, 20″ stride length, but again, that’s because I’m over 6′ tall.
Otherwise, I think the 7i is a great elliptical for its price range.
Speaking of which, this is a highly competitive price range with some other great ellipticals to choose from, as the above table shows.
I think Sole’s E35 will likely be the 7i biggest competitor here and if you don’t like the idea of paying for an ongoing streaming membership, I think the E35 makes more sense.
Sole+ isn’t nearly as sophisticated as iFit, but hey, it’s free.
But if you’re ok with the iFit membership fee, I think the AirGlide 7i is a great choice.
