Schwinn 470 Elliptical Machine - Review and Recommendation

Schwinn 470 Elliptical Machine is excellent home elliptical machine that comes with a nice price tag. There are cheaper ellipticals on the market, but considering all the features and options, Schwinn 470 is for a good reason very popular elliptical and one of the best buy home ellipticals for years. Newer 2017 model is very similar to the older model, adding just a Bluetooth connectivity to the SchwinnConnect App.

Photo: Schwinn 470 Elliptical Machine and Schwinn MY17 470 Elliptical Machine

Most people complain about a chaotic schedule and use it as an excuse for avoiding workout and exercise. The most common reason given by people for not going to gym is that they just cannot make time for it in their busy routine. They need not worry anymore! Elliptical trainer will come to their rescue. Elliptical trainers are great products which let users work out at the comfort of their home. It comes with various workout routines that help users strengthen their muscles and cardiovascular system. This is the reason why elliptical trainers are becoming a product of choice of passionate fitness enthusiasts.

The benefits of elliptical trainers are infinite, it helps users to stay fit and healthy, get a toned body, improve stamina, get firm muscles and increase endurance. There are numerous brands in the market & choosing an ideal branded elliptical is a challenge. One of the popular brands that comes to mind is Schwinn.

About Schwinn

Founded in 1895 by Ignaz Schwinn with his partner Adolph Arnold, Schwinn is a leading brand of bicycles and home and commercial fitness equipment. The brand is in the lead in improvements in fitness technology and has been a vital player in transforming bicycling and fitness around the world. The Schwinn 470 Elliptical is the top-of-the-line Elliptical and offers amazing comfort, enhanced stability and a range of customizable workout programs to fit virtually anyone's fitness goals.

Plus Points of Schwinn 470 Elliptical

Interactive, Customizable & Comfortable

The machine comes along with a two Schwinn DualTrack™ blue back-lit LCD window system that enables users to monitor up to 13 different display feedbacks and a data exchange feature which allows for a seamless transfer of data to the SchwinnConnect™ and myfitnesspal.com. The machine is therefore very interactive for excellent workouts.

The various control parameters and workout options may be customized to suit the unique workout needs of the individual users. This grants users the freedom to choose and set the machine to meet their unique requirements for better results. This elliptical workout machine is designed with the overall comfort of its users in mind. It does have large articulating cushioned footplates, two integrated levelers, a center frame support, 3-speed fan, ergonomically-placed static handlebars, grip heart-rate for controls and angled moving handlebars, all of which work jointly to ensure the overall comfort of the users throughout a workout session.

Greater Workout Variety

The machine provides 29 workout programs that are broken down into: 12 profiles, 9 heart rate controls (4 for Beginners; 4 for Advanced; 1 for Custom); 1 quick start; 1 recovery test; 2 fitness tests (1 Beginner; 1 Advanced); 4 custom-user defined; and there are other additional features. This confers added convenience as well as thorough results.

Automated Incline & Resistance

By far, the best option on the Schwinn 470 Elliptical is the ability to make resistance and incline adjustments on the fly. The resistance and incline on this elliptical are provided by 5 keys - if the users are looking for added intensity during the workout, the controls are at their fingertips.

Console

For a mid-range home elliptical, you are getting a great console with this machine. The console allows the user to set up four separate profiles which is ideal as the whole family can set up their individual profile and workout and use programs according to their needs.

It comes with a total of 29 programs including 12 workout programs like fat burn program, fitness test program, recovery test program etc. and 9 heart rate control (HRC) workout programs.

An additional great feature of the Schwinn 470 Elliptical is the capability to download and track your workout performance. This elliptical machine’s console allows you to track a number of criteria like time, distance and calories burned by transferring the data to the Schwinn Connect™ or to MyFitnessPal fitness apps.

Quiet Operations & Extra Stability

The elliptical comes with 25 different levels of Eddy Current Brake (ECB) resistance, which are also aligned with a high speed and high inertia perimeter weighted flywheel. This enables a very smooth and quiet workout session.

The stability of the entire machine as well as the users is made possible by the oversized crossbar tubing. The enhanced stability enables the machine to stay in the desired stationary position at all times and prevent injuries caused by falling or sliding. Even though relatively lightweight, the 470 Elliptical maximum allowed user weight is 300 lbs.

This is due to its oversized crossbar tubing, center frame support, and front positioned flywheel that this elliptical machine is extremely sturdy and durable.

Minus Points of Schwinn 470 Elliptical

Smaller Incline

Though automated incline ability has been offered in Schwinn 470, users can adjust it only up to 10° while other similar machines offer up to 20° incline. Although this incline offers a good workout, it limits the target muscle groups and intensity of workout.

Heart Strap Monitor Not Included

Heart rate monitoring can be done from handgrips. The information is displayed on the computer after holding the sensors for approximately 10 seconds. Though a capability of using a heart strap monitor has been offered, no heart strap monitor is offered with the machine.

Fixed Stride Length

A 20” stride length has been offered in the machine which is not bad; but it’s fixed. While not all ellipticals offer adjustable stride lengths, ideally they should.

Shipping and Assembly

Schwinn 470 Elliptical comes in a very large box as it is big in size. The machine is well equipped with all the necessary machine tools required and it also has a detailed manual to help users set up the machine. As per the reports in the market one must provide extra attention while installing the machine as it does take the time to start. But once it’s up and running the result will certainly make users happy. The elliptical has transport wheels that allow for easy movement from room to room. The machine is therefore deployable to the desired location of use with relative ease and minimal inconvenience.

Recommendation - if you are not DIY person, order a certified technician to assemble the unit for you and place it on the permanent location.

Maintenance

Maintaining the elliptical is important to ensure users don’t prematurely wear it out. After each workout, users should wipe sweat from the machine and console with a damp cloth. They should also check for smooth roller operation. They should regularly wipe the machine to remove dust, dirt or grime. The rails and surface of the rollers should be cleaned with a damp cloth.

And before anything, read the manual :)

Schwinn 470 Elliptical Machine and Schwinn MY17 470 Elliptical Machine are two very similar machines. There are several small differences in design of console and color, but generally the only difference is that Schwinn MY17 470 Elliptical Machine comes with bluetooth connectivity to the SchwinnConnect App. Thus, Schwinn MY17 470 Elliptical Machine costs slightly more.

For more reviews and recommendations, check Schwinn 470 Elliptical Machine and Schwinn 470 Elliptical Machine (2017) Amazon links (links open in the new windows).