You’ve heard the hype, you’ve seen the ads all over TV and social media, and now you’re thinking about hopping on the smart exercise bike bandwagon. But before you plunk down your hard-earned cash on a Peloton, it’s smart to consider all of your options. Echelon, MYX Fitness, SoulCycle, and several other companies offer compelling Peloton alternatives that might better fit your needs and budget, and we’ve gathered the top smart exercise bikes we’ve tested here to help you decide.
But before we get to these recommendations, you might be wondering: Why invest in pricey smart gym equipment when you can go the traditional, non-connected route for a lot less money? It all comes down to interactivity. Most smart indoor bikes feature a built-in touch screen on which you can stream workouts, or connect with a companion app to let you view classes on your phone, tablet, or TV.
In addition, most smart bikes give you access to large libraries of classes, including floor-based workouts off the bike to supplement your cycling sessions. These virtual classes are led by knowledgeable instructors who will guide your workout, motivate you to give it your all, and entertain you so you’re not watching the clock the whole time. They essentially bring the experience of a boutique cycling class to the comfort, safety, and privacy of your home.
Some machines feature live classes with competitive leaderboards, giving you an extra jolt of motivation to cross the virtual finish line. This fosters a sense of community, making it feel like you’re not working out alone. Smart stationary bikes also generally keep track of your progress, and congratulate you when you meet your goals and make gains.
If you need direction and motivation on your wellness journey, a smart stationary bike is an excellent investment. Despite their high cost and ongoing membership fees, smart bikes can potentially save you money in the long run by allowing you to ditch your gym membership. The convenience of working out at home also adds to their appeal.
We’ve tested and reviewed the most popular smart stationary bikes on the market to help you pick the best one for you. Keep reading for additional insights and tips to help you narrow down your options.
How Much Should You Spend on a Smart Exercise Bike?
As you can see from our top picks, smart exercise bikes are quite pricey. Class membership fees and accessories further drive up the price.
Generally speaking, you can expect to pay north of $1,000 for a connected model with a built-in touch screen. The options on this list currently range from $1,299 for the MYX Fitness bike, to around $2,500 for the Peloton Bike+ and SoulCycle At-Home Bike.
For more affordable alternatives, companies such as Bowflex, Echelon, and NordicTrack’s sister brand Proform make sub-$1,000 models that work with your own smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. These options are good if you’re on a budget, but they don’t offer as immersive an audiovisual experience as models with built-in screens and speaker systems. We’re planning to test and review many of these more affordable models in the future, so if you don’t see anything here that falls within your budget, check back soon.
When budgeting for a smart exercise bike, be sure to factor a monthly membership fee into your calculations. They all require a subscription, typically priced from $29 to $39 a month, to access a library of classes. Subscriptions also usually include performance tracking features and the ability to set up multiple user profiles per household so everyone’s stats are kept separate.
Without a membership, you can typically still use a smart exercise bike in manual mode, but it doesn’t make sense to pay extra for a machine with smart functionality if you don’t plan to use it. NordicTrack makes its offerings more attractive by including a free year of iFit (a $468 value), but you have to pay to access the interactive fitness platform after the trial is up.
And don’t forget to factor in the price of accessories, like the special cycling shoes you need with Peloton and SoulCycle machines, which will set you back around $100 to $200. You’ll also probably want to purchase an exercise mat and a couple of sets of dumbbells if you don’t already have them, so you can participate in floor-based workout classes. Finally, some companies charge as much as $200 for delivery and assembly/installation.
Fortunately, most companies offer financing options to make the cost more manageable. You can, for instance, pay off a Peloton Bike+ for as low as $69 per month over 39 months.
In each of our reviews, we break down the costs and the delivery/assembly process, so you know what you’re in for.
Find Your Focus
You might assume Peloton is the best smart stationary bike because it’s the most popular. But in reality, the best option is the one that is going to motivate you to hop back on day after day. Fortunately, our top picks offer plenty of variety in terms of class styles.
Peloton motivates you through metrics and competition. During cycling classes, the screen is filled with stats to look at, including your your cadence (how fast you’re pedaling, measured in rotations per minute, or RPMs), resistance (your level of difficulty on a scale of 0 to 100 percent), and output (how much power you’re exerting, measured in Watts).
The leaderboard, which ranks class participants by their total output, is a key part of the experience. Peloton also offers other social features, including the ability to video chat with other members as you work out and congratulate people with virtual high fives for milestones like their first or hundredth ride.
Echelon offers a similar experience, but its community isn’t as large and its classes don’t have quite the same production value as Peloton. On Peloton, classes can sometimes feel like watching a TV show, complete with costume changes and a live DJ.
SoulCycle offers a more meditative, dance-focused experience. Your goal on SoulCycle isn’t to work your way up a leaderboard, it’s to match your cadence with the beat of the music. When you finish a SoulCycle workout, a summary screen shows your Beat Match score from zero to 100%, which indicates how much of the time your cadence matched the rhythm of the music.
The MYX Fitness bike offers a heart rate-based cross-training approach. During workouts, you wear a heart rate monitor and a color-coded metrics box on the left side of the screen indicates which zone you’re in. Throughout the workout, the instructors tell you which heart rate zone you should be in, and you can manually adjust the resistance knob and your pace accordingly.
NordicTrack’s iFit platform stands out for its vast library of outdoor content. On the S22i bike, you can virtually ride all around the world, from Colorado to Turkey. During outdoor workouts, trainers often point out the sights along the way, so you’re exercising and getting a tour. This helps pass the time and makes the workout fun—it’s like watching a nature or travel show while you’re exercising.
While trainer-led workouts have their perks, sometimes you just want to zone out and ride. Bikes from Bowflex and SoulCycle let you watch Netflix and other video streaming services while you ride, a feature not available on Peloton.
Manual vs. Automatic Resistance Controls
Most smart stationary bikes feature a knob you manually turn to increase or decrease the resistance, which makes it harder or easier to pedal. Resistance systems vary from bike to bike, but all are typically smooth and silent. The Echelon EX5S has 32 levels of magnetic resistance, while the Peloton Bike lets you more finely tune the resistance from zero to 100.
The big advantage of the Peloton Bike+ compared with the original Peloton Bike is its Auto Follow feature, which automatically adjusts your resistance to match the instructor’s cues. The Bike+ also features a resistance knob, but with Auto Follow enabled, you don’t have to fiddle with it if you don’t want to. If the instructor says to tune your resistance to 45 to 55, for instance, the Bike+ will automatically adjust it to 50, or the middle of the target range.
With a manual resistance system, you have to listen for the instructor’s cues and adjust your resistance if you want to keep up. Sometimes, I just want to ride without having to listen to the cues or fiddle with the knob, and Auto Follow lets me do that.
iFit-connected stationary bikes from NordicTrack and Proform can also automatically control your resistance. The S22i goes a step further with the ability to automatically incline and decline to match the trainer’s cues or terrain during outdoor workouts. Most other smart stationary bikes can’t incline and decline, let alone do so automatically.
Should You Clip In or Not?
One of the things to consider when mulling your smart stationary bike options is whether or not you want to wear clip-in cycling shoes. There are pros and cons to both choices.
Clip-in cycling shoes help you ride faster and more efficiently, making it easier to pull, not just push, on the pedals. But cycling shoes are expensive, and learning to clip in and out takes some practice.
The stock pedals that come with Peloton and SoulCycle bikes require clip-in cycling shoes. The pedals on the Peloton Bike and Bike+ are the most limiting, as they only work with Delta cleats. SoulCycle’s At-Home Bike features dual-sided pedals that support either Delta or SPD cleats.
Other bikes, such as the NordicTrack S22i, feature pedals with adjustable toe cages that allow for secure footing while wearing regular workout sneakers. These types of pedals are less intimidating for newbies, don’t require you to purchase expensive clip-in shoes, and allow anyone with a pair of workout sneakers to use the bike.
As a third option, bikes like the Bowflex VeloCore, Echelon EX5S, and MYX Fitness feature dual-sided pedals that work with regular athletic shoes or SPD cleats. These pedals are the most convenient, as they offer the best of both worlds.
The good news is that if you want to swap out your bike’s pedals for a different pair, you usually can. The S22i is compatible with all standard road bike pedals, so you can eventually replace its stock pedals for a pair you can clip into. It’s also possible to attach toe cages to your Peloton Bike pedals.
Dealing With Butt Pain
Smart or not, all stationary bikes can be a literal pain in the butt, especially for beginners. Regardless of the model, seat discomfort is the most common complaint I hear about stationary bikes.
One reader I was corresponding with who owns the S22i said they find the seat so uncomfortable they can only ride for 10 to 15 minutes at a time, and plan to swap it out for a different one. My hairstylist owns a Peloton and could barely use it more than once a week at first because she found the seat so uncomfortable.
I too found stationary bike seats uncomfortable at first, but over time I got used to them. If you’re experiencing a lot of discomfort, padded cycling shorts and bike seat covers, which are widely available in bike stores and online from around $20, can help. If that doesn’t do the trick, you can always swap out the seat with a more comfortable one.
How to Have a Peloton-Like Experience for Less Money
If you don’t have the money for a pricey smart stationary bike with a built-in screen, you can get a similar experience for a lot less money thanks to workout streaming services such as Peloton Digital, which you can use without buying one of the company’s machines, and Apple Fitness +.
Peloton Digital costs $12.99 per month and gives you access to the company’s full library of live and on-demand workouts, including Barre, bootcamp, cycling, HIIT, meditation, outdoor running, running, strength training, stretching, and yoga. Apple Fitness+ costs $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year, and offers a range of floor- and machine-based classes, including core, cycling, dance, HIIT, mindful cooldown, rowing, strength, treadmill, and yoga. Just keep in mind that Fitness+ requires an Apple Watch (Series 3 or later) paired with a compatible iPhone (an iPhone 6s or newer, or an iPhone SE).
Lots of people already use Peloton’s digital membership in combination with basic, non-connected stationary bikes as a more affordable alternative to buying a Peloton Bike. If you own the necessary Apple gear, you can do the same thing with Fitness+ for even less money.
Both are solid options, especially if you can mount a TV on the wall in front of your equipment to stream classes on. Just keep in mind that if you go this route, you won’t be able to view real-time metrics like your cadence, resistance, and output on your device’s screen, or participate on the Peloton leaderboard.
For more connected fitness options, check out our roundup of the best smart home gym equipment. And for more ways to use technology to improve your body and mind, check out our ultimate guide to health and fitness tech.
