Nordictrack FS10i vs Commercial 14.9 Elliptical – Which is Best for You?

Trying to compare the Nordictrack FS10i vs Commercial 14.9 elliptical?

Wondering which is best for you?

Both are popular mid-range ellipticals sitting in a similar price range.

The FS10i Freestride trainer is a center-drive elliptical whereas the Commercial 14.9 is Nordictrack’s premium front drive crosstrainer.

Both models give you interactive training with iFit Coach and full-color, HD touch-screens. So you can run trails all over the world or stream a new workout class to your machine each day.

So how are they different?

This post will show you the main differences between the Nordictrack FS10i vs Commercial 14.9 elliptical trainers to help you find the best one for you.

Nordictrack FS10i vs Commercial 14.9: Design

As stated above, these two trainers come with very different elliptical trainer designs.

The Nordictrack Commercial 14.9 is a front-drive elliptical. In this design, there’s one large flywheel in front of the pedals. People like this design (vs a rear drive design or center drive) because it tends to feel more stable and solid.

The front drive elliptical design is becoming very popular and you’ll see the majority of crosstrainers today use this type of design – including health club trainers.

The Nordictrack FS10i is what’s known as a center drive elliptical – which is not as common as a front drive design. In this design there are 2 smaller flywheels (instead of one large flywheel) on either side of the footpedals.

The advantage to this is that the user tends to stand more upright on the pedals (which can feel more comfortable). And the trainer takes up less space – making it more compact than a front-drive elliptical.

Is one design better than another? The jury is still out on this one. It really comes down to your personal preference.

Nordictrack FS10i vs Commercial 14.9 – Price

As of this writing, the Nordictrack 14.9 is the more affordable of the two models. You can get it direct from the manufacturer for aroud $1799 with Free Shipping here. 

The Nordictrack FS10i comes in just slightly higher. You can get it around $1899 with Free Shipping here.

So the Nordictrack Commercial 14.9 is a bit easier on the budget.

Nordictrack FS10i vs 14.9 Elliptical: Stride

This is a big one and probably one of the most important differences between the two machines.

The Nordictrack Commercial 14.9 comes with what you’d think of as a standard elliptical stride length at around: 17.5 – 18.7 inches (depending on the level of incline you’re using). This stride length should be fine for more people.

Taller users however (over 6 feet) might feel like they want a bit longer stride to feel the most comfortable.

Because of the unique center drive design on the FS10i Freestride trainer, you get a much longer stride. In fact, the stride here is completely adaptable – up to 32 inches long!

You change the stride by how much and in which direction you push the pedals. So you can do short up-and-down strides, longer jogging strides or even longer hurdling type strides.

So you have much more in terms of crosstraining that you can do on the FS10i vs 14.9 elliptical.

Another benefit of the adaptable stride?

Everyone in your home can choose the most comfortable stride for them.

So when it comes to the stride length, while the Nordictrack Commercial 14.9 is good, the Nordictrack FS10i is much better

Console Differences

Both ellipticals give you full-color, HD touch-screens where you can stream iFit daily fitness classes or run famous trails all over the world.

However the main difference is in the size of the screen.

The Nordictrack FS10i console measures 10-inches as you can see below:

The Nordictrack Commercial 14.9 gives you a larger console at 14-inches as you can see here:

The larger console can really make your iFit coach workouts come alive – especially when you’re running different trails all over the world from Paris to Hawaii. It can also make your workout stats easier to read.

Here’s another viewing angle of the Nordictrack FS10i:

And here’s another viewing angle of the Nordicrack 14.9 elliptical:

As you can see, they’re both large screens. But if you want the biggest screen possible, then the Commercial 14.9 model is the clear winner in this category.

Nordictrack 14.9 vs FS10i – Incline

Incline changes the slope of your elliptical running pathway, helping you to use more muscle groups and get a more optimal workout. It’s a great way to add extra crosstraining to your workouts.

Both ellipticals come with incline options.

The Nordictrack FS10i Freestrider give you up to 10 degrees of incline

However the Commercial 14.9 trainer goes one better with up to 20 degrees of incline.

So you get a bit more crosstraining with the 14.9 elliptical.

Resistance Levels

The FS10i Freestrider gives you up to 24 levels of resistance. The Commercial 14.9 model gives you a bit more – up to 26 levels of resistance.

This isn’t really a huge difference. But you do have a bit more room to grow with the Commercial 14.9 elliptical as your fitness levels improve.

Stationary Arm Bars

Both trainers give you moving arm bars to work your upper body.

The Nordictrack 14.9 also gives you stationary arm bars. So you can rest your hands if you don’t want to work your arms – which is a benefit for many people.

The FS10i Freestrider doesn’t have stationary arm bars. But you can just grasp the moving arm bars and not push or pull – in effect resting them.

Bottom Line?

So which is better when comparing the Nordictrack FS10i vs Commercial 14.9 elliptical trainers?

Both have benefits.

With the FS10i Freestrider you get a completely adaptable, changeable stride. So you can do a lot more in terms of lower body motions with this trainer than the 14.9 model.

The Nordictrack 14.9 elliptical however gives you the larger, more enjoyable screen. You also get a higher incline and stationary arm bars.

So at the end of the day, it comes down to what you’re really looking for.

Want to know more? Check out the links below for the full specs on either elliptical trainer model, direct from the Manufacturer:

Click Here For More on the Nordictrack FS10i

Click Here For More On the Nordictrack 14.9

Related:

Nordictrack 14.9 Elliptical – A Good Buy for You?

Nordictrack FS10i Freestride Trainer – Worth Your Money?

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