Nordictrack vs Proform Elliptical? Which is Best For You?

Trying to decide between a Nordictrack vs Proform Elliptical? Wondering which is best for you?

You’re not alone. These are two of the most well-known fitness equipment brands in the world.

This post will dissect a few of their differences – although I will make the disclaimer that ultimately it comes down to which models you’re comparing.

But overall which brand makes a better crosstrainer?

Here are few things you need to know.

First of all the main thing to cover is that these two brands are owned and manufactured by the same company: ICON Health and Fitness. (They’ve recently renamed themselves to iFit – but most people still know them as ICON).

ICON is one of the largest manufacturers in the fitness equipment industry – they have the money, engineering facilities and talent to make a better elliptical for less.

And they’re really good at adding features you find in the commercial market into their home ellpticals (for less).

Nordictrack Vs Proform Elliptical – The Perception

While this may change in the future, for now Nordictrack is really seen as ICON’s higher end brand.

They have more luxury and specialty ellipticals like their Commercial elliptical series or the Freestride Trainer ellipticals which give you a completely changeable, adaptable stride.

Proform is their more “affordable” brand with many trainers coming in under $1000.

You’ll also notice that it’s usually the Proform brand that gets sold at the cheap fitness equipment and big box stores. These tend to be lower quality, mainly starter machines that don’t give you much in terms of warranty or strong construction.

That’s just my opinion from years of reviewing different fitness equipment brands. And it’s also the impression that many buyers have – and will continue to have – for years (it’s very hard to change a brand perception once it’s set).

So I can’t seen ICON/iFit changing this branding perception anytime soon.

What does this mean for you?

This means that ICON tends to put more of their higher-end features on their Nordictrack models first – like full-color HD consoles, adjustable foot pedals and incline/decline.

So if you want the most up-to-date, tech-heavy ellipticals with premium comfort features you may want to consider a Nordictrack elliptical first.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a simpler, more affordable elliptical without as many bells and whistles, you may want to consider a Proform.

Proform vs Nordictrack Elliptical – Design And Construction

Nordictrack gives you a wider range of design options than Proform. You can find front-drive and rear-drive designs as well as the Freestride trainers which are center drive designs.

(Center drive designs have two smaller flywheels on either side of the pedals instead of one large flywheel in front or in back of the pedals.

Proform seems to be moving more towards only center drive designs – with one exception – the HIIT trainers. These aren’t typically what we think as elliptical trainers however, they’re more like a climbing elliptical.

You might be able to find some rear drive Proform models kicking around in stores somewhere. But for now, Proform seems to be emphasizing starter front-drive trainers as well as their HIIT trainer series (more on this below).

Nordictrack Or Proform Elliptical – Proform’s Advantage

While Proform doesn’t offer as many bells and whistles or necessarily the construction quality as Nordictrack, they have one elliptical that has hit it out of the park. And it’s definitely worth considering if you want a high quality elliptical that can get you faster results in less time – the Cardio HIIT Trainer.

This is a very cool new vertical elliptical trainer incorporating more lower body muscles into your workout. Instead of a flat running path as you get on a standard elliptical, it’s more of a climbing, vertical path.

This uses more lower body muscles (you really sweat on these machines) and subsequently (in theory anyways), you can burn more calories than on a standard elliptical.

Another plus? The Cardio HIIT trainer is more compact than a traditional elliptical making it a great choice for apartment or condos.

Plus, all HIIT trainer ellipticals also work with iFit. So you can run trails all over the world or even take fitness classes from your home.

So it looks as if Proform is starting to bring in some new elliptical-type machines that are unique to the Proform brand. If you’re looking for something a bit different, these may be worth checking out.

Bottom Line?

So what’s the bottom line when comparing Nordictrack vs Proform elliptical trainers? Well, there are pros and cons to each brand.

Nordictrack offers a few more mid-to-higher-end ellipticals that are built for heavier or longer workouts. They also have unique elliptical series like the center-drive Freestrider adaptable-stride trainers or the rear-drive folding ellipticals.

You can also get larger, full-color consoles on these trainers – which make the iFit streaming workouts a lot more fun to watch.

Proform tends to shine in the starter elliptical market and mainly focus on front-drive trainers. If you’re looking for a range of affordable, starter ellipticals, they would probably be the better bet.

They also have the very popular HIIT trainer – which is the first vertical elliptical that ICON has produced. It’s an extremely popular trainer right now – and a great way to burn more calories in less time.

Overall it does come down to which models you’re comparing – but those are some of the general differences between Nordictrack vs Proform elliptical trainers.

Want to Learn More? Check out the links below for further research:

Click To Compare All Nordictrack Ellipticals

Click to Compare All Proform Ellipticals

Related:

Nordictrack FS10i vs FS14i Freestride Trainer – Which is Best for You?

What Does iFit Look Like on Your Nordictrack Elliptical?