NordicTrack Elite 11.0 Elliptical Cross Trainer Review

One of the oldest, best known and respected names in the home fitness market, NordicTrack have been building fitness machines for a very, very long time. Their machines always had a great spec for the money and almost always offer more gadgets and things to play with than their competitors. When their Elite 11.0 became available to test we just couldn’t say no. Here’s what we found………..

Set at the sub-£800 price point at the time of writing this review, the Elite 11.0 is an upper-mid market elliptical that’s designed to bridge the gap between the basic models in the NordicTrack  range and the high-end commercial machines that they offer. On paper, it looks pretty good but first there’s the small matter of assembly. It’s always nice to get off on the right foot with one of these machines and the ease with which they go together really does make a difference to that all important first impression. On the unit we tested all the holes lined up as they should and all the screws, nuts, bolts and other things you need were all present and correct. Assembly is definitely a 2-person job and took us just over an hour. The instructions are clear and logical, and as long as you don’t throw the manual aside and decide you’re better off without it then assembly should be well within the capabilities of most people. All said and done, the Elite 11.0 goes together well and makes a good first impression.

In terms of looks, the Elite 11.0 isn’t going to win any design awards, but it does look modern and clean. It also looks solid and like it’s going to get the job done which is re-assuring. Your reviewer isn’t the biggest fan of ‘home fitness machine grey’ as a colour scheme but with the addition of a bit of red trim, NordicTrack have done a decent job of making the Elite 11.0 look smart.

After a well-earned cup of coffee post-assembly, it was time to get on and see what the Elite 11.0 is made of. It’s clear as you step up onto this elliptical that there’s a good deal of experience going into its design. The screen and all buttons are nicely laid out and the positioning of the pedals and handlebars makes things nice and comfortable. The 12kg (26.4lbs) flywheel is more than heavy enough to make the action feel smooth and unchanging throughout the whole rotation and the elliptical as a whole feels very sturdy indeed. When on flat setting the E11.0 has a 20″ (51cm) stride making it feel rather bigger than it actually is which makes it seem nice and big and safe.

The Elite 11.0 is also fitted with an electronically controlled incline ramp which has two effects. The first is that it changes the nature of the ellipse so when on its lowest setting (flat) it feels like a normal front-wheel based elliptical and on it’s highest setting the ellipse is much rounder making it feel a little closer to a stepper. The second effect it has is that it alters the stride length. On the lowest setting you get a 20″ (51cm) stride and on the highest setting you get a 18.5″ (47cm) stride. With a 20% incline, you can feel a material difference in your muscles between lowest and highest settings as the nature of your body motion changes with the incline setting. This is a great way to work the maximum number of muscles and get an all-over-body workout. The incline isn’t too noisy at all and is quick enough to make it a pleasure to use during your workout rather than just at the start as you have to do with manual incline machines. There are 22 levels of resistance and the maximum level should be plenty enough for all but hardcore gym disciples. The change in resistance is quick too so it doesn’t feel laggy when you decided to take things up a notch.

The console features a 6″ dual colour back-lit LCD display which has now become a familiar feature of machines in the NordicTrack range. All the buttons are clearly marked and easy to read. More importantly, they’re easy to understand, benefiting from the labels and tags on them that make it clear what the button does for all the basic functions such as incline, resistance, fan speed and so on without having to refer to the manual. It really is user friendly. Other functions on the console relate to iFit Live activities. We’ve played around with iFit Live a fair bit as we’ve reviewed different machines that make use of it and it definitely has a lot to offer. For more information on iFit Live, we’d suggest checking out the iFit.com website as it would take too long to cover all the things you can do with it in this review.

In terms of workouts, there are 26 different programmes built into the console which are divided into cardio and calorie burn workouts of varying degrees of difficulty right up to a level that should keep most users challenged as fitness levels improve over time. In order to get to use all the features of iFit Live with the Elite 11.0 it’s necessary to purchase a subscription separately, but you can get a glimpse of some of the things on offer by pressing on one of the iFit buttons that are on the console. Pressing any of these gives you access to 2 iFit workouts. Want more? You need to buy that subscription! Finally, in addition to the presets and manual workouts there’s also a ‘set-a-goal’ function. This programme allows you to set a goal for calorie, distance, or time. Once set, just start working out and keep going until hit your target. With the experience they’ve got in making these machines, NordicTrack have made sure that the Elite 11.0 caters for everyone from beginners to advanced users that want to quit the gym in favour of working out at home. It does a good job of this too and if you decide to part with your cash for one, you’re not likely to be disappointed.

Other console features include a fan, a Bluetooth receiver for improved reliability in heart rate monitoring with suitable chest belt, an audio port and speakers, a tablet holder and a water bottle holder. The latter of these is an important element missing on many other ellipticals so while a small thing, it shouldn’t be underestimated.

With a maximum user weight of 145kg, a very good range of training options, electronic incline, iFit Live compatibility and NordicTrack’s 5 years frame and 2 years parts and labour warranty the Elite 11.0 looks like great value for money when you compare the cost and what you’re actually getting. Above all else, this is a cross trainer that feels great to use and that’s important. If it doesn’t feel great then the expensive coat hanger scenario looms large. Thankfully it’s not likely with the Elit 11.0 – it just feels too good to use to consider leaving it sitting there gathering dust.