Bowflex Max Total 16 Review

Overview: The Bowflex Max Total 16 is the newest Max Trainer on the market, first released in late 2021. It is the most advanced model to date, with features and capabilities not found on the other models. One of the biggest upgrades is a new 16″ touch screen display, a first for the company, helping it compete directly with competitors like NordicTrack and ProForm.

Let’s jump into our Max Total review to see what this new hybrid elliptical trainer has to offer…

New Touch Screen Display

As we mentioned, the Max Total comes with a large 16″ touch screen display, the largest touch screen to date, and bigger than the one found on the something that no other Bowflex cardio machine currently has, even the mid-level Max Trainer M9 model. This gives you the ability to interact with the machine like you would in the health club, rather than just using your tablet or smart phone.

We’re seeing more and more ellipticals and treadmills with touch screens, and it looks like this may be something that all cardio machines have at some point. It’s definitely a welcome upgrade and makes your workouts that much more enjoyable. Note that you need WiFi capability in order to access everything.

JRNY Workout Platform

A recent release by Bowflex, the JRNY app is an interactive experience that offers a huge library of on-demand, trainer led workouts, tracking and sharing capability, personalized training, Bowflex radio and Run Social app, among other tools.

It competes directly with NordicTrack’s iFit program, although it is not currently as comprehensive. But the company states that they will be adding new and exciting features over time.

With the new touch screen on the Bowflex Max Total, you can now access JRNY right on the machine, and take advantage of all that it has to offer. As of this writing the first year was included for free, but that might change over time.

New Streaming Capability

In an effort to add some entertainment to your workouts, the Max Total 16 includes streaming capability so you can tap into your Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu accounts and watch your favorite movies or TV shows while you train. This is great for those that don’t have a television in their workout area, and it definitely helps pass the time.

You won’t find streaming on the entry level Max Trainer M6 at the moment. So if this is something that appeals to you, the Max Total 16 is a great choice.

Built in Workouts

On top of all of the workouts that JRNY offers, there are also some built in workout programs, including calorie burn, fat burn and stairs. You have the capability to track an unlimited number of users, so everyone in the family can monitor their progress over time and set fitness goals to achieve.

You also get 20 levels of resistance on the Bowflex Max Total 16, so you can start at the lower levels and work your way up to challenge yourself as your fitness level improves.

Additional Features

Some of the other great features on the new Max Total 16 include triple positioned sculpted handlebars, water bottle holder, heart rate monitoring capability with free armband included, Bluetooth and USB charging port.

Bowflex Max Total 16 Test Drive

Bowflex recently upgraded two of their Max Trainers, both of which we were able to test drive. The M5 was upgraded to the M6; the M8 was upgraded to the M9.

The new Max Total 16 is essentially an upgraded M9, which is already a pretty advanced machine with some great features, and the most noticeable improvement is definitely the larger touch screen display.

One of the things we’ve been wondering for a while now is why none of the Bowflex machines come with a touch screen, since so many of their competitor’s machines do. NordicTrack has touch screens on most of their ellipticals, as does ProForm. Sole Fitness recently added touch screens to a few of their higher end models.

Well now Bowflex is in the touch screen game, and it’s definitely an improvement. That’s not to say that anything is inherently wrong with the basic displays on the Max Trainer M6 and previous models. It’s just that a touch screen makes for a better workout experience all around, as you don’t have to use your tablet or phone to access all of the great features.

We like the new JRNY app, which is a lot like NordicTrack’s iFit as we mentioned. You can tap into a library of on-demand workouts with professional trainers. You get personalized programs based on your inputs. There’s tracking and sharing capability. There’s a built in radio program. There’s Run Social with maps of worldwide locations.

So there’s a lot you can do with JRNY, and depending on which Max Trainer you choose, you get anywhere from 2 to 12 months for free so you can try it out. After that there is a monthly or yearly fee, but it’s nominal compared to the cost of a gym membership.

The workouts are great. You have a lot of options with JRNY plus there are a number built right into the machine so you can just do those if you’d like. You can manually set the resistance levels as well to make your workouts a bit harder.

Bowflex is known for their quick, yet effective low impact workouts, so if you are pressed for time you can just do the 7 or 14 minute interval workout and work up a pretty good sweat.

All in all we like the new Bowflex Max Total 16, as there are a lot of great features and capabilities. We love the new touch screen and the fact that you can access the JRNY app right on the screen and see all of our workout stats. We also enjoy the new streaming capability, as we can watch Netflix shows as we work out…what could be better than that?

Bowflex Max Total 16 Review – Conclusion

If you’re looking for a more advanced elliptical trainer for your home, you cant go wrong with the Bowflex Total Max. It is on the pricey side, but you are getting a touch screen display and a ton of upgrades from the other Max Trainers in the series, plus some unique features that you won’t find anywhere else.

Bowflex often gives you free shipping as well as extras such as free dumbbells, as well as a 100% satisfaction guarantee so you have plenty of time to try the MT16 out to see if you love it.

Check out the latest elliptical from Bowflex and let us know your thoughts. We’ll add your comments to our next review.

Check out the exciting new Bowflex model on sale now at the official site!