Diamondback 1060Ef Elliptical Review

Overview: The 2019 Diamondback 1060Ef is the first new elliptical from the company in years, joining the popular up-level 1260Ef model. This one is much more affordable and compact, with an adjustable stride up to 23″ to accommodate a wider range of users. As such it’s sure to be a big seller for the company.

Let’s take a look at some of the best features….

Compact Design

The new 1060Ef is only 49″ long, which is much shorter than the typical elliptical trainer, and considerably more compact than the company’s 1260Ef. This means that it is much more space friendly, great for those who have limited room in their home gyms or if you have other pieces of cardio equipment.

It’s also very light at 144 lbs., so it can be transported from one place to another without too much trouble. There are transport wheels on the front of the machine.

Adjustable Stride

One of the issues that customers have with the advanced Diamondback 1260Ef model is the fact that it has a fixed 19″ stride.

This is OK for most users, but some taller users have found it to be a bit uncomfortable. The new 1060Ef has an adjustable stride: You can choose from 18″, 20″ or 23″. Shorter users can choose the lower stride lengths and taller users can choose the longer to stretch their legs out more. Also, average sized users can change things up to target different muscle groups in the legs. It’s ideal for everyone.

Nice Array of Workouts

The Diamondback 1060Ef has a wide variety of built in workout program. There are 8 presets as well as 4 heart rate controlled programs, as well as the ability to create 4 custom programs based on your fitness goals. So there’s plenty to choose from, and you can vary your routine from one session to the next to maximize your results.

Everything is laid out cleanly on the LCD console, which displays your workout metrics as you train and measures how long it takes to recover to your resting heart rate post-workout, a unique feature not found on many other elliptical machines.

Low Impact Design

Diamondback is known for engineering and designing their machines to mimic natural movement, whether it’s their treadmills, bikes, rowers or ellipticals. The new 1060Ef is no different, with fewer components leading to a smoother, impact free elliptical motion. No matter what stride length you choose or how hard you train, the workout is comfortable with much less impact on your knees and joints than you find on other machines in the price category.

Other Great Features

The Diamondback 1060Ef has a 300 lb. maximum weight capacity, oversized foot pedals, a low step on height, quiet magnetic resistance and assembles very easily. The warranty is also solid and offers lifetime coverage on the frame and brake. You have a reading rack as well as contact heart rate capability.

Diamondback 1060Ef Elliptical Test Drive

The 1060Ef is definitely a welcome addition to the lineup, as the 1260EF, although it’s a solid machine that’s won a number of awards, is a little on the pricey side at around $2,300. The 1060Ef is under $1,500, so it’s much more affordable and gives customers another option if they want a Diamondback elliptical.

However, it’s also in a very competitive field, going head to head with offerings from NordicTrack, ProForm, Sole and Horizon Fitness. So time will tell if it’s able to hold its own against those ellipticals.

We like the compact design of the machine, and it’s a lot cleaner looking than the bulky 1260Ef with its enclosed flywheel. The machine looks new and fresh, and is something the Diamondback lineup needed.

Some of the highlights of our 1060Ef review…

We like the adjustable stride here, because it gives you a lot more freedom. You’re not locked into a fixed length. So it’s kind of like a stepper, elliptical and treadmill combined, as you can do the short choppy stepper like motion at 18″ or the stretched out treadmill motion at 23″. Or just set it at 20″ for the traditional elliptical feel.

The machine feels natural and smooth as advertised, and we’ve always found the Diamondback ellipticals to be less stressful on the joints than some of the other brands. The workouts are good…you tend to get more variety from other brands like NordicTrack, but there’s enough here to keep you going. We like the fact that there are a number of heart controlled programs, which are ideal for those who want to build up their cardio endurance.

You can pause your workouts if you need to answer the phone or get off the machine for some other reason which is a nice touch. Transition from one resistance level to the next is pretty smooth…there’s a warm up and cool down mode built into the workouts as well.

Anything we didn’t like? Well, let’s see. There’s no wireless heart rate capability which would have been nice especially given the amount of heart rate programs. Wireless tracking is much more accurate than the hand grips. Note that the up-level 1260Ef does have this functionality.

The display, although it’s neatly arranged and gives you all of the information you need, is not the most advanced screen we’ve come across on a $1,500 elliptical trainer. For example, NordicTrack offers the Commercial 14.9 at the same price, and that elliptical has a 10″ touch screen display with many more built-in workouts among other better features. However, it is not nearly as compact.

So there’s a lot to like here and a few nitpicks that we have. But overall it’s a very good machine with a lot of nice features, and we like the fact that it has a small footprint, a modern design and adjustable stride.

Diamondback 1060EF Review – Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a very compact elliptical for your home gym, the new 1060Ef is definitely worth considering. It has an adjustable stride that can accommodate all users, some good built in workouts and the ability to create your own, and very smooth natural motion that is easy on your joints.

The up-level 120Ef has wireless heart rate monitoring, incline capability and more workouts, so check out that model as well for comparison. Also look at the offerings from NordicTrack and Horizon to se if one of those models is more appealing to you.

Get more info, specs and compare models on the official company site!