3.5 / 5.0

Nautilus elliptical machines are considered entry level, beginner machines just like their sister trainers sold under the Schwinn name.

Nautilus, Inc. is a large equipment manufacturer located in Vancouver, Washington. The company sells ellipticals, treadmills, recumbent and upright bikes under the Nautilus, Schwinn, Stairmaster, Bowflex and Universal names.
nautilus ellipticals logo
You may remember Nautilus and Universal if you went to a gym back in the 70s or 80s. They used to make a lot of strength training equipment, including pull down machines, rowers, benches and preachers. They dominated the market and you couldn’t work out anywhere without coming across one of their machines.

Over the years Nautilus went through a lot of transitions, ultimately settling into the home gym market with ellipticals, treadmills and bikes.

The only real strength equipment remaining is the Bowflex line, which if you own a television you know what that’s all about. Universal now just sells weights, kettlebell sets and benches.

OK…enough with the history lesson…let’s get into the Nautilus elliptical reviews…

Check out the entire current elliptical lineup on sale now at the Nautilus store!

The Current Nautilus Elliptical Lineup

As we mentioned Nautilus essentially offers affordable, capable ellipticals that are perfectly suitable for home use. A few years ago they offered a number of very pricey models, but they could not compete with the other brands in this category, so they brought the prices down a notch.

It’s worth mentioning that the company has stepped it up as far as features and capabilities, without raising the prices…so we commend them for that.

The current lineup includes three models to choose from: the E614, E616 and E618.

E614 (Base Model)

The E614 comes with 22 workout programs, an 18 lb. flywheel, 20 levels of resistance, a 20″ stride, 300 lb. maximum weight capacity and 6 degrees of manual incline.

It offers contact grip heart rate monitoring and up to 2 user profiles.

E616 (Mid-Level Model)

The step-up E616 gives you a bit more of everything, with 29 workout programs, a 22 lb. flywheel, 25 levels of resistance and 10 degrees of power incline.

It also adds wireless heart rate capability with free chest strap for more accuracy, Bluetooth workout tracking and up to 4 user profiles.

E618 (Top-End Model)

The top of the line E618 is the newest addition to the lineup, with even more advanced features.

On top of everything that the E616 offers, the E618 has the heaviest 30 lb. flywheel (smoothest motion), a long 22″ stride, enhanced cushioning and a heavier 350 lb. max user weight capacity.

All Nautilus ellipticals offer 2 LCD displays, Quick Keys for easy adjustment, articulating footplates for reduced stress, fixed and moving handlebars, water bottle/tablet holders, 3 speed fans and sound systems.

They also have built in USB charging ports, transport wheels and frame stabilizers.

Although it appears as though these machines offer a lot of great features, expert Nautilus elliptical reviews are not so favorable.

The Treadmill Doctor has this to say about the lineup:

“Nautilus has redesigned its popular elliptical line…We just hope they can keep the frames from breaking during shipment. This has been a problem for them in the past. By the way, we almost never see this kind of problem with Nautilus’ competitors. I hope that Nautilus quality control has got that problem licked with their new machines.”

“While the price of the E614 is attractive, the machine itself is not.” “For $900 you should get a machine that is quality. “The E616 is a new elliptical from Nautilus that doesn’t stack up well when compared to the machines from NordicTrack and Proform.”

Nautilus Elliptical Reviews From Customers

Users seem to be a little more positive about these machines. Reading through the Nautilus elliptical reviews on Amazon, all three models receive at least 4 stars out of 5 total, although there aren’t too many ratings to speak of.

The E614 has 172 reviews and 4 stars; the E616 has 10 reviews and 4 stars as well. The newer E618 has just a couple of 5 star reviews thus far. Not so bad at all.
nautilus e616 elliptical

Nautilus does seem to care about customer service of late. The few negative reviews received responses from the customer support team to help with their issues, so that’s a good sign. Maybe they are headed in the right direction.

Still, their Schwinn counterparts are much more popular and worth a look.

We will be reviewing all of the Nautilus ellipticals individually so check back with us often. If you have purchased one of these machines we would love for you to share your experiences with us.

If you are interested in buying one of the latest Nautilus ellipticals on sale you can currently purchase them on the company site at greatly reduced prices.

They tend to have better pricing than reseller sites from time to time as well as free shipping options.