NordicTrack FreeStride Trainer FS14i Review

NordicTrack FS14i – Overview

The FS14i is the newest Incline Trainer released by NordicTrack, joining the FS10i to form the most advanced series in the company’s elliptical lineup. These cardio machines take elliptical training to the next level, with auto-adjustable strides up to an incredible 32″, Smart HD touch screen technology, tons of workouts via iFit and incline training capability.

The FS14i takes it a step further with decline training as well, something you don’t often find on residential ellipticals, even the more expensive ones.

Let’s start our review with the best features and move on to our in-depth test drive…

iFit Unlimited Workouts

Like most of the NordicTrack ellipticals, the new FS14i comes with iFit technology, which is an incredible immersive workout experience with on-demand workouts in studio or outdoors, tracking and sharing capability, endless programs to choose from and Google map integration. As of this writing a family membership is included for free for a month, so it’s a great way to try it out and see all that it has to offer. You can work put on or off the elliptical, as they have yoga, strength training and thousands of other workouts that you can do to complement your training.

Incline & Decline Capability

It’s rare enough to find incline capability on a home elliptical, but decline is even rarer. The NordicTrack FS14i gives you both, with up to -10% decline training and up to 10% incline training. This allows you to ramp up the cardio as well as target leg muscles that you just can’t hit otherwise. This gives you additional benefits on top of what you get from changing the resistance levels as you can do on most ellipticals. High resistance coupled with a high incline or decline really maximizes your efforts.

Advanced Touch Screen Display

Perhaps just as rare as decline is a touch screen display, even these days as touch screens seem to be everywhere. The FS14i gives you a huge 14″ touch screen (hence the model name) where you can access all of the iFit programming as well as view your workout calories, distance and other metrics. Although a touch screen isn’s a necessity, once you experience it it’s very hard to go back to a basic display.

(Note that the FS10i Incline Trainer has a….yes you’ve guessed it, a 10″ touch screen display)

Other Great Features

The list of features and capabilities on the FS14i Incline Trainer are really endless. In addition to the incline, decline, iFit workouts and touch screen display you also get 26 resistance levels, one touch controls, oversized cushioned pedals, workout fan and soft touch upper-body grips among other comfort features.

NordicTrack FS14i Elliptical Test Drive

Let me start by saying that the NordicTrack FreeStride Trainers are awesome. They’re super compact so they fit in perfectly, especially in smaller workout areas. The motion is unlike anything else you’ll experience…it’s almost like you are floating on air with zero impact, and with the 32″ stride you have total freedom of movement. So you can choose a short stepper like stride or totally stretch out into more of a run. You choose your stride on the fly and it’s very liberating.

The FS14i is the current top end model, so it’s very similar to the others but just gives you a bit more of everything. You get the largest touch screen…you get 26 resistance levels, you get both incline and decline. That’s what separates it from the FS10i and the previous models, as well as the other NordicTrack ellipticals.

The FreeStride Trainers are definitely on the pricier side, but for all that you are getting it’s well worth the price. The workout is comfortable and impact-free, and you can transition from one resistance or incline/decline level to another seamlessly with minimal noise.

The iFit workouts are awesome, as you can choose from an ever-growing library of workouts and trainers, from beginner to advanced and everything in between. You can work out on the elliptical or get off and do all kinda of cross training, yoga, strength training in your workout space. So you can get a total body workout in, and do your training in the studio or choose an exotic location via Google maps. The possibilities are endless.

NordicTrack has really thought of everything, and I can’t think of anything that’s missing on the FS14i. You have a great Bluetooth sound system, solid construction, a 375 lb. weight capacity, hand controls to change the resistance and incline, water bottle holder, transport wheels…the list goes on and on.

If you have the budget for it, the FS14i is a great elliptical and you’ll be more than satisfied with what it has to offer.

NordicTrack FS14i Review – Conclusion

We’re impressed by the new FS14i, simply because it has everything you could ever want in an elliptical and more. You should definitely check out this new model if you’re looking for an advanced elliptical with incline, decline and loads of workout possibilities.

Yes, it’s definitely expensive…around $2,699 or so when it’s on sale, but given all of its capabilities and features, in our opinion it is well worth the cost.There are many ellipticals on the market in the $3000-$4000 range that don’t have a 1/4 of this functionality…so if you look at it that way it more than justifies the cost.

If you want to save a little bit take a look at the FS10i, which is very similar except it has a smaller 10″ Smart HD touch screen and no decline capability. And if you’re looking for something more affordable NordicTrack has some front drive and rear drive ellipticals in the $1000 to $2000 range that are also very good options.