Schwinn 411 Elliptical Review

Overview: The Schwinn 411 is the latest addition to the company’s elliptical series, joining the mid-level 430 and the top of the line 470.

It is a very compact machine, making it an appealing option for the home gym, and adds a few key elements that the 430 does not have.

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

Space Friendly Design

One of the best features of the 411 is that it is just under 54″ long, which makes it about 30″ shorter than the typical elliptical machine.

This is great for those who have limited room in their workout space, or need to fit multiple cardio machines.

For a frame of reference, the mid-level Schwinn 430, also quite compact, is over 70″ long.

Plenty of Workout Programs

You get a nice variety of workout programs on the Schwinn 411, including interval training, challenges, heart rate specific and manual, so there’s plenty of variety for you.

It’s nice to see a range of built in training options on an entry level machine.

Bluetooth Tracking and Heart Rate

Interestingly, the 411 comes with Bluetooth capability for workout tracking and wireless heart rate, while the mid-level 430 does not.

We’re not sure why that is, but it is a great feature to have and something typically not found on ellipticals at this price level.

You can keep tabs on your workout progress, share your results with family and friends via RunSocial, and more accurately measure your heart rate while you train.

Other Great Features

The Schwinn 411 elliptical comes with 16 levels of resistance to choose from, articulating foot plates, fixed and moving handlebars, water bottle holder and transport wheels for easy mobility.

Let’s dive into the most important part of our review…the test drive.

The Schwinn 411 Elliptical Test Drive

Out of the box the Schwinn 411 is pretty easy to assemble. The manual is very straightforward, and you should be able to put it together with a little help in under 30 minutes. You can probably even do it by yourself.

The elliptical is very compact, which is a good thing, and at 100 lbs. it’s very easy to move from one place to the next. It’s definitely not the sturdiest machine, but we didn’t really expect it to be.

(Note that the 430 and top end Schwinn 470 are about 60 lbs. heavier)

The leveling feet definitely help you get the machine to sit flat on your gym surface. Hopping on it still felt a tad uneven, but nothing we couldn’t get used to.

The workout programs are pretty good, as they are on most of the Schwinn ellipticals and treadmills. There’s a lot of variety, including high intensity interval training (HIIT) and heart rate control programming.

To make it more enjoyable you can tap into the RunSocial app and choose destinations worldwide to train in…you can watch it all unfold on your tablet, which you can rest on the holder.

The motion feels pretty good, but note that the Schwinn 411 has a fixed 18″ stride, which might not be ideal for taller users. If this sounds like you then definitely take a look at the 430 or the 470, both of which offer a larger 20″ stride.

Also note that there is no incline capability here as there is on the other two models. Not a deal breaker, but it is nice to ramp up the machine for more cardio and muscle targeting of it is available.

The Schwinn 411 is also missing the 3 speed fan that the 430 and 470 ellipticals have…that’s something you will notice especially during intense workouts. It also doesn’t have a sound system.

So the 411 is definitely more of a stripped down version, but it does give you the advantage of a much smaller footprint, plenty of workouts, Bluetooth tracking/heart rate and of course the entry level price tag.

As such it’s a matter of deciding if you need all of the extra features, or you’ll be just fine with all that the Schwinn 411 offers…which is a lot for a base level elliptical.

Schwinn 411 – Conclusion

If you’re looking for a low cost, compact elliptical trainer for your home, the Schwinn 411 is definitely worth considering.

What it lacks in size it more than makes up for in features and capabilities, and definitely packs in more than you get on other ellipticals in its price range.

If you’re on the taller side, or want the incline capability (and the cool fan) you should take a look at the mid-level 430 and the top of the line 470, both of which give you larger stride lengths as well as more workouts and resistance levels to choose from.

Otherwise, the Schwinn 411 is a very good choice for the home gym.

Get more information and special sale pricing on this elliptical here