If you can only buy one cardio machine for a home gym, buy the Concept2 RowErg. It costs $990 (checked Sep 22, 2026), weighs 57 lb, splits in two without tools, is rated for a 500 lb user and holds its resale value for decades. It trains every major muscle group, it is easy on knees and hips, and its PM5 monitor talks to more than 40 apps with no subscription. That is the “spend once and train for years” answer.
It is not the answer for everyone. If your goal is a faster 10K, only a treadmill transfers, and the Horizon 7.0 AT is the one to buy. If your knees are shot or you are buying for a parent, the Schwinn 290 recumbent is the machine that actually gets used. If the budget is $250, the Sunny SF-RW5941 is a real folding rower, not a toy.
We did not lab-test these machines. We compared manufacturer spec sheets, owner reports and the long-form reviews at Garage Gym Reviews and BarBend, and we checked every Amazon listing in a real browser on Sep 22, 2026. More in this category: cardio machine guides.
Our pick
Concept2 RowErg (PM5 monitor)
Air resistance, damper 1 to 10 · PM5 with Bluetooth and ANT+ · 96 × 24 in in use, stores upright on 25 × 33 in · 57 lb, 500 lb capacity · 5-year frame warranty
$990.00 · in stock, verified Sep 22, 2026
On this page
Space: measure the stored footprint
Treadmills fold in length, not width. Horizon lists the 7.0 AT at 76 by 35 in in use and 44 by 35 in folded, but it still stands 68 in tall and weighs 277 lb. The NordicTrack 1750 is 77.3 by 37 in and 311.5 lb, per Garage Gym Reviews. Both fold; neither leaves the room. Plan a permanent 3 ft strip of wall, and check headroom: the 1750’s step-up height is 10.1 in before you add incline.
Rowers are longest in use and smallest stored. Concept2 recommends a 9 by 4 ft clear area for the RowErg, but it splits in two and stands upright on 25 by 33 in. The Sunny SF-RW5941 folds to about 40 by 22.6 in of floor, per the Rowing Machine Guide review. If you will actually stand it up after each session, a rower is the least intrusive machine here.
Bikes are the easiest fit, with one exception. The Schwinn IC4 needs 54.6 by 30.7 in. The Schwinn 290 recumbent needs 66.5 by 26.3 in, a foot longer, because the seat sits behind the pedals. Recumbents are the sneaky space hog.
Noise: fans, motors and footstrike
The loudest part of a treadmill is not the motor; it is your feet hitting the deck, which travels through the floor to the unit below. A mat softens it but does not remove it, so a running treadmill above a neighbor is a hard sell.
Rowers split by resistance type. The Concept2’s air flywheel whooshes in proportion to effort; Garage Gym Reviews calls it quieter than a treadmill, but owner reports agree it is louder than a magnetic rower. The Sunny’s magnetic belt drive is “much quieter than an air rower”, per the Rowing Machine Guide. Magnetic bikes are quietest of all: Garage Gym Reviews noted the IC4 “doesn’t shake or make much noise at all”, and the Schwinn 290 uses the same layout. For 5 a.m. sessions in a sleeping house, choose magnetic.
Joints and goals
Three exercise scientists at the University of South Australia compared the categories for The Conversation. Running is weight-bearing, so it can aggravate pain and swelling in people with osteoarthritis; the bike and rower are non-weight-bearing and gentler on knees and hips. The rower uses all major muscle groups including the upper body, and energy expended rowing is comparable to running and greater than cycling. The bike burns the least. The treadmill has one advantage the others cannot match: it is the only one that meaningfully strengthens bone.
- Training for a running race, or want bone-density benefits: treadmill.
- General fitness and the most work per minute: rower.
- Bad knees, hips or back: bike, and recumbent if sitting on a saddle is the problem.
- Mixed-age household: recumbent.
The specs that matter
Treadmill motor: CHP, not peak HP. Continuous horsepower is what the motor sustains for an hour; peak figures are marketing. Garage Gym Reviews recommends 2.5 CHP or more for runners, and 3.0 CHP or more if you run several times a week. The Horizon’s 3.0 CHP clears that bar; the current 1750’s 4.25 CHP (earlier model years had 3.5) is more than most home runners will load.
Belt size decides who can run. A 20 by 60 in belt is the runner’s minimum; the Horizon has it. The 1750’s 22 by 60 in belt suits taller runners. Garage Gym Reviews puts the average treadmill belt at 18 by 55 in, which is workable for shorter strides but tight for tall runners.
Rower resistance: air damper versus magnetic levels. The Concept2 damper (1 to 10) controls how much air enters the flywheel housing. Concept2 is blunt that it changes feel, not intensity, and suggests starting at 3 to 5; the PM5 computes a drag factor from flywheel slowdown, which is what makes scores comparable between machines. A magnetic rower like the Sunny has 16 fixed levels: quieter, but strong rowers top out.
Bike flywheel and resistance steps. The IC4’s 40 lb flywheel and 100 magnetic levels are why it feels like a studio bike and maps onto Peloton class cues. Schwinn does not publish a flywheel weight for the 290, which BarBend flags, and it has 25 levels; fine for steady-state, coarse for interval classes.
Capacity. Concept2 500 lb, NordicTrack 400 lb, both Schwinns 330 lb, Horizon 325 lb, Sunny 285 lb. Leave 50 lb of margin over your body weight.
App lock-in and subscriptions
A subscription is a second price tag. Our rule: buy the machine, not the platform, and prefer open Bluetooth (FTMS, ANT+) so you can switch apps later.
- NordicTrack 1750: iFIT is $39 per month after a 30-day trial, per Garage Gym Reviews; manual mode works without it.
- Schwinn 290: JRNY is $12 per month or $100 per year after a two-month trial, per BarBend; 13 built-in programs need no subscription.
- Schwinn IC4: Bluetooth to Peloton, Zwift and JRNY on your own tablet; Android lag is a common owner complaint.
- Horizon 7.0 AT: Bluetooth FTMS to Zwift, Peloton and Kinomap, plus the free AtZone app; no subscription.
- Concept2 RowErg: PM5 broadcasts over Bluetooth and ANT+ to more than 40 apps; nothing is locked.
- Sunny SF-RW5941: free SunnyFit app; the LCD tracks only time, strokes and calories, with no heart rate.
Our picks, compared
Prices checked on Amazon on Sep 22, 2026. The NordicTrack, IC4 and 290 pages are parent listings where the price moves with the selected variant, so those show a range.
| Machine | Type | Drive / motor | In use (L × W) | Stored | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Concept2 RowErg | Air rower | Air flywheel, damper 1 to 10 | 96 × 24 in | 25 × 33 in upright | 500 lb | $990.00 |
| Horizon 7.0 AT | Folding treadmill | 3.0 CHP, 20 × 60 in belt | 76 × 35 in | 44 × 35 in folded | 325 lb | $1,099.00 |
| NordicTrack 1750 | Folding treadmill | 4.25 CHP, 22 × 60 in belt | 77.3 × 37 in | Folds (SpaceSaver) | 400 lb | About $1,900 to $2,300 |
| Sunny SF-RW5941 | Magnetic rower | 16 levels, belt drive | 76.8 × 22.8 in | About 40 × 22.6 in folded | 285 lb | $249.99 |
| Schwinn IC4 | Indoor cycle | 40 lb flywheel, 100 magnetic levels | 54.6 × 30.7 in | No fold | 330 lb | About $800 to $900 |
| Schwinn 290 | Recumbent bike | 25 magnetic levels, belt drive | 66.5 × 26.3 in | No fold | 330 lb | About $900 |
The six machines
Concept2 RowErg (PM5): our pick
Concept2 has changed little about the RowErg for years because there is little to change: a nickel-plated steel chain, an air flywheel, a 54 in monorail and a monitor that measures work rather than guessing. Garage Gym Reviews reports a 10 to 20 minute assembly and rates it highest of anything it covers for durability and resale value. Concept2 also sells a 20 in tall-leg version for $1,155, worth it if getting up from the floor is hard.
- What we like: 500 lb rating and 5-year frame warranty; 57 lb and splits in two; PM5 with Bluetooth and ANT+ and no subscription; the best resale value in this guide.
- What we don’t: nearly $1,000 with no screen or classes; the fan is louder than magnetic rowers; many owners buy a seat pad.
Who it is for: anyone who wants one machine that will still be working, and worth money, in 15 years. It stores small enough to share a garage with a rack, which is why it fits the plan in our guide to building a home gym for under $1,000.
Horizon Fitness 7.0 AT: best treadmill value
Horizon rates the 7.0 AT at 3.0 CHP with a 20 by 60 in belt, 0.5 to 12 mph and 0 to 15 percent incline, and BarBend notes the 15 percent incline beats the 12 percent on comparable budget treadmills, which match it on speed. The quiet headline is the warranty: lifetime frame and motor, 3 years parts, 1 year labor, which beats the NordicTrack at twice the price. Horizon lists $2,100 regular and $1,099 on sale; Amazon matched $1,099 when we checked.
- What we like: full 60 in deck and 15 percent incline at this price; lifetime frame and motor; Bluetooth FTMS with no subscription; folds to 44 in long.
- What we don’t: 277 lb means two-person assembly and a machine you will not move; the 7.25 in LCD has eight presets and nothing more; no decline.
Who it is for: runners who want a real running deck and refuse to pay a monthly fee to use it.
Best treadmill value
Horizon Fitness 7.0 AT Treadmill
3.0 CHP · 20 × 60 in belt · 12 mph, 15% incline · folds to 44 × 35 in · 277 lb, 325 lb capacity · lifetime frame and motor
$1,099.00 · in stock, verified Sep 22, 2026
NordicTrack Commercial 1750: best premium treadmill
The 1750 is for people who want the machine to coach them. A 4.25 CHP motor, 22 by 60 in belt and a minus 3 to 12 percent range give it the widest training envelope here; decline is rare under $3,000. The 16 in touchscreen runs iFIT, which auto-adjusts speed and incline to follow a trainer. Two things to know: the Amazon page is the parent “Commercial Series” listing, so our research saw $1,899 and our browser saw $2,299, meaning about $1,900 to $2,300 depending on configuration. And Garage Gym Reviews reports NordicTrack voids the warranty if the treadmill lives in a garage.
- What we like: decline training; the biggest motor and belt here; 400 lb capacity; works in manual mode without a subscription.
- What we don’t: iFIT at $39 per month is the point of the screen; 311.5 lb and about 90 minutes of assembly; 10-year frame and 2-year parts warranty trails Horizon’s; garage storage voids it.
Who it is for: serious runners with an indoor room who want guided workouts and have priced in the subscription.
Best premium treadmill
NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Treadmill
4.25 CHP · 22 × 60 in belt · 12 mph, minus 3% to 12% · 16 in touchscreen · 311.5 lb, 400 lb capacity · 10-year frame
About $1,900 to $2,300 on Amazon depending on configuration (parent listing) · checked Sep 22, 2026
Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RW5941: best budget rower
At $249.99 the SF-RW5941 is an honest machine for a quarter of the RowErg’s price. Sixteen magnetic levels on a belt drive make it near-silent, the 44 in rail fits users to about 6 ft 5 in, and it folds to roughly half length at 53 lb. Sunny is a US-based brand with real support. The compromises: the LCD shows time, strokes and calories with no heart rate, the warranty is 3 years frame and 180 days parts, and strong rowers run out of resistance, which is why the Rowing Machine Guide scores it 6.5 out of 10.
- What we like: genuinely quiet; 44 in rail suits tall users; folds and moves easily; free SunnyFit app.
- What we don’t: basic non-backlit LCD with no heart rate; 180-day parts warranty; lots of plastic; level 16 is the ceiling.
Who it is for: beginners, apartment dwellers, and anyone who wants to find out whether they like rowing before spending $990.
Best budget rower
Sunny Health & Fitness Foldable Magnetic Rowing Machine (SF-RW5941)
16-level magnetic, belt drive · 44 in rail · 76.8 × 22.8 in, folds · 53 lb, 285 lb capacity · 3-year frame, 180-day parts
$249.99 · in stock, verified Sep 22, 2026
Schwinn IC4: best indoor bike
The IC4 is for people who want the Peloton class without the Peloton bike. The 40 lb flywheel and 100 magnetic levels give it a studio feel, and Garage Gym Reviews scored it 4.5 out of 5 overall and said it “doesn’t shake or make much noise at all”. Dual-sided pedals take SPD cleats or toe cages, and Schwinn says it fits riders from 4 ft 6 in to 6 ft 6 in. The console is a backlit LCD, not a screen: classes live on your tablet via Peloton, Zwift or JRNY, and owner reports mention lag and mismatched numbers, mainly on Android. The Amazon page is the parent “IC Series” listing; research saw $796 and our browser saw $899.99, so about $800 to $900.
- What we like: 40 lb flywheel and 100 levels; SPD and cage pedals; near-silent; 10-year frame, 3-year parts warranty; 54.6 by 30.7 in footprint.
- What we don’t: basic LCD, so classes need a paid app on your device; Android lag reports; 112 lb and does not fold.
Who it is for: riders with a tablet and an app they already like, who want studio-bike hardware at a fraction of the studio-bike price.
Best indoor bike
Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike
40 lb flywheel · 100 magnetic levels · SPD and cage pedals · 54.6 × 30.7 in · 112 lb, 330 lb capacity · 10-year frame, 3-year parts
About $800 to $900 on Amazon (parent listing) · checked Sep 22, 2026
Schwinn 290 Recumbent: best recumbent
The 290 has 25 magnetic levels on a belt drive, a step-through frame with 13.2 in of seat travel and a ventilated seat back, and BarBend rates the reclined position as real relief for lower-back pain. The 7 in LCD carries 13 built-in programs, so it stands alone without a subscription; Bluetooth reaches JRNY and Zwift if you want more. Schwinn does not disclose the flywheel weight, Terrain Control auto-resistance needs paid JRNY after the two-month trial, and the Amazon page is the parent “Recumbent Bike Series” listing, so treat the price as about $900.
- What we like: genuinely low-impact and back-friendly; 13 onboard programs; 330 lb capacity; quiet magnetic belt drive; 10-year frame warranty.
- What we don’t: undisclosed flywheel weight; auto-resistance paywalled behind JRNY; 90-day labor warranty; the longest bike footprint here.
Who it is for: daily low-impact cardio for anyone with back, hip or knee issues, and for a shared household where a parent will use it too.
Best recumbent
Schwinn 290 Recumbent Bike
25 magnetic levels, belt drive · 7 in LCD, 13 programs · 66.5 × 26.3 in · 110 lb, 330 lb capacity · 10-year frame, 2-year parts
About $900 on Amazon (parent listing) · checked Sep 22, 2026
Who should skip these
- You only walk. A 3.0 CHP motor and a 60 in deck are running capacity you would pay for and never use.
- Your gym is a garage and you want a screen. NordicTrack voids the 1750 warranty in a garage. Buy the Horizon or the Concept2, which do not care where they live.
- You have a 38 in or longer inseam. Concept2 says you may need its extra-long monorail, which Amazon does not sell. Order direct from Concept2.
- You have no strength equipment yet. Cardio is the easiest thing to do without a machine. Put the money toward a rack first, using our guide on choosing a squat rack for a compact garage gym, and add a rower later.
Frequently asked questions
Is a rowing machine or a treadmill better for burning calories?
They are close. Exercise scientists writing for The Conversation report that energy expended rowing is comparable to running and greater than cycling, without the joint impact of running. The treadmill is the only weight-bearing option of the three, so it is the only one that meaningfully strengthens bone.
How much motor does a home treadmill need?
Look at continuous horsepower (CHP), not peak. Garage Gym Reviews recommends 2.5 CHP or more for runners and 3.0 CHP or more if you run several times a week. The Horizon 7.0 AT’s 3.0 CHP clears that bar, and the NordicTrack 1750’s 4.25 CHP is more than most home runners will ever load.
Can I use the NordicTrack 1750 without an iFIT subscription?
Yes, in manual mode: you set speed and incline yourself and the screen shows basic metrics. You lose the trainer-led content and auto-adjusting workouts, which are most of the reason to pay for a screen. Garage Gym Reviews lists iFIT at $39 per month after the 30-day trial.
Is the Concept2 RowErg too loud for an apartment?
It is louder than a magnetic rower but quieter than a treadmill, and there is no footstrike to travel through the floor. Owner reports say it is fine on a mat in daytime. For early sessions with people sleeping nearby, the magnetic Sunny SF-RW5941 or a magnetic bike is quieter.
Which of these machines can I keep in a garage?
We found no garage restriction in the warranty terms of the Concept2 RowErg, Horizon 7.0 AT, Sunny SF-RW5941 or either Schwinn bike. Garage Gym Reviews reports that NordicTrack voids the Commercial 1750 warranty if it is stored in a garage, so keep that one indoors.
Sources
- Garage Gym Reviews: Best Cardio Machines
- Garage Gym Reviews: Guide to Treadmill Motors
- Garage Gym Reviews: Best Budget Treadmills
- Garage Gym Reviews: Concept2 RowErg Review
- Garage Gym Reviews: NordicTrack Commercial 1750 Review
- Garage Gym Reviews: Schwinn IC4 Review
- BarBend: Horizon 7.0 AT Treadmill Review
- BarBend: Schwinn 290 Recumbent Bike Review
- Horizon Fitness: 7.0 AT Treadmill product page
- Concept2: RowErg product page
- Concept2: Damper Setting 101
- Rowing Machine Guide: Sunny SF-RW5941 review
- The Conversation: Treadmill, exercise bike, rowing machine: what is the best option for cardio at home?
