Nordictrack Commercial 14.9 Elliptical Review – Is It Worth the Investment?

Are you looking for an alternative to traditional workout classes and personal training sessions at the gym? Do you want to bring some quality fitness equipment into your own home without investing in separate pieces that will be a hassle to store?

If that sounds eerily similar to your current situation, then you may want to take a look at elliptical trainers as the potential solution to your issue. More specifically, you may want to read through our NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 Elliptical review to see how it can help you get your sweat on in the comfort and convenience of your own home.

In A Hurry? Here’s The Main Specs

Why You Should Trust Us

Coming from different fitness backgrounds and goals, the Boxlife team has a long-standing love affair with all things related to exercise. We’ve had a fair share of run-ins with both commercial-grade equipment and beginner-level machines, with a few in-betweens to keep us on our toes. We’ve taken the time to adjust the settings, test out different programs and check the durability of each piece of equipment we’ve come across.

As part of our rigorous testing process, we’re focused on the overall functionality and design of each product we feature. We’ve closely examined all options for users in terms of the programming, adjustability, and comfort level offered by each fitness machine. Not to mention the utmost importance we place on safety and durability in all of our reviews – only those that satisfy these criteria are worthy of being discussed.

Who Is This Guide For?

Virtually anyone who has a body workout program in place but doesn’t want to make the trip to a gym or fitness studio every single day. You can have challenging workouts and efficient training sessions that are on par with a professional facility in your own space. You don’t need any experience with ellipticals to use it either – it has a wide range of customization and programming choices for both beginners and seasoned athletes alike.

How We Graded the Product

While most brands of trainers infuse their products with their signature technology and features, certain aspects of the overall build and performance always remain the same. The majority of devices rely on similar components to achieve their intended results, which is why we pinned the NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 Elliptical against other leading brands in terms of the following criteria:

• Construction quality – This is by far the most crucial aspect of any piece of fitness equipment since it defines the way a particular elliptical machine looks, feels, and performs across different settings. We made sure to check the quality of the frame, pedals, and handles to see if they’re durable and reliable enough for long-term use.
• Programming options – The main advantage of having cross-trainer machines at home is their integrated customization and programming capabilities. Users should be able to modify the digital resistance levels and incline settings easily to suit the desired level of intensity for each session, all while keeping track of their fitness data.
• Comfort level – Regardless of what kind of training program you’re doing, comfort is always a priority. Not only does it directly influence the quality of your performance but also makes it more enjoyable to come back for the next session. The bare minimum for comfort should be available on any cross-trainer, and we made sure to test how comfortable the NordicTrack fares in comparison to others.
• Price bracket – No matter how much we try to justify our spending on fitness equipment, it still boils down to the number at the bottom of the bill. Our goal is to minimize the need for making excuses on certain price points, in favor of the general functionality and usability of the product.

The Product – Nordictrack 14.9 Commercial Elliptical

This particular series offered by NordicTrack falls nothing short of a heavy-duty, premium-feel range that’s targeted towards a full-body workout. Based on solid steel construction, the overall design is super sleek and stable, powered by a 19-pound flywheel. This all translates to an incredibly smooth and quiet experience throughout each session, all while continuously adjusting your performance.

Key Specs

Machine Size	28.8″D x 68.3″W x 68.5″H
Levels of Resistance	26 digital levels of magnetic resistance
Incline Levels	0% to 20%
Maximum User Weight Capacity	350 lbs

Why It’s Great

There seems to be a general focus on comfort and convenience with the Commercial 14.9, with two separate sets of handlebars with a textured grip and NordicTrack’s patented Soft Touch technology for more stability and control over your movement. The stationary handlebars come with integrated grip sensors for heart rate monitoring, while the moving arms provide additional upper-body support.

Moreover, the cushioned pedals come with oversized levelers to make your stride more comfortable and provide a greater sense of balance. There’s a contoured ridge along the inner edges of the foot pedals for extra stability, while the outer edges are slightly sloped for easier access. Plus, the three power-adjustable notches for angle customization are incredibly useful for users of varying heights.

The console screen houses a 14-inch smart HD touchscreen display, which displays the wireless heart rate monitoring metrics and other workout stats like calories burned, distance, and time. A total of 26 different digital resistance levels are available for adjustment through the quick-dial controls, with a nifty incline feature to mitigate the intensity of each session.

In terms of pre-programmed workouts, the device comes with a full month’s worth of iFIT membership straight out of the box. With this, you gain access to an extensive library of around 16.000 automated exercise routines, personal trainers, and virtual outdoor trails. You can also take part in speed-walking, running, hiking as well as ice-skating classes with this feature.

If you decide to opt out of the iFIT coach, you can still make use of the manual mode with standard built-in workouts that are pre-programmed into the machine. This includes interval programs, weight-loss routines, and other fitness tests, which tend to be slightly less complex and lack video support.

The Buying Guide

As part of our NordicTrack commercial 14.9 elliptical review, we had a mission to lay out all aspects of the device for our users. In addition to its general build and specifications, we had to look at things from a buyer’s perspective, considering the potential obstacles and worries that come with such a purchase.

Noise Level

Since you’ll be using the device in a home setting, you need to be mindful of the noise levels. While it’s certainly not loud enough to disturb your neighbors, it might still be distracting for your family or even yourself as you take on some of the intense coach-led workouts.

Overall, we’d put this machine somewhere in the middle of the noise spectrum, with a slightly louder-than-average vibration due to the heavier flywheel. Even though it relies on a magnetic resistance to operate, it may still produce a fair amount of buzz throughout the session.

And if you consider the auto-adjustable workout fan that’s located beneath the console, it can further increase the noise factor with each session. While some may find this additional airflow to be a welcome addition, others might find the accompanying racket to be a bit too much.

Set-Up and Operation

Truth be told, assembling this cross-trainer is a two-person job that takes about two hours to complete. The heavy flywheel can’t be tackled on your own, as it takes a fair amount of strength to get it into place. Make sure you go through the instructions carefully and unbox any small components beforehand so you have everything ready before you start.

Once it’s all put together, the NordicTrack 14.9 is quite straightforward to operate, as most of the settings can be adjusted with a single touch on the larger screen. There’s no visible glare or smudging when you look at the display, either, so you can have a full view of your metrics and progress with precision.

Available Space

Let’s be honest, not all of us have copious amounts of free space in our homes. And with the NordicTrack 14.9 being non-foldable and quite bulky, you’d have to take a closer look at the exact dimensions of the device and compare it to your space before making any decisions.

Of course, it does have built-in transport wheels on the front, but this is only a minor benefit as the device itself is still quite heavy. Even if you plan on taking it out of its dedicated storage area for each workout, you’d still need to have enough clearance in both height and width in order to properly operate the machine.

Budget

Even if you’re keen on the NordicTrack 14.9, you’ll still need to look at the financial aspect of the purchase. Currently, this machine is regarded as a commercial-grade option, so it’s priced slightly higher than the other products in its price range.

Not to mention the long-term maintenance and upkeep costs, which can quickly add up if you’re not paying close enough attention. This includes things like lubrication and calibration of the moving parts, as well as cleaning and wiping down the entire frame.

But if you look at all the features that are included in the package, we’d say that it’s still a great value for your money. Sure, it’s a hefty investment from the start, but if you’re serious about your workouts, you likely won’t regret the purchase.

Warranty and Customer Service

While many other devices of the same price range offer lifetime warranties, NordicTrack decided to go with a slightly underwhelming 10-year frame warranty for this particular model. While this isn’t a direct indication of its quality, the brand still stands by its products, offering round-the-clock customer support and repairs in case of malfunction.

As for the other coverage policies, the machine comes with a 2-year parts warranty and a 1-year labor warranty that can be activated with the purchase. These are generally regarded as the industry standard, which is why many other manufacturers settle on this kind of warranty for their fitness equipment as well.

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