6 Best Quiet Ellipticals for Apartment in 2024

Living in an apartment can be great, but it’s not always the quietest environment. If you’re wanting to build a home gym, choosing the best quiet elliptical for apartment spaces is important for your comfort and that of the surrounding others.

Ellipticals are excellent pieces of gym equipment. They are durable, easy to use, and offer a range of versatile uses. They provide a low-impact, full-body workout option that can be customized according to your goals, with a great range of resistance levels available.

Whilst you may think ellipticals can be noisy, some are designed as no-noise alternatives. In this guide, I’ve broken down my top 6 quiet elliptical machines and presented them below.

In a hurry?

In a hurry and can’t keep reading? How about you check out the Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Cross Trainer.

Made from tubular steel, the frame weighs 58.5 lbs and comes with a handy set of transport wheels, making it easy to move your elliptical from room to room. The stride length of 12.5″ results in an effective yet efficient workout, with 8 different resistance levels to choose from.

Top 6 Best Quiet Ellipticals for Apartment Reviewed

1. Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Cross Trainer — Top Pick
2. Sole Fitness Elliptical Machine — Runner-Up
3. Niceday Elliptical Machine
4. NordicTrack Space Saver Elliptical Machine
5. Schwinn Fitness 430 Elliptical
6. FUNMILY Elliptical Machine

Each apartment sized elliptical has been ranked according to adjustability, monitor functionality, portability, quietness, multifunctionality, and price/ quality.

1. Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Cross Trainer — Top Pick

• Type/ Model: Elliptical Cross Trainer
• Item Weight: 58.5 lbs
• Weight Limit: 240 lbs
• Product Dimensions: 43.7″ L x 24″ W x 59.4″ H
• Display: Time, Speed, Distance, Odometer, Calories, Heart Rate
• Workout Programs: 8 Resistance levels
• Additional Features: Device Holder, Transportation Wheels, Pulse Sensors

Sunny Health & Fitness aims to provide athletes of all levels with high-quality fitness equipment. They want people to live a healthy and happy lifestyle by using affordable workout equipment.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive full-body workout using the quietest elliptical, Sunny Health & Fitness has ticked all the boxes. Their SF-E3955 magnetic elliptical offers contactless, smooth resistance via the belt-driven mechanism.

With no contact between the moving parts, this improves the overall ride experience, reduces the noise produced, and lowers the amount of maintenance needed to keep the machine in top shape.

Made from tubular steel, the frame weighs 58.5 lbs and comes with a handy set of transport wheels, making it easy to move your elliptical from room to room. The stride length of 12.5″ results in an effective yet efficient workout, with 8 different resistance levels to choose from.

The SF-E3955 elliptical measures 43.7″ L x 24″ W x 49.4″ H and features two sets of handles, one fixed pair with pulse-sensing grips, and one movable pair that rotate alongside the foot pedals. The foot pedals feature a textured non-slip surface, giving you a stable base to work out with.

What’s particularly great about the Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Cross Trainer is the digital LCD monitor. It’s nicely designed, with easy-to-use buttons and a simple but effective display. The monitor measures heart rate, speed, time, distance, and calories burned. Above the monitor is a handy graph showing heart rate values for different workout zones, allowing you to monitor the zone you’re in whilst working.

The device holder next to the monitor allows you to follow along with the Sunny Health & Fitness app or watch your favorite program.

2. Sole Fitness Elliptical Machine — Runner-up

• Type/ Model: Magnetic Elliptical
• Item Weight: 189 lbs
• Weight Limit: 350 lbs
• Product Dimensions: 71" D x 27" W x 58" H
• Display: Heart rate, Calories, Time, Distance
• Workout Programs: 10 Pre-set Programs
• Additional Features: Cooling fan, Water bottle holder, Speaker

Sole Fitness has the vision to manufacture health and fitness equipment that performs with great durability. They believe in producing quality products for gym goers of all abilities.

Like the SF-E3955, the Sole Fitness E25 Elliptical offers an ultra-quiet workout experience. With a 25 lb flywheel and a high gear ratio, the drive mechanism runs smoothly using a fluid, natural elliptical motion.

The E25 can be used in both forward and reverse motions, giving you more workout variety depending on your goals and preferences.

One of the unique selling points of the E25 is the power adjustable ramp, allowing you to change the ramp angle from 0-30 degrees with 20-22" of stride length to play with.

With this, you're able to add an extra challenge to your workout, focusing slightly more on muscular endurance and strength whilst still burning calories.

The frame is on the heavier side at 189 lbs but has a higher 350 lb weight limit and measures 71" D x 27" W x 58" H. The E25 features two sets of handles, with the movable ones featuring easy-press buttons allowing you to easily change the resistance as you work out.

The adjustable foot pedals have been well-thought-out as they have been designed with the help of a physical therapist. They feature a 2-degree inward slope, reducing ankle and knee stress.

One of the most striking things about the E25 is the large LCD console with a 6.5" backlit display. It helps you track essential workout data including time, distance, heart rate, calories burned, and speed.

The console offers 10 preset workouts to choose from, with a built-in cooling fan, sound system, and bottle holder as an added bonus.

3. Niceday Elliptical Machine

• Type/Model: Elliptical Cross trainer
• Item Weight: 106 lbs
• Weight Limit: 400 lbs
• Product Dimensions: 48" D x 25" W x 62" H
• Display: Time, Speed, Distance, Calories, Heart rate
• Workout Programs: 16 Magnetic Resistance levels
• Additional Features: Transport wheels, 90% Pre-assembled, Base Stabilizers

With over 20 years of experience, Niceday focuses on manufacturing mid to high-end health and fitness equipment. They want to provide the ultimate workout experience by producing quality products for everyone to enjoy.

Classed as a light commercial-grade elliptical, the Niceday CT11 Elliptical operates using a 16 lb magnetic flywheel. This produces less than 20 decibels of noise during operation and also means there is no need for any electricity source, allowing you to place the elliptical anywhere you want.

Made of extra-thick commercial grade steel pipe, the CT11 weighs 106 lbs and can handle up to 400 lbs of user capacity. The base stabilizers provide extra stability for performing more intense workouts and further reduce the possibility of noise via frame movement.

Measuring 48" D x 25" W x 62" H, the Niceday elliptical can fit into most apartment spaces with little trouble. It offers 16 magnetic resistance levels, with the resistance adjusted via the black tension knob at the front of the frame.

The 15" L x 5" W foot pedals operate using a 15.5" stride length, providing a comfortable and ergonomic stride pattern.

If you want to track your workout, the LCD monitor displays time, speed, distance, calories burned, and heart rate via the pulse sensors built into the fixed handles.

As the CT11 comes 90% pre-built, you’re able to assemble it within minutes once it arrives. It’s finished in black and orange, with the Niceday logo on the side.

4. NordicTrack Space Saver Elliptical Machine

• Type/ Model: Space Saver Elliptical
• Item Weight: 180 lbs
• Weight Limit: 325 lbs
• Product Dimensions: 78.7" L x 31.9" W x 66.4" H
• Display: Calories, Time, Distance, Heart rate, Speed
• Workout Programs: 24 Resistance levels, Live Interactive Workouts
• Additional Features: Smart HD Touchscreen, Bluetooth Chest strap, Auto Breeze Workout Fan

NordicTrack aims to produce premium home training equipment using top personal trainers to help create the perfect products. They believe that you deserve the best equipment to help you along your fitness journey.

The SE9I space saver elliptical from NordicTrack combines high-quality construction with some nice design features to give you an excellent choice of quiet elliptical for your apartment space.

It features an inertia-enhanced flywheel using SMT silent magnetic resistance to give you a virtually noise-free workout. It has a huge range of resistance levels to choose from, with 24 options built into the digital monitor.

If you want to add an extra workout challenge or start cooling down, simply press the user-friendly buttons on the pad in front. It features a 7" smart HD touchscreen with 30 workout apps, an integrated cooling fan, and quick touch handle controls.

It’s compatible with the iFit Bluetooth app and comes with an iFit smart chest strap. The screen also monitors time, distance, calories, speed, and heart rate.

One of the biggest selling points of the NordicTrack elliptical is the clever space-saving design. The handlebars and monitor section uses a hinge system, allowing you to fold the machine inwards and store it safely when not in use. This is a feature not seen on many ellipticals and can come in handy if you have a smaller home space.

The SE9I’s steel frame weighs 180 lbs and has a max user capacity of 325 lbs, plenty for most exercisers. It measures 78.7" L x 31.9" W x 66.4" H when in a normal upright position.

5. Schwinn Fitness 430 Elliptical Machine

• Type/ Model: Elliptical Trainer
• Item Weight: 165 lbs
• Weight Limit: 300 lbs
• Product Dimensions: 70" L x 28" W x 71" H
• Display: Time, Distance, Calories
• Workout Programs: 20 Resistance levels, 22 Workout programs
• Additional Features: Goal track technology, Cushioned footplates

Schwinn Fitness offers a great range of affordable and innovative cardio machines that are designed using premium technology and years of experience.

The Schwinn Fitness 430 elliptical machine features a simple and stylist design that gives you a smooth and comfortable workout experience.

The high speed, high inertia drive system offers a quiet workout, with a 20" stride length that uses precision path foot motion technology to simulate natural running.

The steel frame weighs 165 lbs and supports up to 300 lbs of user weight. The large cushioned foot plates help to reduce the impact when working out and further reduces the noise generated.

The 430 elliptical machine has two sets of handlebars, one moveable pair and a smaller fixed pair with built-in heart rate sensors. Schwinn Fitness have given you 20 resistance levels to choose from that are controlled by the centrally located LCD monitor.

The goal track technology on the monitor allows you to set individual workout goals based on time, speed, distance, calories burned, and heart rate. This is a great feature for goal-driven athletes who need extra motivation or more workout structure.

6. FUNMILY Elliptical Machine

• Type/ Model: Elliptical Machine
• Item Weight: 77 lbs
• Weight Limit: 390 lbs
• Product Dimensions: 47" L x 24" W x 60" H
• Display: Heart rate, Speed, Distance, Time
• Workout Programs: 10 Resistance levels, Additional Features:, Phone holder, Mobile app

FUNMILY manufactures a wide range of health and fitness equipment using a client-centered approach to production. They aim to help you keep your body and mind healthy and in shape.

The EM530_B Elliptical from FUNMILY is powered by an 18 lb heavy-duty flywheel using a high-end gear ratio. This combination allows you to stride quietly forwards and use a reverse motion if you want some added exercise variety.

The EM530 cross trainer offers 10 levels of magnetic resistance, with the tension knob conveniently located next to the flywheel at the front of the frame.

The alloy steel frame weighs just 77 lbs and supports up to 390 lbs of user weight. Measuring 47" L x 24" W x 60" H, it’s one of the smaller elliptical frame options I’ve reviewed today, making it a great option if you're limited on space.

The extra large 15" L x 5.6" W foot pedals operate using a 15" stride length, ensuring users of different heights get a comfortable and effective workout experience. The foot pedals are wrapped in textured plastic and feature anti-slip surfaces to ensure a stable workout.

The ergonomic dual handle bars give you the workout options to focus on your whole body or your upper or lower body at different stages of the workout. If you want to measure your heart rate, use the sensors built into the fixed handlebars.

The LCD monitors time, speed, distance, calories burned, and heart rate. Under the monitor is a handy tablet holder, with the free Qiber app allowing you to compete against others in real time.

The EM530 also has 4 adjustable rubber stabilizers and transport wheels to allow easy portability. It comes in black, orange, and white with the FUNMILY branding on the side.

What are the Benefits of Using Quiet Ellipticals for Apartments?

Here are some of the benefits of using silent elliptical machines:

✅ Noiseless

Whilst the name makes this point obvious, quiet ellipticals give out little to no noise when using them. Even though this isn't usually much of an issue in commercial gym settings or outdoor gym spaces, this can become a big problem if you're in an apartment that's close to your neighbors.

With less noise, you're able to focus more on your workout or concentrate more on your favorite gym program or TV show without listening to the elliptical noise alongside it. You can also have the peace of mind that the people around you or people in the house don't get disturbed by the elliptical sound.

✅ Convenience

Quiet ellipticals provide a convenient exercise option that’s only a few steps away. With it being in your apartment, it doesn’t matter what the weather is like, if transport is running, or if you have limited time. Having an elliptical in your apartment allows you to fit exercise around your schedule with little time commitment.

When using a quiet elliptical, the small amount of noise produced by the drive mechanism allows you to exercise at any time of the day without worrying about people around you.

✅ Durability

Quiet ellipticals are durable pieces of workout equipment. The quiet drive mechanisms used reduces the chances of the machine components rubbing against each other, therefore increasing the elliptical life span.

A well-made quiet elliptical should last for your whole workout career with no need for much maintenance or parts replacement.

✅ Joint Friendly

With the smoother and quieter drive mechanism combined with the low impact exercise motion, quiet ellipticals provide an excellent joint-friendly workout option.

If you’re recovering from injury, suffer from joint issues or just prefer a low-impact option, quiet ellipticals are a great idea.

✅ Versatile

With the combination of fixed and movable handles, ellipticals can be used to work your full body or for an upper/ lower focused workout, depending on how you use it.

For a full-body workout, operate the elliptical normally. To work your upper body more, let your arms do the work using the movable handles. If you want to isolate your lower body, grab the fixed handles and power your legs.

What to Look for in Quiet Ellipticals for Apartments?

Here’s what to look for when purchasing a quiet elliptical machine for apartment spaces:

Tips From the Champ

Exercise bikes are low-impact exercise machines, they are an excellent choice for people who have joint problems or are recovering from an accident. Cycling on an exercise bike, as opposed to high-impact workouts like running, places minimal stress on the joints, making it a safe choice for those with injuries or chronic conditions.

Oleksiy Torokhtiy

Olympic Weightlifting Champion

1. Adjustability

Ellipticals offer a range of adjustable options depending on the brand and design. With these, you can slightly change your movements, focusing on your feelings,preferences and workout goals.

Adjustment options may include the height of the movable handles and the height and position of the seat if your elliptical includes one. If you’re a smaller or taller athlete, having adjustable features on your elliptical can be important to ensure a comfortable workout experience.

2. Monitor Functionality

Perhaps one of the best and most changeable features of ellipticals is the functions offered by the built-in monitors.

Monitors can offer tangible feedback during your workout which includes distance covered, time elapsed, speed, calories burned, and heart rate.

Some may have a built-in Bluetooth feature, allowing you to connect your phone to watch your favorite workout or program whilst exercising. Some brands also offer built-in app compatibility, designed to give you a range of interactive workouts to follow along to.

Most ellipticals offer the basic functions needed, meaning monitor functionality is mainly down to your personal needs and goals.

3. Portability

Portability refers to how easy the elliptical is to move around. Whilst ellipticals may be heavier than some gym equipment, it doesn’t mean that they can’t be portable.

If you need to move your quiet elliptical around, check that it has transport wheels included in the frame. If you’re looking for extra convenience, some ellipticals even have carry handles near the seat that allow you to move the elliptical without bending at all.

4. Multifunctionality

Multifunctionality refers to the different functions the elliptical can successfully perform. Ellipticals are designed to offer a range of versatile uses, but some may have design features that offer extra.

If you’re looking for a cardio-based full-body workout, a normal elliptical should be fine. However, if you're wanting to work your upper body or lower body separately and build muscle at the same time, an elliptical with fixed and movable handles is your best option.

5. Price/Quality

When it comes to price, ellipticals are mid-range pieces of gym equipment, with some offering better value for money or premium features at a higher price point.

When deciding which elliptical you want to buy, compare the quality and features offered such as the LCD, frame durability, and portable features.

Make sure you're happy with what you’re getting for the price you're paying, and check the manufacturer's guarantee offered.

FAQ

Is an Elliptical Quieter Than a Treadmill?

Compared to treadmills, ellipticals make less noise. This is mainly due to the drive mechanism and the amount of friction produced when operating them.

How Do I Reduce the Noise on My Elliptical?

To help reduce the noise when operating your elliptical, use it on a carpeted surface. If this isn’t possible, place a mat underneath and check that all the parts are tightened correctly.

Conclusion

Quiet ellipticals provide excellent at-home workout options for your smaller apartment spaces. The quieter drive mechanism makes them convenient to use without worrying about your neighbor. It also increases their durability and gives you a better workout experience.

The Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Cross Trainer is my top pick for a quiet elliptical. It’s a well-designed small elliptical for apartment spaces, featuring a lightweight design and handy added features such as a device holder and transport wheels. It operates using a contactless, belt-drive mechanism, making it a great no-noise exercise option.

Do you live in an apartment and want to add to your home gym collection? Let me know in the comments down below!

Also read:

• Elliptical Machine vs Running
• Stairmaster Vs Elliptical
• Cheap Elliptical Machine
• Gym Quality Elliptical

References:

1. Maquel Jensen, Huang Hsu-Han, John P. Porcari, Blaine E. Arney, Scott Doberstein, Kimberly Radtke, and Carl Foster, with Daniel J. Green, "ACE-SPONSORED RESEARCH: A Comparison of Energy Expenditure When Exercising on 10 Indoor Exercise Machines," American Council on Exercise, https://www.acefitness.org/continuing-education/certified/january-2020/7441/ace-sponsored-research-a-comparison-of-energy-expenditure-when-exercising-on-10-indoor-exercise-machines/ (January, 2020).
2. Andrew K Buldt 1, Jamie J Allan 2, Karl B Landorf 2, Hylton B Menz, "The relationship between foot posture and plantar pressure during walking in adults: A systematic review," Pubmed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29524798/ (February 23, 2018).
3. Manuel Chavarrias,1 Jorge Carlos-Vivas,2,* Daniel Collado-Mateo, Jorge Pérez-Gómez, "Health Benefits of Indoor Cycling: A Systematic Review," National Library of Medicine, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722762/ (August 8, 2019).
4. American Heart Association editorial staff, "American Heart Association Recommendations for Physical Activity in Adults and Kids," American Heart Association, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness/fitness-basics/aha-recs-for-physical-activity-in-adults (October 24, 2023).