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With so many recumbent bikes available for seniors, understanding which one is the best for you can be a bit overwhelming. And as we get older comfort, stability and safety becomes more important than ever. To help prevent you from choosing the wrong recumbent bike, this guide will help you to choose the right recumbent bike based on 7 very easy steps:
- Your workout goals
- Your budget
- Seat design of the recumbent bike (comfort)
- Size of the recumbent bike
- Stability of the recumbent bike
- Additional features of the recumbent bike
- Transportation of the recumbent bike
- Maintenance and warranty
1. Your workout goals
Think about what your workout goals are and how often you are planning to workout on the recumbent bike. If you are interested in a free workout planner click here.
By understanding your workout goals and how often you are planning to workout you will find it much easier to choose the best recumbent bike for you as a senior.
Example of workout goals + recumbent bike
Workout goal: exercise 1 hour on the recumbent bike 3 times/week
Solution
- Invest in a recumbent bike with an adjustable seat that’s comfortable.
- Have an overlook of the overall safety of the recumbent bike (stability and handholds).
- When working out multiple times per week, it can be a good idea to invest in a recumbent bike that offers workout programs.
Recumbent bikes to choose between for this goal:
- Schwinn 270 Recumbent Exercise Bike (Best overall)
- Sunny Health & Fitness Recumbent Bike Cross Trainer SF-RB4708 (Best full body workouts)
- Nautilus r616 (Best for advanced workouts)
Read my review on the 7 best recumbent bikes for seniors here.
Workout goal: workout to improve my overall health
Solution
- This is a wide workout goal and can mean different things for different seniors.
- If you for example plan to workout a little bit now and then it could be a good idea to consider a recumbent bike that is not too heavy and easy to move.
- Take the price into account, perhaps if you are not going to use it multiple times per week, you might choose a cheaper version (but this will of course also depend on your needs and circumstances).
Recumbent bikes to choose between for this goal:
- Marcy ME-709 Recumbent Exercise Bike (Best for budget)
- Sunny Health & Fitness Essential Recumbent Exercise Bike (Best for full body workouts – light version)
- Lanos Folding Exercise Bike (Best for small homes)
2. Your budget
Small budget
- If you are on a small budget, you want to consider a cheaper recumbent bike like Marcy ME-709 Recumbent Exercise Bike or Sunny Health & Fitness Essential Recumbent Exercise Bike.
- Remember that features like comfort and stability might be less good compared to more costly recumbent bikes.
Medium/big budget
- If you are on a big/medium budget, you can consider investing in a recumbent bike like Nautilus r616 or ProForm Pro C10R Recumbent Bike.
- Remember to have your workout goals, needs and space at home in mind when choosing a recumbent bike.
3. Seat design of the recumbent bike (comfort)
If you wish to find the right seat for your recumbent bike, consider how long you are expecting to workout and how much comfort and support you need.
What to think about:
- Size of the seat
- If the seat is adjustable (and to what extent)
- The ergonomics of the seat
So if your workout goal for example is to workout 1 hour 3 times/week you might should consider a big seat that has good support and flexibility.
4. Size of the recumbent bike
The size of the recumbent bike matters when looking for the best recumbent bike for your home.
Large vs. small recumbent bikes:
- Larger recumbent bikes are more sturdy, and oftentimes more comfortable and more flexible in its features compared to smaller recumbent bikes.
- Smaller recumbent bikes are much easier to move and sometimes foldable, but at the same time they are often less stable and comfortable compared to big recumbent bikes.
What to think about:
- Your space available at home (which room it can fit in, and if you will have to or not have to be able to fold or move the recumbent bike when not in use)
- The size of the recumbent bike
- If the recumbent bike is foldable or not
- If the recumbent bike has transportation wheels
5. Stability of the recumbent bike
Considering the stability of the recumbent bike as a senior is key when choosing a recumbent bike.
What to think about:
- Look up if the recumbent bike stays stable on the carpet or hard floor (do this by looking up several reviews on the recumbent bike you are interested in and see what people are saying about it)
- Have an overlook of your on balance and health status
- Look up the comfort of the seat and handholds of the recumbent bike
Overall, look for a recumbent bike that offers comfort and support for you to make sure that you can enjoy your workouts on the recumbent bikes in a safe and enjoyable way.
6. Additional features of the recumbent bike
The majority of the recumbent bikes offer a built-in LCD screen where information like distance, time, speed, calories burned and heart rate are displayed. Other recumbent bikes also offer more advanced features such as bluetooth connectivity, integrated speakers and app connectivity.
What to think about:
- Look up the accuracy of the heart rate monitor (do this by reading several reviews)
- The ease of using and understanding the LCD screen (do this by reading several reviews of the recumbent bike you are interested in)
- Consider how tech savvy you are (if you want a simple traditional LCD screen or a more advanced one with bluetooth connectivity to speakers, fitness apps etc.)
- Look up if the recumbent bike offers preset workout programs or connectivity to fitness apps (this depends on if you want guided workouts or not)
To understand which type of recumbent bike is a perfect match for you, have an overlook of how tech savvy you are and what your workout goals are, as well as what type of workouts you prefer (guided or not guided for example).
7. Transportation of the recumbent bike
When choosing a recumbent bike make sure to decide what your workout goals are to understand how often you are going to use the recumbent bike. If you plan to use it less frequently and do not want it to take up space when not in use you want to make sure you can move it around or fold it when not in use.
What to think about:
- Weight of the recumbent bike
- If it has transportation wheels
- Your space at home (if you have a dedicated spot for the recumbent bike and if you have a space to store it when not in use)
- Your workout goals (how often you plan to workout)
So make sure to take your workout goals into account, your space at home, the weight of the recumbent bike as well as the availability of transportation wheels.
8. Maintenance and warranty
Buying a recumbent bike can be a big investment and therefore you want to consider the maintenance and warranty for your given recumbent bike before making a purchase. Most recumbent bikes come with a warranty, but to be on the safe-side, always check this out. Some brands have a warranty for several years, while others only have it for 1 year for example.
What to think about:
- Duration of warranty
- Warranty duration for different parts of the recumbent bike
Wrap up
If you before this guide did not know where to start, you now have all the tools to choose the best recumbent bike for you based on your workout goals, needs, space at home and budget.
Overall, I recommend you to go through the 7 steps before making any purchase decision to make sure you get the best recumbent bike for you and your needs. So before investing in any workout equipment, let’s recap all the 7 steps:
- Your workout goals
- Your budget
- The seat design of the recumbent bike (comfort)
- The size of the recumbent bike
- The stability of the recumbent bike
- Additional features of the recumbent bike
- Transportation of the recumbent bike
And if you feel ready to start looking for the best recumbent bike for seniors, make sure to read my review on the 7 best recumbent bikes for seniors.
What are your workout goals and what recumbent bike are you considering to purchase? Let me know in the comments below.
In this post I include products I think are useful for you. If you buy through links on this page, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost for you.