Reviews of the best recumbent bikes for seniors

If you are looking for a sturdy and standard recumbent bike at an affordable price without any unnecessary extras, the Exerpeutic 1000 is be the perfect exercise machine for you.

It has a balanced flywheel and extended leg stabilizers that ensure that the bike stays steady even during your most strenuous workouts. The included transportation wheels allow you to move the bike over hard surfaces to make storage easy.

The pedals are slightly larger than those found on most standard recumbent bikes and have a safety strap to ensure a comfortable pedaling motion.

The backrest and the seat are also larger than those found on Exerpeutic’s 900XL model, which adds to the comfort and stability of the bike. A wider seat helps to support your hips and lower back and the additional padding in the seat cushions your joints, to protect them from unnecessary stress.

The bike can be adjusted to accommodate users from five feet three inches in height to six feet three inches. The bike also comes with an easy to read LCD display that will indicate your distance biked, calories burned, time of workout, pedal speed and the pulse monitor will scan and report your heart rate.

Specifications: The bike is 34 by 22 by 54 inches and weights 63 pounds.

The Exerpeutic 900 XL is a sturdy bike that offers a comfortable and safe workout for its users.

This bike has eight levels of resistance and the Magnetic Tension Control System lets you customize your workout, meaning whether you are a beginner biker or an expert, you can challenge yourself.

The comfortable seat allows you to workout without adding stress on your hip joints. Stepping on and off the bike is safe and easy to do.

The flywheel is very quiet, so it is easy to use this machine while you are watching television or talking on the phone without any noise distractions.

There is a 300 pound weight capacity, so if you are over this weight it is important to look for a bike with a higher weight capacity for safety reasons.

There is a large, easy to read LCD display that shows you the distance you have biked, calories burned, time of workout, your biking speed, and your heart rate. The bike is not sold fully assembled, but most of the parts will arrive pre-assembled and is not overly challenging to assemble.

Specifications: The bike is 22 by 34 by 54 inches and weighs 63 pounds.

Marcy has been a leader in the fitness equipment industry for a long time. The Marcy ME 709 is an affordable and high quality recumbent bike that fits in small spaces without sacrificing comfort.

The magnetic resistance system is very quiet and has eight adjustable settings. The pedals have a safety strap and are counterbalanced to ensure that your pedaling motions are smooth and comfortable. The adjustable handlebars also make it easier for different users to use the bike comfortably.

The large LCD console displays calories burned, cycling speed and distance traveled. The bike has a weight capacity of 300 pounds and both the seat and pedals are adjustable to accommodate users of different heights.

The bike is easy to assemble and is made of durable steel tubing that will last for a long time. Despite its sturdy construction, the 709 model is also lightweight and has smaller dimensions than other comparable products. It has transport wheels that make it easy to move around.

This bike is an affordable option and comes from a reputable and well-respected manufacturer.

Specifications: The Marcy ME 709 has dimensions of 55.5 by 25 by 37.5 inches and weighs 66 pounds.

The Marcy NS-716R is a stylish and functional recumbent bike that delivers the user a safe and comfortable workout.

The easy to read computer screen is battery powered and displays your biking speed and distance, calories burned, and the how long you have been exercising for.

Both the seat and the stride length are adjustable for various leg lengths. The seat is made of high-density foam and the assistant and handlebars are both covered with foam to ensure that you remain comfortable while seated.

The bike itself is made out of heavy duty steel tubing that is built to last. The pedals are wide and have a safety band that goes across your foot to eliminate slipping. The pedals are also counterbalanced and weighted so you can maintain a smooth pedaling motion.

The magnetic resistance system allows you to choose from eight different preset levels of resistance, so everyone from expert to beginner bikers can have a great cardiovascular workout.

You can think of the NS-716R as a newer version of the Marcy ME-709 model. It comes with the same basics but has an updated design that is an aesthetically pleasing addition to your home. The bike comes partially assembled, but full assembly shouldn’t take too much time.

Specifications: The bike weighs 56 pounds and can support 300 pounds in weight.

Sunny Health & Fitness is primarily thought of as an outdoor and indoor cycling bike manufacturer. In 2016, they released two new recumbent bike models, one of which is this SF-RB4601 model.

This bike is designed as an entry-level recumbent bike for individuals looking for home exercise equipment.

The SF-RB4601 uses a belt drive and magnetic resistance to offer user’s eight levels of resistance.  The magnetic plates that the bike uses to add resistance are very quiet and are easy to adjust.

The bike has a weight capacity of up to 300 pounds and has an adjustable seat to accommodate different user’s heights and leg lengths. The backrest and seat are both comfortably padded, which will help to relieve stress off of your joints when you workout.

The LCD screen displays the time of your workout, your pedaling speed, distance biked and calories burned. There is also a heart rate monitor that will display your pulse. Unfortunately, the display is relatively small and is not backlit, so it is more difficult to view in darker conditions.

Overall, this bike is a quality recumbent bike that is a great way for people with mobility problems or joint pain to get a solid cardiovascular workout without risking injury. It is an affordable addition to your home exercise equipment and won’t require much additional maintenance.

Specifications: This bike is 56.5 by 28.5 by 38.5 inches in dimension and weighs 58.5 pounds.

The Exerpeutic 400 XL is a great budget-friendly recumbent bike that is easy to store and maintain. The bike will fold and unfold to half of its size, taking up less room than traditional recumbent bikes. The bike also has included transportation wheels that make it easy to move.

The bike is semi-recumbent. This means that it lacks the extensive support that other recumbent bikes offer to support your back and hips. Therefore, this may not be the best option if you have hip and back problems since a workout on this bike will put more stress on your joints than a traditional recumbent bike.

However, it does offer more support than a traditional upright bike. The 400 XL is easy to assemble and does not require additional materials to operate. The large LCD display is easy to read and the hand pulse heart rate monitor will help you track the difficulty of your workout.

The 400 XL offers a magnetic control system that has eight levels of resistance, allowing you to vary the intensity of your workouts.

The pedals are part of a high torque cranking system that allows for smooth pedaling action. The V-belt double-drive transmission system ensures a quiet workout.

This bike is recommended for users who are five foot two inches to six foot two inches in height, and has a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds.

Specifications: 19 by 46 by 33 inches and weighs about 39 pounds.

While many of us think of Schwinn as an outdoor bike brand, they do offer indoor models like the 270 recumbent bike. This model comes with a lot of nice amenities and offers more resistance levels and programmable workouts then you’d find on a more basic bike.

There are 29 programs that you can select. There are 12 profile workouts, 9 heart rate control workouts, 4 workouts that can be customized for 4 different users, and 2 fitness tests. Along with these 29 programs, there are 25 levels of resistance that are aligned with the weighted flywheel.

This is a huge step up from more basic recumbent bikes that only offer 8 resistance levels and are not customizable or programmable for different users.

You can change the resistance with one touch of the display, rather than having to get off your bike and manually turn a resistance knob. The seat back is contoured and vented so you stay cool and comfortable on the bike.

The Schwinn DualTrack LCD display is backlit so you can see the information clearly and easily. It has 13 different display feedbacks that allow you to monitor a variety of different indicators during your workout.

The display is also part of a console that includes a three-speed fan, a USB port and a side mounted water bottle holder. You an use the USB port to transfer your time, distance, and calories burned directly to the Schwinn Connect website. The data is also compatible with several popular fitness tracking apps.

Specifications: 64 by 27.7 by 49.9 inches and weighs 86.6 pounds. Schwinn sets the maximum user weight capacity at 300 pounds.

This bike offers users a comfortable full body workout. The bike is equipped with rotating handlebars that allow the user to work out their arms, shoulders, and back while they cycle, which is a great way to get a low impact total body workout.

The bike uses a heavy-weighted flywheel to allow users to choose between eight different levels of magnetic resistance.

There is an adjustable tension knob that allows you to increase or decrease resistance levels without having to stop your workout. The belt drive train is designed for in-workout adjustments, so the bike maintains a smooth pedaling cycle whether you’re at level 1 or level 8.

The display console shows users their speed, calories burned, distance, and time of workout. The heart rate monitor also allows users to monitor their pulse to maximize their aerobic workout.

The Elite Total Body model has a 250 pound maximum user weight capacity. Both the seat and pedals are adjustable to accommodate the different heights of users.

The bike comes nearly fully assembled, so setting up this bike is an easy endeavor.  It does not require an electrical connection as the display is battery powered, so you can put this bike wherever you’d like in your home.

Specifications: This model is 52 by 24 by 49 inches and weighs a total of 121 pounds.

The Exerpeutic 2000 offers useful features that increase the comfort and usability of this bike. Like other Exerpeutic products, the 2000 model comes with leg stabilizers that prevent the bike from moving or tipping during your workout and the “Step Thru” design that makes getting on and off the bike easy and safe.

What sets this bike apart is the extra comfortable Air Soft seat and the ability to program your workouts. The Air Soft seat is three and a half inches thick and can support up to a 300 pound weight capacity. The seat is made of individually constructed air chambers that work together to absorb shock and to balance the user’s weight across the seat.

This bike is very comfortable and the PVC cushion top helps to increase airflow and to help keep you cool during your workout.

The 2000 model is programmable and you can select any of the six preset workout programs. The computer display shows you the time of your workout, the distance biked, number of wheel rotations per minute, watts utilized, calories burned, and your scanned heart rate.

The computer display also comes with a built-in tablet holder that can easily hold your mobile devices, book, tablets, and music listening devices.

The seat can be adjusted to accommodate users who are five foot three inches to six foot three inches tall. It also comes equipped with additional elbow pads to rest your arms, and the backrest is contoured to support your back.

Specifications: The 2000 model is 54 by 22 by 34 inches and weighs 63 pounds.

The ProGear 555LXT is a compact recumbent bike that is a good choice for people who want to have a comfortable workout on a piece of equipment that does not take up much space in their homes.

This bike is budget friendly and offers a few more additional features than other comparably priced bikes, like a water bottle holder and media holder.

The 555LXT has fourteen different resistance levels that are controlled using a tension knob that is directly below the console. The way this knob is positioned, you are able to reach and adjust the tension without getting off of the bike.

The tension knob changes the resistance by moving magnetic plates either farther or closer together. When the magnetic plates are closer together, there is more resistance to pedal through. The magnetic plates do not touch and are controlled by a belt drive so the bike is practically noiseless during use.

The console will show you three different workout target rates: the time of your workout, the calories you’ve burned, and the distance you’ve cycled.

The console can also track RPM, cumulative distance (an odometer for your bike essentially) and your speed. The console runs on batteries, which are included in the original packaging.  This bike can be used for individuals up to 250 pounds and who are five feet to six foot three inches tall.

Specifications: The 555LXT model is 43 by 22 by 49 inches and weighs 60 pounds.

The second of Sunny Health & Fitness’ new models, the SF-RB921 is a great option for individuals looking for an affordable and well-made recumbent bike for their home.

This model uses a 4-kilogram flywheel that can be used both backwards and forwards at 8 levels of resistance. The seat is fully adjustable and the machine accommodates users with a maximum weight capacity of 265 pounds.

The adjustable frame allows users to adjust the distance from seat to pedal, to adjust the seat, and to adjust the pedal straps to ensure a comfortable ride. The bike is also designed for users to step through, lessening the potential for hazardous trips and falls.

The LCD screen allows you to monitor your workouts while you’re biking. It shows your speed, the time of your workout, the distance you’ve biked, and calories burned. There is also a hand pulse built into the handle so you are able to track and monitor your heart rate as you increase and decrease the intensity of your workout.

In all, the magnetic resistance system combined with the dual flywheel action makes for a very quiet and smooth workout bike.

Specifications: This model is 46 by 32 by 19.5 inches and weighs 56 pounds.

Nautilus is a brand leader in exercise equipment, and the R614 model is a great example of the type of quality equipment that has earned Nautilus this reputation. The R614 model is a recumbent bike that has a lot of great and useful features that make working out an enjoyable process.

Firstly, it offers 20 levels of resistance for a wide range of workout intensities and has 22 programmed workouts for a user to choose from.

The dual monitor allows the user to monitor 13 different workout measures. The console also allows for two users to program their own workouts and profiles to track individual progress. The bike is equipped with Nautilus Connect, which allows users to track their goals and export workout data to popular fitness applications.

Both the seat and the backrest are vented to maximize comfort when combined with the three speed built in fan. The seat can be adjusted while the user is sitting, using the sliding seat rail system.

The handlebars are also equipped with a heart rate monitor. The maximum user weight is 300 pounds, which is a fairly standard weight limit for most recumbent bikes.

The oversized crossbar tubing has a wide base that makes it very stable. The perimeter weighted flywheel creates a realistic cycling experience without sacrificing the quiet nature of the bike.

In terms of extras, the bike also has a water bottle holder, a media tray to hold your books or tablets while you workout, a USB port, and the ability to connect your mobile devices to the bike.

Specification: The bike is 49.6 by 28.3 by 65.3 inches in dimension and weighs 84.2 pounds.

Diamondback Fitness is an industry leader in the cycling world, and the quality of the 510SR model reflects their attention to detail and commitment to producing top rate bikes.

The 510SR model comes complete with 20 different preset workout programs that use target heart rates to challenge users. There are 16 levels of resistance so all users from beginner to expert cyclists can enjoy a workout.

The LCD display is back-lit and a brilliant blue that allows you to track workout measures in real-time. The integrated heart rate monitors are located conveniently in the handlebars, allowing users to set and monitor their target heart rates as they complete their workout.

The built in speaker system and headphone jack can be used with an mp3 player or cellphone to enhance your workout. There is a foldout magazine and media rack, an adjustable cooling fan, and a water bottle holder. The console is adjustable so you can tilt the system and the handlebar angle for different users.

The friction-less eddy current braking system creates a smooth and quiet ride. The friction-less design protects the internal cycling mechanisms from damage, so the 510SR is built to last!

The ergonomically designed seat has vertical and lumbar supports, and the seat can be adjusted to fit all users. The bike can support up to 300 pounds in weight.

Specifications: this bike is 64 by 23 by 50 inches in dimension and weighs 125 pounds.