For many of us, going to the gym is as stressful as it gets and the best option remains exercising at home. The most convenient way of doing it is by purchasing the best cardio bike out there, and if we’re talking about a cheap bike, things are even better. But with so many products available for purchase, finding the right one for you might seem discouraging. We’ve scoured the web and read all the reviews for the best cheap cardio bikes and we’re sharing with you the honest conclusions: both the Pros and the Cons of these top products so you can easily choose the right one for you.
Below we have the best cheap cardio bikes for home usage, with reviews summed up and our honest opinion on the product. In other words, shopping made easy with Ranking Squad!
Please note: We get commissions for purchases made through links in this article.
Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Bike
Exerpeutic is probably the best choice when it comes to cheap and high quality cardio bikes and this particular magnetic bike has one huge advantage: it can be folded, so it’s a great choice for tighter spaces. It holds up to to 300 lbs and has a large, adjustable seating cushion for people of any size and height between 5’3” and 6’1” and also has an 8 level Magnetic Tension control system to adjust the intensity of your workout. It comes with a hand pulse monitor to make sure that you’re always in your zone, and other nice extras, like calories burned counter, distance covered and speed.
What reviewers say
This cardio bike has over 1,100 reviews and over 1,000 of them are highly positive (5 and 4 star ratings). Most of the reviewers appreciate the quality/price ratio and agree that it’s one of the best – if not the best – options for its really low price, without sacrificing exercise quality. This bike is silent and durable, extremely stable thanks to its large footprint, while still easy to move around the house. Also, the 8 different intensity ranges are good for all people, those in an average condition getting a lot of bang at the 4-5 setting.
Even though the Pros outnumber and outweight the cons, there are some negatives that owners of this bike noticed: it appears that the calories and pulse rate monitors are not showing very accurate numbers as some people reported. Also, the pedals are somewhat more forward than on a regular bike which in return might put some extra stress on your back, but adjusting the height of the seating cushion might solve the problem.
Click here to check out the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Bike for the best price on Amazon
Exerpeutic 900XL Cardio Bike
Because they offer such great products at amazing prices, we’ll stick to the Exerpeutic cardio bikes, but change the design a little bit. This cheap cardio bike is an Recumbent that’s easily adjustable to reduce stress on your back and joints. Just like the previous bike, it has 8 different intensity levels, can hold up to 300lbs and has a large LCD screen that shows you the pulse, calories burned, distance covered and speed, as well as time spent exercising. Silent and comfortable, now that’s something you don’t often get from your exercise bikes!
What reviewers say
This cardio bike has, at the moment of writing, over 700 reviews with an average of 4 stars out of five (over 400 reviewers rated it with the biggest grade, while over 200 gave it 4 stars). This clearly shows that the huge majority was very satisfied with the product, which is considered durable and silent and of great quality. The intensity levels are great for all types of exercises, from people just starting up to fitness freaks who really want a big challenge. A very high quality product!
As for the negatives, most people agree that the seating is a bit difficult to adjust, so if there are more people of different heights using this bike, there will be a bit of extra frustration included. The calories burned counter is probably an estimate, since you don’t enter the weight anywhere. But apart from that, there were no major negatives that we found.
Click here to check out the 900XL Cardio Bike for the best price on Amazon
Stamina 4825 Magnetic Cardio Bike
It doesn’t really look like a bike, but it does a great job done! The Stamina 4825 is a magnetic exercise bike with everything you’d need from a cheap cardio bike: low-impact exercising at home, pulse detecting on the handles and a computer that also shows distance covered, calories and more. You can also set the intensity power of the exercise or go for a pre-set program (out of 6). We prefer the Recumbent cardio bikes – as you do too probably – and this one is a great buy for a great price!
What reviewers say
With 214 customer reviews and an average grade of 4 out of 5, this is clearly a bike held in high regard by its buyers. An interesting Pro outlined by the people who tried this bike is the low console which makes watching TV a lot easier while exercising. It’s also very durable, some people keeping it outside in the garden during summers (certainly, you should not leave it out in the rain). Many appreciate its programs and note that it’s extremely silent, which goes well with the watching TV while exercising thing.
Regarding the negatives, there are multiple users who reported that the packaging is not that great and some parts of the bike arrive damaged. However, the manufacturers are prompt to replace the damaged parts. Also, it appears that this bike is not very short person-friendly, as people under 5′ 2″ are reporting that it’s difficult for them to pedal. But certainly these minuses are no real deal breakers (at least not for those over 5′ 2″ tall).
Click here to check out the Stamina 4825 cardio bike on Amazon
Horizon Fitness RC-30
The final bike that we recommend here is on a huge sale on Amazon and you save $199 if you purchase it now (discount available at the moment of writing, might change in the future). A great Recumbent Exercise Bike, this is as close as you can get to a real high quality gym bike. It does not only look incredible, but also has some great features: 8 levels of intensity with 10-pound flywheel, 8 workout programs, including manual, intervals, weight loss, and custom, a fully adjustable seat and a great LCD screen. It is indeed more expensive than the other options, but if you can stretch the budget, this is your option!
What reviewers say
84 people who have purchased this bike gave it an average 4.5 stars out of 5, which I am sure says a lot about the high quality of the product. Most of the reviewers note that it’s the closest thing you get to the gym exercise bike, minus the fact that the LCD screen is not lighted, so you have to be in a well illuminated area to read the screen. Apart for that, the intensity programs are great for preset exercising depending on what you want to achieve (a challenging program or just a leisure pedaling when you’re tired). It’s sturdy and durable even though a bit heavy. So as I said, if you can stretch your budget, this one is the bike you want to buy since the price is still great!
Click here to check out the Horizon Fitness RC-30 cardio bike on Amazon
And these are our top recommendations for the best cheap cardio bikes – let us know in the comment section below which one you have chosen and what you think about it so far!