The Horizon EX-59 is the stability-first budget pick, named Garage Gym Reviews' top budget elliptical and a BarBend favorite for beginners. At around $699 it trades features for a locked-down, stable feel that reviewers say beats pricier machines on steadiness. The trade-offs are real: no incline, just 10 resistance levels, a shorter 18 in stride, and only 5 basic programs. It is the choice for beginners who value a solid, simple machine.
Full review
Real-World Performance
The Horizon EX-59 takes the opposite approach to the Schwinn 470: instead of piling on features, it focuses on doing the basics solidly. Garage Gym Reviews named it their top budget elliptical and scored it 4/5, calling it a basic machine without exceptional features but a really good price point for what you get. FitRated highlighted the key trait, that what it lacks in tech it makes up for in stability, with a locked-down feel for a budget price.
BarBend's certified-trainer reviewer named it a top pick for beginners, scoring it 3.7/5 and describing it as pretty basic in a good way, a stable machine with enough structure and tracking to support real fitness goals. The 18 in stride and 10 resistance levels are modest, but the steadiness during use is what reviewers consistently single out as punching above the price.
Build Quality and Design
At around 145 lb the EX-59 is heavier than its bare-bones specs suggest, and that mass is the source of its praised stability. Reviewers rated its footprint and portability 4/5, so despite the weight it remains manageable in a home space. The 300 lb weight capacity matches the Schwinns.
The design is deliberately simple: an 18 in stride, a 14.3 lb flywheel, 10 levels of magnetic resistance, and no incline at all, the only machine in this list without it. The console offers Bluetooth speakers and app compatibility plus five basic programs. There is no touchscreen, in keeping with the budget, beginner-friendly positioning. A lifetime frame warranty backs the machine.
What Reviewers Loved
Stability for the money is the unanimous standout. FitRated's locked-down feel description and Garage Gym Reviews' top-budget-pick designation both center on the same thing: the EX-59 feels more solid than its price and spec sheet imply. The strong 4.6/5 owner rating across 440-plus reviews on Horizon's site reinforces that buyers are satisfied.
Reviewers also liked the simplicity for beginners. BarBend's tester framed the basic nature as a feature for newcomers who want structure without complexity, and the Bluetooth speakers add a small convenience. For a first elliptical focused on consistent, low-impact cardio, the EX-59 nails the essentials.
Where It Falls Short
The feature gaps are significant for some buyers. The EX-59 has no incline at all, the only machine here lacking it, and BarBend rated its resistance customization just 2.5/5 because there are only 10 levels. The 18 in stride is shorter than the 20 in strides on the Schwinns and Sole, which taller users may find cramped.
Only five basic programs are on board, far fewer than the Schwinn 470's 29 or the iFIT library of the ProForm Carbon EL. This is a machine that does one thing, a stable basic stride, well, and offers little beyond that. Buyers who want variety or incline must look elsewhere.
How It Compares to Alternatives
The EX-59 is the stability-first counterpoint to the feature-rich Schwinns. The Schwinn 470 and Schwinn 430 both offer incline and more resistance levels, but reviewers consistently credit the EX-59 with a more locked-down feel per dollar. It is the simpler, steadier choice where they are the more versatile ones.
Against the ProForm Carbon EL it lacks iFIT and an adjustable stride but avoids the subscription and the lower weight capacity. And compared to the Sole E25, the EX-59 is lighter, cheaper, and far simpler, trading the E25's heavy-duty build and 20-level resistance for a beginner-friendly price and footprint. For stability on a budget, it leads.
Who It's Best For
The Horizon EX-59 is for beginners and budget buyers who prioritize a stable, simple elliptical over features and do not need incline or a long stride. If you want a steady, no-fuss machine for consistent low-impact cardio at around $699, reviewers agree it is one of the most solid options at the price.
It is the wrong pick for taller users who need a 20 in stride, for anyone who wants incline (choose either Schwinn), for buyers who want lots of programs or iFIT classes (the Schwinn 470 or ProForm Carbon EL), and for heavy-duty users who should step up to the Sole E25. As a stable beginner machine, though, it is a category favorite.
Strengths
- +Garage Gym Reviews' top budget elliptical pick, with a locked-down, stable feel
- +Bluetooth speakers and app compatibility
- +18 in stride with 10 resistance levels, simple and beginner-friendly
- +Strong 4.6/5 owner rating across 440+ reviews on Horizon's site
- +Lifetime frame warranty
Watch-outs
- −No incline at all, the only machine here without it
- −Only 10 resistance levels and 5 basic programs
- −18 in stride is shorter than the 20 in rivals
- −BarBend rated its resistance customization just 2.5/5
How it compares
The stability-first budget option versus the feature-rich Schwinn 470 and Schwinn 430, which both offer incline and more resistance levels but, per reviewers, less locked-down stability per dollar. Simpler than the iFIT-equipped ProForm Carbon EL and lighter-spec than the heavy-duty Sole E25.
Who this is for
At a glance: Beginners and budget buyers who prioritize a stable, simple, no-incline elliptical over features and don't need a long stride.
Why you’d buy the Horizon EX-59
- Garage Gym Reviews' top budget elliptical pick, with a locked-down, stable feel.
- Bluetooth speakers and app compatibility.
- 18 in stride with 10 resistance levels, simple and beginner-friendly.
Why you’d skip it
- No incline at all, the only machine here without it.
- Only 10 resistance levels and 5 basic programs.
- 18 in stride is shorter than the 20 in rivals.
Rating sources
“It's a basic machine without any exceptional features, but it's a really good price point for what you get.”
“This is a really solid option for beginners, in my opinion, because it's just pretty basic.”
“What it lacks in tech capabilities it makes up for in stability, with a locked-down feel for a budget price-point.”
Our 4.0 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
