NordicTrack's Best Ellipticals for the Holidays 2026: A Complete Gift Guide

An elliptical has a reputation problem: it's the machine people recommend for "taking it easy," which makes it sound like a consolation prize next to a treadmill or a bike. That reputation undersells what it does. This guide walks through four NordicTrack machines built around that low-impact motion, what the iFIT subscription changes once one is in the room, and how to make sure a new resolution to move more holds past January.

What Matters When Choosing an Elliptical

An elliptical is a piece of furniture you'll see every day, so it's worth choosing on more than price alone.

Drive Type and Motion

A front-drive elliptical keeps the flywheel out in front of you for a smoother, more traditional glide. A center-drive design puts the flywheel in the middle, which tends to feel more compact underfoot and closer to a natural stride. A vertical stepping machine skips the glide entirely for a steady, repeatable up-and-down motion instead. Our comparison of the X16 and Step Climber breaks down which motion fits which training style.

Stride Length and Adjustability

A longer, auto-adjustable stride accommodates a wider range of heights and lets the machine adapt as your workout intensity changes, rather than locking you into one fixed motion for the whole session.

Incline and Decline

Incline changes which muscles carry the load. Decline is rarer, and it shifts effort toward the front of the leg in a way flat training doesn't. Not every elliptical in NordicTrack's lineup offers both, so it's worth checking before assuming.

Handles and Upper-Body Engagement

Moving handles turn a lower-body machine into a full-body one, engaging arms, shoulders, and core along with legs. Our full breakdown of what an elliptical actually trains covers this in more depth than a buying guide has room for.

Footprint and Where It Will Actually Live

None of NordicTrack's ellipticals fold, though most roll on transport wheels for repositioning within a room. Measure the footprint and leave real clearance in front and behind, the moving parts on some models need more room than the base footprint suggests.

Four Ellipticals, Four Levels of Investment

Not every gift, or every purchase for yourself, needs to be the same size. Here's the range NordicTrack currently offers, from a compact, focused option to the machine built to do the most. Holiday pricing moves fast, so it's worth pulling up NordicTrack.com before you decide.

Step Climber

BEST FOR: A Compact, High-Intensity Workout

The Step Climber trades the elliptical glide for a vertical stepping motion that keeps steady, repeatable demand on the glutes, quads, and core. It has a shorter footprint front-to-back than the X16, which makes it a practical fit for a smaller room, and it's NordicTrack's most accessible entry into this category. It's the machine for someone who wants a focused workout they can return to without overthinking it.

AirGlide 16

BEST FOR: A Guided, Traditional Elliptical Glide

The AirGlide 16 is a front-drive elliptical built around a smooth, traditional glide, with a -5% to 15% incline range, 26 resistance levels, and a 16 inch tilting touchscreen. It's one of the few home ellipticals in NordicTrack's lineup with true decline training, which shifts effort to the front of the leg the way flat training can't. For someone who wants the classic elliptical feel with guided coaching, paired with iFIT, built in, this is the natural starting point.

Step Climber XL

BEST FOR: Extra Stability and Handle Variety

The Step Climber XL adds both stationary and moving handles, giving you the option to isolate your legs or work your whole body depending on the session. That stationary handle also adds real stability getting on and off the machine, something not every elliptical in this lineup offers. It's the pick for someone who wants the compact stepping motion with more control over how the workout feels.

X16 Elliptical Trainer

BEST FOR: The Full 3-in-1 Experience

The X16 Elliptical Trainer is NordicTrack's top-tier machine in this category, a center-drive design with a 32 inch auto-adjustable stride and a -10% to 10% incline and decline range. It's built to move like an elliptical, a stepper, and a treadmill depending on how you set it, the widest range of motion in the lineup. For someone who wants one machine that covers all three, this is the one that earns its price.

Rounding Out the Gift

An elliptical's biggest strength, being easy on the joints, is also where a couple of small additions earn their place.

TheLarge Equipment Floor Mat keeps the machine steady and protects flooring underneath it, worth adding regardless of which model ends up in the room.

Since low-impact cardio pairs naturally with strength work the joints can handle just as easily, a set ofSelect-A-Weight Dumbbells and itsstand cover the resistance side of that pairing, and anAdjustable Bench makes that strength work more versatile than the floor alone allows.

What iFIT Adds

The elliptical is the hardware. iFIT, available with a paid membership, is designed to be the reason a session has structure instead of just motion. A few features are worth understanding before deciding whether the subscription earns its place:

SmartAdjust scales resistance and incline to your fitness level automatically, so a trainer-led session adjusts to how you're moving that day instead of asking you to guess the right setting.

Global and Studio Workouts unlock a library of over 180 elite trainers, filmed on location and in studio, along with off-machine content like strength, yoga, and HIIT for the days you're not on the elliptical at all. It's designed to be the difference between the machine sitting there and it getting used.

iFIT Personal Trainer handles the scheduling most people struggle with on their own, building and adjusting a plan around your goals so the habit is designed to rely less on remembering to make one.

If you want the fuller case for why the subscription is worth pairing with the hardware, Is NordicTrack Worth It makes that argument in more depth than a buying guide has room for.

Making the Resolution Outlast January

American Council on Exercise (ACE) reports that about 35% of people have already abandoned a New Year's resolution within a month of setting it. [1] The ones who make it past February usually aren't relying on willpower alone, they've built a couple of small habits around the goal.

One of the simplest, according to Mayo Clinic, is treating a workout like a scheduled appointment rather than something to fit in if time allows. [2] A machine at home removes the excuse of a gym commute, but the calendar habit still carries most of the weight.

The other two habits are just as small. ACE recommends a brief, nonfood reward after a session and a quick note on how it felt. [3] NIH's research on habit formation found a similar pattern: people who kept weight off long-term tended to track their own consistency closely. [4] None of this takes more than a minute, and all of it matters more than which machine ends up in the room.

Why iFIT and NordicTrack Work as One System

An elliptical's biggest strength is also its biggest risk: it's comfortable enough to coast through without ever raising your heart rate much. The hardware won't stop that from happening. iFIT is designed to help with that: a trainer setting pace and incline, a heart rate target that's harder to ignore, a reason the session has a beginning and an end instead of just fading out. NordicTrack builds the machine to move smoothly for years. iFIT is designed to keep that smoothness from turning into autopilot.

iFIT's National Parks Pass

For a resolution that needs something to outlast January, iFIT's National Parks Pass is built for exactly that. It's a year-long library of walking and hiking workouts set in national parks, in celebration of America's 250th birthday. On a NordicTrack elliptical, iFIT automatically adjusts resistance and incline to mirror the rise and fall of real terrain, so a stride through mountain overlooks and forest paths still feels like moving through them, without the impact. Whichever machine ends up under the tree, a full year of national parks is what makes the resolution worth keeping.

Explore More

• Best Elliptical for Beginners

• Ellipticals vs. Treadmills: How to Decide Which One Is Best

• Elliptical Training: How to Max Your Home Workouts

References

1. American Council on Exercise. 3 Strategies for Sticking to Your Health and Fitness Goals

2. Mayo Clinic Staff. Fitness Program: 5 Steps to Get Started

3. American Council on Exercise. How to Make Exercise a Regular Habit in 6 Steps

4. NIH News in Health. Creating Healthy Habits

Disclaimer: The primary purpose of this blog post is to inform and entertain. Nothing on the post constitutes or is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Reliance on any information provided on the blog is solely at your own risk. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition, and please consult your doctor or other health care provider before making any changes to your diet, sleep methods, daily activity, or fitness routine. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of information available on this blog. NordicTrack assumes no responsibility for any personal injury or damage sustained by any recommendations, opinions, or advice given in this article. Always follow the safety precautions included in the owner's manual of your fitness equipment.