Home Elliptical Machines

The Schwinn 418 was one of the company’s first elliptical machines. It’s been a Consumer Reports best buy since 2005 and a consumer favorite for those wanting a quality machine under $1,000.

By upgrading to this machine from the 430 budget elliptical, you get a little bit better quality that supports a 300 lb user and a few extra programs that include heart rate control. You actually drop back to 8 levels of resistance from 16 and the warranty isn’t a big improvement.

I am not convinced The Schwinn 418 is a better buy than the 430 and would actually upgrade to the Schwinn 438 to get the best of the Schwinn ellipticals.

Pros

• 18” stride length with articulating pedals
• heart rate control programs
• 300 lb user weight limit

Cons

• LCD console is not backlit
• the warranty could be better for this price range
• 8 levels of resistance

Pedals and Motions

The Schwinn 418 elliptical uses an Eddy Current Braking system (magnetic brake). The 8 levels of resistance are quite low for this price range and are actually less than you would get for the cheaper 430 Schwinn elliptical. The stride length of 18” with articulating foot pedals is a great feature.

Programs and Console

This elliptical machine gives you all of the LCD display feedback you will need to monitor your workouts but the console is not backlit, which means you will need decent lighting in order to read the console. The blue backlit display would have been nice on this machine. The 11 programs are good for this price and also give you some heart rate control courses. The Schwinn 418 does not come with a wireless chest strap however so you will have to give up using the moving handle bars for these programs or upgrade to the Schwinn 438.

Product Design

The user weight limit of 300 lbs is pretty good for elliptical machines in this price range which usually average 275lbs. This machine requires 110v power supply to power the console and the elliptical. The warranty could be better, but in this price range you will see warranties all over the place, from only 90 days to an entire lifetime on the frame. So the warranty on this machine is fairly decent for the affordable price.

Extra Accessories

This machine has a water bottle holder.

Price and Where to Buy

You might have trouble finding the Schwinn 430 at your local mass retailer because they tend to only carry the 418 model. If you’ve chosen this machine, your best bet is to purchase this online with free shipping.