Nautilus Elliptical E616 Review: Pros, Cons, Cost, and, More

Nautilus owns Schwinn, which is why their ellipticals are so similar; I’ve reviewed their gear for many years, and while the low-cost Schwinn ellipticals are better than anything Nautilus offers; once we get to mid-level, like the Nautilus Elliptical E616, this is where Nautilus shines.

Nautilus mid-level ellipticals offer more bang for your buck than the Schwinn mid-level ellipticals and are updated more frequently.

And in today’s review, we’ll look at everything the Nautilus Elliptical has to offer, including any drawbacks, as there are a few minor ones. At the end of the review, I’ll make a full comparison with the Schwinn 430 so that we can see how these two match up.

Why Do We Like The Nautilus Elliptical E616?

Some people think they need a lightweight elliptical because it makes them nice and easy to move and store.

But going lightweight is the opposite of what you really need; the weight of an elliptical gives us a good clue to the overall quality of materials used in the build. And when it comes to ellipticals, the heavier, the better.

The Nautilus E616 weighs 173lb which is excellent for this price bracket, it tells me this machine is made from high-quality parts, and that extra weight helps aid stability.

You want an elliptical that doesn’t move around while you pedal at pace. Weight = stability and the 173lb of the Nautilus E616 elliptical makes it feel pretty solid for the price point.

Same Stride Length as Commercial Machines

Build quality is important, and we know it’s decent with this machine but just as important is the stride length. The stride length will determine who can use the elliptical and how comfortable they will feel. It’s the one feature you must get right.

Most commercial machines in gyms use a 20″ stride. Why? because 20″ is a stride length that suits most people. A 20″ side is suitable for users with a height range of 4’11” to 6’3″

And it’s great to find a 20″ stride on the E616 elliptical form Nautilus because many of the ellipticals in this price range use an 18″ stride which is restrictive for people over 6ft. At least with the E616, taller users don’t have to pay high-end prices for an elliptical machine just because of their height.

Click here to check price of Nautilus E616 Elliptical

Burn  2 x Calories and Strengthen your Glutes With Power Incline

Five years ago, only high-end ellipticals boasted power-adjustable inclines. So it’s great to see they have filtered their way down to the mid-level ellipticals. Owning an elliptical with an incline is essential to get the most out of your workouts.

Incline Workouts Build and Strengthen The Glutes and Hamstrings

Pedaling on an incline will strengthen and build those hard-to-train muscles, such as your glutes and hamstrings, and you’ll burn twice as many calories.

The reason you burn more calories on an incline isn’t just because the workout is more challenging. It’s because the hamstrings are three times the size of your quads, and the glutes are the largest muscle in your body. When these large muscles contract, the result is a much higher caloric output requirement than the smaller anterior muscle like your quads. 

E616 – 0 to 10° Power Incline

The Nautilus elliptical E616 boasts a 0 to 10 degrees power adjustable incline, which is about as good as it gets in this price range. And easily enough to challenge beginner and intermediate levels of fitness. You can adjust the incline from the quick touch buttons on the monitor. 

Easy To Use Monitor With a Few Advanced Features

This monitor isn’t over complicated, which is why  I like it, you have the quick touch buttons for resistance and incline, which are time-saving, and everything else can be accessed quite easily with one or two touches of a button.

Perhaps what’s more impressive is that this monitor included wireless heart rate monitoring. Wireless heart rate monitoring is a much more accurate way to monitor your heart rate than the handlebar pulse sensors, and it’s the perfect feature for people who love to train in their chosen heart rate zone. And best of all, they include the HR chest strap.

Other features include 25 levels of resistance, 29 built-in workout programs, BlueTooth, a built-in fan, and a tablet holder. You can also track all your essential workout data, such as distance, time, pulse, and calories.

Explore The World App

Explore The World is a Global Route app. You get over 50 Global routes to explore, it’s a decent app, and it’s free to use. However, you only get a few free routes. You’ll have to pay $9.99 a month if you want the rest, which isn’t too bad. The best feature of this app is that it automatically adjusts to the speed you pedal on your elliptical, so it’s in real-time, which is cool.

17lb Flywheel – slightly disappointing for the price

The Nautilus E616 only uses a 17lb flywheel; I was hoping for 20lb. The weight of the flywheel is important as its one of the factors that determine how smooth the elliptical motion is.

17lb is okay, and the motion is smooth because this flywheel is premier weighted. Most ellipticals in this price range use flywheels ranging from 15lb to 20lb. So we’re not far off the top weight with the E616.

If you go under 15lb, the elliptical motion can be jerky. Avoid ellipticals with flywheels under 15lb.

I haven’t heard anything bad about the Nautilus elliptical motion, so the 17lb premier weighted flywheel seems up to the job.

Quiet Elliptical – Magnetic Resistance

The Nautilus Elliptical uses magnetic resistance. Magnetic resistance is the perfect resistance system for an elliptical because it’s a frictionless resistance system. The magnets never make contact with the flywheel, which helps keep the elliptical motion smooth.

Also because it’s frictionless, there’s no wear or tear, so it’s maintenance-free, which is always a good thing.

But what you’ll notice most about a magnetic resistance system is just how quiet it is in operation. It’s whisper quiet, so you can watch TV or listen to music without being disturbed by the sound of the machine.

25 Levels of Resistance

The E616 includes 25 magnetic resistance levels, which is more than enough for most users.

Yes, it’s not a heavy-duty machine with a heavy flywheel, so you can’t expect the resistance strength to feel as strong as a commercial machine. Still, if you have a low to medium level of fitness, there are enough levels here to keep you challenged for a few years and don’t forget you also have the power incline to make your workouts even more challenging.

Moving and Static Handlebars

You get two pairs of handlebars with the E616, a moving pair, and a static pair. The static pair are great for first-time users. You can grab hold of them, get used to the feel of the elliptical motion for a few days, and then move on to the moving pair for a full-body workout.

Still, the static pair also have another use; even once you’re an experienced elliptical user, you can use the stationary pair of handles to focus fully on your lower body. I set the elliptical on a high resistance setting while using the static handles to give the legs a really good workout.

Assembly – 2 Hours

I’ve always found ellipticals a little more tricky to assemble than treadmills and bikes, and that’s because you have a lot of moving parts with an elliptical, and this one is quite heavy, so you’ll probably need two people to unbox and get this thing in place.

Most of the complicated stuff, like the drive and resistance system, already comes pre-assembled inside the flywheel housing. You’ll need to attach the stabilizer bars and arms to the base of the frame. Attach the console mast and connect the inclined arm to the rail assembly. And lastly, attach the monitor.

For Minatnace: It’s a low-maintenance machine because it uses a magnetic resistance system. However you’ll still need to check for loose bolts every few months and lubricate the joints if you hear any squeaks.

Alternative

Schwinn 430 Elliptical

Surprisingly the Schwinn 430 at the time of writing this review costs more than the Natilus E616, which is a little crazy considering they are both made by the same company and are identical in size and build quality.

When it comes to the essential features, the two elliptical are very similar; both boast  20″ strides, weigh the same, and both include a 10 degrees incline. So all the important stuff is just as impressive with the Schwinn, which is good to see.

But the monitor is lacking compared to the E616. You don’t get BlueTooth with The Schwinn 430, which means three no wireless heart rate monitoring and no access to the Explore the Word app.

It’s just the tech that is lacking on the 430 from Schwinn. They haven’t updated the monitor in a long time; you still get an excellent elliptical, but why pay more?

The Nautilus boasts all the features of the Schwinn 430 and has BlueTooth with wireless heart rate monitoring and a chest strap included. Plus, right now, it’s $200 cheaper than the 430.

It’s a no brainer to choose the E616  over the 430.

To Sum Up

There isn’t much to fault with the Nautilus E616 elliptical. For way under $1000, it’s one of the best ellipticals I’ve come across. It’s nice and heavy, so stability isn’t an issue. You have an impressive stride length and a power incline to add an extra challenge to your workouts.

And you shouldn’t get bored because you have 29 built-in programs to keep you coming back for more.

Also, it’s great to see a full-featured monitor. The monitor is up to date and includes those handy quick-touch buttons. Plus, you have wireless heart rate monitoring and enough resistance levels to keep most users challenged.

Yes, I was slightly disappointed with the flywheel weight, but that’s only because the rest of this elliptical is so impressive for the price point. Still, even at 17lb, it’s a decent weight, and because it is premier weight, it will help keep the motion smooth.