Horizon Fitness Elite E9 Elliptical Machine Review

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UPDATE: The Horizon Fitness Elite series is no longer available. But, check out the Evolve 5 for a ready-made replacement.

The Horizon Fitness Elite E9 elliptical features a 20-inch stride length, 10 degree power incline, SixStar frame design, and compatibility with Horizon’s ViaFit™ web app. But as the top-of-the-line model in a collection that also features the Elite E7, which is the best elliptical machine for helping you achieve your personal fitness goals?

In this review we’ll compare the Passport ready Elite E9 to other Horizon Fitness ellipticals, both folding (Evolve 3 and Evolve 5) and non-folding (Elite E7). This means taking a closer look at how well ViaFit™ integrates with the existing fitness apps and wearable tech you might already be using. Apps such as Fitbit, RunKeeper, and the popular food journal from MyFitnessPal.

We’ll also be comparing the workout programs (42 built into the E9), entertainment features, and fitness tracking options against similarly priced ellipticals from other leading fitness equipment companies. This includes NordicTrack, ProForm, and Vision Fitness.

Design and safety features

As Horizon’s top-of-the-line elliptical machine, the Elite E9 is designed with a non-folding frame, front drive system, and their most advanced combination of workout programs and console features.

But there are really only three differences between the physical design of the Elite E9 and that of the Elite E7. These are that the E9 has a higher weight capacity (350 lbs vs. 325 lbs), heavier flywheel (30 lbs vs. 23 lbs), and redesigned moveable handles that create a number of new grip positions.

The two ellipticals also share a number of common features, such as the 20″ fixed stride length, 10″ step-on height, 20 electronic resistance levels, 10 degree power incline, and SixStar Certified frame. So how does SixStar benefit your workout experience?

SixStar frame design elements:

Having the heavier 30 lb flywheel certainly delivers a smoother elliptical motion, but the upgrades in fitness tech are really what set the Elite E9 apart from other Horizon Fitness ellipticals. This includes being Passport ready, compatible with the ViaFit™ training app, and being the only Horizon elliptical to feature their advanced Virtual Active workout experience.

In the next section of our review we take a look at how these technologies can benefit your fitness routine, and weigh up just how much of advantage this is compared to the Elite E7 model.

Safety features
Elliptical machines and exercise bikes are two of the safest types of fitness equipment you can buy for a home gym. A small amount of motion is generated by the weight and cadence of the flywheel, but compared to a treadmill or TreadClimber there’s really no need for an emergency break.

This is why none of the Horizon Fitness ellipticals features specific safety features. One of the only companies we’ve seen do this is Precor with their Precision series (EFX 425). In this case, Precor added sliding locking pins to the foot plates and passcode protection to the console to prevent unauthorized access.

Display console design

The Elite E9 is currently Horizon’s only elliptical machine to feature a touchscreen display, with a menu system that’s identical to the Touch+ console from Vision Fitness.

Horizon Fitness have setup their consoles slightly differently to Vision, whereby the features and entertainment options differ by elliptical. This is compared to Vision, who let you choose from a selection of consoles to suit your budget. But this is a system that’s only available with their treadmills.

Personally we prefer the Vision Fitness approach. That’s because you can still get the best from the physical features, such as running area, belt speed, and incline range, but compromise on the entertainment features if you only want basic feedback.

Unfortunately Vision don’t operate the same system on their ellipticals. In fact they’ve moved out of traditional ellipticals almost entirely, and now mainly focus on Suspension Elliptical™ trainers, like the Vision S60.

Back to Horizon’s Elite E9 and the color touchscreen gives you easy access to the Workout Tracking Calendar, workout programs, user setup (3 profiles available), and Virtual Active.

The E9 is actually the only Horizon elliptical to have Virtual Active™ integrated into the console. This is the alternative to being ‘Passport Ready’, and means you don’t have to spend $199 on the Passport Player to access the preloaded destination workouts.

So what is Virtual Active and how can it be used to benefit your fitness routine?

Virtual Active integrated
Johnson Fitness designed Virtual Active as an immersive workout experience. This means when you start one of the preloaded destination courses, high-definition video footage is displayed on the console screen.

Vision made Virtual Active available on their top-of-the-line Elegant+ and Touch+ treadmill consoles, and Horizon has made it exclusive to their Elite T9 treadmill and Elite E9 elliptical machines. You can still experience the same benefits with their Passport Ready equipment, but to do so means spending $199 on the Passport Player.

The Elite E9 console comes preloaded with two destinations; Northern Italy and the American Southwest. But if you want to experience new locations, you can choose from one of their Passport Packs (A, B, C available).

Each of these packs is usually available for $99, and allows you to choose from 6 new destinations, including New Zealand, British Columbia, and New England. The elliptical resistance will even automatically adjust to match a change in gradient during the course.

But it’s worth mentioning there’s a bit of work involved in getting the destinations transferred from these packs to the elliptical console.

First you’ll need access to a computer where you can download the media files from the website (so an internet connection is also necessary). Then you’ll need to be able to uncompress them and copy them to a USB flash drive. You’re then able to insert the USB to the console and access the destinations, but the flash drive has to stay inserted.

Whereas the Passport Player allows you to view the HD destination footage from your television, the full color display of the Elite E9 means you can watch it directly via the console screen.

ViaFit connectivity
This is another exclusive to Horizon Fitness and Vision Fitness equipment, and allows you to send workout data to a wide range of fitness apps.

After buying the Elite E9 you can visit the ViaFitness website and setup an xID account, enabling you to save and share workout data via Wi-Fi. You can then pair the elliptical machine with your account and automatically sync your workout data.

As well as syncing to your ViaFit account, you can also share the data with other fitness apps, such as MyFitnessPal, RunKeeper, Fitbit, and MapMyFitness.

Heart rate monitoring
The Horizon Elite ellipticals (E7 and E9) are both fitted with a built-in Polar Wireless Receiver. This means you’re able to wear a Polar® chest strap (included) and still transmit your heart rate to the console.

It’s a big upgrade over their Evolve series ellipticals, which are only fitted with contact sensors. Because the sensors are built into the static handles, you’re unable to use the moveable upper body grips at the same time as tracking your pulse.

With the Elite E9 you can wear the Polar® chest strap to transmit your pulse rate when using the moving handles, creating a full-body cardio workout.

Workout programs and user profiles

Before buying a new elliptical machine, one of the most important areas for comparison is the workout programs. This is understandable, as not having enough workout variation can lead to boredom, which is one of the top reasons why people skip workouts and even stop their fitness routine.

Fortunately when it comes to workout variation, Horizon Fitness are one of the best companies in the industry, especially when it comes to the ellipticals in their Elite series.

In terms of pre-programmed workouts, the most we’ve ever seen built into a console is around 38, which was on NordicTrack’s top-of-the-line FS9i FreeStride Trainer. They also have traditional ellipticals with up to 35 workout programs, while ProForm’s Pro 16.9 elliptical also has a collection of 35 workout apps.

That’s why it’s so impressive to see the Horizon Elite E9 go above and beyond by providing you with 44 programs as standard, which is 2 more than the Elite E7. Because the console is Passport Ready, this also gives you access to a further 20 high-definition destination courses (2 preloaded on the Passport Player and 6 more courses in each of the three Passport Packs).

But these destination courses come at a cost, which if you want all 20 will cost in the region of $500 ($199 for the player, and 3 packs at a cost of $99 each).

So what if you didn’t want the added expense? Can the workout variation compete with NordicTrack and ProForm ellipticals in the same way the program quantity does?

Workout program categories

User profiles
Up to four users can be saved under a ViaFit account, which connects to the Elite E9 elliptical console.

If you have your ViaFit account setup before starting your first workout, you can select your user ID and begin your run. Your workout results will then automatically sync back to your ViaFit user profile when the workout is complete.

Ease of assembly

If you’re buying the Elite E9 elliptical direct from Horizon Fitness, their policy is to schedule delivery and bring the boxes inside the first ground-level door or into your garage.

The Johnson Fitness website (Horizon’s parent company) has a complete collection of owner’s manuals, diagrams, and other guides for assisting you with the elliptical assembly. Contacting Horizon for after-sales service and support is also incredibly easy, with an email address, contact number, and contact form available through their official website.

But what if you’re looking for more than ground-level delivery? What if you want a trained service technician to assemble your new elliptical machine for you, so you don’t have to worry about heavy lifting and following diagrams?

Professional assembly services
Unfortunately we weren’t able to find any additional levels of home delivery from Horizon themselves. This would be where a technician visits your address and assembles the elliptical for you in your room of choice.

However, if this is a service you’re interested in, Amazon have recently started offering a number of home assembly services. This includes home gyms, treadmills, and elliptical machines. To check whether your zip code is covered, please use the form below.

Amazon’s elliptical trainer assembly service already has hundreds of 5 star rated reviews, with customer feedback for the various installers.

The service itself includes assembly of 1 elliptical per product instructions, with a typical assembly time of 4 hours. Amazon have also started offering an ASAP version of the service. If you submit an order before 10am on a business day, a service pro will come to your home that same day.

Maintenance required
Horizon Fitness include a recommended maintenance routine with each of their ellipticals. These are fairly standard steps to ensure the continued operation of any home elliptical, but still worth a mention.

The Elite E9 user manual also includes troubleshooting solutions for issues such as lack of illumination at the console, or erratic heart rate readouts.

What’s covered by the warranty?