Nautilus E614 Elliptical Trainer Review

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The Nautilus E614 Elliptical Trainer is the upgraded version of their E514c model, with a longer stride, more resistance levels and wider selection of workout programs.

This is also the first Nautilus elliptical to offer an adjustable incline for increasing the intensity of your workouts, and the ability to sync your workout data to NautilusConnect.

But because this incline is manual, would the Nautilus E616 be a better option? It’s a slightly higher price, but does offer a number of advantages, including power adjust incline, more user profiles and wider choice of workouts.

In our E614 review we’ll take a closer look at the design features, console functions, workout programs and more, to help you decide if this is the best elliptical for your fitness goals and budget.

Ergonomic design features

The $500 to $700 price range is incredibly competitive for elliptical trainers, with highly rated machines from big names like Schwinn, ProForm, Horizon Fitness, and of course, Nautilus.

So how do you know if there isn’t another elliptical for a similar price as the E614 that offers a longer stride path, more resistance levels, or more workout programs?

For the purpose of this review we compared the Nautilus E614 to dozens of other ellipticals at this price range, and found it to have the highest specification of any machine in its class.

The 20 eddy current magnetic resistance levels are more than or equal to what you’ll find on a ProForm elliptical (520 E, Smart Strider 735, and 10.0 CE models checked), and help create a quieter workout experience with lower levels of maintenance required.

The Nautilus Precision Path technology and large, rubberized footplates also creates a more comfortable running experience than similar machines, and cushions your stride for a low-impact cardio workout.

In terms of stride length, 20-inches is what’s offered by the E614, which is enough to comfortably support the natural running stride up to a user height of around 6ft 3ins. This is the maximum stride length we find on most ellipticals, even commercial models costing many thousands of dollars.

Comparison to ProForm and Horizon Fitness
To put this in perspective with other ellipticals in the same price range, this is equal to the ProForm Endurance 520 E, and 2-inches more than the Horizon Fitness EX-57 and ProForm 600 LE.

The only slight downside is the incline. Although you have six positions to choose from up to a gradient of 10 degrees, this falls short of the 20 degree incline offered by the Endurance 520 E.

But to continue the comparison, the 520 E has fewer workout programs and resistance levels, the same 300 lb weight capacity, and shorter parts warranty than the Nautilus E614.

Comparison to Schwinn 430
In fact, the closest competitor to the E614 is actually another elliptical that now falls under the Nautilus, Inc. company via the Schwinn brand, which is the Schwinn 430.

These two ellipticals are identical in almost every way, with the same number of workout programs, same stride length, manual incline range, and resistance system.

It’s a similarity we’re used to seeing between Schwinn and Nautilus fitness equipment, and something we noticed when comparing their treadmills and exercise bikes.

A few more design features worth mentioning are the high-speed, high-inertia drive system and perimeter-weighted flywheel, which helps provide a smoother running motion. You also have the motion handles to give your arms a great workout and increase cardiovascular activity.

Console functions

Yes there’s a small difference in the shape of the speakers, but putting this aside, the console for the E614 elliptical matches the one we saw on the Schwinn 430.

However, this is actually one of the better consoles we’ve seen on an elliptical under $1000, so we’re not complaining.

Although you don’t have the ‘Pacer’ option that you do with their treadmills, you still have a DualTrack™ display with two high-resolution LCD monitors. This allows continuous feedback of your most important workout information, even when taking advantage of the media shelf to watch movies or TV shows on your tablet.

The big difference between this console and the one on the upgraded E616 is the lack of quick-select incline buttons. This is because the E614 uses a manual incline system, but you can still quickly switch between the various resistance levels.

The upper display screen features feedback relating to the currently selected workout program, user, and achievements. This includes a grid display area that highlights your progress through the segments of a course profile, letting you know when to expect a change in resistance.

Any remaining information, such as speed, time, distance, RPM, and resistance level is summarised in the lower display. You can even view your heart rate if you’re using the contact sensors or wearing a wireless chest strap.

In terms of entertainment features, this isn’t an elliptical that offers color touch screens or a visual display of your virtual running route via Google Maps (both features offered by top-of-the-line NordicTrack ellipticals). But you do have a media shelf for your tablet or book, an MP3 port for your iPod or MP3 player, and acoustic chambered speakers for listening to your favorite workout music.

To help keep you hydrated and maintain a high level of performance, there’s also a water bottle holder and 3-speed adjustable cooling fan within easy reach.

Workout programs and user profiles

Finding an elliptical trainer with a good selection of workout programs is incredibly important to your success.

If you’re anything like us, workout variation plays an important part in your motivation level. If you’re simply performing the same workout week after week not only is your progress likely to plateau, but you’re also more likely to lose interest in the whole routine.

That’s one of the reasons Nautilus went a step further than brands like Sole Fitness (maximum of 10 programs per elliptical), and built-in a combination of 22 preset and customizable workout programs.

6 workout program categories:

Provided you select a user profile before starting your workout, you can keep track of your performance by syncing the data to a NautilusConnect profile. From here, you can transfer the data to MyFitnessPal, where it can be combined with other workout and nutrition data for a complete overview of your health and fitness goals.

User profiles
The Nautilus E614 elliptical features 2 user profiles, where you can store basic personal information such as name, age, gender, and weight.

Some of this data is then used to improve the accuracy of calculations used during your workout, including the number of calories burned and your maximum heart rate.

This is half the number of profiles available with the E616 model, which is one of the reasons we recommend the E616 over the E614 for family environments.

Ease of assembly

Some elliptical trainers are incredibly easy to setup, such as the NordicTrack SE7i with its folding design, or NordicTrack’s Elite ellipticals that use an innovative SNAP assembly system.

Unfortunately Nautilus doesn’t currently offer anything similar, which means there’s a bit more work involved in getting the machine assembled.

The good news is that the main resistance/drive system arrives pre-assembled, but because the overall weight of the E614 is over 160 lbs, you still might want some assistance with setting up the base.

Although there are more steps to follow than most ellipticals, the instructions themselves are clearly explained in written and visual format, with exploded drawings showing how each part fits together.

How quickly the Nautilus E614 can be setup depends on your experience level with this type of equipment, but we would certainly recommend setting aside at least 60 minutes.

If you assemble the machine and decide on a different location, front-mounted transport wheels make it much easier to move around. There’s even a set of adjustable levellers to help ensure the Rail Assembly is aligned with the floor, and improve the stability of the machine.

Maintenance required
When you’re spending this kind of money on a new piece of fitness equipment, you probably want to keep it in top working order for as many years as possible.

To help with this, Nautilus have recommended a daily and weekly maintenance plan, which is as follows:

Daily

Weekly

They also recommended checking the tightness of bolts on a monthly basis or every 20 hours, whichever is sooner. But overall we feel this is a very manageable routine, with no special cleaning solutions required and no expensive checks from technicians.

What’s covered by the warranty?