Schwinn 431 Elliptical Trainer Review

Find Out Why This Upgrade From The 430 Is A Worthy Choice

Save Almost $350 (35%) On The Schwinn 431

The Schwinn 431 is an upgrade to the very popular 430 model. It capitalizes on the strong design and features of the original 430 but adds some exciting new enhancements to create even more value.

If you are looking for gym quality but at budget prices this is one of the best choices in an elliptical trainer that you can make. But what makes the 431 so special and such a nice upgrade from its predecessor?

schwinn 431 elliptical trainer

For one thing it adds a hefty 25 pound flywheel. The extra weight of this component allows for a very smooth and frictionless ride.

One aspect important to an elliptical is how sturdy and heavy it is. This adds stability which makes the important gliding motion smoother and more natural.

The success of any elliptical relies on stability, this extra sized computer controlled flywheel makes sure you stride will be smooth and comfortable.

BioFit Articulating Footplate Design

One feature that Schwinn incorporates on their ellipticals is what's known as articulated foot pedals. What this means is the position of your feet are adjusted as you perform a striding motion.

This makes the already low impact workout of an elliptical even smoother and natural which results in less wear and tear on your joints of course.

Gadgets And Extras

The 431 has an array of features to make your daily workouts more comfortable and enjoyable. For instance an mp3 holder is included so you can listen to your favorite music while you workout. I love listening to music while I perform an aerobic type of activity as it helps both pass the time and keep you in a good groove.

If you start to get a little hot while pushing yourself on one of the 19 programmed workouts there's a handy 3 speed fan available to help cool you down. Not only that but thankfully a water bottle holder is ready to keep a refreshing drink handy to re-hydrate you when you need it.

Forward And Reverse Motion

The Schwinn 431 lets you perform both forward and reverse motion when you pedal. By changing up the direction that you workout you avoid getting into a rut and push through any plateaus that are common with repeating the same type of exercise over and over.

Now you can enjoy a similar workout as a cross training exercise but with the advantage of the low impact style of movement that an elliptical provides.

Here's a list of the some of the muscles this trainer can hit on both forward and reverse directions:

  • Gluts
  • Lats
  • Lower Back and Abs
  • Triceps and Biceps
  • Pectorals
  • Deltoids

As you can see you're going to get a full body workout that's then further enhanced with hitting these muscles in both directions just like a full cross training program would.

Display Console

The Schwinn 431 comes with a back lit LCD and the Schwinn BioConnect computer loaded with feedback programs to help you along your journey and improve progress and results long term.

You can input personal data, track your results over time and see how your progress is shaping up.  This can be a great motivator to keep from going stale with your exercises.

schwinn 431 console

The computer can be set to multiple modes to give valuable feedback like Recovery, Results, and even your BMI.  Overall there are 19 different programs built in to keep you from getting bored and 16 levels of resistance so that you always have a challenge.

What Customers Say About The Schwinn 431

As with other Schwinn elliptical machines, the 431 has a very impressive ratio of good reviews to bad.  Negative opinions are almost non existent compared to the positive praise that happy owners of 431 have expressed for their beloved machine.

Very importantly users reported that even after close to a year on (or later) they were still happy with their purchase and didn't regret it one bit.

This is a testament to the high quality construction of Schwinn (with help from Nautilus).

With the amount of money you are throwing down for one of these machines it's good to know that it will be money well spent in the long term.

Another good thing about Schwinn is their customer service.  In the event something went wrong (which overall was quite uncommon) customers issues were handled swiftly and courteously.

Here's a few more key points that users of the 431 noted after using it for a while:

  • Sturdy construction - suitable for even taller/heavier people
  • Comfortable motion, enjoyable to use even for extended periods
  • Close to gym quality machines costing many times more
  • Great for people with arthritis or other ailments
  • Even helps recover from ankle and other foot related problems
  • Pleasant customer support experience

Important: one small issue some customers reported was a squeaking in a few of the units purchased. It turns out this is due to over tightening the bolts during assembly of the product.

Just make sure to not over tighten and use grease when needed and you won't have these problems.

And here's my final assessment of this elliptical machine:

Buy The Schwinn 431 At The Lowest Price

Combining low price but high quality this trainer gets top marks in the affordable trainer category.

Construction

Rating: ★★★★½

Features

Rating: ★★★★½

Overall

Rating: ★★★★½