Introduction
Schwinn Fitness have produced a number of top quality elliptical machines for home use in previous years, but the new Schwinn Fitness 490 Elliptical Machine is said to be even better than all of their previous models, such as their 411, 430 and 470 ellipticals, for example.
This compact machine can be used for both downhill and uphill workouts with an incline range of -5% to 15%, and will automatically adjust the resistance during Explore the World workouts, bringing a whole new level of realism and enjoyment to your workouts.
Indeed it is fully compatible with the JRNY fitness app, giving you lots of these Explore the World workouts, as well as plenty of on-demand classes and adaptive workout routines, and comes with an impressive 7-inch color console display.
So let’s take a closer look at these features and examine why you might want to consider buying this new 490 model instead of one of their older ellipticals.
Features and Benefits
- decline and incline from -5% to 15%
- 25 resistance levels
- Terrain Control Technology that automatically adjusts resistance
- 20-inch stride length
- 7-inch color LCD display
- Bluetooth connectivity for smart devices, speakers and heart monitor
- narrow, wide and fixed handrail grip options
- media shelf with charging port
- water bottle holder
- transport wheels
- compact space-saving design
- compatible with the JRNY fitness app
- scenic Explore the World routes
- adaptive workouts and on-demand classes
- accommodates users up to 325 pounds
Product Dimensions / Weight
The exact dimensions of this Schwinn 490 elliptical (in inches) are 58.1 (D) x 68 (W) x 33.9 (H), and it has a total weight of 187 pounds (with a weight capacity of 325 pounds).
Positives
There is no doubt that this Schwinn 490 elliptical trainer offers a much improved workout experience than previous models in the Schwinn range.
For a start it offers a wide range of incline settings that will test people of all fitness levels because it can be adjusted all the way up to 15%, which will offer an extremely challenging workout.
It can also go down to -5% which will mimic going downhill and will be significantly easier, and therefore ideal for beginners, seniors or people recovering from injury, for instance.
The incline setting offers one way to make your workouts easier or harder, but there are also 25 resistance settings that you can use to finetune just how difficult you want your workout routines to be.
You can adjust the resistance manually, but one really cool feature of this 490 elliptical is that it has what’s described as Terrain Control Technology.
This will automatically adjust the resistance during changes of elevation in the Explore the World workouts, and will bring a whole new level of realism and enjoyment to your elliptical training routines.
There of hundreds of these scenic workouts included in the JRNY fitness app, which you will have to subscribe to to gain access, but a free mobile-only 2-month membership is included when you purchase this particular elliptical.
You will also gain access to lots of on-demand trainer-led classes when you use this app, as well as personalized workouts that are designed just for you as your fitness level progresses, and these will be displayed on the 7-inch color LCD display screen.
This console will display your performance metrics and also has Bluetooth connectivity for your smart devices and heart monitor and for the speakers. There is also a media shelf that has a charging port for your phone built in, which is another useful feature.
With regards to the moving handlebars, this elliptical offers a multitude of narrow and wide grip positions to help you find the most comfortable one for you, and the 20-inch stride length is also guaranteed to be very accommodating for most users.
There is also a water bottle holder conveniently located just below the console to help you stay hydrated during your workouts, and if you ever need to move this elliptical to another room, for instance, there are transport wheels attached that will make this task a lot easier.
Indeed it should be noted that although this elliptical looks like a fairly large machine in the photos, it is actually 12 inches smaller than the previous Schwinn 470 model, and therefore has a more compact design that will take up less space in your home.
Finally, as with many Schwinn fitness machines, this one comes with a 10-year warranty on the frame, and includes a 2-year parts warranty and a 1-year electronics warranty as well.
Negatives
The one issue I have with this and other similar exercise machines is that they will partner up with a specific fitness app, JRNY in this case, and almost force their users to subscribe to this app to get the most of their machines.
As a result, you not only have to spend over $1000 on the actual machine itself, but you also have to pay an ongoing monthly or yearly subscription to access all of the most valuable content.
JRNY may only cost $99 per year, and does include on-demand classes, adaptive workouts and hundreds of Explore the World routes to explore, but it is an additional yearly expense that needs to be paid.
Other than this, there do not appear to be any obvious flaws with the Schwinn 490 elliptical. Users have commented that it was very easy to set up and is smooth and very quiet in operation once it is up and running.
Final Thoughts
Overall the Schwinn 490 appears to be a vast improvement on previous models thanks to its smaller more compact footprint, its automatic resistance control on the scenic Explore the World routes, and the range of workout classes that are available on the JRNY app.
It offers so many workout options for people of all fitness levels even without the app, thanks to the 25 levels of resistance and the incline settings from -5% to 15%, but the on-demand classes, the scenic routes and the adaptive workouts that are personalized just for you as you progress will make working out a whole lot more fun and motivational.
This model is a little bit more expensive than previous models, but it still represents excellent value for money when you consider the quality and range of the workouts that are available to you with this particular elliptical.
→ Click here to buy the Schwinn Fitness 490 Elliptical Trainer