Recumbent exercise bikes are a class of exercise bikes that are designed to offer you with a comfortable, natural riding experience from the comfort of your own home. The seats of these bikes are wide and padded with a reclined seat back. This position allows riders to settle comfortably into the seat and relax as they ride. Recumbent bikes prevent fatigue, muscle soreness, lower back pain, and joint pain. They provide a low impact, full body workout that builds strength in your glutes, quads, calves, and hamstrings. These bikes are also safer to ride than other types of at-home exercise bikes because they distribute your weight evenly and provide a more gentle workout.
If you have problems with muscle soreness, fatigue, arthritis or limited mobility, riding a recumbent exercise bike can be a great way to improve your cardio fitness without experiencing any discomfort. Check out these five high-quality recumbent exercise bikes that are at the top of the market for safety, comfort, performance and efficiency.
1. Exerpeutic Folding Recumbent Exercise Bike
The double-drive belt transmission system of this recumbent exercise bike ensures a smooth and quiet ride, even for very high-intensity workouts. Its flywheel offers high resistance, and its magnetic tension control system features eight levels of resistance that allow you to adjust the intensity of your workout at any time. Comfort is also a high priority for this exercise bike. Its back rest is cushioned and its seat adjusts for comfort and support. The bike also includes a built-in water bottle holder and a holder for your smartphone or iPad to help make your ride more comfortable, convenient and entertaining.
This bike is easy and comfortable to ride. Its unique semi-recumbent design makes getting on and off the bike simple and safe. Its extra-large seat cushion and ergonomic backrest prevent soreness both during and after your workout. The LCD screen built into this bike is clear and easy to read even while you’re pedaling. The screen displays essential details of your workout–including your distance, speed, time, number of calories burned, and your heart rate–so you can keep track of them throughout your workout. When you’re not riding it, you can fold this bike up to half its original size and move it out of your way using its attached transportation wheels. This recumbent bike has a high maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds.
Pros:
- Includes eight levels of resistance for more
- Built with a padded seat cushion and backrest for comfort and support
- Features an LCD screen that displays essential workout details
- Supports up to 300 pounds at a time
- Folds up for easy storage
Cons:
- Does not support backwards pedaling
2. ProGear Magnetic Tension Recumbent Exercise Bike
Amp up your cardio workout or keep it light with this recumbent bike’s fourteen levels of magnetic tension resistance that allow you to easily adjust the intensity of your workouts. This sturdy recumbent exercise bike is designed to support riders between 5’0″ up to 6’3″ and has a maximum weight capacity of 250 pounds. Its seat is adjustable and its back rest is cushioned to ensure maximum comfort and support and accommodate a wider range of heights.
Track your workout progress on this bike’s widescreen LCD display. The easy-to-read screen shows you your distance, time, RPM, and the number of calories you’ve burned in large, clear numbers. In addition to showing you your workout stats in real time on its display screen, this bike also allows you to program your own personal workout goals. You can specify the distance, time, or number of calories burned that you want to reach during your workout. Setting these goals encourages you to push yourself harder as you ride in order to reach them. This recumbent bike fits easily in your living room, office, or at-home gym, but it also features transportation wheels for easy storage and portability.
Pros:
- Includes fourteen resistance levels for intensity adjustment
- Features an LCD screen that displays essential details of your workout
- Allows you to set workout goals to measure your fitness progress
- Built with attached transportation wheels for portability
- Accommodates a maximum weight capacity of 250 pounds and a height range of 5’0″ to 6’3″
Cons:
- Assembly can be difficult and time -consuming and requires two people
3. Marcy Recumbent Exercise Bike
Crafted from strong powder-coated steel tubing, this recumbent exercise bike is sturdy, safe and ultra-durable. Its unique step-through design makes getting on and off this bike easy and prevents soreness and joint strain, even for riders with reduced mobility. Its eight magnetic resistance levels offer multiple options for adjusting the intensity of your workouts, and can be controlled easily just by twisting the bike’s built-in tension control knob.
This bike includes a built-in LCD screen that is easy to read. The screen clearly displays your time, distance, speed, and the number of calories you’ve burned as you ride to help you keep track of your workout progress. You’ll never feel uncomfortable or out of control on this bike. Its counterbalanced pedals are weighted and include adjustable foot straps for support, control, and safety. Also, its seat and handlebars are contoured and padded with high-density for more comfort and support and to help you maintain proper form throughout your workout.
Pros:
- Crafted from high-gauge powder-coated steel tubing for durability and sturdiness
- Includes eight magnetic resistance levels for easy intensity adjustment
- Features foam-padded, contoured seat and handlebars for maximum comfort and support
- Built with an LCD screen that displays essential details of your workout
Cons:
- Does not automatically reset the time after each ride; time must be manually reset between rides
4. Schwinn Recumbent Exercise Bike
Take control of your fitness progress with this recumbent bike’s goal-tracking functions. It gives you the opportunity to set individual exercise goals in order to help you achieve your long-term fitness goals. Its twenty levels of resistance offer you plenty of options for choosing the intensity of your workouts to keep up with your goals. It also includes twenty-two preset workout programs that allow you to switch up your workouts, keep them interesting, and keep you on track toward your personal goals. Plus, its two built-in fitness tests help you assess your fitness and gauge how much progress you’re making.
This bike includes two built-in LCD screens. These screens are clear and easy-to-read to help you navigate your workout program and goal-tracking options more easily. Plus, they display important details of your workout, including your time, distance, speed, and the number of calories you’ve burned. This high-tech, high-performance recumbent exercise bike also includes a USB charging port to charge your devices while you ride, an MP3 input, in-console speakers, and a fan to help keep you comfortable and entertained during your workout.
Pros:
- Includes two fitness tests and twenty-two preset workout programs
- Features goal-tracking functions that allow you to set and monitor your personal fitness goals
- Built with two LCD screens that display your workout details
- Includes a USB charging port, MP3 input, in-console speakers, and a fan for comfort and more convenient entertainment
Cons:
- The bike’s built-in fan does not blow strong enough for cooling in extremely hot or humid conditions
5. Nautilus Recumbent Exercise Bike
This modern exercise bike offers maximum comfort and many high-tech features for high performance, convenience, and entertainment. Its vented seat back keeps you cool and dry while you workout. Also, its seat is adjustable to ensure maximum comfort and support. Keep yourself entertained while you ride with the bike’s built-in speakers and MP3 input port that allows you to listen to your favorite music as you ride.
Reach your fitness goals more easily by taking advantage of this exercise bike‘s goal-tracking feature. Also, you can assess your fitness using the bike’s two preset fitness tests that are designed to help you measure your progress over time. Prevent your workouts from getting boring and ensure a full-body workout while you ride with the bike’s multiple preset workout programs. Monitor essential details of your workout–your time, speed, distance, etc.–and navigate your options for workout programs and fitness tests on its two easy-to-read LCD display screens.
Pros:
- Built with a vented seat back and adjustable seat for cooling comfort
- Features two LCD screens that display important details of your workout
- Includes goal-tracking to help you reach personal, individualized fitness goals
- Offers multiple preset workout programs and fitness tests to asset your progress and keep your workouts on track
Cons:
- Seat is non-padded for high performance, which some riders find uncomfortable
