The elliptical is a fantastic piece of low-impact fitness equipment to add to your home gym. Our ACTIVE Reviews Team has tested dozens of machines, evaluating them for their programming, durability, ease of use and comfort.
The Horizon Fitness 7.0 AE Elliptical is easy to use, sturdy, durable and with its 20 levels of resistance and power incline, a solid choice for both beginners and advanced cardio enthusiasts alike. In fact, as you’ll see in this Horizon 7.0 AE Elliptical review, it’s one of the best ellipticals
By clicking on the product links in this article, we may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader.
Pros
- Incline/Resistance: The 7.0 AE has 20 levels of magnetic resistance and up to 100% grade incline options. With features like this you can really target lower body muscle groups like the glutes and hamstrings, making for a killer low-impact cardio and lower body workout. Using the one-touch buttons, you can smoothly transition between levels.
- Price: Who doesn’t love to get a value product for an affordable price? The 7.0 AE comes in just under the $1,000 mark, making it a great choice for anyone looking for budget-friendly ellipticals. Horizon also offers financing options if you're not looking to lay down $1K all at once.
- Stride Length: Many of today’s affordable elliptical trainers offer an 18-inch stride length. However, the stride length of the 7.0 AE is 20 inches, and the oversized pedals (rubberized inside) make it comfortable for taller fitness enthusiasts.
- Sturdiness: The six-star ergonomic frame is both durable and sturdy. The 7.0 AE features a heavy flywheel (23 pounds) and a weight capacity of 325 pounds. This prevents the shakiness you sometimes find with other budget elliptical cross trainers.
- Display: The 7-inch LCD screen on the 7.0 AE displays the basic workout data you would expect to see: calories, distance, heart rate, incline percent, speed and time.
Cons
- Assembly: Assembling this thing is like wrestling a wild boar. It is time-consuming and can get messy if you don’t know what you’re doing. Also, the 7.0 AE weighs a whopping 194 pounds, so just moving it to where you want it set up is a challenge. Fortunately, Horizon offers expert assembly for an added cost.
- Portability/Size: The 7.0 AE has a substantially large footprint: 76 inches long by 24 inches wide. Also, it weighs almost 200 pounds. While you can move it, it isn’t the easiest thing to do.
BUY: Horizon 7.0 AE Elliptical
Using the Horizon 7.0 AE Elliptical
This Horizon elliptical cross-trainer is quite simple and extremely user-friendly. Plug it in, flip a switch and get moving. You can choose from the eight pre-programmed workouts, or if you want to do your own elliptical workout, just hit “Quick Start.”
Want to pass time and binge watch your favorite show? Just plug your smart device into the conveniently placed, rapid-charging USB port, secure it on the media shelf and watch away. Alternatively, you can stream a workout program of your choice to instruct you through a workout.
Programs
There are two different types of programming on the Horizon 7.0 AE: built-in and connected.
The eight built-in workouts are 5K, Calorie, Custom, Distance, Fat Burn, Hill Climb, Manual and Target Heart Rate. These are the basic programs you will find on most elliptical trainers out there.
If you want more, Horizon offers a free training app, the AFG Pro Horizon Fitness app. It connects to the machine through your own smart device, which you can then use to control your workout. The device holder sits comfortably on the console, so you can access your favorite programming through the fitness platform of your choice. While our team had no issue with the app, some other users have found that it doesn't consistently connect with the machine.
Extras
There is a lot to love about the extras provided on the 7.0 AE. First, the dual Bluetooth integrated speakers are pretty awesome. The volume and clarity is reported to be very good by most users, so listen to your favorite tunes while sweating it out. To that end, the cooling fans located on the console are a nice touch, especially during those hot summer months when you may not have AC in your home gym.
While the 7-inch display may not be as big as the screens you’ll find on higher priced machines, the device holder is great. A tablet fits in perfectly and just like that you have a screen with interactive functionality. Connect your tablet and a Bluetooth heart rate monitor to get the most out of your workout. The rapid-charging USB port keeps your tablet charged, and a water bottle holder also makes it easy to stay hydrated as you train.
Horizon 7.0 Elliptical vs. Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical
Both the Horizon Fitness and Sunny Health & Fitness ellipticals offer built-in workouts, incline and resistance levels and affordable pricing. If you’re trying to decide between the two, there are a few distinct differences.
While both are on the lower end of the price range, Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical is about half the cost of the Horizon Fitness elliptical. Size-wise, the Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic carries a smaller footprint than the 7.0 AE, and it also weighs less. This would make the Sunny a good choice for people living in small spaces needing compact cardio equipment.
In terms of workouts, the Sunny elliptical has a whopping 24 pre-programmed options compared to the Horizon’s eight. However, the 7.0 AE has the Bluetooth connectivity to sync the workout app to your machine.
One last difference that you should be aware of is the warranty. The 7.0 AE has a remarkable warranty. It offers a lifetime frame and brake warranty, three years parts and one year on the flywheel and labor. Sunny’s warranty is somewhat disappointing with only three years on the frame and 180 days on parts and other components. If purchased on Amazon, you can get an extra protection plan, plus it's an Amazon Prime item.
Horizon 7.0 Elliptical vs. NordicTrack Commercial 14.9
We really love the NordicTrack Commercial 14.9. In fact, we picked it as the best elliptical on the market. So how does it compare to the Horizon 7.0 AE?
Both machines have a large footprint, cooling fans, multiple resistance levels and one-touch controls, but that’s just about where the similarities end.
The NordicTrack Commercial 14.9 Elliptical comes with a bigger price tag of almost $2,000, which is about twice the cost of the Horizon. However, that includes a free trial of the iFIT family membership, which provides integrated, interactive programming that outshines the free app that Horizon uses. Plus, you get to view your programming on a 14-inch HD touchscreen (twice the size of the Horizon display).
So in short, if you want all the bells and whistles of a commercial elliptical, go with the NordicTrack. But if you want something affordable that still gives you interactive programming on a durable machine, the Horizon could be a great fit.
Final Thoughts
The Horizon 7.0 Elliptical is a solidly constructed and easy-to-use piece of equipment that offers a great workout for beginners and more advanced cardio lovers. Our main takeaways are:
- Assembly is not easy. If you can afford it, pay for the experts to do it.
- The 7.0 AE has some decent built-in workouts and app connectivity.
- This machine is a wonderful option for beginners or anyone who doesn't care about the bells and whistles and is more interested in getting in a challenging workout.
Horizon 7.0 AE Elliptical FAQs
What is the stride length of the Horizon 7.0 Elliptical?
While many of the lower-priced ellipticals come with an 18-inch stride length, the Horizon 7.0 comes with a 20-inch stride that's great for taller users.
What are the programs on the Horizon 7.0 Elliptical?
The 7.0 AE is equipped with eight preprogrammed workouts: 5K, Calorie, Custom, Distance, Fat Burn, Hill Climb, Manual, and Target Heart Rate.
Can I lose weight with the Horizon 7.0 Elliptical?
Exercise is a key component of any weight loss journey. If you want to make healthy changes to your weight, you need to put in the work. The Horizon 7.0 Elliptical is a great cardio workout and offers the opportunity to really challenge any fitness enthusiast and anyone looking to make positive, healthy changes to their lifestyle. That being said, it's not a magic machine. You have to do the work. But the 7.0 AE is a phenomenal machine to do that work on.