The Best Recumbent Bike You Could Buy In 2023

If you’re in a hurry, I recommend the Sunny Health & Fitness as the best recumbent bike on the market. 

This is the review for the best recumbent bike in 2023.

If you’ve been searching for a good recumbent bike for as long as I’ve been, you’ve landed yourself on the right page. A couple of months into the search, I found the best online market options.

It’s not easy to satisfy laid-back users like us. Working out at home, you want to be comfortable, you want your bike to match your interiors, and you want as minimal maintenance as possible—all three while owning a durable bike that you can depend on.

If you want to find:

• The best overall recumbent bike
• The best compact recumbent bike
• The best budget recumbent bike
• Things you need to consider before buying

I suggest you ditch whatever on your mind and keep reading!

Best Recumbent Bikes Overview

1. Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Recumbent Exercise Bike – Best Overall
2. Exerpeutic 400XL Folding Recumbent Bike – Best Compact Bike
3. MaxKare Recumbent Exercise Bike Indoor Cycling – Best Budget Option
4. SCHWINN 270 Recumbent Bike – Best Value For Money
5. ProForm 235 CSX Recumbent Bike – Most Luxurious
6. Vanswe Recumbent Exercise Bike – Best For High-Intensity Training

6 Best Recumbent Bikes for Outdoor Use Reviewed

With the multitude of options on the market with diverse features and designs, it’s normal that you need help. Especially when it comes to recumbent bikes, which are a valuable investment that’ll stay in your house for years.

Worry no more; I rounded up the best six options on the market here.

Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Recumbent Exercise Bike – Best Overall

It’s hard to find a match for the Sunny Health & Fitness recumbent bike. It features an adjustable seat, eight magnetic resistance levels, and a digital monitor.

The monitor is conveniently placed in the rider’s line of sight, and it shows you the number of calories burned, distance, time, speed, and pulse.

The bike has a weight capacity of 300 pounds, making it suitable for most users. Its inseam height also ranges from 29–38 inches, which is pretty sufficient for users of all heights.

If you’re worried about the bike’s assembly, I can assure you it takes less than one hour. I’ve had experience assembling these kinds of bikes, and I can safely say it’s one of the easiest to put together.

The only downside to the Sunny Health & Fitness bike may be the small display, especially that it comes unlit, too.

That shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for most users, though.

The bike’s price is its biggest competition point. With all these innovative features, you’d expect a hefty price tag, but the bike is pretty affordable.

Moreover, the Sunny Health recumbent bike is fairly compact. Its length doesn’t exceed 50 inches, so you can fit it easily anywhere.

If you’re worried about transportation, the wheels at the bottom will handle that for you.

Pros

• Highly affordable price
• Wide, comfortable seat with cushioning
• Non-slip handles for your convenience

Cons

• Some users reported that the pulse monitor stops working after a while

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Exerpeutic 400XL Folding Recumbent Bike with Performance Monitor – Best Compact Bike

If you’re looking for a compact bike for a small apartment, the Exerpeutic foldable bike may be the one for you.

The foldable design saves you storage space. Whenever you’re done using the bike, you can fold it down and put it against any wall.

With the compact size and the affordable price, I wouldn’t expect a lot of advanced features. The bike is still decent enough for a home gym, though.

It comes bearing eight levels of resistance and a double-drive transmission system that accounts for a quiet exercising session.

Additionally, the weight capacity is 300 pounds, meaning the bike is suitable for big guys, as well.

The bike has a semi-recumbent design with low handles for easy entry and exit. If you don’t like the handles to jam into your sides as you’re working out, you’ll love the Exerpeutic.

There’s a small display right above the wheels that shows you the number of burned calories, distance, speed, time, and heart rate.

Some users complained that the display isn’t in their line of sight while exercising, and I have to agree on this one. Looking down on the display will cause your neck to strain; I’d had that happen to me a couple of times on the Exerpeutic.

The multitude of useful features makes up for it, though. For that price, I’d gladly take a bike with no display at all.

Pros

• Comfortable seat with low handles to avoid irritating your sides
• Quiet without any noise
• Highly affordable price

Cons

• The assembly instructions are a bit hard to follow.

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MaxKare Recumbent Exercise Bike Indoor Cycling – Best Budget Option

If you’re on a tight budget and you want maximum comfort, the MaxKare may be your best bet.

It’s so comfortable that you can watch TV while working out. I tried riding it for 90 minutes once, and the session wasn’t as torturous as it usually is.

The Maxkare has a padded backrest and two low slip-resistant foam handles. That way, your hands don’t stay in an awkward position while you’re working out.

There’s a built-in tablet holder that’s mounted right in front of your estimated eye level. This way, you can watch your favorite show during your daily exercise session.

Like the Sunny Health & Fitness, the Maxkare comes with eight levels of resistance. The magnetic resistance accounts for a quiet session without bothering your family members.

The bike can hold up to 300 pounds, and its seat and pedals are adjustable to fit any user of any height.

The bike is a bit heavy, weighing around 65 pounds. You’d probably need help moving it around your house, but the wheels at the bottom will make it a bit easier.

The dimensions aren’t compact, but the bike isn’t too bulky, either. You can easily fit it in a moderate-sized house.

Bear in mind that its length is almost double the Exerpeutic, though, so it’s not close to being a compact option.

Pros

• Ergonomic seat with foam handles
• Adjustable pedals and seat to fit all users
• Tablet holder included
• Almost no noise when in use

Cons

• A bit large for small houses

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SCHWINN 270 Recumbent Bike – Best Value for Money

If you’re not limited by a budget, you may want to take a look at the Schwinn 270 bike. It’ll take some cash out of your pocket, but it’s well worth every dollar you pay for it.

The bike comes with 25 resistance levels, allowing you to customize your ride to whichever intensity you prefer.

Schwinn also equipped their bike with some high-tech features that users love.

The bike has 29 pre-programmed workout programs that you can jump right into. Additionally, there’s a Bluetooth function that allows you to connect to Schwinn’s smartphone app and track your workouts.

Some additional features include an adjustable fan to keep your body cooled down during exercise and a USB charging port so you can connect any phone if you want.

It’s hard to find downsides for a bike like this one, but the heavyweight takes the cake here.

Maneuvering 87 pounds around the house isn’t easy, and it needs a couple of extra hands to lift it.

If you tend to move your bike around a lot, the Schwinn may be hard to handle, although the front wheels make it a bit easier.

The thing about the Schwinn is, it comes with a hefty price tag. However, bikes with such advanced features come at double and triple that price. So, it offers excellent value for the money you pay.

Pros

• Large display for easy readability
• Pre-programmed workout plans included to make matters easier for you
• Excellent value for money

Cons

• Too heavy to move around your house

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ProForm 235 CSX Recumbent Bike – Most Luxurious

If you want to build a top-tier home gym, you can’t do it without the ProForm recumbent bike decorating one corner of it.

You’ll pay a lot, but the bike is worth every dollar.

It sports two Inertia-enhanced flywheels that rotate smoothly and without a hitch. They’re heavy enough to help you burn those calories you want to get rid of, but they’re smooth enough to rotate without making a beep. All thanks to the Silent Magnetic Resistance they run on.

There’s an LCD window display on the front to track the distance, time, speed, and estimated calorie burn. There’s also an EKG grip pulse sensor that tracks your heart rate with the highest accuracy possible.

In my opinion, the ProForm lacks when it comes to resistance levels.

Unlike the Schwinn 270, which is in the same price range, the ProForm only has 18 resistance levels.

With that price, I could use more, but the high-tech features make up for it.

The seat is oversized to fit anyone, and it’s adjustable to offer maximum comfort. The lumbar support also keeps you comfortable for long training sessions.

There’s a water bottle holder included. It’s a feature I can live without, but the thought is nice. For the high price, I’d appreciate all the extra features I can get.

The bike sports two wheels in the rear for easy transportation. You can move it around your house easily, although it’s not exactly light on the scale.

The maximum weight capacity is 275 pounds, which is enough for most users.

Pros

• Easy transportation thanks to the wheels in the rear
• Advanced LCD window to track your pedaling metrics
• Interia-enhanced flywheels for smooth, quiet rotation

Cons

• Only 18 resistance levels available despite the high price

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Vanswe Recumbent Exercise Bike – Best for High-Intensity Training

If you want to notch your daily exercise session up a bit, ditch the previous options and take a look at this champ.

The Vanswe doesn’t come with eight magnetic resistance levels like most bikes on my list do. Instead, it comes bearing 16 levels for hardcore exercisers, and it costs less than the Schwinn and the ProForm.

You can adjust the intensity of your workout session as high as you like, and the flywheel will keep rotating smoothly without a hitch, thanks to the magnetic resistance.

There’s an LCD mounted in front of the rider that shows speed, distance, time, heart rate, and calories burned. There’s also a built-in holder for your tablet or phone, in case you want to watch your favorite series while working out.

Suppose you prefer low handlebars, but your partner prefers high handlebars; the Vanswe has you covered.

Most bikes only have a pair of handlebars, but the Vanswe has two—a low one and a high one surrounding the LCD screen. This way, you can place your hands wherever you want during your session.

The seat is also adjustable to fit different heights.

If you ride after a short person, you can extend it to the back to keep your knees comfortable without cramping them.

The only downside users seemed to complain of is the low build.

The bike is closer to the ground than average, which may pose a problem for users with knee conditions.

Pros

• 16 levels of resistance
• High weight capacity of 380 pounds
• Bluetooth connectivity available

Cons

• The low build may hurt users with knee conditions.

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Buying Guide

Buying exercise bikes only seems easy, but the number of factors you have to consider is endless. With recumbent bikes, it’s even harder because they’re not very common. Luckily for you, I’ve been searching long enough to learn about all the needed features.

Here’s a roundup of everything you need to consider before buying.

User’s Weight and Height

A bike that’s comfortable for a 70-pound user surely won’t be comfortable to a 200-pound user, and vice versa.

Before buying your bike, you need to verify that you can pedal on it comfortably with regard to your weight and height.

If you’re tall, you’ll need the seat to be laid back enough to keep your legs comfortable and to avoid cramping your knees.

And short users need adjustable seats, as well, to ensure their legs don’t stretch too far.

You can make sure you’re getting the right bike by checking its height range and weight capacity before buying.

Magnetic Resistance

You’ll find most of the bikes I listed coming with magnetic resistance. Magnetic resistance on the flywheel means you can have a smooth, quiet ride without bothering your family members.

No matter how hard you go with the riding and how high the resistance level is, the bike won’t produce any noise.

Bikes without magnetic resistance are a bit loud, so get ready for your family members to do a lot of complaining!

Adjustability

If your family members use the bike with you, you need the seat and backrest to be adjustable to fit everybody.

If the foot cages are adjustable as well, that gives you full customization options for your bike.

Anyone, whether short or tall, can modify the bike to their preferences and have a ride.

The handles may be extendable, too, so you can lower them whenever you want to ride free-handedly.

These features will make your bike usable for longer and for more people.

Flywheel Weight

If you’re not familiar with the components of recumbent exercise bikes, the flywheel is the disc that rotates as you pedal.

The flywheel’s weight may not be important if you only have gentle exercise sessions.

However, if you want to have a smooth operation as you go at high resistance levels, it’s one of the essential features to consider.

The heavier the flywheel, the better because it provides more momentum with the spinning motion.

The high momentum reduces the lag between strokes and makes your pedaling motion smoother and quieter.

Advanced Options

Not all people care for tech features, especially when it comes to home exercises.

However, I appreciate a couple of tech features to make my life easier, so if you’re the same as me, that’s one more thing you need to consider.

Advanced features include pre-programmed workouts.

Some bikes come with 12–36 built-in programs to save you the hassle of adjusting the resistance level every time you ride.

Other options include the ability to make user profiles.

You’ll be able to save your own settings to the bike, including your current weight, your goal, and information about your age and health conditions.

If you and your family members use the bike interchangeably, this feature will be invaluable to you.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the best recumbent bike on my list is the Sunny Health & Fitness. It comes at a relatively affordable price, yet it doesn’t lack in any category.

It has eight magnetic resistance levels, and the flywheel rotates smoothly and quietly.

On top of that, it tracks your pedaling metrics constantly like high-end bikes.

In the end, my choice is objective, and you may have liked any option on the list better than the Sunny Health bike.

What’s important is that you review all the features you need to consider and make sure you’re paying money for a bike that deserves it.