The Schwinn 470 is a home exercise elliptical machine. It is in the upper tier of Schwinn’s offerings and has a plethora of safety, comfort, and convenience features. In this review, we will run down the important characteristics of the 470, explain its key features, and analyze whether it is worth the price. The home elliptical market is competitive, so a product like the 470 that is among the more expensive needs to distinguish itself. The 470 works for both beginners and advanced users.
Schwinn 470 Main Features
The Schwinn 470 elliptical machine weighs 187 pounds. It measures 70 inches long by 28 inches wide by 63 inches tall. When you order it online, it does not come fully assembled.
The Schwinn 470 is programmable with different displays and metrics to track your progress and set goals. It can save up to 4 different user settings groups. There are a total of 25 different resistance settings for difficulty levels and workouts of varying intensity. Each model comes with a USB port that you may use for charging portable devices and for exchanging tracking data.
The machine’s USB port is the key to using SchwinnConnect, a data service that can track your progress and store it on Schwinn’s site. You can set short and long-term goals. The port is also compatible with My Fitness Pal, which you may already have used if you have owned data-tracking home exercise machines before.
The 470’s array of features might be intimidating to a novice. There are many decisions to make about setting up the programs and using SchwinnConnect to set goals. A beginner who is new to using an elliptical does not really need that many choices and they may find it overwhelming. It also can be time-consuming to make an initial setup of the machine for those who aren’t used to choosing programs and settings.
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Schwinn 470 Additional Info
Maintenence
The 470 is fairly easy to maintain. Once you assemble it correctly, it should not need much aside from regular cleaning and the occasional software update. It has points of potential failure at the place where the foot supports and the motor meet.
Warranty
The frame of the 470 has a 10-year warranty. The mechanical coverage is 2 years and the electrical coverage is 1 year. It also has a 90-day labor warranty. There is a max user weight of 300 pounds and exceeding this limit can void the warranty.
Accessories
The most important accessories for the 470 are all USB-related. You can use a thumb drive to store your SchwinnConnect or My Fitness Pal data and update it on your elliptical and computer. You can also use the same port for a USB-connected music player.
Recommended Routines
As an elliptical, the 470 is definitely meant for cardio first, with some leg work as a nice side effect. To that end, prepare for interval training and distance runs to take full advantage of the programs and tools that the machine uses to build custom workout routines for each user.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Features: The 470 is feature-rich and has a good combination of options and ease of use
Interface: The display and console are responsive and effective
Quiet: The quiet action on the motor means that the machine is not loud enough to disturb other people around the house
Tracking: The advanced goal and performance tracking tools make it easier to fit the 470 into your overall workout plan
Durability: As evidenced by the warranties, you should expect to get years of use out of the 470 under normal use conditions
Stability: The construction is sound and solid, so it is not likely to fall over. This also reduces the chance of creakiness in the morning
Cons
Value and Cost: The 470 is close to the top of the market, and the price tag will likely put it beyond the reach of must potential customers. It is comparable in price to other elliptical machines of similar quality, but it is easy to imagine getting a midrange machine and spending the money on something else
Appearance: The 470 has an unappealing color scheme and overall design. The body is a little out of date and the console is reminiscent of a grade-school calculator
Setup: The weight and bulk of the machine make it a challenge to assemble. It is probably a two-person job depending on the fitness of the participants, and the weight can make it tricky to move the machine up or down stairs once it is already inside the house
User Reviews
The 470 gets very high reviews from users in general. A few recurring issues tend to pop up. First of all, be careful during the setup and assembly stage. Occasionally, one or more parts will arrive broken, which will waste time and money to fix. Follow the instructions carefully to ensure that everything is there and in order.
Different people have different needs when it comes to an elliptical machine. Don’t be hesitant just because you won’t use all the features. Very few people actually use everything that the machine can offer.
In general, the customers value the build quality of the machine. It helps to validate the price when it lasts for a particularly long time. In fact, it is more common to see users who stopped using it because they switched to a different workout rather than because it stopped functioning.
Verdict
The 470 does exactly what it is meant to do: all of the features function very well, including some extras like a built-in fan. The biggest concern is the price tag. You will need to use most of the features in some way to justify that price. If you can fit it into your budget, it makes a good jack of all trades elliptical machine with My Fitness Pal connectivity, so it can work with other machines. It is priced appropriately for its feature set, but that still makes it expensive.