The 11 best affordable exercise bikes for home workouts

If you want to get a good cardio session in, but don’t want to brave the elements — whether heat, cold, rain or snow — an indoor stationary bike is a solid way to torch some calories from the comfort of your own home. We previously consulted personal trainers for their shopping guidance on the best exercise bikes, and while the pros recommend a more expensive bike for serious tracking and online connectivity, they were quick to point out that you can still get a quality workout with more affordable exercise bikes. Following their expert guidance, we’ve collected several highly rated stationary bikes under $500.

Best exercise bikes under $500

These top-rated exercise bikes are readily available at reader-favorite retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Target, along with popular brands, including Sunny Health, Nautilus and Echelon. As an added bonus, most of these stationary exercise bikes give you a 30-day return policy if you’re not fully satisfied with your new purchase.

This bike from Yosuda has an LCD monitor that tracks your calories burned, speed, distance and time spent pedaling. To stay entertained (and not focus on the timer), you can also place your tablet on the dedicated holder to use a workout app, or catch up on Netflix. Like most spin bikes, you increase the resistance by turning the knob, and the bike’s four-way padded seat and non-slip handlebars can be adjusted to fit your frame and stride. The bike can hold up to 270 pounds and has an average rating of 4.4 stars from over 20,000 reviews on Amazon.

Sunny Health is a favorite among Select readers and fitness pros alike and is a top pick in our various guides to indoor bikes. This durable, steel frame model sports a 49-pound chrome flywheel (a weighted disk that mimics a bicycle wheel) and can handle a max user weight of 275 pounds, the brand says. It has an average rating of 4.4 stars from over 5,900 reviews on Amazon.

A noisy spin bike can make life miserable for anyone you live with, or near (like the neighbors downstairs). The Belt Drive Indoor Cycling Bike uses magnetic resistance — in this case, seven magnets create a magnetic field, which you can adjust for stronger or lighter resistance — which the brand says makes the bike “whisper quiet.” It sports a 35-pound flywheel and four adjustable feet to keep your bike stable on various surfaces — the bike can also hold up to 280 pounds. It has an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 5,800 reviews on Amazon.

This Cyclace model’s triangular frame is made from steel and comes equipped with a 36-pound flywheel, LCD monitor, and has a belt-drive system to propel the pedals. The indoor bike has a cushioned seat, non-slip handlebars and can hold up to 330 pounds, according to the brand. It has an average rating of 4.4 stars from over 7,400 reviews on Amazon.

This bike from Pooboo is made from heavy duty alloy steel and has a 35 pound flywheel. You can also adjust the pedals, seat and handlebars to fit your body and also to target exercise to specific muscles, the brand says. The belt-driven spin bike also has a water bottle holder and an LCD screen that tracks your speed, distance, time, calories burned and heart rate. The brand says the bike can hold up to 300 pounds and has transport wheels for when you need to move it around. It has an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 7,000 reviews on Amazon.

Similar to the pooboo bike, this Lanos Stationary Exercise Bike has extensive adjustability. It comes with a height adjustable seat and height adjustable handlebars, as well as an LCD screen that tracks basic fitness information like speed, distance, time and calories burned, according to the brand. It also has a water bottle holder and transport wheels for moving around your home more easily. The bike can hold up to 270 pounds, says the brand. It has an average rating of 4.4 stars from over 600 reviews on Amazon.

This collapsible exercise bike folds into a 20” by 22” footprint and has an adjustable seat height that helps accommodate people ranging in heights from 5-foot 3-inches to 6-foot 1-inch, and a weight capacity of 300 pounds, the brand says. It offers eight resistance levels and you can track your workout on an LCD screen that shows calories burned, speed, distance traveled, pulse rate and time. The bike has an average rating of 4.6 stars from over 22,000 reviews on Amazon.

This chain-drive exercise bike, which works similarly to an outdoor bike with a chain, from Sunny Health features a 40-pound chrome flywheel, resistance knob, two-way adjustable handlebars and a four-way adjustable seat. This cycling bike also includes four floor stabilizers at the base of the bike, which the brand says can help prevent wobbling on uneven surfaces. It has a weight capacity of up to 275 pounds and an average rating of 4.4 stars from over 5,000 reviews on Amazon.

This exercise bike folds away for storage and comes with wheels for easier transport. Its eight levels of resistance allow the rider to adjust to ideal settings for their workout. The brand says the bike can accommodate people from 4-foot 10-inches to 5-foot 10-inches and can hold up to 225 pounds. It has an average rating of 4.5 stars from over 28,000 reviews on Amazon.

This relatively affordable stationary bike offers Bluetooth connectivity and syncs with the Explore the World app, where you can track your metrics and cycle along in real-time with other Nautilus owners. The bike also allows you to store four user profiles, so up to three of your loved ones can track their progress. With 29 pre-programmed workouts and 25 resistance levels, you have a multitude of ways to tailor your workout. It has a 300 pound weight capacity and an average rating of 4.2 stars from over 890 reviews on Amazon.

The Harison exercise bike features 14 levels of magnetic resistance and a four-way adjustable leather seat with extra padding and adjustable handlebars. There’s an LCD screen that tracks your calories burned, speed, distance, time, as well as a separate tablet holder above the screen and handlebars. It also features non-slip pedals and can safely hold riders up to 350 pounds, according to the brand. It has an average rating of 4.2 stars from over 833 reviews on Amazon.

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