Our guide to finding the best recumbent bike for seniors in 2022 is finally here. Recumbent bikes are an excellent way for seniors to get—or stay—in shape. Indoor biking is safe, easy on the knees, and offers an outstanding cardiovascular workout.
Why is this important? Cardiovascular fitness increases stamina, reduces blood pressure and cholesterol, and enhances lung function. A recumbent bike is also ideal for people needing physical rehabilitation after surgery. If you’re thinking about upgrading to a recumbent bike, enjoy our buyers guide to choose the best recumbent bike for seniors in 2022.
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Why Consider a Recumbent Bike?
Besides the health benefits of spinning, consider these other benefits:
- Safety. Riding indoors is much safer than outdoors. You’ll avoid traffic, other cyclists hogging the bike lane, uneven pavement, or gravel. Plus, no need for a helmet and accessories like lights, tools, air pressure devices, reflectors, and more.
- Fall Avoidance. A stationary bike can be your go-to workout if you have vertigo or balance problems.
- Fun. Nothing beats the camaraderie of a group cycling class—whether live or using one of the many streaming classes available.
- Mental Health. Regular cardio exercise is proven to reduce stress, improve depression and boost mental health.
- Weight Loss. Put on the “COVID 15” during quarantine? Stationary biking is a great way to facilitate weight loss. Each session burns between 400 to 600 calories.
- Gentle on the Joints. Spinning is easy on knees, elbows, and tendons, all of which tend to give older people problems.
- Builds Muscle. Using a recumbent bike increases muscle and endurance, which are crucial to living a more comfortable life.
- Adaptable for All. If you’re a beginner, you can adjust the tension on the bike’s flywheel to suit your fitness. No need to pretend you’re riding in the Tour de France.
Why Are Recumbent Bikes Good for Seniors?
A recumbent bike is excellent for seniors, especially those with back problems. Taking pressure off the spine, including the neck, means less soreness and improved recovery time. Recumbent bikes are also ideal for larger seniors, and most can support up to 300 pounds—others, even more.
If you’re looking for the best recumbent bike for seniors, look at the features: some have touch screens, LCDs, Bluetooth heart rate monitors, and some offer magnetic resistance, rather than dialing a tension knob. Others include moving arm pieces, allowing the cyclist to get an upper body workout while spinning. The best recumbent bike for seniors offers step-through designs, allowing seniors to get on and off the equipment more easily. Whether you’re seeking a high-intensity workout or a solid low-impact workout, you’ll find what you need on a recumbent bike.
The Best Recumbent Bike for Seniors on a Budget
We understand—some seniors have a fixed income and follow a pretty tight budget. Here are some affordable bikes if you’re in that situation.
Sunny Health and Fitness Recumbent Bike
For a little over $150, this bike is an excellent buy with an adjustable padded seat and backrest. It comes with an eight-level magnetic tension control system and a small digital display, including a heart rate monitor. Thanks to front transportation wheels, the bike is easy to move. Sunny offers a 3/90 warranty—three years for the structural frame and 90 days for components and replacement parts. Users praise the bike for its easy assembly and set-up.
Pros
- Affordable price
- Easy to assemble and move
- Comfortable
Cons
- The digital display is small
- Issues with the monitor
- Users report a clicking sound while pedaling
Marcy Recumbent Exercise Bike
With a padded seat, back, and handles, this bike offers comfort at a bargain price. The adjustable seat allows you to find the proper stride for your height. The bike provides an LCD with time, speed, distance, calories, and an odometer that tracks the total distance ridden. All display numbers are large and easy to see. Magnetic resistance is easily adjustable with the turn of a knob, and pedals are equipped with adjustable shoe cages to ensure foot stability and comfort. The 60-pound unit can accommodate up to 300 pounds and is easy to move using the front transportation wheels.
Pros
- Step-through design
- Easy assembly
- Quiet ride
Cons
- The LCD isn’t backlit
- Seat adjustment can be difficult
- Some users report a clicking sound while pedaling
Xtremepower US Deluxe Recumbent Fitness Bike
Here’s another contender in the under-$200 price range. With a whisper-quiet flywheel adjusted via magnetic tension, this bike can support up to 200 pounds and has an adjustable, ergonomically designed seat and back made of high-density foam. Handle grips include an integrated heart rate monitor displayed on the bike’s small display screen. Despite its sturdiness, the bike is easy to move thanks to its front transportation wheels.
Pros
- Comfortable seat
- Compact
- Easy to move
Cons
- Only bears 200 pounds
- Small display screen
- Wobbles while riding
The Best Recumbent Bike for Seniors—Mid-Range
Other seniors may have a little bit more budget leniency. If that’s the case for you, you may be interested in these moderately-priced recumbent bikes.
Schwinn MY20 Recumbent Bike
You may find the best recumbent bike for seniors right here since few are as jam-packed with features as this bike, which offers 16 levels of resistance and 13 different workouts. You can get even more if you subscribe to Schwinn’s Explore the World feature, which provides more than 50 routes around the world that auto-adjust to your speed. The bike can also function with the Zwift app, another subscription service offering 1,000 structured workouts and 80 virtual routes. The bike is comfortable, with a thickly padded contoured seat and a vented back to keep you cool. Also featured is a heart-rate telemeter on the handgrips. This mid-priced recumbent bike is an excellent choice for a wide range of fitness levels.
Pros
- Step-through design
- Huge variety of routes
- Comfortable seat
Cons
- There are reports the console can be buggy
- The heart rate monitor doesn’t always work
- Hard to assemble
ProForm 235 CSX Recumbent Bike
This recumbent bike has almost all the features you’d expect if you went to the gym. A water bottle holder for hydration is included. The bike has an easy-to-see large LCD showing distance, estimated calorie burn, cadence, and heart rate. The bike’s seat is oversized holds up to 275 pounds. It even offers lumbar support. There are 18 magnetic resistance levels. Assembly can be made easier by searching for the company’s instructional YouTube video.
Users are happy with the bike’s quiet performance and sturdiness, as well as its versatile adjustment to accommodate user heights.
Pros
- Quiet ride
- Sturdy
- Large LCD
Cons
- Hard to assemble
- Clearance between handlebars is not ideal for taller people
- AC power adapter is an add-on
Circuit Fitness Recumbent Bike
This bike is another good choice if you’re looking for the best recumbent bike for seniors at a moderate price. Built from high-grade steel, this sturdy bike has a step-through design and an adjustable padded back and seat. Resistance is provided via quiet magnetic tension. Some thoughtful details include a device holder, a water bottle holder, an AUX sound input, and a USB port. The LCD allows you to monitor your speed, distance, time, and calories burned, as well as your heart rate. There are 15 innate programs to simulate biking in different terrains. Buyers say the bike is easy to assemble, sturdy and comfortable.
Pros
- Quiet ride
- Convenient holders
- Step-through design
Cons
- Some reports of buggy software
- Some reports of an inaccurate heart rate monitor
- Not that sturdy
The Best Recumbent Bike for Seniors—Foldable
Are you short on space but still want to keep fit? Check out these handy folding bikes. You might even be able to tuck your best recumbent bike for seniors under your bed or in a closet.
Xterra Fitness FB350 Folding Exercise Bike
If you’re seeking a reliable recumbent bike that also folds up, you may want to check out this model from Xterra Fitness. It features eight magnetic resistance levels controlled by a tension knob. The FB350 also has an accessory holder for your phone or TV remote. The alloy steel frame is sturdy, and the seat and backrest are comfortably padded. The bike’s LCD provides feedback on time, speed, distance, calories burned, and heart rate detected from the handlebar-mounted pulse sensors.
Pros
- Easy assembly
- Quiet ride
- Foldable
Cons
- Very small LCD
- Low weight limit (225 pounds)
- Some issues with tension control reported
Dispank 3-in-1 Folding Recumbent Bike
This folding model deserves to be included when you’re shopping for the best recumbent bike for seniors. Why? It’s designed to allow users to adjust the bike to three different seating types: upright, semi-recumbent, and fully recumbent. Weighing only 42 pounds, the bike is easy to move around, yet it is sturdy and folds down to a compact 16″ x 9″ x 53″. Another feature of this model is the arm resistance bands, allowing you to add an upper body workout as you spin, helping you achieve your fitness goals. Other features include a padded backrest, 10 levels of magnetic resistance, seven levels of seat height, an LCD monitor, anti-slip pedals with straps, and a holder for your mobile phone or tablet.
