For people looking to stay fit while at home or gym owners looking to buy new cardio equipment, exercise bikes are a great option. There are several types of exercise bikes and several brands that sell them. Two of the most popular brands are Schwinn and Marcy. Each offers several types and models of exercise bike with different advantages and disadvantages.
Schwinn exercise bikes are more durable and are slightly higher quality across the board, but Marcy bikes cost significantly less and are far more affordable. Both companies sell a wide selection of their exercise bikes on Amazon.
Schwinn sells recumbent, upright and fan-based exercise bikes. Schwinn products are durable and come with several added features that improve the user experience.
The best part about Schwinns is their versatility. While many Marcy recumbent models come with less than 10 resistance settings, nearly all Schwinn options have over 20 levels. Additionally, most Schwinn exercise bikes come with dozens of pre-loaded workout programs that can vary training regimens.
Schwinn bikes also come with added features such as a cup holder, tablet stand and built-in speakers. This lets you create a more comfortable exercise routine.
Schwinn offers several health-measuring options, including a heart-rate monitor, calorie tracker and distance measurement. All are displayed on a LCD screen alongside workout progress, estimated speed and time.
Another plus of a Schwinn is its durability. With its frame coming with a 10-year warranty, you can trust that your purchase will last.
The biggest downside of buying a Schwinn bike is its price. While Marcy offers several exercise bikes that cost less than $200, nearly every Schwinn is between $400 and $800. This means that most may be too expensive for shoppers on a budget.
The Schwinn’s extra features also mean extra weight, so it will likely need to be assembled inside your home — maybe by a professional, which will cost additional money.
Schwinns are also larger than Marcys, so you may have a harder time fitting it into a room or garage.
The best Schwinn exercise bike is the Schwinn 270 Recumbent Exercise Bike. It has Bluetooth connectivity to help track fitness on a health app and 25 resistance settings to personalize your workout levels with precision.
A more affordable Schwinn is the Schwinn 230 (MY20) Recumbent Exercise Bike. This bike costs far less but still offers several useful features, including 13 workout programs and a LCD display.
Marcy bikes are not as high end as Schwinns, but offer every important basic feature at a much more affordable price. Marcy also sells recumbent, upright and fan-based models.
The biggest advantage Marcys have over comparable Schwinns is the price. Marcy bikes cost significantly less than Schwinns and are much more accessible to buyers on a budget.
Marcy bikes also are smaller and lighter than Schwinns. This lets buyers with less space in-home or garage know it will fit much better. The difference in weight also makes it easier to transport a Marcy from one place to another without professional help.
While Marcy bikes do not possess the same level of durability as Schwinns, their 2-year warranty ensures you’ll get their money’s worth.
What Marcy bikes cannot offer is additional features. While Schwinns have programmed workout routines and dozens of resistance levels, Marcys are far more basic and come with fewer options. Marcy offers a smaller LCD screen that displays less information about the workout and lacks a heart rate monitor. And no Marcy bike is compatible with Bluetooth or has built-in speakers, making them far less capable of connecting with other devices. This can reduce the amount of health data an app or fitness tracker can collect.
In addition, Marcs lack the durability of Schwinns, with a warranty 8 years shorter. If the bike breaks sooner, you’ll have to purchase a new one.
Marcy’s best recumbent exercise bike is the Marcy Recumbent Exercise Bike ME-709. It comes at an affordable price and offers eight levels of magnetic resistance.
An quality upright model is the Marcy Upright Exercise Bike ME-708. It’s particularly light at just 41 pounds, making it far easier to move from room to room without issue.
Both Schwinn and Marcy sell high-quality exercise bikes that will provide long-lasting value. If you’re on a tighter budget, or only need a basic bike, Marcy provides affordable options.
However, the superior products, despite the much higher prices, are the Schwinn exercise bikes. With significantly more resistance levels, higher durability, connectivity to other devices, and pre-programmed workouts, Schwinn gives users a holistic workout experience that will last for years.
Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.
Tom Price writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
