13 best budget exercise bikes in 2024

If you want a good cardio session but don’t want to brave the elements — whether heat, cold, rain or snow — an indoor exercise bike is a solid way to burn some calories from the comfort of your own home. To help you navigate which ones offer the best ride, we’ve rounded up a list of several highly rated stationary bikes under $500 that align with expert guidance.

Today’s home bikes span a range of styles and price points. While the pros we spoke to recommend a more expensive bike for serious tracking and online connectivity, they were quick to point out that there are plenty of more affordable exercise bikes that provide everything you need.

“As with any piece of exercise equipment, the best one is the one you are going to use consistently,” says Chicago-based certified personal trainer Eric Ridings.

SKIP AHEAD How we picked the best budget exercise bikes | The best budget exercise bikes to consider in 2024 | How to shop for budget exercise bikes | What kinds of accessories can I buy for my exercise bike? | Why trust NBC Select?

To compile this list, we spoke to personal trainers about what features you should look for in an affordable exercise bike that will give you a great cardio workout. Based on their expert advice, we picked 13 highly rated bikes, paying special attention to the following criteria:

The exercise bikes in this roundup are readily available at NBC Select 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. All of these bikes have a customer rating of at least 4.3 stars.

This bike from Yosuda has a magnetic drive system, so it’s super quiet, according to the brand. It also has an LCD monitor that tracks calories burned, speed, distance and time spent pedaling, as well as a resistance knob with 100 micro-adjustable levels so you can customize your exercise routine. A dedicated holder allows you to position a tablet so you can ride along to a workout app, and it has a padded seat, toe-caged pedals and non-slip handlebars that can be adjusted four ways to fit your frame and stride.

Maximum weight capacity: 350 pounds | Digital monitor: Yes | Warranty: 30-day full-refund guarantee and 1-year free parts replacement | Rating: 4.3 star-average rating from 1,693 reviews on Amazon

This foldable bike is good for smaller spaces. It has an adjustable seat and eight levels of magnetic resistance, as well as a digital monitor to track time, speed and your pulse. It has a magnetic flywheel that is very quiet, allowing you to watch television or listen to music without distraction while riding, according to the brand.

Maximum weight capacity: 265 pounds | Digital monitor: Yes | Warranty: None | Rating: 4.4-star average rating from 16,538 reviews on AmazonBest versatile budget exercise bike: Kalwol

This bike is made from durable stainless steel and has a heavy-duty flywheel for increased stability while riding, according to the brand. It comes with a four-way adjustable seat and two-way adjustable handlebars and also has a safety brake, which brings the bike to an immediate stop when pushed. The LCD monitor also tracks pulse, time, speed, distance, calories and odometer.

Maximum weight capacity: 330 pounds | Digital monitor: Yes | Warranty: One year for both frame and parts | Rating: 4.6 star-average rating from 222 reviews on Amazon

Sunny Health is a favorite among NBC 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 wheels for easy portability, according to the brand. Users can also buy the Sunny Bike Cadence Sensor and connect to Sunny’s free SunnyFit app to measure and track cycling metrics.

Maximum weight capacity: 275 pounds | Digital monitor: No (Cadence Sensor sold separately can track metrics) | Warranty: Frame one year, parts three months | Rating: 4.6 star-average rating from 246 reviews on Walmart

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. .

Maximum weight capacity: 280 pounds | Digital monitor: Yes | Warranty: 1-year of free replacement parts | Rating: 4.5 star-average rating from 6,930 reviews on Amazon

This chain-drive exercise bike from Sunny Health works similar to an outdoor bike with a chain. It features a 40-pound chrome flywheel, resistance knob, two-way adjustable handlebars and a four-way adjustable seat. Four floor stabilizers at the base of the bike help prevent wobbling on uneven surfaces, according to the brand, and it includes transport wheels to make it easier to move it from room to room.

Maximum weight capacity: 275 pounds | Digital monitor: No | Warranty: 3 months (parts); 1 year (frame) | Rating: 4.4 star-average rating from 7,042 reviews on Amazon

The Harison exercise bike features 14 levels of magnetic resistance, 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 nonslip pedals and can safely hold riders up to 350 pounds, according to the brand. .

Maximum weight capacity: 350 pounds | Digital monitor: Yes | Warranty: None | Rating: 4.1 star-average rating from 420 reviews on Amazon

This bike has adjustable toe cage pedals, 32 levels of magnetic resistance and front transport wheels so you can move it around your house. It also has a water bottle holder and a spot for your tablet or phone, so you can follow workouts on the companion app. With the purchase of this bike, you get a free 30-day Echelon Premiere membership through the Echelon Fit app, which gives you access to over 3,000 online spin workouts. Classes range from five to 45 minutes long and are designed for everyone from beginners to pros. After the 30-day trial, the app membership is $40 a month.

Maximum weight capacity: 300 pounds | Digital monitor: No | Warranty: 1 year (limited parts and labor) | Rating: 4.3-star average rating from 2,862 reviews on Amazon

Pooboo’s adjustable bike runs on a magnetic resistance system that’s almost completely silent, according to the brand. It has an adjustable padded seat, handlebar and pedals that fit a range of heights from 4’9’ to 6’3”, according to Pooboo. It also comes with Bluetooth compatibility and a monitor to help you track your time while riding. However, the display requires two triple-A batteries that aren’t included with the bike.

Maximum weight capacity: 350 pounds | Digital monitor: Yes | Warranty: None | Rating: 4.5 star-average rating from 9,202 reviews on Amazon

This option from Schwinn offers 14 workout programs via an LCD monitor that tracks your speed, distance, heart rate, calories and more, according to the brand. It has adjustable handlebars and a foam seat for added comfort, along with a weighted flywheel, which gives a smooth and quiet workout, according to the brand. The bike also comes with Bluetooth connectivity features that allow you to sync your workouts, progress and goals with the workout tracking app of your choice. You can also gain access to structured workouts and virtual biking routes with a paid subscription to the Zwift app, which is an app for indoor cycling.

Maximum weight capacity: 300 pounds | Digital monitor: Yes | Warranty: 2 years for parts, 1 year for electronics, 10 years for frame | Rating: 4.3 star-average rating from 5,190 reviews on Amazon

Here are the most important things Christopher LaMarco, owner of CrossFit Nauset in Orleans, Massachusetts says shoppers should consider when buying an exercise bike on a budget:

There are dozens of spinning accessories on the market today, and many are available right on Amazon. LaMarco says one of the best accessories to consider, if your bike doesn’t already have them, are toe clips for the pedals to lock your feet in place. Other accessories to consider are padded bike seats, an electronic fan, a cup holder, a portable electronic device mount, easy-to-grip support handles or an anti-fatigue floor mat.

$21.99

Amazon

$18.99

$19.99

Amazon

$9.88

Amazon

$23.69

$35.99

Amazon

$29.97

$36.96

Amazon

At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

Barbara Booth, Ashley Morris and Justin Redman have published several roundups on best exercise equipment for NBC Select, including Best ellipticals and Best women’s walking shoes. For this piece, Barbara interviewed two experts and researched dozens of exercise bikes, choosing the most highly rated options under $500 that aligned with expert guidance.

Catch up on NBC Select’s in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok to stay up to date.

Justin Redman was formerly a reporter for Select on NBC News.

Barbara Booth is a former CNBC reporter whose work spans a wide range of business and social topics, including work/life issues, international business and personal finance. In addition to CNBC, her work has been seen in USA Today, Huffington Post, Yahoo Finance, HerMoney, and for various television news programs including the Nightly Business Report.

Ashley Morris is an associate SEO reporter for Select on NBC News.