The 8 Best Exercise Bikes with Screens for 2024, Expert-Tested, Expert-Approved

Sure, we all have enough screens in our lives, but firing up a virtual workout or the latest episode of Love is Blind on one of the best exercise bikes with screens can help you zone out — or zone in — while breaking a sweat. As more and more brands are releasing app-connected fitness equipment, finding the display, apps, and programming — don’t forget about the actual bike — that are right for you can be a bit of a challenge. 

That’s where the fitness pros at BarBend come in. We’ve been spinning the pedals on exercise bikes for years and we rounded up all the best options for streaming workouts and entertainment on quality machines. Whether you’re after a studio-like experience at home or think The Office might help distract you from that next hill, the immersive displays on these bikes should satisfy. Here are our picks for the best exercise bikes with screens — personally tried and tested by our experts.

The 8 Best Exercise Bikes with Screens for 2024

• Best Overall Exercise Bike with a Screen: NordicTrack S22i
• Best Budget Exercise Bike with a Screen Holder: ProForm Carbon CX
• Best Exercise Bike with a Large Screen: Echelon Connect EX-8s Exercise Bike
• Best Compact Exercise Bike with a Screen: CAROL Bike
• Best Exercise Bike with a Screen with No Subscription: Stryde Bike
• Best Exercise Bike with a Screen for Streaming: BowFlex VeloCore Bike
• Best Recumbent Exercise Bike with a Screen Holder: Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike
• Best Exercise Bike with a Screen for Studio Classes: Peloton Bike

How We Tested and Chose the Best Exercise Bikes with Screens

After thousands of rides on more than 20 exercise bikes, the BarBend team of cyclists, certified personal trainers, and CrossFit professionals knows how to separate the studs from the duds. As more at-home fitness equipment becomes app-connected, the prevalence of screens large and small is on the rise. We laced up our clip-ins and fired up the touchscreens to bring you the experience of fitness professionals to help you find the exercise bike to fit your needs.

As we pedaled along to immersive workouts, streamed our favorite shows, and tracked our metrics, we paid attention to the sizes and types of screens, adjustability options, and price tags. Across 13 different categories, we assigned ratings of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) to factors like tech capabilities, durability, and value, among others. Beyond the physical specs and details, we worked hard to convey what it felt like to take a ride on the best exercise bikes with screens. Check out a few of the factors that helped us make our picks.

Display Type and Size

Much like when you’re weighing the iPhone Jumbo against the iPhone Baby, the size of the screen on an exercise bike can make a big difference. We tested bikes with screens from 11 inches to 24 inches — and even a few options with tablet holders — to see how they stacked up in terms of picture quality and overall immersion. But we also considered how those displays impacted a bike’s footprint and stability. The bigger the screen, the more unwieldy a bike can become. 

App Integration 

As more brands bring app-connected bikes to the market, more fitness apps are joining them. Often, a company will develop their own native fitness app as a companion to their equipment, but some can be used across multiple machines. 

Some of the best fitness apps — like Peloton or iFIT — can provide immersive studio-quality experiences with trainer-led classes and even automatic adjustments to incline and resistance. Others may recommend classes using AI or by tracking your metrics. One factor we made sure to note is the additional costs that access to fitness or entertainment apps can incur. Most are monthly or annual subscriptions, so we took note of the apps we think are the best value.

Adjustability

Across most upright exercise bikes, you’ll see resistance levels ranging from roughly 16 to 32, with adjustable seats and handlebars more or less standard. The resistance on the bikes we picked for our list range from 16 all the way up to 100, with one even leveraging artificial intelligence to optimize your ride. Many options here include four-way adjustments — forward, backward, horizontal, and vertical — on their seat or handlebars, as well as interchangeable pedals to accommodate clip-in cleats or running shoes.

Best Overall Exercise Bike with a Screen: NordicTrack S22i

Our pick for the best overall exercise bike with a screen is the NordicTrack S22i, as it pairs a 22-inch HD touchscreen — one of the largest we’ve seen on an exercise bike — with iFIT app integration. Not only does this bike provide 24 levels of magnetic resistance and a wide -10- to 20-percent incline range, but it can work in tandem with iFIT to automatically adjust them to the specifications of a class or scenic ride. 

Nine of the 13 categories we rated earned at least a 4.5 out of 5, with its tech capabilities, customizations, and dynamic programming earning scores of 5 out of 5 from certified personal trainer and BarBend editorial member Kate Meier. “It is super rare for a bike to offer both incline and decline,” she pointed out. “And the 22-inch HD screen made it feel like I was actually in Hawaii.”

BarBend expert tester and certified nutrition coach Jake Herod highlighted how the screen allows for even more off-bike workouts in his video review below. “The touchscreen monitors tilts, but also rotates 360 degrees so you can hop off and do some strength training or join a yoga class.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6JbKMsCmG4Video can’t be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: NordicTrack S22i Exercise Bike Review (2022) — Most INTERACTIVE BIKE? (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6JbKMsCmG4)

Access to all this iFIT goodness does cost an additional $39.99 per month, but Meier thinks it’s worth it to help the bike reach its full potential. “Without iFIT, you can access a couple free bike workouts, but otherwise, you basically just have a manual exercise bike.”

If you need to move it, though, we’d suggest having a buddy around to help manage that extra-large screen. “It has wheels on the front which definitely help moving it, but since the screen is so big, it kind of throws off its balance,” Meier said. 

For footprint and portability, she rated the S22i 3.5 out of 5, as the 9.32 square feet it takes up is almost a whole square foot larger than the average range for stationary bikes.

Read our full NordicTrack S22i Exercise Bike Review.

Best Budget Exercise Bike with a Screen Holder: ProForm Carbon CX

While the ProForm Carbon CX doesn’t include its own screen, we made it our pick for best budget bike because, as long as you have a tablet or smartphone — like the one you’re probably reading this on — you can still access all the benefits of cycling and iFIT at a fraction of the cost. Its $399 price tag is one-third of the cost of its big brother model, the Studio Bike Pro 22, which has a 10-inch screen. That price even falls below the average range for upright bikes with or without screens — $600 to $2,000. 

Simply slide your device in the tablet holder, connect via Bluetooth, and fire up one of iFIT’s 17,000+ live and on-demand classes. So long as your device is connected to the bike, iFIT can make automatic adjustments to your resistance during classes — just like it would on a bike with a built-in screen — so you can focus on your sweat. That tablet holder also swivels 180 degrees, so you can hop off for one of iFIT’s strength training, yoga, or Pilates classes.

[Related: The 9 Best Portable Exercise Bikes]

When I had the chance to try out the Carbon CX, I rated seven categories a 4 out of 5 or higher and was impressed by the compact design when I was moving it around our rubber gym floor. As there was no bulky screen to throw off its balance, I rated its portability 4.5 out of 5. Also, its footprint of 7.98 square feet is right in the middle of the average range for bikes with screens — 7 to 9 square feet.

With the four-way adjustable seat and 16 levels of resistance, I rated its adjustability and customizations a 4 out of 5. Another of our testers, a certified personal trainer who happens to be 6 foot 3 inches tall, raved about the bike’s adjustability. “For a tall person like me, I appreciated that the handlebars and seats were easy to adjust to find my fit,” they said. “I also gave it some bonus points for the auto-adjusting resistance. That’s crazy for such an affordable bike to have.”

Read our full ProForm Carbon CX Exercise Bike Review.

Best Exercise Bike with a Large Screen: Echelon Connect EX-8s Exercise Bike

If you’re looking for NASA-level technology on your exercise bike, the Echelon Connect EX-8s may be your best bet. Our pick for the best exercise bike with a large screen has a curved 24-inch HD touchscreen that brings an immersive feel to the 15,000 workouts you’ll find on the Echelon Fit app. A few studies have shown that the right amount of curve in a screen may actually produce a more pleasurable viewing experience — something seemingly not lost on the fold at Echelon. (1)(2)

Another advanced feature that we had to feel to believe was the built-in shock absorption system. When you rise out of the saddle, the bike will bounce a little bit with you, sort of like the hydraulics in your car. This can help anyone needing to work around knee discomfort or injury by reducing the impact on your joints during the tough, high-resistance portions of your ride.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, its tech capabilities earned a 5 out of 5 score from our tester, a CrossFit Level 1 trainer. The screen — the largest we’ve seen on a bike — can also flip 180 degrees for off-machine workouts like HIIT or kickboxing, which may make the monthly subscription of $29.16 to $39.99 (depending on the plan you choose) a bit easier to swallow. 

Our tester rated the app’s programming 4 out of 5, but thought it wasn’t quite ready to compete with more established options like Peloton or iFIT. “I thought the app was pretty built out with over 60 instructors, 40 daily live classes and a travel-the-world series,” they explained. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good app, but not quite a true Peloton alternative yet” 

While we appreciated some of the tech, like the dual speakers and Bluetooth resistance controller on the handlebars, other aspects seemed a bit superfluous. “The dual-wheel design has LED rings that light up in sync with your heart rate or the beat of your music,” they said, “but I don’t know if stuff like that can justify the price.” 

The technology on the EX-8s may make it feel like a spaceship, but in terms of value, our tester gave it a 3 out of 5. At $3,079, it’s over $1,600 more than the comparable Peloton Bike.

Read our full Echelon Connect EX-8s Exercise Bike Review.

Best Compact Exercise Bike with a Screen: CAROL Bike

In addition to being our pick for the best compact exercise bike with a screen, the CAROL Bike is also one of the most tech-savvy bikes we’ve seen. It utilizes artificial intelligence to develop personalized HIIT training based on your fitness level. Its 6.88-square-foot frame is about 13 inches shorter than both the NordicTrack S22i and Peloton Bike, and it weighs just 120 pounds. Its 11-inch touchscreen is a fixed Android tablet, so you have the freedom to download workout and entertainment apps like Netflix without being limited to a certain fitness app. 

Founded on the science-backed concept of reduced exertion high-intensity interval training (REHIT), CAROL Bike’s AI works to learn your personal maximum intensity level — as long as you’re wearing the heart rate monitor — then adjusts the resistance to ensure you reach it during a workout. 

According to an American Council on Exercise study, 10 minutes of REHIT on the CAROL Bike provides more cardiorespiratory and cardiometabolic benefits than 30 minutes of continuous moderate-intensity training. (3) 

For 11 out of 13 categories, our tester rated the CAROL bike a 4 out of 5 or higher, with its customizations and tech capabilities earning a 4.5 out of 5. “I’m a huge fan of the AI resistance. After I built up speed on a free spin, it applied the ‘correct’ resistance,” they said. 

Access to this cutting-edge technology will run you an additional $15 per month, which, on top of the $2,595 price tag, may push this bike out of reach for some people. That’s about $600 more than our best overall pick, the NordicTrack S22i. According to our tester, though, those looking for efficient results may have found their match made in techie heaven. 

“I think most people would want to use this bike for HIIT workouts because you can see measurable results in a real short amount of time,” they said. 

Best Exercise Bike with a Screen with No Subscription: Stryde Bike

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The Stryde Bike is our pick for an exercise bike with a screen with no subscription because, unlike bikes from NordicTrack or Echelon, its 21-inch HD touchscreen is not tied to a particular subscription service. While the Stryde Bike does offer its own app — $29.99 per month — you can also stream content from fitness apps like iFIT or entertainment apps like Netflix and Hulu. 

While our tester noted the hundreds of cycling classes on the Stryde app, if you’re paying $29.99 a month anyways, you might as well go with another app. “Compared to something like the Peloton app, it’s just not up to the same quality,” they said. “I think the instructors are better and just the overall user interface is cleaner.”

The freedom the Stryde Bike provides isn’t free. Its $1,895 price tag is at the high end of the $600 to $2,000 average range for upright bikes, but our tester thought being able to use the screen for third-party apps — like Echelon Fit or SoulCycle — was a huge plus, rating its value 4 out of 5.

In fact, it also earned a 4 out of 5 for its resistance range, tech capabilities, and conveniences. The front-facing speakers add to the immersive experience of a virtual studio class, or if you need to keep it down, you can use the Bluetooth connectivity to pair your own headphones.

Best Exercise Bike with a Screen for Streaming: BowFlex VeloCore Bike

Bowflex’s VeloCore Bike is our choice for best exercise bike with a screen for streaming because its 22-inch HD touchscreen lets you use Netflix, Disney+, and other streamers straight on the display. While a subscription to their JRNY platform is required to fire up these apps, it also supports your fitness journey by recommending classes and workouts based on your fitness level, which only gets more precise with each use. Whether you want to stream a virtual ride with JRNY or your favorite show, the adjustable screen can bring it to life.

With your JRNY subscription — $19.99 per month after a 60-day free trial — you can hit one of over 50 scenic rides from around the world or follow studio classes. The dynamic programming on the VeloCore earned a 5 out of 5 from our tester, who is also a CrossFit trainer. “While you do have to pay to access all the streaming apps, I think having all the programming and metric tracking makes it well worth it.”

[Related: Bowflex C6 Exercise Bike Review]

As you follow one of those rides, the bike’s dynamic “leaning” mode can tilt the bike side to side to simulate the curves in the road or trail on your screen. Our tester pointed out how rare this capability is and, along with the 100 resistance levels, rated the bike’s ergonomics, adjustability, and customizations all 4.5 out of 5. “I haven’t seen many exercise bikes that can lean like this and it really makes the rides feel that much more immersive,” they said.

Across all 13 categories, only two — set up and portability — earned less than a 4 out of 5 from our tester, but both are impacted by the nature of the leaning design. “It took us about three hours to put together and if you plan on moving it, it’s probably best to have some help,” our tester noted. 

For such a challenging and uniquely immersive ride, we thought the assembly and the price tag were both worth it. “Of course this is an expensive piece of equipment, but for all you get, it’s honestly pretty reasonable,” our tester said, rating its value 4.5 out of 5. “Other bikes require subscriptions, too, but you won’t get the streaming or the tilt on most of them.”

[Related: The 9 Best Exercise Bikes For Heavy People]

Best Recumbent Exercise Bike with a Screen Holder: Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike

If you’re debating the merits of recumbent bikes vs. upright bikes, the Schwinn 230 makes a compelling case for the former. As they tend to put less load on the knees, recumbent bikes are helpful for those with chronic joint issues or anyone recovering from, say, an ACL injury. (4) While the 230 can’t brag about a super-sized HD touchscreen, its attractive price tag may be enough to convince you to slide your own device on its media shelf to follow virtual workouts or just catch up on your shows.

The 5.5-inch LCD display is where you can choose from 13 workout programs and track your workout metrics, or you can slot your own device in that spot and connect with Schwinn-affiliated apps like Explore the World. 

With over 40 scenic rides on offer, it was easy for our tester — a certified personal trainer — to find an appealing workout. However, they noted that with a device on the shelf, it was tough to see the LCD display. “If you’re tracking your metrics on your device, it may not be an issue, but when I set my phone on the shelf, it blocked the LCD screen,” they said.

[Related: The 8 Best Recumbent Bikes]

While the bike is lighter on tech — 3.5 out of 5 from our tester —  than other options on this list, our tester rated their workout experience, portability, and adjustability all 3.5 out of 5 or higher. “At 6 foot 3 inches, I’m the giant on the team, but it was still easy to adjust the ventilated seat to find a comfortable position,” they said. 

At just $549 — right at the bottom of the average range for recumbent bikes — we think the 230 is a great value for streaming enthusiasts who need a little less load placed on their knees. 

Best Exercise Bike with a Screen for Studio Classes: Peloton Bike

For good reason, Peloton is synonymous with at-home cycling because of the quality of its studio classes, making it an easy pick for our list. With the 21.5-inch HD touchscreen as the vessel, its world-class programming is designed to inspire. I particularly enjoy the humor and motivation provided by instructors like Emma Lovewell and Denis Morton — who just might shout you out when you hit a milestone — as well as the live leaderboards and ability to high-five fellow riders. You can even use the front-facing camera to share a ride with friends and family in real time.

When our tester, a certified personal trainer, set off on their maiden Peloton voyage, they were not disappointed. “The bike itself provided such a smooth ride, but the classes are where it really shines,” they said, rating its dynamic programming 5 out of 5. While you can use the bike in free mode, the real sell of the Peloton Bike is its programming, which costs an additional $44 per month.

[Related: Peloton vs. NordicTrack — How Do They Compare?]

Rotating through the 100 resistance levels with the knob was a breeze for our tester, who rated its overall adjustability and ergonomics both 4 out of 5. “The whole ride was smooth, but even spinning the resistance knob was smooth. Even at peak intensity, a quick turn is all it took.” 

Even though $1,445 — plus the monthly subscription — is a hefty investment, a recent update allowing streaming of Netflix, YouTube TV, and other popular streamers has only added to the value — already a 4.5 out of 5 from our tester. 

“People looking to replicate a boutique studio class couldn’t find any better,” they explained. “There’s a reason some Peloton instructors are semi-celebrities. The programming is absolutely top-notch, with the screen and instructors bringing the classes to life” 

Benefits of the Best Exercise Bikes with Screens

Having a screen on your exercise bike allows for convenient access to virtual workouts or streaming apps like Netflix or Hulu. Whether you follow an immersive ride on Peloton or catch up on your favorite show, a built-in screen can allow you to track your metrics, while perhaps providing an extra dose of motivation. These are a few of the benefits of exercise bikes with screens.

Immersion 

If you can imagine the difference between watching a movie on your 6-inch iPhone or on the big screen in a movie theater, then you have a sense of how the size and design of a screen can impact how immersive your cycling experience will be. Taking a live studio class or a virtual ride through the streets of Rome can feel much different on a 24-inch curved HD display than a smartphone in a device holder.

One of the benefits of investing in an exercise bike with a screen is that they can make following a Peloton class or scenic iFIT ride that much more engaging. Following along with a fitness app is one thing, but a hefty screen can help you feel the experience a bit more.

Motivation

For many people — talking to myself here — starting a workout can be the hardest part. The same goes for doing the dishes or vacuuming. If you can listen to a podcast or rewatch your favorite The Office episodes, it can make an arduous task a bit easier to swallow. So it goes with a challenging cycling workout.

Being able to tap your bike’s touchscreen and pull up your favorite show, music, or podcast can make the work that much more palatable. Exercise bikes with screens tend to be a bit more expensive, but factor in if streaming some entertainment will help you feel a tad more motivated to climb aboard.

Metrics

Data, data, data. Many app-connected exercise bikes can easily track your workout history and metrics to help you keep track of your progress toward your fitness goals. A few can even leverage that data to suggest workout classes or even adjust your resistance in real time. Just like any smart device, some of these bikes can gather and sort your information, then provide you with actionable insights to keep you headed in the right direction.

Whether you’re an experienced cyclist or a beginner, before dropping a chunk of change on an exercise bike with a screen, consider why you’re out for one. Do you want a studio-like experience from home? What about firing up Netflix to distract you from your workout? And do you even have space for an exercise bike? Here are a few factors to consider before you click add to cart.

App Integration 

Some of the most popular bikes are also those with the best workout programming. Peloton makes a quality exercise bike, but it’s also synonymous with the studio-quality experience of its classes. Before choosing your forever bike, think about what you actually want to use your screen for. 

If you just want to catch up on your shows, a curved or swiveling screen may not be necessary. But if you want to immerse yourself in spin classes and also take advantage of off-bike strength and yoga classes, you’ll definitely want a larger display that can be tilted and swiveled.

[Related: What to Look for When Buying an Indoor Cycle]

As some bikes require a subscription to do much besides free mode or manual rides, it’s important to decide exactly what you’ll do with that shiny new screen before committing to it. Certified personal trainer Kate Meier noted this when she used the NordicTrack S22i. “Without iFIT, you’ll essentially just have an exercise in manual mode.” 

Available Space

While many home gym essentials are space-eaters, exercise bikes generally only take up around 7 to 8.5 square feet of floor space — around half the size of your average loveseat. (5) However, slapping a 24-inch screen above your handlebars can make that footprint feel more obtrusive, as well as make it difficult to move around. Before you decide which bike and screen are best for you, dig out your measuring tape and use the dimensions we included to make sure it will fit in your training space or living room.

Price

As with any large purchase, it’s important to set your budget before you fall in love with a bike out of your price range. Dropping $3,000 on an exercise bike may not mean much to Jeff Bezos, but for most of us, buying a piece of at-home fitness equipment is a big deal. Check out the range of bikes we included in our list to get a sense of how much the features you’re after will run you.

Because of the technology inherent to bikes with screens, the options here range from $1,445 to over $3,079. However, the two without screens are roughly $850 to $1,000 less. First, establish exactly how much you can spend, then decide if a built-in HD touchscreen is worth it, or if you’re better off sliding a phone or iPad into a device holder.

How Much Do the Best Exercise Bikes with Screens Cost?

Because bikes with screens usually include more technology than typical exercise bikes, having a good sense of the price range of your options is important before diving into your search. Here are the prices of all the bikes we included in our list, along with what made them stand out.

As you can see, the only options under $1,000 swap out touchscreens for device holders where you can set your mobile device. Generally, as the prices increase, so too will the size of the screen, along with other unique tech features like AI-powered or auto-adjusting resistance. 

The options we chose range from $399 for the ProForm Carbon CX to $3,079 for the Echelon Connect EX-8s, with many landing near the middle. Keep in mind how your purchase will fit alongside your other financial commitments as you shop around.

Final Word

Whatever your reason for finding an exercise bike with a screen — motivation from a virtual class, checking out exotic routes, or a mental escape with shows or movies — the options on our list can fit the bill. We pedaled through dozens of virtual classes — and caught up on our favorite shows — in search of the best connected bikes to take your rides to the next level.

Creating a virtual spin class experience has never been easier with the deluge of connected bikes hitting the market, so our team of fitness professionals used their experience to help you wade through the specs and features to facilitate a match made in cardio heaven. Before clicking add to cart, think about just how badly you need that immersive, fitness app experience, or just how much cash you can drop on one of these bikes. Once you know what to look for, check out what we learned from our time in the saddle on these bikes with screens.

FAQs

References

1. Na, N., Suk, H., Jeong, K. (2015). Do Curved Displays Make for a More Pleasant Experience?. Proceedings of SPIE – The International Society for Optical Engineering. 9394. 10.1117/12.2078102.
2. Choi, K., Bae, H., Ju, S., Suk, H. (2015). Visual Search and Attention: What Eye-Tracking Reveals about Visual Performance in the Curved Display. SID Symposium Digest of Technical Papers, 46, doi: 10.1002/sdtp.10003.
3. Cuddy TF, Ramos JS, Dalleck LC. Reduced Exertion High-Intensity Interval Training is More Effective at Improving Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Cardiometabolic Health than Traditional Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2019; 16(3):483.
4. Reiser, R. F., 2nd, Broker, J. P., & Peterson, M. L. (2004). Knee loads in the standard and recumbent cycling positions. Biomedical sciences instrumentation, 40, 36–42.
5. Jaramillo, C. (2022, December 29). A guide to sofa dimensions & sizes. SeatUp, LLC. https://seatup.com/blog/guide-to-sofa-dimensions/ 

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