Best Exercise Bikes of 2023

Adding a connected bike or a conventional stationary bike to your home gym? We can help you choose.

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No matter your fitness level, an exercise bike—also known as an indoor cycling bike or a studio bike—offers you a low-impact cardio workout in which you can pedal as casually or intensely as you like. If you’re considering getting one, check out our buying guide to learn about different types of bikes you can buy—from connected to conventional—as well as the important factors that should inform your choice, such as adjustability, display, and how much noise it makes.

CR's exercise bike tests focus on studio bikes, which differ from traditional stationary bikes mainly because of the presence of a heavy flywheel, which provides both momentum and resistance, so pedaling feels more realistic. Many of these bikes also have built-in systems to connect to on-demand or live exercise classes.

We rate five models from Echelon, Peloton, ProForm, Schwinn, and Sole, all priced between $500 and $1,900. Any exercise bike should help you stay fit in the comfort of your home, regardless of experience level. The major differences between our picks come down to each bike's connectedness, its displayed metrics, adjustment range, and whether pedals use clips or toe cages.

CR's testers assess every exercise bike in our labs for criteria like noise, weight, usability, adjustability, comfort, rider capacity, ease of assembly, and its user interface. We also rate the bike's warranties—typically separated into one for its frame, one for its parts, and one for labor. Since some bikes must be plugged in to operate the digital display (but can otherwise be used without power), we also consider whether you have to plug it into an outlet.

To learn more about how we test exercise bikes, check out our buying guide.

While some of these bikes have built-in systems to connect to workout apps, others—which we sometimes refer to as conventional bikes—do not. A major difference between connected and conventional bikes is cost.

The connected bikes in our tests cost between $1,500 and $1,900, while conventional bikes cost between $500 and $1,000. And while connected bikes come with the ability to access indoor cycling apps from the exercise bike's display screen, you’ll need to sign up for a monthly subscription service to access the on-demand and live classes.

To learn more about the features of these bikes and which bike fits you best, check out our exercise bike buying guide.

An exercise bike can provide regular low-impact cardio workouts, burning body fat and strengthening your legs and lower-body muscles. Adding one to your gym can be a great opportunity to try interval training, too, all from the comfort of home.

Catherine Roberts

Catherine Roberts is a health and science journalist at Consumer Reports. She has been at CR since 2016, covering infectious diseases, bugs and bug sprays, consumer medical devices like hearing aids and blood pressure monitors, health privacy, and more. As a civilian, her passions include bike rides, horror films and fiction, and research rabbit holes. Follow her on Twitter @catharob.

Kevin Loria

Kevin Loria is a senior reporter covering health and science at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2018, covering environmental health, food safety, infectious disease, fitness, and more. Previously, Kevin was a correspondent covering health, science, and the environment at Business Insider. Kevin lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and children. Follow him on Twitter @kevloria.