Schwinn 220 Recumbent Bike Review
The Schwinn 220 Recumbent Bike puts minimal strain on your budget and your body. Its light resistance can be useful in physical rehabilitation, weight…
Schwinn 220 Recumbent Bike Specs
| Rating | 7 |
|---|---|
| Type | Recumbent |
| Console display | LCD Window |
| Resistance | 20 / Magnetic |
| Seat type | Seat with Lumbar Support |
| Programs | 10 |
| Flywheel | Inertia Perimeter Weighted Flywheel |
| Weight capacity | 300 LBS |
| Dimensions | 55" L x 25" W x 51.5" H |
Why You Should Trust Our Reviews
The Schwinn 220 recumbent exercise bike puts minimal strain on your budget and your body. Its light resistance can be helpful for rehab, weight loss, cardiovascular exercise and toning the leg muscles.
The latest version of this bike (designed in 2012) has a small but diverse selection of workout programs. There are six profile programs, two fitness tests, manual mode, and room for saving a custom program. You can end with “Cool Down” mode and see your average statistics for the session.
This recumbent trainer sells for about $300 online. Is it the best recumbent bike for your needs?
Feature by feature, here we look at some pros and cons of choosing the Schwinn 220 Recumbent Bike.
The Great
Here are some reasons shoppers choose the Schwinn 220 bike and give it positive reviews.- Walk-Through Design: An advantage of all recumbent exercise bikes is the easy access. There is no bike bar to hoist your leg over; just walk over and sit down.
- Built-In Fitness Programs: The Schwinn 220 has one user profile. There are 10 workout programs: six profile programs, Quick Start, two fitness tests and Custom.
- Resistance: Magnetic resistance instead of mechanical resistance is used for a very quiet ride.
- Sound System: Like most Schwinn exercise bikes, the 220 Recumbent Bike has a media port with two speakers. The port is compatible with iPods and other MP3 players.
- More Extras: The 220 has an integrated water bottle holder, a workout fan and a media tray.
- High Capacity: This fitness machine weighs 111 pounds and has a 300-pound capacity.
- Transport Wheels: Moving this bike is made easy with small wheels affixed to the frame.
- Compact Size: Recumbent bikes need more space than uprights do, yet the Schwinn 220 isn’t so big. The product dimensions are 55″ L x 25″ W x 51.5″ H.
The Not-So-Great
The Schwinn 220, like other low-priced exercise bikes, is made in China. These bikes are not comparable to old Schwinn road bikes in terms of quality. The Schwinn 220 Recumbent Bike is handled by Nautilus and Bowflex. Here are some of the criticisms they’ve received.
- Heart Rate Monitor: The Schwinn 220 has a grip heart rate monitor that doesn’t work well, if at all.
- Reading Rack Placement: The magazine rack is not useful. It is too far from people’s eyes. One rider commented that you’d need to be a giraffe to ride this bike and read a propped-up magazine.
- Fan: Riders have described the fan as weak and “a waste of space.”
- Plastic Seat: The recumbent seat is meant to provide lumbar support and a sense of safety. However, some customers describe the seat as cheap and unsteady. Riders have commented that they don’t feel as secure as they would on a regular Schwinn bike.
- Console: The console’s LCD is powered by batteries that could require frequent changing. It displays time, speed, distance, RPMs, heart rate and calories burned. Many people have complained that the readout is dim. You will need to place extra lighting near the bike. Also, the console doesn’t save workout data, so you’re on your own in terms of charting of charting your fitness progress. Other Schwinn recumbent bikes have USB drives for saving data and uploading it to Schwinn Connect or MyFitnessPal.
- Warranty: The Schwinn 220 arrives with a residential warranty. It provides five years of coverage for the frame, one year for parts and electronics, and free repairs during the first 90 days only.
Who Should Ride the Schwinn 220 Recumbent Bike?
The Bottom Line
The Schwinn 220 Bike has made plenty of customers happy. However, these riders accept the bike’s obvious shortcomings. Overall some “extras” have been added to inspire sales, but these extras are actually pretty useless (e.g., the upgraded console screen is hard to read, the fan is weak, and the heart rate monitor isn’t trustworthy). We’d check out our best exercise bikes page before making a commitment. A reclined bike that we recommend with more enthusiasm is the Schwinn 270 Recumbent, which is also low-priced.
Schwinn 220 Recumbent Bike Specs
| Rating | 7 |
|---|---|
| Type | Recumbent |
| Console display | LCD Window |
| Resistance | 20 / Magnetic |
| Seat type | Seat with Lumbar Support |
| Programs | 10 |
| Flywheel | Inertia Perimeter Weighted Flywheel |
| Weight capacity | 300 LBS |
| Dimensions | 55" L x 25" W x 51.5" H |
