NordicTrack S22i vs X22i: Incline Trainer and Studio Bike Compared (Used Buying Guide)
A used NordicTrack S22i bike runs about $1,150, an X22i about $2,100. What separates them, what breaks, iFit without a subscription, and which to buy.
A used NordicTrack S22i bike sells for a median of about $1,150, with most landing between $825 and $1,275 and the floor around $475 for an early unit. A used X22i incline trainer is roughly double that, with a median near $2,100. Those two machines get cross-shopped constantly because the model numbers look like siblings. They are not. One is a studio cycle and the other is a treadmill that climbs a 40 percent grade.
I help people buy and sell big home fitness equipment for a living, and the S22i and the X22i are two of the most common NordicTrack machines I watch get carried out of basements. Most of the confusion I see is people budgeting for one and shopping for the other. This guide covers what actually separates them, what each one costs used, whether they work without an iFit subscription, what breaks on them, how much room you need, and how the S22i stacks up against a used Peloton Bike+ at the same money.
S22i vs X22i: One Is a Bike, One Is a Treadmill
The S22i is an indoor studio cycle. The X22i is a full-size incline trainer treadmill. The shared "22i" just means both carry a 22 inch touchscreen and both run on iFit. That is the whole family resemblance.
What makes them interesting is that both tilt. The S22i is one of the very few exercise bikes that mechanically inclines and declines, so the frame pitches forward and back under you instead of only changing resistance. The X22i does the same idea on a much larger scale, climbing to a 40 percent grade and dropping to a slight decline, which is closer to hill training than anything a standard treadmill does.
| NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle | NordicTrack X22i Incline Trainer | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Indoor cycling bike | Incline treadmill |
| Screen | 22 inch rotating touchscreen | 22 inch touchscreen |
| Incline range | About 10 percent decline to 20 percent incline | Slight decline to 40 percent incline |
| Resistance or speed | Digital magnetic resistance, silent | Belt driven, standard treadmill speeds |
| Rough weight | Around 200 pounds | North of 350 pounds |
| Typical used price | $475 to $1,775 | $1,475 to $3,300 |
| Best for | Apartments, upstairs rooms, quiet workouts | Hill training, runners, garage and basement gyms |
The practical difference is noise and mass. The S22i is nearly silent and fits in a spare bedroom. The X22i is a heavy machine with a motor and a belt, and putting one on a second floor is a decision, not a detail.
What Used S22i and X22i Units Sell For
Expect $825 to $1,275 for a used S22i in good shape and $1,700 to $2,400 for a used X22i. New, the S22i has generally carried a sticker around $2,000 and the X22i has run $3,000 and up, so both roughly halve in the first few years and then flatten out.
| Machine and vintage | Typical used price | What that money gets you |
|---|---|---|
| S22i, early units (2019 to 2020) | $475 to $825 | Working bike, older screen, possible fan or console quirks |
| S22i, mid units (2021 to 2022) | $825 to $1,275 | The sweet spot, higher weight capacity, clean screens |
| S22i, recent units (2023 and newer) | $1,000 to $1,775 | Near-new condition, sometimes with the dumbbells and mat |
| X22i, older units | $1,475 to $2,275 | Full incline range, expect deck and belt wear |
| X22i, recent units | $1,725 to $3,300 | Low miles, live screen, little left to go wrong |
Model year matters less than you would think, especially on the X22i, where condition and hours swamp the vintage. What really moves an S22i price is the screen. A dead console turns a $1,200 bike into a $500 bike overnight, because buyers assume the worst and they are usually right. Distance from a metro matters too, since nobody wants to drive two hours for a 200 pound bike.
Do the S22i and X22i Work Without iFit?
Yes, both run in manual mode without a subscription. You keep full control of resistance, speed and incline, and the machine works as a machine. What you lose is everything that made it interesting on the showroom floor: the trainer-led classes, the destination runs and rides, the automatic adjustment where the incline changes to match the terrain on screen, and the workout history.
Be honest with yourself about that trade. The auto-adjust is the entire reason these machines have motorized incline. Riding an S22i in manual mode and reaching down to change the grade yourself is a fine workout, but it is not the product anybody designed. If you know you will never subscribe, an older powered-incline machine at a third of the price is the smarter buy, and our broader NordicTrack buying guide walks through those options.
One thing to check before you hand over money: make sure the seller has removed the machine from their iFit account. It is not a lockout situation, but it saves you a support call on day one.
What Breaks on a Used S22i or X22i
The console is the number one failure on both machines. Screens go black, refuse to boot, or lose the touch layer while everything mechanical underneath still works perfectly. Never buy either machine without seeing it powered on and responding to touch, and never buy one planning to replace the screen later.
After that, the list splits by machine.
On the S22i, run it through its full incline and decline travel before you commit. The tilt motor should move smoothly and stop cleanly at both ends. Grinding, hesitation, or a frame that only goes one direction is an incline motor, and that is the expensive one. Then spin the pedals hard and listen: a creak from the bottom bracket area on every stroke is a crank or pedal issue, which is cheap. Check the red resistance and brake knob actually stops the flywheel. Test the fan, which fails often enough to be worth a button press.
On the X22i, the incline motor is again the thing to test. Take it from flat to full 40 percent and back while it is running. It should climb steadily without shuddering. Then walk on it at speed and watch the belt: drifting to one side means it needs tracking adjustment, which is a wrench and five minutes, but hesitation or a stutter underfoot means a worn deck or a slipping belt, which is a real bill. Put your hand on the motor cover after ten minutes. Hot is normal. Burning smell is not.
Both machines are ICON-built, so parts availability follows the same pattern as the rest of the lineup. Consoles for older units get scarce. Belts, decks and rollers stay easy to source.
Space, Ceiling Height, and Getting One Through the Door
The S22i needs roughly a four foot by two foot footprint plus room to get on and off, and it fits through a normal doorway without drama. Standard ceilings are fine. The bike weighs about 200 pounds and the weight is low and centered, which makes it awkward but manageable on stairs with two people.
The X22i is a different conversation. The machine is close to 40 inches wide across the rails, and standard interior doors are 30 to 32 inches. It does not go through assembled. It goes through at an angle, or with the uprights unbolted, and there is no third option. Then there is height: at full incline the front of the deck lifts substantially, so add the deck height to your own height and make sure you are not going to clip a basement ceiling or a light fixture at 40 percent. Low basements are where this machine disappoints people.
Weight is the other half of it. North of 350 pounds assembled, with the mass concentrated in the motor at the front. That is not a two-friends-and-a-pickup job, whatever the seller tells you. If you are moving one yourself, our walkthrough on how to disassemble a NordicTrack treadmill for moving covers the bolt order and what to photograph before you separate the console.
This is the part of a private sale that falls apart. Somebody drives ninety minutes with a rented van, discovers the treadmill will not turn the corner at the bottom of the stairs, and the afternoon is gone.
That is the part we handle. Our drivers do the pickup, break the machine down when it needs it, run a 30 to 50 point inspection on site, and text the buyer real photos and a working video before the truck pulls away. One buyer watched his pickup over a video call so he could see the machine running before it left the seller's house. Another had her purchase carried up five flights in a walk-up apartment and it arrived without a scratch. The seller gets paid the moment the item is loaded. On the buying side you reserve for $1, we deliver, and you get 60 minutes in your own home to actually ride or run on it. If it is not what was described, you reject it and pay nothing, and everything carries a free 60-day warranty. The specifics are on how it works.
NordicTrack S22i vs Peloton Bike+: Which Is the Better Used Buy?
They cost the same used, and that is what makes this a real question. A used Peloton Bike+ sits at a median around $1,150. So does a used S22i. At identical money you are choosing between two different ideas of what a bike ride is.
The S22i gives you incline and decline, a bigger machine, and iFit's outdoor destination content. The Bike+ gives you a smoother, quieter, better-built ride, a rotating screen for floor workouts, auto-follow resistance, and the class library that basically invented the category. The Peloton feels more premium under you. The NordicTrack does something the Peloton cannot do at all.
My call: if you want structured studio classes and a machine that will feel identical in five years, buy the Bike+. If hill work is the reason you are shopping, or you want the largest screen and the outdoor rides, buy the S22i. Either way, subscription cost is the real long-term price, not the bike. Our comparison of the Peloton Bike and Bike+ is worth a read if you are leaning that direction, and the NordicTrack versus Peloton treadmill breakdown covers the same fight on the running side.
Which One Should You Buy?
Buy the S22i if you are shopping for a bike and the X22i if you are shopping for a treadmill. That sounds obvious, and it is still the mistake I see most. For the harder calls:
- Apartment, condo, or an upstairs room: S22i. It is quiet, it is light enough to get up a staircase, and nobody downstairs will hear it.
- You want the hardest workout per minute: X22i. A 40 percent grade at walking speed will do things to your legs that no bike setting will.
- Budget under $900: an early S22i. The X22i does not exist at that number in working condition.
- Bad knees or bad hips: S22i. The incline gives you intensity without the impact.
- You will never pay for iFit: neither one. Buy a simpler powered-incline machine and keep the difference.
- Training for a race or hilly trail: X22i, and it is not close. This is the machine's entire reason to exist.
If you want to see the rest of the lineup before you decide, our page on the used NordicTrack Commercial 1750 covers the standard treadmill most people end up cross-shopping against the X22i.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the NordicTrack S22i and X22i?
The S22i is an exercise bike and the X22i is a treadmill. They share a 22 inch touchscreen and the iFit platform, and both tilt, but one you pedal and one you run on. The X22i is also roughly twice the price used and nearly twice the weight.
Is a used NordicTrack S22i bike worth buying?
Yes, at the right number. Around $900 to $1,200 for a clean unit with a working screen is a good buy against a roughly $2,000 sticker new. Past that, you are approaching used Peloton Bike+ money, and that becomes a genuine choice rather than a bargain.
Can you use an S22i or X22i without a subscription?
You can. Manual mode gives you speed, resistance and incline control on both machines with no account. You give up the classes, the auto-adjusting terrain and the tracking, which is most of what the touchscreen is for.
How much does a used X22i cost?
Most trade between $1,700 and $2,400, with clean recent units reaching past $3,000 and older ones occasionally dipping under $1,500. New, these have run $3,000 and up, so a good used unit lands near half.
Will an X22i fit through a standard doorway?
Not assembled. The machine is close to 40 inches wide and interior doors are usually 30 to 32 inches, so it goes through at an angle or with the uprights removed. Measure the stairwell turn too, because that stops more deliveries than the door does.
Where can I sell my NordicTrack S22i or X22i?
Somewhere that sends people to move it, because that is the actual obstacle with a 200 to 400 pound machine. We take these regularly. Our guide on where to sell a used treadmill walks through what yours is likely worth first.
If you are shopping now, look at what is already inspected and available on our used NordicTrack pages instead of refreshing Marketplace for three weeks and driving across the state to find a dead console.
And if the S22i in your spare room has been a coat rack since last January, list it. It takes a few minutes, we handle the pickup and the stairs, and you get paid the day the drivers load it.