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I have to say that recumbent bikes, known for their comfort, lack a bit of hard intensity like you get on spinning cycle or on an upright bike. But, that is about to change because our best recumbent bike with arm workout ensure you burn up excess calories in no time.
In this article, we give you 4 bikes to consider whether you are a beginner or an expert looking to stay busy inside your home.
Does a Recumbent Bike Work Your Arms?
Recumbent bikes are known for their comfort. But, they can also help in losing weight and keeping a good heart. Moreover, some of these exercise bikes can engage your upper body as well. As a result, you can exhaust your lower and upper body at the same time.
How good is a recumbent bike when it comes to working the arms? Well, it depends on the type of arm workout you have. Different bikes will have different ways to work your arms.
Types of Arm Workout on the Best Recumbent Bikes
The arms on recumbent bikes do not vary that much. There are only a few types of arms that allow you to engage your upper body. And knowing about these types will give you a better idea about which recumbent exercise bike with moving arm you should buy.
The first type is a typical arm that moves in circle. There’s no extra resistance on the arm pedals but you can still keep your arms busy. Price is lower and the complexity is less on such types. The counterpart is arm with resistance where you can actually adjust the resistance just like you do with leg pedals.
Another type is known as dual action moving arm workout. This type is also good for upper body workout. The arm lengths are longer and these are rather easier to use than shorter arms.
Another type of recumbent stationary bike that allow arm workout is those with resistance bands. With this type, you will get resistance on the bands. But generally, you cannot get resistance on both the leg pedals and arm bands at the same time.
The 4 Top Recumbent Stationary Bikes with moving Arms
- Stamina Elite – Best Recumbent Bike with screen
- SHF SF-RB4708 – Best dual-action moving arm Bike
- BARWING – Best Folding Bike with resistance bands
- SHF SF-RB4631 – Best Recumbent Bike with Arm Workout for seniors
1.Stamina Elite Total Body Recumbent Bike
Top Specs
- Dimension: 52 x 24 x 49 inches
- Weight: 121 pounds
- Display: Speed, calories, distance, workout time and heart rate
- Resistance: 8 levels
- Weight Capacity: 250 pounds
- Warranty: N/A
Our Analysis
If you are willing to spend big then Stamina Elite is a great option to use at home. The solid construction and compact design makes it almost impossible to resist if you are looking for the best recumbent exercise bike with arm exerciser.
First things first. You will get resistance on the hand pedals and adjusting the intensity is possible. This is great because you won’t find too many bikes offering resistance on the arm movers. But, you will not get arm resistance if you use both (foot and hand) pedals at the same time.
Also adjustable is the seat distance to match the measurement of the user. And the seat is pretty large with pulse sensors integrated handlebars. Angled backrest is a strong one, but it is not adjustable unfortunately.
Digital display, very stable in operation, smooth and quiet in nature, adjustable foot straps for added safety, and a great dual action exercise bike if you can afford it.
2.Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RB4708
Top Specs
- Dimension: 60 x 25.5 x 52 inches
- Weight: 94.8 pounds
- Display: Scan, speed, time, distance, calories, odometer, pulse
- Resistance: 8 levels
- Weight Capacity: 350 pounds
- Warranty: 3 Years
Our Analysis
SHF SF-RB4708 brings the full motion handlebars to the table. This is a great way to ensure that you burn a good deal of calories even sitting at your comfort zone.
You should keep in mind that this bike does have a big dimension. So, it will take up more of the free space in your home. That being said, it doesn’t disappoint at all when it comes to being the best home recumbent bike with arm workout.
It has the easy going step-thru design which is perfect for senior users. Decent resistance with full body workout option available of course if you wanna burn some quick calories. The handlebars actually have the pulse sensors to track your heart rate. Other metrics visible on the digital display are time, calories burnt, distance, etc.
The adjustments on SF-RB4708 are quite different than typical recumbent bike with moving arm. Lever design which adjusts the seat and a gear-like to adjust the 8 levels of resistance. Nonetheless, it is still another quiet and smooth bike to use at the comfort of your home.
3.BARWING Foldable Exercise Stationary Bike

Top Specs
- Dimension: 32.3 x 19.5 x 46.5 inches
- Weight: N/A
- Display: Time, speed, distance, calories burned and odometer
- Resistance: 16 levels
- Weight Capacity: 300 pounds
- Warranty: N/A
Our Analysis
Not quite a whole recumbent, but a semi-recumbent exercise bike with arm resistance bands. BARWING brings plenty of quality and doesn’t cost too much at all.
The semi-recumbent design doesn’t make it easy for the senior users to hop onto the bike. But, it is great for saving up some precious space in your home. Folds up easily and can extend to different positions when you need it. In addition, the bike remains stable regardless of which position you use.
300 pounds user weight capacity is great. But, the resistance bands truly steal the show. After all, our article is all about the best recumbent bike with arm workout. You can keep your arms moving and muscle growing along with the lower part of the body on this bike.
BARWING has a double weighted flywheel. What does that mean? It means you will get a smooth feel when you pedal on this bike. Furthermore, there are up to 16 levels of magnetic resistance which are quiet in operation and effective for you.
It also has a nice looking display which works good too. And the handlebars are not only integrated with pulse sensors, but cushioned also for an easy grip.
4.Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RB4631
Top Specs
- Dimension: 51 x 25 x 52.5 inches
- Weight: 91.1 pounds
- Display: Scan, time, speed, distance, calories, odometer, pulse
- Resistance: 8 levels
- Weight Capacity: 350 pounds
- Warranty: 3 Years
Our Analysis
Presenting the best recumbent bike for seniors with arm workout. SHF SF-RB4631 comes with the step-thru design which makes getting on and off the bike very easy.
The spotlight stealer is actually the moving arms. What’s so good about the arms on this bike is that they offer resistance of their own. On top of that, arm resistance is adjustable with a simple twist of a rotating knob.
But, you should know that the arm resistance will make a little noise. The feet resistance on the other hand is whisper quiet and consists of 8 distinct levels. Both hand and feet resistances are independent of each other.
The display is a simpler one which shows all the common metrics including time and distance. In addition, the bike comes with pulse sensors on the handlebars to track your heart rate. SFH also has a large seat which is rather easy to adjust with a lever.
I do love the large pedals on this bike. Self-leveling design and comes with adjustable straps to keep your feet secured all the time. Speaking of secured, the bike is pretty sturdy and can hold a very high capacity of 350 pounds.
Is Recumbent with Arm Better than Upright Bike?
Recumbent bikes with moving arms certainly up the ante when it comes to providing a good full body workout. But, should you choose them over upright bikes which are great at burning calories?
Well, it depends on what you want to be honest, doesn’t it? We all know how effective upright bikes are at weight loss. But, you cannot put recumbent out of the way either. In addition, there’s no second choice to a recumbent bike if you wanna work out for long hours and feel the comfort.
At the end of day, if you want something to burn calories and give you a low to medium intensity then recumbent bikes with arm workout are more than okay to use.
Happy Exercising!
What we’ve done for you is take a look at the top bikes in today’s market and include only those which are ideal for use. In addition, we have included different types of arm pedaling system so that you can find the one you are looking for.
Finally, we can say that you’ll have a blast with any one of the best recumbent bike with arm workout in this article. Get the check ready and enjoy exercising in comfort with your recumbent bike.
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