Sunny Health and Fitness Air Bikes Comparison & Reviews
When looking for indoor exercise bikes and other pieces of fitness equipment, many people enjoy trying to find the ones that are cheap, yet also offer good value for money. Sunny Health and Fitness have sought to appeal to this market for years, and have generally done a good job of it. The same applies to their line of air resistance bikes that they have developed over the years. These Sunny Health and Fitness air exercise bikes comparisons are the topic of today’s piece.
We’re going to examine the 4 options that Sunny Health and Fitness offer when it comes to their air exercise bikes: the Tornado Fan Bike (SF-B2729), the Motion Air Bike (SF-B2916), the Zephyr Air Bike (SF-B2715) and the Hybrid Fan Bike (SF-B2618). We’ll look at the individual components of each of these Sunny Health and Fitness air exercise bikes and give our opinions on which hold up and which are not that great, as well as judging from wider reviews. Then we’ll compare everything to the final price of the bikes before giving our final verdict on which of these air bikes is the true winner and should be seriously looked at (if any). So, with all of that out of the way, let’s hop right into our Sunny Health and Fitness air bikes review!
- Sunny Health & Fitness Tornado Air Bike Review
- Sunny Health & Fitness Motion Air Bike Review
- Sunny Health & Fitness Zephyr Air Bike Review
- Sunny Health & Fitness Hybrid Air Bike Review
Sunny Health and Fitness Air Resistance Bikes Comparison:
Sunny Air Bikes Technical Information
| Name | Capacity | Weight | Dimensions | User | Levellers | Wheels | Handle | Base |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado Air Bike | 330 lbs (150 kg) | 98.6 lbs | W 23" x L 56" H 49" | 5’0” - 6’5” | With Floor Levellers | Silicon Transport Wheels | With Transport Handle | Wide Stable Base |
| Motion Air Bike | 265 lbs (120 kg) | 60.6 lbs | W 23" x L 40" H 47" | 5’2” - 6’2” | Without Floor Levellers | Plastic Transport Wheels | None | Narrow Base |
| Zephyr Air Bike | 240 lbs (109 kg) | 60 lbs | W 23" x L 56" H 49" | 5’2” - 6’4” | Without Floor Levellers | Plastic Transport Wheels | None | Narrow Base |
| Hybrid Air Bike | 220 lbs (100 kg) | 46.9 lbs | W 25" x L 42" H 47" | 5’0” - 6’0” | Without Floor Levellers | Plastic Transport Wheels | None | Narrow Base |
First, we’re going to look at the technical information of these Sunny Health and Fitness air bikes. This is generally what the bikes are made of, how much space they take up, how much they weigh and how much weight they can hold.
The largest of these Sunny Health and Fitness fan resistance bikes is definitely the Tornado fan bike. It weighs 98.6 lbs (44.7 kg) and can hold a maximum weight of 330 lbs (150 kg). It measures out to be 56 inches (142 cm) long, 23.5 inches (60 cm) wide and 49.25 inches (125 cm) tall. It can fit a wide user range of 5’0” to 6’5”, which is an unusually tall limit for one of these bikes.
The Zephyr Air Bike and the Motion Air Bike are built extremely similar to one another in almost every basic regard. The Zephyr measures to be 44 in (112 cm) long, 24 inches (61 cm) wide and 45 inches (114 cm) tall. It weighs 60 lbs (27 kg) and can hold a maximum weight of 240 lbs (109 kg). The Motion Air Bike weighs only 0.6 lbs more, and can hold 265 lbs (120 kg). It measures to be 40 inches (102 cm) long, 23 inches (58 cm) wide and 47 inches (119 cm) tall. So the motion Air Bike is actually smaller, but can hold more weight.
Then there’s the ancient Hybrid Fan Bike. It’s quite a light bike, weighing only 46.9 lbs (21.2 kg). It can hold 220 lbs (100 kg), which is OK at best. Its dimensions are 42.5 inches (108 cm) long, 25.5 inches (65 cm) wide and 47.5 inches (121 cm).
All these Sunny Health and Fitness air resistance stationary bikes have steel frames and can generally fit people between 5’0” and 6’2” at a minimum. Overall, you won’t find too many surprises, except maybe with the Motion Air Bike, which offers one of the smallest sizes and stable performances.
Drivetrain, Resistance, Flywheel & Pedals
| Name | Drivetrain | Pedals | Resistance | Flywheel | Q.Factor | Crank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado Air Bike | Chain | Flat Pedals Without Straps | Dynamic Air Resistance | 27.5 inch fan | N/A | 3-piece |
| Motion Air Bike | Belt & Chain | Basic Pedals With Straps | Dynamic Air Resistance | Unspecified | N/A | 1-piece |
| Zephyr Air Bike | Belt & Chain | Basic Pedals With Straps | Dynamic Air Resistance | 18 inch fan | N/A | 1-piece |
| Hybrid Air Bike | Chain | Basic Pedals With Straps | Strap & Air Resistance | 19 inch fan | N/A | 1-piece |
Now we’re going to look at the elements of these Sunny Health and Fitness air bikes that actually allow them to provide any sort of challenge and allow them to get you fit. These include the drivetrains, pedals, resistance system and the flywheel (or fans in this case). Normally we would also include the Q-Factor of each of these bikes, however, that information is not actually included anywhere that we could find. For those who are unaware, the Q-Factor of a bike is the distance between the pedals. If it is too wide, this could lead to discomfort, while too narrow a distance could lead to the same, while also making injury a possibility.
Almost all of the pedals on the Sunny Health and Fitness air stationary bikes are the same. They are generally described as “non-slip with adjustable strap”. And that’s an apt summation, as they all fit it precisely. The only exception would be the Tornado Fan Bike, which does not include the strap and whose pedals are a bit thicker (but made of plastic, not steel like the ones on the Assault air bikes).
Similarly, three out of the four of these Sunny Health and Fitness HIIT air bikes use the fan as the sole resistance setting or challenge. The Zephyr Air Bike, Motion Air Bike and the Tornado Fan Bike all use the dynamic resistance of the fans. The harder your push on the pedals and faster you go, the more resistance you’ll meet. The Hybrid Fan Bike differs in that it also has a strap-based resistance system that attaches to a knob at the front of the bike. By turning this knob, you can tighten the strap and add more resistance to the workout. It certainly isn’t as smooth as the others.
The drivetrains of both the Tornado Fan Bike and the Hybrid Fan Bike are both purely made of chains. This does make the overall process a bit louder and means that you will have to check in on them for maintenance occasionally, but it isn’t that big of a deal. The Zephyr and the Motion Sunny Health and Fitness air resistance bikes both use a combination of chain and belt drivetrains making for a fairly smooth process. You’ll still have to check in for the maintenance of the chain, but the belts are a nice addition.
There certainly isn’t a lot to complain about when it comes to these bikes and their resistance system. The only real loser might be the Hybrid Fan Bike on account of its age and the dynamism of its resistance being less than the others.
Sunny Air Bikes Handlebars and Saddles
| Name | Handlebars | Seat | Adjustment | Posts | Grips | Knobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado Air Bike | Fixed | Vertically & Horizontally Adjustable | 13 inches Vertical Seat Adjustment | Stainless Steel | Single-Grip | Durable |
| Motion Air Bike | Fixed | Vertically & Horizontally Adjustable | 10 inches Vertical Seat Adjustment | Coated Steel | Single-Grip | Basic |
| Zephyr Air Bike | Vertically Adjustable | Only Vertically Adjustable | 12 inches Vertical Seat Adjustment | Coated Steel | Single-Grip | Basic |
| Hybrid Air Bike | Fixed | Vertically & Horizontally Adjustable | 9 inches Vertical Seat Adjustment | Coated Steel | Single-Grip | Cheap |
Now we’re going to cover the handlebars and saddles of these Sunny Health and Fitness air resistance bikes. Considering these are the elements that you’d be interacting with the most, it’s probably important that you should enjoy (or at least be comfortable on) them.
All of the handlebars on these are designed to improve your upper body fitness alongside your lower body. They all move with the pedals, which means that whether you are holding onto them or not, they will move back and forth as the pedals do. This also means that the majority of them cannot be adjusted. The only exception comes from the Zephyr Air Bike, where the handlebars can be vertically adjusted by a couple of inches. Otherwise these handlebars will all stay in place until the pedals move.
The seating on these Sunny Health and Fitness air resistance exercise bikes are much more varied. The good news is that most of them can be adjusted both vertically and horizontally, with the only exception (once again), being the Zephyr Air Bike. Its saddle can only be adjusted vertically. Both the Hybrid Fan Bike and the Zephyr Air Bike use vinyl covers and thin foam padding. The Motion Air Bike is contoured and has a layer of padding, while the Tornado has the most effort put into the comfort with thick cushioning.
Despite these ranges of comfort put into the bikes, one of the most consistent complaints about these seats is that they remain uncomfortable. Gel padding or even replacing the seats are the common solution to this problem. The handlebars are better off, as they do their job quietly and efficiently. But keep in mind the complaints about the seats.
Tornado, Motion, Hybrid, and Zephyr Monitors
| Name | Monitors | Quality | Connectivity | HRM | Statistics | Programs | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado Air Bike | LCD monitor w/o backlit | Okaish Monitor | None | Via non-coded straps | RPM, speed, time, distance, calorie, watt, heart rate | 3 | None |
| Motion Air Bike | LCD monitor w/o backlit | Cheap Monitor | None | None | Time, speed, distance, odometer, calories | None | None |
| Zephyr Air Bike | LCD monitor w/o backlit | Cheap Monitor | None | None | Time, speed, distance, calories | None | None |
| Hybrid Air Bike | LCD monitor w/o backlit | Cheap Monitor | None | None | Time, distance, calories | None | None |
Now we come to the part that tends to boost the price of these machines the most. Monitors and other electronics can make the difference between a solid recommendation and a skip. Although Sunny Health and Fitness aren’t exactly known for their advanced monitors, so don’t expect the top of the line technology here.
The most basic of these monitors, unsurprisingly, comes with the Hybrid Air Bike. It is extremely small and can track the most standard of workout statistics. These include speed, time, distance and calories that are all shown in imperial measurements like miles and miles per hour. No metric measurements here. There is a scan function, allowing you to cycle through the various stats. But that’s about it for this monitor.
The LCD monitors on the Zephyr and Motion Air Bikes are pretty similar, with one key difference between them: the Motion Air Bike’s monitor can display statistics in metric. In fact, it’s the only one of these Sunny Health and Fitness air resistance workout bikes that is able to do so. Otherwise, these two monitors are of a similar size, with each being able to show the same sort of statistics. You’ve got time, distance, calories and an odometer with the Motion Air ones. There aren’t any sort of preset workouts available on here, nor is there any way to track your heart rate without an independent device.
Finally, there’s the monitor of the Tornado Air Bike. This might be promoted as the best of the lot, but it surprisingly isn’t that much better than the ones you’d find on the Zephyr and Motion Air Bikes. It most certainly has an advantage in size and can connect to chest straps through Bluetooth. There are also 2 preset interval programs and a custom interval program available, which makes it nice for high intensity interval training (HIIT). However, it only displays one of two more stats than the other monitors, showing time, distance, calories, RPMS, watts and pulse (if applicable). There is also no metric display, which seems like a strange omission.
In this category, it is probably the Tornado console that wins, but the Motion Air Bike monitor comes in a very close second. The only thing that edges it out is the preset interval programs that come with the Tornado, which can be super useful for all users.
Air Resistance Bikes Prices and Warranties
| Name | Price | Verdict | Frame | Parts | Labor | Assembly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado Air Bike | $700 | Okay Quality But Overpriced | 3-Year | 90 Days | None | Easy (tools included) |
| Motion Air Bike | $225 | Low Quality But Cheap | 3-Year | 90 Days | None | Easy (tools included) |
| Zephyr Air Bike | $200 | Low Quality But Cheap | 3-Year | 90 Days | None | Easy (tools included) |
| Hybrid Air Bike | $160 | Low Quality But Cheap | 3-Year | 90 Days | None | Easy (tools included) |
Pricing can make all the difference on whether or not someone wants to buy one of these air bikes. Fortunately, Sunny Health and Fitness have always been fairly consistent about their low pricing. Unfortunately, they’ve also been consistent about their warranties, which aren’t that great in comparison to some others.
The Hybrid Fan Bike, being the ancient piece of gear that it is, is the cheapest, only costing around $165. It still comes with the standard warranty of 3 years on the frame and 90 days on the parts. This is a bike for those who only want a piece of equipment and want to pay as little as possible for it.
The Zephyr Air BIke costs around $200, and comes with the exact same warranty: you get 3 years on the warranty and 90 days on the part. This is probably a fair price, as the Zephyr doesn’t offer that much more than $200 worth of quality.
The Motion Air Bike costs around $300 and comes with the warranty that you’ll have imprinted on your brain by the end of this. The frame gets 3 years of coverage, while the parts get 90 days. No labour warranties to be found here. This is actually very good value for what the bike offers.
The Tornado Air Bike is by far the most costly, although it still doesn’t cost that much in regards to some other air bikes. It costs $700 and comes with the standard 3 year warranty on the frame and 90 days on the parts. For what the bike offers, this is also a pretty good deal.
Other Notable Parts of Sunny Air Bikes
| Name | FootRests | Holder | Rack | Box | Weight | Powered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tornado Air Bike | Yes | No Bottle Holder | With Tablet Rack | Ship dimensions: 55L x 23.5W x 49H in | Ship weight: 112.9 lb | Batteries (included) |
| Motion Air Bike | Yes | No Bottle Holder | With Tablet Rack | Ship dimensions: 41.73L x 10W x 27.54H in | Ship weight: 69 lb | Batteries (included) |
| Zephyr Air Bike | No | No Bottle Holder | With Tablet Rack | Ship dimensions: 38.58L x 8.66W x 25.98H in | Ship weight: 65.7 lb | Batteries (included) |
| Hybrid Air Bike | No | No Bottle Holder | Without Tablet Rack | Ship dimensions: 42.7L x 8.9W x 26.2H in | Ship weight: 53.9 lb | Batteries (included) |
Here we have a section that just describes some little additions that we think it is worth noting about these air bikes. They probably shouldn’t make the difference between a Yes and a No on them, but it is nice to know all of the features you would be getting.
Two of these Sunny Health and Fitness air bikes have footrests on the side of the fan. However, what are listed as footrests are little more than pegs that stick out that you can set your feet on while you push the handlebars for an upper body workout. Don’t expect some sort of comfy slipper zone.
Only the Hybrid Fan Bike has any sort of spot for a water bottle, which is a tad strange. You’d think that hydration would be an important enough feature as to include it on other bikes, but apparently not.
On the flip side, the Hybrid Fan Bike is the only bike to not have any sort of media tray next to the monitor. These are just little places that you can put your phone or a tablet in order to generate some excitement or entertainment during your various workouts.
What We Think Sunny Air Exercise Bikes
It’s a hard call to make between two of these Sunny Health and Fitness air resistance bikes. The Tornado Air Bike is a good call (if it is at least $200 cheaper than the AD7 or AD Pro Schwinn air bikes when you are reading this review) for someone who wants some more advanced technology involved in their bike, as it still doesn’t cost that much, yet still provides a good workout (and has the largest fan). However, if you want a small, fairly cheap bike that still has a decent level of technological integration, the Motion Air Bike should serve as the best alternative. Either of these Sunny Health and Fitness air indoor bikes should be the first choice in this lineup, as they simply offer the best value for their price. The Zephyr does fine, but for just being $100 more, the Motion Air Bike is lighter and has more technological integration. The Hybrid Air Bike, while a cheap bike, really isn’t that great and should generally be avoided. Keep in mind that the most common complaint for all of these Sunny Health and Fitness air workout bikes is the uncomfortable seating, so you might also want to consider investing in some padding or even a new saddle for whichever one you buy.
That concludes our review of these Sunny Health and Fitness air bikes. As always, we recommend you go out and do some of your own research on the topic in order to figure out which one is best for your personal situation and then make the call. We’re just here to give our expert recommendations based on the facts available. Note that for professional use, we only recommend the Sunny Tornado and our recommendation is conditional. If it is the same price of the Schwinn AD7 or the Assault Classic by the time you are reading our Sunny Health and Fitness air resistance bike reviews, then we suggest you to go with either of the two instead. But if it is a couple hundred dollars cheaper than those two bikes, we believe it is a good value and you should consider it. Now get out there are get cycling!
