StairMaster Beyond the Stepmill: FreeClimber & HIIT Bike UK (2026)

Most buyers who come to us asking about StairMaster mean the Gauntlet stepmill — the revolving-staircase machine we compared across the 4G, 8Gx and 10G in an earlier guide. But StairMaster makes two other machines that solve completely different problems: a climber built for lower impact, and an air bike built to survive members who break exercise bikes.

The short answer: the 8 Series FreeClimber (from £3,732) is the machine to buy instead of a Gauntlet stepmill when impact on the knees is the concern — independent pedals replace the revolving staircase. The HIIT Bike (£1,640) isn't a climber at all — it's a fan-resistance air bike engineered for up to 1,400 lbs of force, built for interval training rather than stepping. Neither replaces a Gauntlet; both fill a gap one doesn't.

What else does StairMaster make besides the Gauntlet stepmill?

Two machines that solve different problems from each other, and from the stepmill. If you haven't seen it, our 4G vs 8Gx vs 10G stepmill comparison covers the revolving-staircase Gauntlet range in full — this guide picks up where that one stops.

The 8 Series FreeClimber looks similar to a stepmill from across the room but works nothing like one: independent pedals move under you on a four-bar linkage rather than a staircase revolving past you. The HIIT Bike isn't a stepper at all — it's a self-powered air bike, closer in spirit to the Attack Air Bike we cover in our exercise bikes guide than to anything else StairMaster sells.

FreeClimber or Gauntlet stepmill — which should you buy?

Buy the FreeClimber for lower impact and a smoother motion — independent pedals and cushioned steps suit members returning from injury, older users, and anyone who finds a revolving staircase punishing on the knees. Buy a Gauntlet stepmill — 4G from £3,495, 8Gx from £4,995, 10G from £7,375 — if you want the hardest cardio station you can put on a floor: you are genuinely climbing stairs, so the calorie cost and the transfer to real stair climbing are higher.

Both are genuinely StairMaster, and a well-equipped commercial floor often carries one of each rather than two of the same — they serve different members on the same day.

Kit for this: if you already have a Gauntlet and are adding a second cardio station, the FreeClimber is the machine that opens the floor to members the stepmill excludes.

StairMaster 8 Series FreeClimber£3,732 – £5,151View product →StairMaster 4G Gauntlet Stepmill£3,495 – £4,995View product →

Why does the FreeClimber's LCD console cost more than the 10-inch?

It doesn't make sense on paper, and we're not going to pretend it does. Live pricing on the FreeClimber currently shows the LCD console at £3,766 costing more than the 10-inch console at £3,732 — a £34 gap in the wrong direction, since the 10-inch is the more capable screen. The 15-inch Apex touchscreen at £5,151 is the console actually worth the premium, with a genuinely larger, more usable display.

If the LCD console appealed to you specifically, ask us before ordering — on current pricing the 10-inch gets you more console for less money, and we'll tell you if that's changed by the time you order.

What is StairMaster's HIIT Bike actually built for?

Interval abuse, not steady cardio. The HIIT Bike is a dual-action, self-powered air bike engineered to handle up to 1,400 lbs of force — a spec aimed squarely at commercial floors where members go all-out rather than pace themselves. Like any fan bike, resistance scales with effort and has no ceiling: the harder you push, the harder it pushes back, which is why air bikes are the standard tool for interval and conditioning work rather than sustained rides.

It needs no mains socket and no fixings — it stands on the floor and is ready to use, which makes it one of the simplest high-ticket items in the whole catalogue to actually install.

Kit for this: put the HIIT Bike where members already do circuit or interval work, not where a stepmill or FreeClimber would go — it's a conditioning tool, not a stair-climbing substitute.

StairMaster HIIT Bike£1,640View product →

Does high-intensity interval training actually work?

Yes, and the evidence has strengthened considerably in the last year. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis by Stefanovic, Werndle and Reljic, published in Sports, pooled 31 real-world studies covering 1,119 participants and found HIIT produced a significant increase in VO2max/peak of 3.9 mL/kg/min (95% CI 2.5–5.2, p<0.001). Against passive controls specifically, the improvement reached 6.9 mL/kg/min alongside a 2.9cm reduction in waist circumference, with the authors concluding that "real-world HIIT can effectively improve CRF and selected cardiometabolic outcomes across diverse adult populations" — benefits that were most pronounced in overweight and clinical populations.

The honest caveat: compared against other forms of active exercise (not just sitting still), most cardiometabolic markers showed no statistically significant advantage. HIIT's real selling point is time efficiency and cardiorespiratory fitness gains, not a metabolic edge over any other form of hard training.

Which safety standard covers steppers and climbers in the UK?

ISO 20957-8:2017 — Stationary training equipment, Part 8: Steppers, stairclimbers and climbers — sets additional specific safety requirements and test methods for exactly this category, "designed for use from either a standing or sitting position," on top of the general requirements in ISO 20957-1.

ISO 20957-1:2024 sets the use classes worth asking about before buying for a facility: Class H is "intended for use in private homes"; Class S covers "training areas of organizations such as sport associations, educational establishments, hotels, clubs and studios, where access and control are specifically regulated by the owner"; Class I is inclusive professional use. A machine going onto a commercial floor should be declared to Class S at minimum.

How much ceiling height and floor space do these machines need?

Confirm both before you order — this is the single most common reason a commercial cardio delivery goes wrong. We have a verified minimum ceiling height of 2.44m (8ft) published for the 4G Gauntlet specifically; the FreeClimber's independent-pedal motion has a different profile from a revolving staircase and we have not yet verified a specific figure for it, so we deliberately don't publish one we can't stand behind. The HIIT Bike needs no ceiling allowance at all — it's a floor-standing bike with no vertical travel.

Send us your ceiling height, floor area and access route for any of these three machines before you order and we will confirm the fit — on a delivery this size, that ten-minute conversation is worth having.

How much do the FreeClimber and HIIT Bike cost in the UK?

From £1,640 for the HIIT Bike to £5,151 for the FreeClimber's top console. Verified live on 9 September 2026.

Both qualify for free UK delivery. The FreeClimber's 15-inch console qualifies for business finance on its own; the other consoles qualify as part of a wider order over £5,000. See the full range in our StairMaster collection.

Which should you buy — FreeClimber, HIIT Bike, or a Gauntlet stepmill?

Buy the FreeClimber if impact is the concern and you want the closest thing to a stepmill without the knee cost. Buy the HIIT Bike if you need a station that survives members going all-out on intervals, not a stepping machine at all. Buy a Gauntlet stepmill — covered in full in our 4G vs 8Gx vs 10G comparison — if peak conditioning and calorie burn are the point and impact isn't a concern for your members.

A serious commercial floor often ends up with more than one of these, because they are answering different questions rather than competing for the same slot.

Frequently asked questions

Is the FreeClimber easier on the knees than a stepmill? StairMaster's own engineering describes the FreeClimber's independent-pedal, four-bar linkage motion as smoother and lower-impact than a revolving staircase, and cushioned steps add further support. We haven't found independent lab data quantifying the exact difference, so treat it as a design intent backed by the mechanism, not a measured percentage.

Is the HIIT Bike the same as an ordinary air bike? Mechanically yes — dual-action wind resistance driving both arms and legs, scaling with effort. What sets it apart is the stated 1,400 lbs force rating, aimed at commercial floors where the bike gets used harder and more often than in a home gym.

Which console should I choose on the FreeClimber? On current pricing, the 10-inch console at £3,732 is the better buy than the LCD at £3,766 — more capable for less money, an anomaly we've flagged rather than hidden. The 15-inch Apex touchscreen at £5,151 is a genuine step up if the budget allows it.

Do these machines need a power socket? The HIIT Bike doesn't — it's entirely self-powered and needs no mains connection. The FreeClimber's console does require power; check the exact requirement with us when you order.

How many people can use a FreeClimber or HIIT Bike per day on a commercial floor? Both are built for commercial duty cycles rather than home use, and neither StairMaster nor we publish a daily-use ceiling — the honest guidance is that they're specified for gyms and studios precisely because they're built to outlast a home machine under constant turnover, not because there's a published number to hit.

Does HIIT training actually improve fitness, or is it just hype? The pooled evidence says it works: a 2026 meta-analysis of 31 studies and 1,119 participants found a significant VO2max improvement of 3.9 mL/kg/min from real-world HIIT programmes. It isn't shown to beat other hard training on most metabolic markers, but it is a genuinely time-efficient way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness.

Can I fit a FreeClimber if I already have a Gauntlet stepmill? Usually, if there's a second cardio bay — they serve different members rather than duplicating each other. Send us the room dimensions and we'll confirm both fit before you commit to a second machine.

Pro Gym Essentials — premium home and commercial gym equipment, delivered across the UK. Prices verified 9 September 2026.