Cubii JR Review
The Cubii JR, mini under desk elliptical, is very different from a Peloton bike or any other sort of indoor exercise bike. Unlike a traditional indoor exercise bike, the Cubii JR is actually relatively light and small. In fact, it only weighs 27lbs – but more importantly, it’s designed to “get fit while you sit”!
The Cubii JR is designed for all ages, abilities and lifestyles. It seems like the entire point of the Cubii JR is to make wellness approachable to all. Are you going to get on the Cubii JR and get a crazy workout in? Probably not, but that’s not the point of this machine. The Cubii JR I have is in the aqua color, although this one does come in purple and other models do have different colors.
You can watch my video review of the Cubii JR here.
FEATURES
The first thing I want to tell you on the Cubii JR is there are 8 levels of resistance that you adjust with a knob. The Cubii JR has a little LCD display on the top that shows you metrics such as distance, r.p.m. or cadence, time and calories burned. There is a button to tab between the different displays. There is also a scan mode
On the bottom the Cubii JR has little wheels. They actually do seem to be pretty quality wheels. They are similar to a roller blade quality material. This is a whisper quiet machine. However, it seems like the wheels kind of make a little bit of a squeaky noise (or maybe just this particular one I have is making that noise).
When I first picked it up, I was actually pretty surprised by how light it is (27 pounds). Fortunately, it does have a little handle, which makes it much easier to pick up and maneuver around. I flipped the entire thing over, and it does have rubber feet on the bottom to protect your hard surface floors and make it stick to the ground better so it will make it less likely to slide around on you. On the front corners of the Cubii there are rubber protectors as well. The bike runs on batteries, so there is no need to plug it into the wall. The maximum user weight is 250 pounds.
PEDALS
Taking a look at the actual surface area and size of the elliptical footpads, they are actually relatively large. I wear a size 14 shoe and my foot can easily fit on here. There are also little rubber grips that kind of make your feet stick pretty well.
And obviously, this machine is designed to be used with or without shoes, and the little rubber pads on here actually do make it a little bit nicer than if it was plastic or something. So not only does it grip better, but it is more comfortable. Unfortunately you don’t get that clip in pedals for the Cubii. So in the Cubii, you can pedal going forwards, or you could stop and also reverse and go backwards.
RESISTANCE
So let’s talk about the resistance range. Putting it on resistance 1 feels just fine. I kind of feel like the whole point of this machine is to get moving a little bit rather than just sitting completely stationary. For example, when you’re working on your computer or watching TV, you can use this just to get a little bit of movement – you probably are not trying to max out the resistance and get a hard workout with this machine. Unfortunately it is not simple to change the resistance – you have to get down there and manually change it on the machine. You don’t have that automatic adjusting resistance or anything like the Peloton Bike+. Once you get down there, all you have to do is just click one piece over and it will click into a new resistance number.
>> See current Cubii JR price and discount on Amazon
RIDING
When taking off my shoes and trying the maximum resistance, I have to say I actually do like the way it feels under my feet, especially the rubber pads. It feels nice. The maximum resistance is not much different from level 1, however, again, that is not the point of this machine. The motion of the machine feels like an oval shape as it’s going around, so your knees don’t really come up and
down too much which is great if you will be using it under a surface like a desk or table. They almost go forwards and backwards. I’m 6’5”, so most people probably aren’t going to have similar clearance issues like I would have.
WORKOUT QUALITY
The Cubii JR is obviously not going to get you a phenomenal workout in like a Peloton does or a standard indoor cycling bike. The Cubii JR doesn’t allow for you to put down big power through your legs. However, in terms something that you use while you’re just sitting around the house, maybe you work from home a lot, watch TV, etc and you don’t want to sit completely still I can see the benefits of having something secondary to get the body moving. As my legs are moving, it’s also causing my core area to move and work a little bit and bring more movement to my entire body. I could definitely see the benefits of it in that regard.
There is la calorie tracker and RPMs which you are unable to see while it is under your desk. And honestly, I don’t think it matters. I don’t think what resistance you’re on matters. I don’t think that the calories matter. I don’t think the RPMs matter – the point of this is to get you to move – and the Cubii JR does a really good job. Come to think of it, you probably don’t actually want to workout too hard on your nice furniture at home and get sweaty and disgusting, right?
FINAL THOUGHTS
So what are my final thoughts on the Cubii JR? Well, obviously this thing is not like a real indoor cycling bike that you’re going to get on there and put down massive power through your legs and get a killer workout in. This is more targeted and more tailored just to kind of get your body moving and doing something rather than nothing secondarily.
It is not intimidating, almost anybody of any age or ability can use this thing. I could see the Cubii JR being beneficial to the elderly, somebody recovering from an injury, or somebody who just doesn’t have the ability to get on a full size exercise bike. I can see the Cubii JR being beneficial to people who work from home or you spend time on the computer. Also great for people who watch TV and you want to get your legs moving and get your body moving just a little bit. Seems like a win-win.