Direct-drive smart trainers provide the most enjoyable Zwifting experience since they are quieter and more accurate than wheel-on trainers. Of course, they’re also pricier!
After several years of trainer development and iterative improvements, the direct-drive trainer market is now broken up into two groups. The budget group is priced below $900USD, with power accuracy in the +-2% range and max wattage around 2000W. The premium group comes with higher prices but increased accuracy, power, and reliability.
Here are the top picks for premium direct-drive trainers. This list will be continually updated as new trainers are released and Zwifters continue to share their reviews.
About Our Selections
Thanks to almost 1000 reviews in our Smart Trainer Index, we’re able to crunch numbers and share crowdsourced buying advice on smart trainers. The trainers below were selected based on overall ratings, total number of reviews, and several other factors.
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Wahoo KICKR Gen 5 (2020)
While Wahoo’s latest KICKR has only been on the market since mid-August 2020, reviews are saying it’s the best KICKR yet. And that’s saying something, given that Wahoo’s KICKR is far and away the most popular direct-drive trainer on the planet!
The Gen 5 improves on the KICKR Gen 4 (2018) by delivering greater power accuracy, auto-calibration (no more spindowns!) and AXIS feet that allow the trainer to tilt a bit for comfort and a more realistic ride motion. And of course, it’s compatible with the Climb, which is a big selling point for some.
The KICKR is a well-developed platform backed by Wahoo’s industry-leading support and enriched by Wahoo’s indoor training ecosystem. All of these factors combine to make this the most obvious choice for anyone seeking a premium direct-drive trainer.
Key Specs
- MSRP: $1199.99 USD
- Accuracy: +-1%
- Flywheel: 16lb
- Max Wattage: 2200 W
- Max Incline: 20%
Overall Rating
(19 reviews)
Tacx NEO 2T
The Tacx NEO platform has been consistently positioned as the gold standard of smart trainers since the original NEO launched in 2015. And that reputation was well-deserved, since the NEO delivers 1% accuracy without the need for calibration, in addition to unique features like road surface simulation and downhill drive.
But Tacx is now owned by Garmin, and NEO owners have been delivering mixed reviews of Garmin’s support. Additionally, the NEO 2T is priced $200 above the Wahoo KICKR, even though the NEO ships without a cassette. While the NEO vs KICKR debates have traditionally ended in a stalemate, the support quality and pricing/performance have placed the NEO in 2nd place for the timing being.
Here’s hoping Garmin/Tacx step up with improved support and reduced pricing soon.
Key Specs
- MSRP: $1399.99 USD
- Accuracy: +-1%
- Flywheel: Virtual
- Max Wattage: 2200 W
- Max Incline: 25%
Overall Rating
(53 reviews)
Saris H3
As the third generation of the Hammer platform, the H3 is a well-evolved premium trainer with an appealing price point $200 below the Wahoo KICKR (albiet without a cassette included). Its accuracy isn’t quite on par with the KICKR or NEO, but its 20lb flywheel delivers realistic intertial feel.
Saris has certainly gained market share with their H3 since they’ve done a remarkable job of keeping the H3 available in stores in a year when other manufacturers are struggling to keep up with demand. But Saris users are also complaining that support has suffered badly, especially since COVID restrictions began.
We’re hoping Saris gets their support system back on track soon, because the H3 is a solid unit for the money.
Key Specs
- MSRP: $999.99 USD
- Accuracy: +-2%
- Flywheel: 20lb
- Max Wattage: 2000 W
- Max Incline: 20%
Overall Rating
(27 reviews)
Elite Direto XR
As the 4th Direto generation, the XR is built atop a well-evolved platform and priced lower than any other premium direct-drive trainer. Plus, it ships with a cassette!
When it rolled out in July 2020, the Direto XR actually replaced two of Elite’s trainers. First, it replaced the Direto X (and upgraded some of its specs). But it also replaced Elite’s top-tier Drivo II, because it made no sense for Elite to continue selling both lines when they were so similar in terms of specifications.
Previous Direto versions were priced $50 cheaper, but shipped without a cassette. The XR boasts a larger flywheel and higher max wattage than the Direto X, placing its specs firmly in the premium direct drive trainer camp. While it’s still early days for the XR, our guess is this will become a very popular trainer in the coming year.
Key Specs
- MSRP: $949.99 USD
- Accuracy: +-1.5%
- Flywheel: 11lb
- Max Wattage: 2300 W
- Max Incline: 24%
Overall Rating
(9 reviews)
Questions or Comments?
Got trainer questions? Want to let us know what you think of our choices? Comment below!
I love my Saris H3. I have had no issues and it was at a good price point. I highly recommend it.
Seconded. And support has been great for me, I overtightened the end caps and cracked a spacer (top hat between hub and trainer). I had zero issues getting a replacement sent even though it was my fault. Shipping may have to wait a bit if you are not in the US but definitely worth a look if you can find it on sale.
I filled in review for original Neo. I’m super happy with it for several seasons. I didn’t select Helpful support because I can’t rate their support. I didn’t need it, Neo just works! 🙂 Previous owner of Wahoo and Direto.
I’ll say the same – my Neo 2T just working perfect and no need for Garmin support 😊
Well I purchased the wahoo kickr V5 last week and I’m still waiting to be able to do a ride that will save to Zwift, doesn’t register and when I go back into companion it says I’m still zwifting. Starting to get a bit peed off with it now.
So the 2020 KICKR has auto-calibration and “tilts a bit for comfort and a more realistic ride motion”, features the Neo has sported from day 1. Neo is also true direct drive (no belt), motors to simulate downhill inertia, measures cadence, and works with or without a power source. (https://www.bicycling.com/culture/a32084197/mirinda-carfrae-virtual-ironman-bike-unplugged-power-cord/ – not a KICKR, but it is just as vulnerable.) And Neo is number 2?!? Because it costs an extra $200? I know Eric is only aggregating and tabulating reviews that readers have submitted, but c’mon KICKR folks! After upgrading to the Gen 5 from an earlier unit, you would… Read more »
Thought the same PLUS the Neo is so cool looking! I have no idea how Garmin’s support is either because I haven’t needed to contact them!
I’ve heard enough stories from NEO owners to know that 1) they’ve got some design weaknesses that are challenging or impossible for a typical user to fix and 2) Garmin’s support of older models is lacking.
So that’s partly why I ranked them the way I did. The NEO is a great unit, but if it needs to be repaired you can be in for a heap of trouble right now.
And neo 2 has cadence and is slipping while on high power issues. My Neo was working perfectly, until I upgraded firmware and cadence stopped working correctly since then. You can revert to older firmware ,but still need additional ANT+ device. Before upgrade everything was working perfectly on my Apple devices. Evidently they screwed something up and are unable to repair.
I like my Saris H3 a lot! Such a great purchase for Canadian winters. Its the only trainer I’ve used, so the quirks I experience might be similar across the brands, but I find that the power stops if I stop pedaling. It takes about 5 seconds of spinning my wheels before the power kicks in again. In Canada, they go for around $1300 CAD.