Tacx Neo Smart turbo trainer review

The Tacx Neo Smart direct drive trainer is one of most sophisticated available, though it is one of the most expensive and has a very large footprint

tacx neo
The Tacx Neo smart trainer
Cycling Weekly Verdict

The Tacx Neo Smart is a great piece of hardware that has a really realistic ride feel and is fairly quiet, though the added feel of the 'road surface simulation' on Zwift means it isn’t the quietest we’ve tested overall. If a realistic feel is important to you, then this is a great option. The Tacx Neo is sophisticated but the likes of Wahoo, CycleOps and Elite have caught up now.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Quiet

  • +

    Can work without being plugged in

  • +

    Accurately simulates descents and ascents

  • +

    Stable platform

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Expensive

  • -

    Possible to trap fingers when unfolding and awkward to carry

  • -

    Large footprint

  • -

    Adapters not included

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

The Tacx Neo was a few years ago the best smart turbo trainer you could buy. It came with 'the best turbo trainer money can buy' price tag too. However, the likes of Wahoo, CycleOps and Elite now produce some decent competition for it for less money – all direct-drive, smart turbos too.

Direct-drive turbos currently offer the most realistic road feel compared to wheel-on trainers. The downside, however, is that they are generally more expensive, mainly for being 'smart' trainers offering power readings and being controllable by programs like Zwift.

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1