Top 5 Ellipticals to Buy in 2017
5. ProForm Smart Strider 735
http://amzn.to/2vRxGXR Customer Reviews:
The Proform 735 Elliptical is great as advertised, and I am very pleased with my purchase. The setup was easy approx 6 bolts to install. The Proform 735 Elliptical has a smooth operation. However the shipping is very hard on this item, especially due to the poor packaging and the Proform 735 Elliptical having plenty of plastic-and in my case damaged in several locations. Its not a good feeling opening up the box and several broken plastic pieces fall out of the box. Finally, during my first work out there was this annoying loud clicking noise coming from the handle area. I later found out it was related to the "up right knob." I had to back off the "up right -knob" a quarter turn to eliminate the loud annoying clicking noise. It appears that is a design flaw within that area.
4. Sanibel i35
http://amzn.to/2x5bnwa
Customer Reviews:
My husband and I had been talking about getting an elliptical for the past year. We had it narrowed down to the "Sole" brand because it was getting the best over all reviews and then at the last minute I stumbled across the "Yowza" brand. One of the things that held me back from the Sole was that we really wanted a rear fly wheel because of stability. I am so glad that we did!!! We have had this machine for about a month and our family of 4, ranging from 6'3 (230lbs) to 5'2 (120lbs), all use it. I put the machine together myself while my husband was at work, I did not think it was difficult at all, I thought the directions were very clear. The only problem I had was trying to get the plastic handles that were put on at the warehouse for shipping, I had to wait for my husband to remove those to place the actual handle bars on. I had read some reviews to wait to tighten some of the plastic parts on the machine because you may want to get at something to tighten when you hear squeaking. We have not had any squeaking and I tightened everything as I put it together. I will agree that it probably takes approx. 2 hrs to put it together, I'm not really sure as I was doing laundry, stopped at one point for lunch and would go back and put another section together. I commend this company because they had all the tools and parts included for you and organized in sealed plastic so that it is not all piled in a bag and you have to try to match up each screw or bolt. The plastic was marked so that you knew you had the right screw or bolt for the right part as you were putting it together. My husband and I are both impressed with the sturdiness of the machine. It is very quiet and smooth. We love the handle bars, much better than the push pull of the older versions, we had never seen handle bars like this on an Elliptical. All 4 of us have our own program in the machine and there are plenty of options for programs and levels of difficulty to not get bored with your workout. I have absolutely no complaints for this machine, we are very happy with our purchase and it is a great machine.
3. NordicTrack E 7.0 Z
http://amzn.to/2vRlS84Customer Reviews:
The good:
I got this for my wife for the specific reason that the feet are close together. Our old elliptical (100-200USD range) was kind of the beginner model. The wheel was between your legs and it made riding it painful for my 5' wife. It had something to do with using a muscle not commonly used when your feet are spread so far apart. This Nordic Track e7.0z has feet that are about 3 inches apart and the pain is gone. The unit is quiet and smooth. The stride is natural feeling. It's more like walking or running than riding a bike. The incline function can change this: 1 is like walking and barely lifting your legs, 5 is more like running or riding a bike where you need to lift your legs farther. The stability is excellent, I never feel as if I could tip it over. The unit was medium in assembly difficulty, not impossible, not 3 pieces that snap together... The resistance is as low or as high as anybody could want and it is electric adjustable. The programs are fine. I usually just go manual and adjust it while i'm going. The tablet holder is AWESOME. If I couldn't watch netflix or youtube while exercising I probably never would. Our galaxy 10" fits great and charges right from the control panel. Amazon delivery for this was excellent. They even brought it downstairs for me which is great because this thing weighs 200 and some odd pounds.
The bad:
This thing is tall. I am 5'10 and I have 7' ceilings in my basement. If I had the incline all the way up I would hit my head. I am limited to using the first 3 or 4 incline settings.
The incline is NOT electric or automatic. You will have to be able to lift about 30 lbs to change it. This isn't a problem for us.
I-fit is useless. All that marketing junk about Ifit and running google maps apparently requires a module that is NOT included. Also the Ifit app has terrible reviews.
The arm things don't fit well into the connecting pipe. They are bolted in and plenty solid but they will create a squeak eventually due to the poor fitment.
The heart rate monitor isn't any better than our old elliptical. It's kind of hit and miss. This is an area where they cheeped out.
The built in speakers are pretty weak. I may have a technical issue with my cord or tablet but the volume doesn't go high enough and buzzes when you have your USB also plugged in. My tiny little BRAVEN bluetooth speaker blows this thing away. The beeping from the control panel however will go loud enough to wake your napping children. Odd how that works so well... This is also an area where they cheeped out.
Overall we just wanted a smooth machine that feels solid, has as much variable resistance as we needed and holds a tablet or phone. This is it.
2. Nautilus E614
http://amzn.to/2fYpoYACustomer Reviews:
For the price this is a really great elliptical so far. For those that say it's the same feel as a club elliptical, I disagree. It's very sturdy but it does have more movement that a commercial elliptical. The movement doesn't bother me during the workout at all but having my tablet on the tablet holder moving while I'm trying to watch it makes it a little difficult, but I'm getting used to it. A fixed mount TV in the room would solve this problem. I worked for a company that manufactured high end fitness equipment for years and, although this isn't exactly comparable, it is definitely adequate for an average person of average weight. It says 300 lbs but I would say anyone over 225 would want to invest in a heavier duty model. The stride is smooth, electronics are adequate and it has a nice look and feel. I'm very sensitive to stride and this one doesn't have the annoying kick/bump feeling at the back of the stride that some less expensive brands do. Overall I am very very impressed with this product at this price and I think it is a great fit for my needs. I am a mid-thirties woman - 5'7" and 155lbs.
1. Sole Fitness E35
http://amzn.to/2vReKbuCustomer Reviews:
I bought this just before the holidays and have been using it 2x/week, 60 min/workout since. I have been very satisfied with the quality of construction and the intensity of the workout. I got the machine to add weight-bearing exercise to my routine. Before that, I was cycling 4x week. Now I just cycle 2x/week.
When I do cardio, I spend most of the time in my aerobic zone with occasional intervals above 90% max HR. Compared to cycling, I find it takes a little longer to reach my target HR with the E35 (20-25 min.). Although I'm still experimenting, I haven't been able to do intervals very well on the machine. Past a certain point, more resistance just slows my pace and my HR. (I have encountered this with ellipticals at private gyms before as well, although it's much, much worse than with the E35. With some, I can't even get to my target HR.)
That said, this elliptical gives me a complete workout. My legs are fatigued to the point that I don't want to do more than 60 min. I feel it through the rest of the day.
And here's the best thing: I can hike again! I had ACL reconstruction about 30 years ago and, since then, more than 3 miles of hiking gives me a swollen, aching knee. But my wife and I recently did a 7-mi hike with intense up and downhill and I had no problems. No swelling. No inflammation. Amazing! I attribute this entirely to the elliptical.
A few more things about the machine:
- The HR monitor w/ chest strap is pretty erratic and not a reliable measure of your HR. I've started using my own monitor, but I think the Bluetooth signal from the machine messes with it because I've gotten some erratic readings from it as well.
- Pay attention to the advice in the owner's manual and on-line commentary regarding any strange or knocking noises from the machine. It's most likely not a defective part but either a fitting that you didn't tighten enough or debris on the tracks. I've had this experience a couple times and was immediately able to fix it by following the owner's manual.
- Putting this machine together is no small commitment. Took me 3-4 hours. The instructions are a little complex, but completely accurate if you just take the time to read them carefully.
- Some reviews have said that the resistance and/or the incline don't make a difference to the exercise intensity. I simply don't agree. The incline does shorten your steps, but it adds a nice change-up from the horizontal and your HR will definitely increase if you just maintain the same speed you were going at horizontal. But if you're in good shape, you may struggle to get it into the threshold zone.
I strongly recommend this machine and would easily give it 5 stars if not for the HR monitor issues.
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