Buying Elliptical Exercise Equipment: Which Elliptical Exercise Machine Should You Choose?

Today there more and more options available to people who wish to purchase exercise equipment to use at home – treadmills, weight training stations, Pilates machines, stationary bikes, and, of course, elliptical exercise machines – they all make working out at home easy and convenient.

Many people are concerned that exercising on hard surfaces, or even running on a treadmill, may put too much pressure on their joints. For them, buying an elliptical exercise machine makes perfect sense. Elliptical trainers represent the next wave of advancement in low-impact cardiovascular exercise machines. These machines give you the sensation of brisk walking, jogging, or running without subjecting your joints to unnecessary stress. They offer the smoothness of the bike, but with the benefits of involvement of the arms (and without the sore bottom). Exercising on an elliptical is a full body workout, engaging both legs and arms in the exercising routine.

However, which machine should you choose? There are so many options on the market today and the prices vary from about a few hundred to a few thousand. No wonder making a choice can be overwhelming.

Which Elliptical Exercise Machine To Buy: An Overview

Elliptical trainers are available at a wide range of prices, from $99 up to a few thousands. As is usually the case, you get what you pay for. At the extreme low end, many cheep elliptical machines fail to give a comfortable workout. Low end ellipticals tend to suffer from 4 major problems:

1) problematic stride shape (humped and round, not truly elliptical),
2) short stride length,
3) lack of resistance, and
4) poor quality and durability.

Short stride length will make getting into tempo difficult, plus it restricts your range of motion. Lack of resistance on low end models means you are not getting a challenging workout. Durability is the another issue – if you start to really use an elliptical the machine may start to fall apart. If you don’t enjoy the workout, the money is wasted, no matter how little you paid. Somewhere between $500 and $1000 you start finding machines that have the right build and ergonomics to be great choices for your fitness endeavors. If you can afford to spend $1k-$2k you can get refinements like extra build quality and cooler electronics. Beyond $2k you can get yourself gym quality gear.

The challenge, for most people, is to find a decent machine that meets our needs for a reasonable price. All attempts at finding reasonably priced gear involves making compromises – every elliptical makes some kind of compromise somewhere. The various natures of those compromises mean that what’s important for one person may not be what works for another – so there isn’t one model that is best for everyone. 

With that being said, the following are some great elliptical trainer suggestions for any budget.

Amazing Elliptical Exercise Machine Recommendations

According to consumer research, some of the best options as far as elliptical trainers are concerned are:

Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer - List Price: $2,299, $1,299 on Amazon. Elliptical machines in this price range provide a good blend of durability, function and value. This is a stable and quiet elliptical machine. It provides a 20-inch stride length — longer than most of the cheaper ellipticals — and features oversized pedals, wireless heart-rate monitoring, 8 workout routines, and 20 resistance levels that add more challenge to the workout. The new models feature a power incline. Another benefit is lifetime warranty on the frame, 5 years on parts and electronics, and 2 years on labor. The assembly instructions are straightforward, although some reviewers find putting it together frustrating.

Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer (List Price: $799.00, get it for $599 on Amazon). This is a good choice for budget oriented buyers who are not looking for heavy-duty workout machine. It is compact, yet sturdy (weights 150 pounds). For the lower price, you are getting fewer programs and features than more expensive ellipticals, but there are still enough exercise options for most users. The Schwinn 430 provides 8 workout routines, 16 resistance levels and a hand-grip heart-rate monitor. Of course, its quality and reliability does not match the higher priced machines, but it has many satisfied users, judging by the number of positive comments on Amazon.

Smooth Fitness Agile DMT (List price is about $5000, but you can get it on Amazon for just under $3,000). This is a fitness club-quality elliptical trainer for people who want a a high-quality elliptical and are willing to spend the money to buy it. The Agile DMT is highly adjustable, providing a stride length of 19 to 24 inches, and 12 motion levels. Other features include 20 intensity levels, preset exercise programs, a wireless heart-rate monitor and controls built-in to the moving handlebars. The machine is heavy – at 390 pounds – it’s a good choice for providing stability, alghough its weight makes it difficult to assemble and move.

Gazelle Edge (List price $129, get it for $80 on Amazon). Althought this is NOT an elliptical trainer, if you cannot afford to spend at least $500 or more, you may be better of getting a Gazelle. Gazelle is a non-elliptical strider, that has many satisfied users, instead of getting a cheap elliptical that you will hate so much that you will never use it.  Keep in mind that this machine has NO built-in training programs and NO resistance adjustment. 

As said before, you need to make sure that the elliptical machine that you purchase is one that is of good quality and is comfortable to use. This will help ensure that your workout is satisfactory and you are able to avoid any injury. Your machine should not be flimsy and it should be built for regular use. One way to ensure this is to check the track record of both the manufacturer and the distributor.

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