Elliptical Reviews for 2016 – Best Elliptical Machines with Comparisons

Elliptical Machines at Home?

Elliptical machines like the SOLE Fitness E35 and the Exerpeutic 5000 are among the best low-impact, high-intensity pieces of exercise equipment you can buy.  And the latest generation of ellipticals like the Nautilus E614 are incorporating the most cutting-edge technology like ultra-ergonomic support and downloadable fitness tracking data.

People are increasingly looking to ellipticals as a safe way to get a fantastic cardio workout, to help lose excess weight,and to tone up the entire body overall. At the gym, these machines are usually filled up around peak hours, so a lot of people are making the leap and purchasing one for the home. With our in-depth elliptical reviews, we hope to guide you to finding the right machine that fits your lifestyle.  In order to hit your ideal fitness level, the goal is to get you exercising consistently.  It isn’t always going to be easy, but buying the right elliptical machine is a big step in that direction.

Full Body Workout

It’s important to note that ellipticals provide an excellent full-body workout. When using an elliptical machine, you’re working your legs, back, glutes, abs, arms – just about every major muscle group. And with the best ellipticals, you can tailor the workout to your desired challenge level by increasing the resistance, adjusting the incline, and moving your arms and legs faster or slower.  With on-board computers that supply all the data you could ever want, you’re going to be able to track your progress.  This is very motivating whether you’re slimming down, toning up, or just getting your heart rate up and looking to sweat out some calories.

Elliptical Machine Features to Consider

An elliptical is an excellent piece of equipment to invest in, but before you buy, you want to make sure you are aware of all the features that make up a great machine. We’ll cover all the key bases below to get you on track:

Stability

As with any piece of equipment, stability is crucial. During a workout you want to be able to concentrate on your session with the machine being almost an afterthought. In fact, the best machines are the ones that seem to disappear because of their stability and ability to fit to you, not the other way around. On average, a heavier elliptical will be more stable. However, with the higher-end elliptical machines, better design trumps weight and can provide ample stability.

Tension Resistance Levels and Types of Resistance

With more resistance levels, you are able to increase the challenge of your workout more incrementally. Lower increments of resistance levels means you’re forced to make a jump in the workout challenge that you might not be ready for.  As far as types of resistance, there are two main styles:

1. Fan Wheel Resistance

Fan wheels can provide a smooth ride and tend to be employed on lower-cost ellipticals.

2. Magnetic Resistance

Magnetic resistance can provide the quietest, most consistent, and most natural feeling workout.

Elliptical Computers

Not all ellipticals come with a computer, but if they do or you want one, here’s what to look for:

1. Display

The display should easy to read. Backlighting is a plus.

2. Data Provided

The best elliptical computers will give you a range of data including distance, stride speed, time of session, and heart rate if you have the necessary adapter or if it’s included.  Some elliptical trainers feature the ability to upload your data to external devices or websites for tracking progress.

Pre-programmed Workouts

If the elliptical includes a computer, which most do, they will ideally include programs that give you workout options geared toward weight loss, intervals, cardio, etc.

Incline Adjustment

The ability to change the degree of your incline is at the core of working out on an elliptical. Easy-to-use power incline controls are preferable to manual incline adjustment. The best elliptical trainers have the ability to greatly vary positions for a diverse and challenging workout.

Stride Length

Elliptical stride length varies from machine to machine and matters more for some people than others.  A 15″ length may be fine for some users.  And if you’re tall, a longer stride length is a good feature and common on a lot of machines.  A 20” stride length allows the natural stride almost anyone would have while walking quickly.

Adjustable Foot Pedals

Adjustable articulating/pivoting foot pedals are helpful for replicating a natural stride motion and avoiding injury. Additionally, large pedal surface space allows for users of any foot size to comfortably fit their feet in the pedal. Sole Fitness has addressed this and features a two-degree inward slope on their ellipticals that they claim reduces stress on your knees and ankles.

Flywheel

As on indoor exercise cycles and Spin bikes, the flywheel helps create a fluid and natural momentum that keeps your elliptical workout from being jerky and jarring. It helps mimic actual motion. Dual Direction Flywheels – Dual direction is a nice feature that allows for switching your rotation for a workout of the opposite muscles.

Hybrid Trainers

Machines like the ProForm Hybrid Trainer combine elliptical machines with recumbent bikes or exercise bikes. With this type of dual trainer, you’re getting a two-for-one (or even three-in-one) piece of equipment.  These trainers feature a seat that is more upright like an exercise bike or reclined like a recumbent bike.  This style of elliptical can be a good option, but be sure to do your research to ensure the quality is there.

Other Considerations:

• Transportation Wheels
• Ease of Assembly
• Fans
• Power supply (external or batteries required)
• Step-on height
• Water bottle holder
• Speakers with inputs
• Tablet/book holder
• USB Port for Charging and Data Transfer
• Warranties

Best Elliptical Machines by Price

Elliptical machines range in price from around $100 to well over $1000.  As you can imagine, you will be getting a different quality elliptical at those extremes and everywhere in between.  To help guide you, we’ve listed our favorites from what we feel are the best elliptical machines by price below. Click the links for our full elliptical reviews:

PRICE RANGE: $100-$200:

Exerpeutic Aero Air Elliptical – $139 – 255 Reviews

Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Elliptical Trainer – $179 – 279 Reviews

Body Rider Fan Elliptical Trainer – $199 – 127 Reviews

Body Rider BRD2000 Elliptical Trainer with Seat – $199 – 281  Reviews

PRICE RANGE: $200-$900:

Xterra FS1.5 Elliptical Trainer – $289 – 67 Reviews

Body Champ Cardio Dual Trainer by Body Flex – $239 – 310 Reviews

Exerpeutic 1000Xl Heavy Duty Magnetic Elliptical with Pulse – $299 – 542 Reviews

Exerpeutic 5000 Magnetic Elliptical w/ Bluetooth App Tracking – $499 – 44 Reviews

ProForm Hybrid Trainer – $799 – 374 Reviews

PRICE RANGE: $900-$2000:

Nautilus E614 Elliptical – $999 – 15 Reviews (new)

Proform 14.0 CE Elliptical – $1200 – 71 Reviews

Schwinn 470 Elliptical Machine – $1299 – 84 Reviews

Sole Fitness E35 Elliptical Machine – $1999 – 75 Reviews

PRICE RANGE: $2000 and up:

Sole Fitness E95 Elliptical Machine – $2799 – 41 Reviews

Our Top Elliptical Machine Picks

Because the prices and features on elliptical machines range so greatly, we’ll offer our top picks from a few price ranges.  

#1.  SOLE E35 Elliptical 

The SOLE E35 Elliptical sits at the higher-end of the elliptical market and for good reason. What sets this trainer apart is an attention to detail that can make or break your consistently working out and achieving your desired fitness goals. SOLE Fitness has gone the distance to make sure this elliptical provides a safe, ergonomically-engineered, stride as well as every feature you could want. Designed in collaboration with leading physical therapists, SOLE Fitness’ engineers added a 2 degree inward adjustability to the foot pedals which helps reduce undue stress on your joints. And the 20″ to 22″ stride will ensure users of all heights will get a satisfying and comfortable workout.

The SOLE E35 features a quiet drive system that is centered around a 29-pound flywheel and high gear ratio that delivers a natural, smooth feeling stride in both forward and reverse motion. The power incline system features a ramp angle that goes from zero to 30 degrees, one of the widest ranges available. This means that you can isolate muscle groups with varied challenge positions and resistance levels. This elliptical machine boasts a lifetime warranty on the frame and five-year warranty on parts and electronics.

The array of other features include pulse grips and chest strap heart rate monitoring, LCD console with 7.5-inch monitor, a built-in fan, a water bottle holder, and a built-in sound system. This is a gym quality elliptical that almost no other trainer on the market can compete with except maybe on price. 

#2.  Nautilus E614 Elliptical 

With great reviews and a top brand behind it, the Nautilus E614 Elliptical is one of the newer trainers on the market. Drawing on everything they know about ellipticals, Nautilus has put together almost all of the best features that you would want in an machine.  And, somehow, it still comes with an affordable price tag.

What we feel sets the Nautilus E614 Elliptical apart are the features that help you really enjoy your workout.  It comes with the innovative DualTrack LCD Display monitor that lets you rest your iPad or book on the support tray (over the large monitor) while still being able to track your progress on the second lower display.  With 30 levels of eddy current resistance and a whopping 22 workout programs including manual routines you’ll never run out of variations.  In-console speakers have MP3 inputs.  A 3-speed fan, adjustable incline, we could go on

#3. Exerpeutic Aero Air Elliptical

The Exerpeutic Aero Air Elliptical is a solid and quiet elliptical trainer that offers excellent value while delivering a solid workout. Exerpeutic knows how to create “natural elliptical” motion, and the Aero Air Elliptical it shows with no bumping or jerking, just a smooth ride.  It’s resistance is smooth and easily adjustable.

The Aero Air’s computer features a large, easy-to-read LCD monitor that provides data on time, distance, caloric burn, and speed, just about all you need to track your workout progress.  This elliptical is one of the lowest priced on the market but doesn’t skimp on quality. 

Benefits of Ellipticals and How They Work

Elliptical machines mimic a motion and muscle use that is similar but not identical to cross-country skiing. That’s where the comparison ends, however, as modern ellipticals are high-tech powerhouses of exercise equipment.  You’re going to be getting an incredible cardio workout as well as hitting most of your major muscle groups.

The incline of your machine dictates which muscle groups you will be engaging the most. Higher incline and stride length targets your hamstrings and glutes, while lower incline focuses on giving your quads and calves a great workout. While your legs are pumping away, the long upright handles engage your upper body muscles including pecs, arms, shoulders and back. Also, the upright pole grips give you something to hold onto while you’re swinging your legs front to back. This offers key stability since a good workout is going to be challenging your leg muscles and you may feel a bit of a wobble from muscle fatigue after a 20 minute workout.

Other Elliptical Machine Considerations

Home Elliptical Workout

The best elliptical machines generally include just about everything you’ll need to have a challenging yet comfortable workout at home. Normal running shoes will be fine for striding on the foot pads. Also, while working out at home, a nice benefit is that you can place the elliptical in front of your TV to be able to watch workout DVDs, workouts on Youtube (see below) or enjoy your shows and movies while losing the extra pounds.

Elliptical Maintenance

Since there are a lot of moving parts some machines will need some maintenance such as lubrication from time to time. Squeaky parts and uncooperative resistance levels should be fixable with a quick call to the manufacturer. And the best ellipticals have solid warranties incase anything goes wrong.

Wipe it Down to Keep it Up

This goes along with the previous suggestion, but it’s worth mentioning that after a sweat-inducing workout, you want to wipe down the elliptical.  Sweat can corrode the elliptical machine’s parts and reduce its lifespan.  A quick wipe with a towel to get the moisture should do it.  Then from time to time, wiping with a damp cloth will keep your elliptical looking great.

Workout Clothes

It’s important to wear appropriate clothes when working out on an elliptical.  Baggy clothing can get caught in the machines moving parts, so wear tighter-fitting clothes if possible.  And always wear rubber-bottom, close-toe sneakers or running shoes while exercising.

Final Word on Elliptical Trainers

The most important things to consider when looking at elliptical machines for the home, is if you are going to get a comfortable, stable, low-impact, and challenging workout. Thanks for reading our elliptical reviews and best of luck finding the elliptical machine that works best for you.