Elliptical Trainer Buying Guide

Making the Right Decision

Elliptical trainers are one of the most popular pieces of cardiovascular fitness equipment. For home use, elliptical trainers come in a lot of different design formats. It can be difficult to track down an elliptical trainer that will suit your needs the best. We have designed this buying guide to outline some of the key factors that should play a role in your elliptical trainer purchase process. This elliptical buying guide should also help you understand what design features are right for your fitness lifestyle.

Machine Design

Front Drive vs. Rear Drive vs. Center Drive Ellipticals

Elliptical trainers come in three primary drive system formats, front drive, rear drive, and center drive. Front drive ellipticals tend to take up the least amount of space and normally operate using a roller ramp design in unison with a front flywheel to produce the elliptical motion. Rear drive ellipticals tend to have a larger footprint over front drive and use a “floating rail” design where the foot rails are connected to a rear flywheel and to a front mount point (arm knuckle). Center drive elliptical trainers are a bit of a niche market, being produced by only a handful of manufacturers. Center drive machines require two separate flywheel configurations each to the left and right of the users respective legs. Center drive elliptical trainers have a medium sized footprint as they are a fairly compact design. Front drive ellipticals offer the best value for money.

Front drive ellipticals have a comfortable stride motion and can take a lot of abuse without breaking down. Rear drive ellipticals are nice, however, they take up a lot more space and tend to require more maintenance. Center drive trainers have double the amount of moving parts making them a bit costly for long term maintenance. Consider how much space you have available inside your home, as an elliptical's footprint tends to vary depending on the drive system. Be aware that some elliptical trainers will come without moveable handlebars. We recommend buying an elliptical with moving handlebars as the option to get theupper body involved in a workout in addition to the lower body is a huge benefit of an elliptical. Without the moving handles, this major benefit is lost.

Feature Sets of Ellipticals

Whenever purchasing a new elliptical trainer it is very important to look for features that will enhance the workout experience. Features such as heart rate monitoring, speaker systems, transport wheels, and a magnetic braking systems are basic, but very important. Always remember to look for a few preset workout programs as well since these can be very helpful when first starting to work out on the machine. Avoid the draw to pointless add-ons and poorly integrated feature sets. If a company states they have 50 preset workouts and 30 resistance levels on a unit, chances are the variation within those sets is minimal, leaving you with about 25 unique workouts and 15 noticeably different resistance levels. Stick to what makes sense and pay for what is realistic.

Elliptical Build Quality

Choose an elliptical trainer that has a strong rail system. The rails support the entire weight of the user regardless of the type of drive system. If these rails fail it will be a costly repair. Also, look for a well-balanced drive system that is quiet. Also, consider the quality of the plastics used in construction and the durability of the braking system.

Manufacturer

Customer Service/Warranty

Customer service is the keystone for any fitness equipment manufacturer. All elliptical trainers may require maintenance at some point. It is important that you feel comfortable and well supported by your equipment manufacturer. Warranties are also very important. For an elliptical under $1,000, expect warranties ranging anywhere from 3 months and up to 2 years depending on the cost of the unit. Look for a solid parts, labor, and electronics warranty. Most units will come with a substantial frame warranty as well.

Price

Getting the Most for your Money

Entry level elliptical trainers start out around $400 and can cost as much $8,000 once you start getting into the commercial grade lineup. However price does not equal a better overall machine or a better workout experience. You can get the same quality of workout on a $700 elliptical as you can on a $1500 one. The feature set may be a bit smaller on the $700 unit but if you chose the right machine it can still deliver a great experience overall. If you require additional features and are willing to pay more for them, take time to directly compare the price difference as it relates to what features are added from one model to the next. Calculate if you think the added feature set is worth the added price tag and make a decision based on that.

Remember, pay for what you need. If you are a single user who plans to work out on a treadmill a few times a week, there is no need to buy a commercial grade unit that costs over $2,000. Just because a machine costs more does not mean it will provide you with better or faster fitness results. In the elliptical market, higher price means one of three things, more features, a more robust design or both. So if you are buying a more expensive machine for the added features, be sure they are well integrated, useful features. If you are buying a machine because you think a less expensive one will break down, consider the actual amount of time that will be spent on the machine and by how many users. Calculate a rough idea of the amount of use the machine will get and talk to a fitness specialist to choose the right elliptical trainer for your needs

Fitness Goals

What is Right for You?

This is by far the most important consideration when buying an elliptical trainer. Ideally, you want to purchase a machine that will give you all the things you will need to feel comfortable and motivated to workout. A machine that requires a lot of maintenance, has mediocre features, and takes up a ton of space in a small room can be discouraging and offer little invitation to workout. Look for an elliptical trainer that fits your budget, space, and lifestyle.

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