Ellipticals

[kithara]

DH and I are planning to purchase an elliptical this year. We have about $1500 to spend and I've currently found two that seem to be the best for that price range. Does anyone have an elliptical from either Smooth Fitness or EVO fitness? Do you have an elliptical that is in our price range that we should definitely consider or avoid?

Smooth CE 3.2 (http://www.smoothfitness.com/elliptical-trainers/smooth-ce-32.htm)

EVO Rev-400 (http://www.evofitness.com/products/rev400.htm)

I'm looking at these two because they have reviewed well, are from reliable companies, are rear-wheel drive, and have a good warranty. Advise is appreciated.

[greenbunny]

My elliptical is neither of those brands, but I'd say to get the model that has the smallest width between foot rests, so that your knees are as close together as possible. I developed knee problems after using my elliptical a lot, and that's what my physical therapist recommended.

[kithara]

Can you tell me what brand you went with greenbunny? I'm still stressing over making this purchase because it is so expensive. I am now looking at a residential Precor model (5.17i) and maybe the Sole E55 sold at Dicks and Sports Authority. The Precor is going to be about $1000 more and I don't know if it is worth that. I had no idea that buying an elliptical would stress me out so much.

[LoveYouKisses]

My gym at school has the precor ellipticals, and I love them. I have bad knees from breaking my legs when I was little, and it doesn't hurt them at all. The one you said you were looking at looks very similar to the ones I use. But, when I googled them, it seems to be out of your price range, so I don't know if they're worth it or not, its just what I've used.
HTH!!

[kithara]

I'm with you! I love the Precor ones - especially since they have the ramp and they are the ones I used at the gym. And it is over our price range, but we could buy it if I really wanted it. I just was hoping to spend less - I have it down to about 2500 after taxes now including delivery, setup, heart rate monitor, and extended warranty. I just don't know if it is worth another $1000 for the ramp and the name.

[greenbunny]

Mine is a ProForm Cardio Cross Trainer 820 from Sears. It's been a while, but I think we paid about $600 and that was on a good sale.

[ladybug777]

The Precor are nice.

We have the Nordictrack CX 925. We bought it from Sears. It was under $700 and we've never had any issues w/ it.

My advice, make sure you REALLY test it before buying. Some of them are rather unstable when you really get going.

[kithara]

I think I've mostly talked myself out of buying the Precor and into buying something more budget friendly. We can always buy a Precor if we find that we need something more challenging and when we have two incomes instead of one...besides, we are still saving for that postponed honeymoon!

So either tomorrow or Monday we are going to look at a couple models that are in stock here. I think we might go with one of the Sole models because of the 20 inch stride and my DH's height. It also is supposed to have the feet close together like you mentioned Greenbunny.

I did try a Nordictrack a couple of week ago - it seemed nice, but the floor model looked very abused and had an awful squeak to it. It kind of put me off, but since you've had good luck with yours ladybug, I'll give it another look.

[LilOne]

I'm also looking for an elliptical machine, but a little cheaper. Any recommendations for one under $1,000?

[diam124]

We have a used Proform model that I bought for $50 from a coworker. I have no idea how old it is, but I'm guessing maybe 3-4 years old. I think it was probably around $500-$600 new. Anyway, I like it, but it is kind of noisy. I use my MP3 player when using it, so I just crank the music up so I can't hear it. The only other problem I have with it is that my feet go numb. I've read that some ellipticals are better than others in this regard, but I'm not sure what makes the biggest difference.

[kithara]

I am 90% decided on buying a Sole Elliptical - it is supposed to help with the numb feet problem and is fairly reasonable in price. It looks like it will cost me about $1300 and I'm pretty happy about that. DH and I are going to the store to try them out (again for me) this weekend.

We are buying one of the higher end Sole models, so I am pretty sure that their lower models are under $1000.

Also, the Schwinn 418 gets great reviews by consumer reports and others for a sub-$1000 elliptical. You might want to research that one.

[LilOne]

Does any one know anything about the Proform 890?

[Blossom]

DH and I finally agreed to buy an elliptical. He ordered the Schwinn 438 elliptical due to the Consumer Reports recommendation of the 418 model. He got it from Amazon.com for just under $1K with free shipping.

We get it in 2 weeks so I'll post an update after it arrives if anyone's interested.

[kithara]

I'm interested - any updates?

[Blossom]

Well we've had the Schwinn for about a week now and so far so good!:)
DH put it together w/o any problems in about an hour or two.

I've used it about 5 times doing various programs and DH has also used it. I love all the programs and it even lets you save info about yourself to customize your workout. It has a smooth glide and it's not very noisy at all. Now if I could just stop snacking, I'd be half-way there.:rolleyes: ;)

Also, for anyone with numb toes. I find with any elliptical my toes get numb. That's typically because when you're on the ellipticall, you move your feet toes first and hunch forward. When I remember to bear my heel down on the "step" and stand upright it's less of an issue.

[jimmysgirl424]

Also, for anyone with numb toes. I find with any elliptical my toes get numb. That's typically because when you're on the ellipticall, you move your feet toes first and hunch forward. When I remember to bear my heel down on the "step" and stand upright it's less of an issue.

I also find that changing the position of my feet on the pedals during the workout helps alot with this as well.

[designer]

Looking for updates -

Does anyone have the Precor EFX5.17i?
I know it's quite a bit more expensive than the other ellipticals out there, but I've used Precors at the gym and I love the adjustable crossramp.....

Just wondering if it's worth it and if anyone has one?

[kithara]

I looked at the Precor when we were shopping for ours, but in the end I decided it wasn't worth the cost. The adjustable ramp is nice and is definitely a great feature, but that model doesn't have very many programs and the heart rate monitor is an additional fee.

A friend of mine works for a fitness store that sells all of the Precor models - and he mentioned that the quality in the residential models isn't what it used to be.

If you do decide to go with the Precor, the dealers have room to adjust the price some. Try and get quotes from at least two dealers and see if one will beat the other. I found this brought the price down several hundred and added the heart rate monitor, warranty, and delivery + setup for free. In the end, I went with the Sole Elliptical (being delivered tomorrow!), but I completely understand your gravitation toward the Precor.

[Sailboatgirl]

I have that same feet numbness thing. Thanks for all of the tips about leaning back on your heels, that is truly appreciated.

[Jennifer]

I bought the Precor EFX 546...it's a gym model, but I found there are equipment dealers that sell refurbished models for significantly less than than brand new - I am REALLY happy I went this route - we even had some problems with ours and the dealer honored the warrenty no problem, this may be a good avenue to explore if you want the same equipment you'd use at the gym.

[Calla Lilly]

I have the Precor EFX5.17i and bought it about 6 or 7 years ago. Both my dh and I are still very pleased with it. I do sometimes wish it had programs, but comfort wise I don't feel much of a difference with the gym models.

[kithara]

Our Sole E55 was delivered last Monday, but yesterday was the first day I tried it out (we had friends visiting). I chose it for several reasons including the 20 inch stride, heavy flywheel, and heartrate programs.

I have to say, I'm very pleased with it so far. It is very challenging - I guess it goes to show just how out of shape I am. The resistence auto adjusts and it has several programs that look very good. I'll have to update you when I can actually get through a full program! Right now, I'm just trying to get myself into the habit of working out every night.

[J&T2005]

We just got the Nordic Track 800 and despite the console not working, I love it! No rocking and the extra big foot pedals are great for the hubby... if he ever uses it :rolleyes: The default resistance is frikkin hard, so I'm only able to work out for 30 minutes.

We're getting a repairman to come and either fix the console or give us a new one, so I'll come back and report on the extras.

[espresso]

*bump*

For those who have rough knees, have you found that the elliptical is really helping over a treadmill? A friend gave us a treadmill for free and while it is nice to be able to work out, my knees are killing me by the end of the 30 minute brisk walk. Granted I have week knees from childhood accidents and a skiing accident this xmas didn't help, but I want to get fit. I need some help proving to DH that the cost of the elliptical will be worth it. Thanks!

[kithara]

I have problems with my knees. After my last visit to physical therapy (about 5 years ago), I was told not to run anymore. Although I am allowed to work out on a treadmill, I was advised not to if I experienced any pain...so we bought an elliptical and I love it! I have not had any knee pain related to working out.

I own a Sole elliptical, but I also spent a lot of time on both Precors and Life Fitness at the gym. I've never had any problem with any of them. Precor is probably my favorite, but I'm very happy with the Sole. Life fitness is a good brand, but the movement never felt natural to me. If you buy one, make sure you give it a test drive to see if it feels comfortable to you. (Also, you can often find them barely used on Craigslist - although not as cheap as treadmills.)