Best Ellipticals Overall

Best mid-range elliptical trainers

If $2,000 is more than you want to spend, and you still want to avoid the cheapest elliptical trainers, experts say there's a sweet spot in the $1,000 range. Sole, in particular, has a reputation for building quality treadmills that ring up for less than $1,500. The Sole E35 (*Est. $1,300) earns the best reviews, including a Best Buy award from TreadmillDoctor.com and a recommendation from a major consumer testing organization. Owners posting to Amazon.com say the Sole E35 elliptical trainer is quiet, sturdy and well-priced. Unlike many elliptical trainers, reviewers say the assembly instructions are clear, even though it takes some time to put the elliptical together.

The Sole E35 has a 20-inch stride length and 20 resistance levels, plus movable handles for an upper-body workout. Features include eight workout programs, handgrip pulse monitors and an included chest-strap heart-rate monitor. For 2009, the Sole E35 has been updated with a power incline and a port for an iPod or MP3 player (the machine has small speakers so you can hear your music). There is a maximum user weight capacity of 375 pounds, and the E35 comes with a lengthy warranty: lifetime on the frame, five years on parts and electronics, and two on labor. However, we saw several complaints that customer service is not responsive if you do need to use the warranty. Multiple owners posting to Amazon.com say they received a defective elliptical and Sole has not addressed their issues satisfactorily. (We checked the Better Business Bureau website for information on Sole, but BBB.org says information on Sole is being updated.)

For $200 more, the Sole E55 (*Est. $1,500) includes a larger display and a heart-rate control that adjusts your workout to maintain a target heart rate. Fred Waters at Fitness-Equipment-Source.com says it is a best buy in its price range, thanks largely to the lengthy warranty, and TreadmillDoctor.com thinks it's one of the best picks from Sole. Owners give it mainly positive reviews on Amazon.com, where the Sole E55 earns an average rating of four out of five stars. Most reviewers say they are able to assemble the elliptical pretty easily, and they're impressed with the solid feel. The Sole E55 is heavy (200 pounds), and reviewers recommend enlisting the help of a few friends to move it into the house. Like reviews for the Sole E35, we saw a few customer service complaints. Reviews also indicate that bolts on the elliptical can loosen easily.

The Sole E95 (*Est. $1,700) includes similar features to the E55, but it has a couple more programs, a 400-pound weight limit and a larger footprint. TreadmillDoctor.com calls it a great value, and owner-written reviews are mainly positive as well. Reviewers say the Sole E95 elliptical treadmill is very sturdy, quiet and has a good variety of workout programs. Most owners at Amazon.com find it relatively easy to assemble, but one reviewer calls the assembly a ''nightmare. '' Like the Sole E35 and E55, the Sole E95 has built-in speakers for an MP3 player, but owners say they don't sound very good. A few say the handgrips are a bit thick for those with small hands. TreadmillDoctor.com calls Sole's customer service "the best in the industry,'' and Fitness-Equipment-Source.com gives Sole high marks for customer service. The biggest complaint we saw for Sole elliptical trainers was poor or unresponsive customer service. Some owners who are happy with their elliptical purchase say it took repeated calls or emails to Sole before someone returned their call.

Reviewers also like the Smooth CE 3.2 elliptical trainer (*Est. $1,500), saying it's durable and offers a full complement of features for the money. These include nine customizable programs, a 300-pound weight capacity and a wireless heart-rate monitor. Movable handlebars give your upper body a workout, and the elliptical will automatically adjust the resistance to help you maintain your target heart rate. Most owners are happy with this elliptical, but some users posting to Amazon.com report problems with squeaking noises. We saw several complaints about poor customer service, although TreadmillDoctor.com says Smooth's customer service has improved. The stride length on the Smooth CE 3.2 is 18 inches -- shorter than that on Sole's elliptical trainers but long enough to feel comfortable for most people. Smooth's step-up model, the CE 7.4 (*Est. $2,000) has a 21-inch stride. In terms of maintenance, the Smooth CE 3.2 elliptical trainer has a three-year warranty on parts and electronics, and two years on labor.

There is a downside to Smooth's line-up, however: its elliptical trainers use a flywheel instead of rollers on a ramp for the leg movement, and users can't adjust the incline. Reviews say a variable incline can help isolate different muscle groups, providing a more varied workout. The machine's speed and resistance are based on the workout program, but these can be customized while the user exercises. This is an improvement over Smooth's earlier CE models, which didn't allow setting changes.

The Diamondback 1260Ef (*Est. $1,900) is a newer elliptical trainer that has a powered incline, in addition to 13 preset programs, 20 levels of resistance and an included chest-strap heart monitor. The stride length is 19 inches, and the elliptical can accommodate users up to 325 pounds. The Diamondback 1260Ef performs extremely well in a recent independent test, and the few user reviews we found are also highly positive. The assembly can be a little tricky, but owners are impressed with the quality of this elliptical trainer. Users posting to Amazon.com especially like the varied workout programs and smooth motion. TreadmillDoctor.com also has good things to say about the Diamondback 1260Ef, saying it is a ''solid unit that should be dependable over the long term, '' although they think it's a bit pricey.

On the lower end of this price range, the LifeCore LC-985VG elliptical trainer (*Est. $1,000) also performs well in independent testing. Like most inexpensive ellipticals, the LifeCore trainer does not have a powered incline, but users seem satisfied with the workout it provides. A few downsides emerge in reviews -- there's no magazine holder or wireless heart-rate monitor, and several owners think the console is not very intuitive. The LifeCore LC-985VG elliptical trainer has 12 preset programs, adjustable foot pedals and a weight capacity of 300 pounds. The LifeCore LC-985VG weighs 125 pounds, which is pretty lightweight for an elliptical trainer. One reviewer comments that you can move it relatively easily from room to room. TreadmillDoctor.com think it's a ''good option'' if you want a compact elliptical. LifeCore isn't accredited by the Better Business Bureau, but they have an excellent rating with no reported complaints.