Budget Elliptical Trainers

Less expensive ellipticals have lots of pitfalls

In general, fitness reviews say the best elliptical trainers cost at least $1,000. If that's beyond your budget for an elliptical trainer, you still have some options, but experts say you shouldn't expect a lower-end machine to offer the same flexibility and durability as more expensive elliptical trainers. That's most evident in the manufacturer warranty. On the higher quality elliptical machines discussed above, one-year labor warranties are standard, but less expensive models are often backed by a 90-day warranty.

NordicTrack is a strong competitor in this category. The NordicTrack AudioStrider 800 (*Est. $650) and the NordicTrack AudioStrider 990 (*Est. $850) do particularly well in expert reviews; the two are similar, but the AudioStrider 800 has a manual incline and fewer workout programs.

TreadmillDoctor.com names the 990 a best buy in the $700 to $1,000 range for 2009, saying it's ''one of the best values in the elliptical marketplace.'' The AudioStrider 990 includes movable handles for an upper-body workout, 15 resistance levels, 24 workout programs, a 325-pound user capacity and a motorized incline ramp. Owners posting reviews to Sears.com like the AudioStrider 990's solid feel, but take NordicTrack to task for parts availability, belt malfunctions and poor customer service. Wired's reviewer has a similar experience, giving the NordicTrack AudioStrider 990 a rating of four out of 10. Terrence Russell says the AudioStrider 990 is easy to store thanks to its folding design, but he thinks it's noisy and cheap. ''The only thing worth exercising on the Audio Strider is its return policy,'' Russell says.

We checked the Better Business Bureau for its opinion on Icon Health and Fitness, the company that makes elliptical trainers under the NordicTrack, Proform, Gold's Gym, Image and Weslo brands, among others. The bureau says it received 536 complaints (at the time of our visit) in the last three years. Although that earns the company a grade of C- it's important to note that all but three of those cases were unresolved, and the company has a good track record of working with people to resolve complaints.

The NordicTrack AudioStrider 800 elliptical trainer has many of the same features as the AudioStrider 990, including an 18-inch stride length, 10 resistance levels, upper-body workout grips and a music port for playing music from a portable device like an MP3 player through the elliptical's speakers. The 800 and the 990 feature iFit workouts (cards that allow you to add programs) and a hand-grip heart-rate monitor. The NordicTrack AudioStrider 800 has a 300-pound user limit and a one-year warranty on parts and labor, but TreadmillDoctor.com cautions that this is an elliptical trainer built to withstand the demands of average users rather than competitive athletes. We found a huge number of user reviews at Sears.com for the AudioStrider 800, and the overall consensus is mixed, with comments similar to those for the 990.

The NordicTrack E7 SV elliptical trainer (*Est. $600) also gets good user reviews at Sears.com, where it's sold exclusively. The stride length is 18 inches, and the elliptical trainer includes built-in speakers, 20 preset workouts and 20 resistance levels. More than 30 reviewers at Sears.com give it a rating of four stars out of five. There are plenty of complaints about components breaking, but Sears also earns a number of compliments for addressing these problems quickly. Some users report rattles and squeaks, but say they're willing to deal with the noise because the NordicTrack E7 SV elliptical trainer is inexpensive. TreadmillDoctor.com calls the NordicTrack E7 SV ellipticals ''solid yet forgettable units,'' and they think NordicTrack's AudioStrider ellipticals are a better choice.

The ProForm Epic 1200 Pro (*Est. $1,000) is another mid-range elliptical trainer from Icon Health & Fitness. TreadmillDoctor.com's 2009 review says the ProForm Epic 1200 Pro "is one of the best options available in the sub-$1000 elliptical market." The ProForm Epic 1200 Pro elliptical trainer comes with 18 workouts, a power incline, a hand-grip heart-rate monitor, an 18-inch stride length and a 350-pound weight limit. It also has a console fan. Icon Health & Fitness offers a lifetime warranty on the frame, with one-year coverage on parts and labor. Overall, its features are similar to the AudioStrider 990, but the 990 costs less and has a couple of extra features, like a higher incline and an audio port.

Schwinn is a brand that doesn't often land at the top of professional tests, but we found very positive user reviews for the Schwinn 430 (*Est. $600). The Schwinn 430 is a compact elliptical trainer with an 18-inch stride length and moving handlebars. It includes 16 resistance levels, eight workout programs and a hand-grip heart-rate monitor. The warranty is typical of inexpensive ellipticals -- 15 years frame, two years parts, one year electronics and 90 days for labor. Nautilus, the parent company of Schwinn elliptical trainers, has a grade of C from the Better Business Bureau, with about 150 complaints in the past three years. Most have been resolved.

More than 400 users posting to Amazon.com give the Schwinn 430 extremely positive ratings. Some taller users find the stride length too short, and the LCD display can be hard to read. The plastic pedals feel cheaply made, but otherwise owners say this elliptical is solid and sturdy. Some users report that squeaking noises develop after regular use, but most owners are overwhelmingly pleased with the Schwinn 430. Fred Waters at Fitness-Equipment-Source.com calls the Schwinn 430 an ''excellent budget elliptical,'' although he doesn't recommend it for serious athletes, people over 6 feet tall or those heavier than 200 pounds.

The Schwinn 431 elliptical trainer (*Est. $800) also gets good user reviews, but they're not quite as enthusiastic as those for the Schwinn 430. Both ellipticals use a flywheel design, and there's no incline. The Schwinn 430 features a handful of programs and a 275-pound user weight limit, while the 431 has 19 total programs and a higher 300-pound weight limit. Choosing between the Schwinn elliptical trainers and the NordicTrack ellipticals is a tough call -- the Schwinn models get better user reviews but have shorter labor warranties. The NordicTrack models get mixed ratings, with many complaints of back-ordered parts, but they are covered by a one-year labor warranty -- important because many of the complaints we read occurred within the initial six months of ownership.

If you absolutely cannot spend $600 to $800 on a Schwinn or NordicTrack elliptical, the Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 (*Est. $500) gets the best user reviews for ellipticals under $500, although there are downsides. The Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 is sold exclusively at Wal-Mart, and it gets very good feedback in more than 130 reviews posted to Walmart.com. It can accommodate users up to 275 pounds, and it boasts features like built-in speakers, seven crosstrainer workouts, dual-grip heart-rate monitoring and a workout fan. This elliptical machine includes preset workouts supplemented by an audio track that gives you cues to adjust resistance or intensity. The stride length measures 18 inches. Like most cheap ellipticals, the warranty is skimpy, with only 90 days of coverage for frame, parts and service.

Most owners are happy with the Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510, saying it works quietly and provides a tough workout. They recognize it as a good value for the price. We saw a few quality and durability complaints, which is to be expected for elliptical trainers in this price range. The display console runs on batteries, and some owners say you'll be replacing them constantly if you use the elliptical frequently. TreadmillDoctor.com recommends the Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510 only if you are lightweight and plan on using it infrequently, as ''any type of heavy use at all will put this unit in the elliptical graveyard.''

A cheaper Wal-Mart exclusive, the Gold's Gym Stride Trainer 300 (*Est. $300) doesn't enjoy the same good reviews from owners. Noise is the major complaint; some say it squeaks, others say it clanks. Some owners complain that it doesn't feel stable enough. Although it's inexpensive, we found ho-hum support for this model; it gets about a 50/50 rating at Walmart.com, with far more one-star ratings than five-star scores. Editors at TreadmillDoctor.com say it's a fine choice if you weigh less than 150 pounds, recommending it as a good beginner model if you're looking to see whether you'll stick with exercising before spending more on a better machine. Like the Gold's Gym Crosstrainer 510, the Stride Trainer 300 is covered by a warranty for 90 days.