Elliptical Trainers Reviews

Consumer Reports magazine and TreadmillDoctor.com have the best, most credible elliptical trainer reviews. Consumer Reports tests and compares models based on ease of use, safety and value, using
both trained fitness professionals and regular people to identify the best elliptical trainers. TreadmillDoctor.com sells replacement parts and supplies for fitness equipment, so editors are in a unique position to judge long-term reliability and value. Websites like Elliptical-Trainers-Review.com and Elliptical-Trainers.com do include some critical comments, but we didn't see any testing methodology discussed, and it's not clear the extent to which models have been tested. As a result, these sites rank lower in credibility in our All Reviews chart.

Consumer Reports notes that elliptical trainers in the lower price range often have problems right from the start; the bottom line, the magazine's editors say, is that you get what you pay for. Models costing over $2,000 performed best in testing. One of the magazine's best buys costs $1,000, although the editors point out that this elliptical trainer lacks the sturdy health-club feel of more expensive models.

You might recognize the Orbitrek Elliptical Glider (*est. $160) from TV infomercials. Consumers posting to Epinions say that the Orbitrek can tip at high speeds, causes painful, choppy movements and all too often breaks within a year. Further, some consumers say they had a hard time getting the manufacturer to honor the one-year warranty when the machine broke within that time frame. Owners posting comments to FitnessInfomercialReview.com echo those comments. Better choices include the entry-level Fitness Quest Eclipse 1100 HR/A (*est. $350) or Merit 710E (*est. $400).

Some elliptical trainers provide an upper-body workout as well as lower body, and most offer multiple exercise options with varying levels of difficulty. Fitness reviews say that while elliptical trainers give you a good workout, they do tend to overestimate the number of calories you're burning, usually by 20 to 30 percent. Elliptical machines that ask you to enter your body weight can be more accurate. In general, reviews say that you'll burn 500 to 650 calories (depending on effort) after one hour of exercise on any cardio machine, whether it's a treadmill or an elliptical trainer.  ... Continued

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

Precor elliptical trainers remain reviewers' favorite brand, as well as the most expensive. Reviewers say the entry-level Precor EFX 5.17i is durable and has enough features for the typical home user. The upgraded Precor EFX 5.33 has extra features, and reviewers say it's a good club-quality choice for athletes with room in their budgets. Smooth and Sole both do very well in the middle price range; the Sole E35 is the Treadmill Sensei's top pick for best elliptical trainer under $1,500. In the budget category, NordicTrack and Schwinn elliptical trainers have different pros and cons.