Stair Steppers Reviews

The reviews below are assigned ratings by ConsumerSearch. These ratings are based on credibility in testing, evaluating and identifying the best Stair Steppers. See our ratings criteria

For recommendations of best Stair Steppers, see our Fast Answers page, which summarizes what these reviews say. A longer summary and analysis appears in our Full Story report for Stair Steppers. Our Where to Buy page contains information on retailers and Stair Steppers prices.

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Stair Steppers Reviews Reviewed
Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Stair Steppers Ratings Comments on Reviews
1. The Wall Street Journal >> Details/Subscribe	Step Right Up Conor Dougherty Oct. 8, 2004		The Wall Street Journal rates five mini steppers, including the Brookstone Fold-Away Cardio Stepper (deemed Best Overall), the Allegro Medical Mini Stepper Exerciser (Best Value), the Discovery Channel Store Mini Stepper with Resistance Bands, the QVC Bodyshaping Dual Action Mini Stepper and the Wal-Mart Stamina Electronic Mini-Stepper. Testers said that once they got into the rhythm, these mini steppers felt surprisingly stable even without handles. The Brookstone's digital display stopped working after the first try, though editors still ultimately rate it best.

Stair Steppers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Stair Steppers Ratings Comments on Reviews

2. Amazon.com	Step Machines Contributors to Amazon.com As of Apr. 2008		Amazon.com allows readers to post ratings and reviews for products, including some stair steppers. Most are of the small mini-stepper variety, but many of these have a decent number of reviews. The top-rated steppers are all from StairMaster, but three of the four bestselling steppers are made by Stamina. The Stamina InStride Electronic Stepper wins kudos from nearly 40 owners for being compact, sturdy and easy-to-use, although a few complain about squeaking noises. The Stamina SpaceMate, a folding mini-stepper, also does well.

Stair Steppers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Stair Steppers Ratings Comments on Reviews

3. Epinions	Stair Climbers Contributors to Epinions As of Apr. 2008		Epinions is sometimes a good place to find consumer ratings before buying, but not for stair steppers. At the time of our visit, very few of the stair steppers listed here received any comments. Two Bowflex TreadClimber models received two stars each, along with detailed user reviews. Most other stair steppers receive no comments at all.
4. TreadmillDoctor.com	Bowflex reviews Editors of TreadmillDoctor.com As of Apr. 2008		TreadmillDoctor is an excellent source for reviews of treadmills, and since the Bowflex TreadClimber models are somewhere between a treadmill and a stepper, they are included here. Editors say these models are complicated mechanically, which means there's more to break. Instead, editors recommend going with a treadmill and using a high incline. Another recommended alternative is the NordicTrack Incline Trainer, a treadmill with a very high incline capacity.
5. Elliptical-Trainers- Review.com	Mini Stair Steppers Editors of Elliptical- Trainer- Reviews.com As of Apr. 2008		This site reviews a variety of types and brands of fitness equipment, but there's not much information about who's behind the site, and the editors are unidentified. Mini steppers are said to be convenient and cheap, and four models are reviewed. The Denise Austin Mini Stepper gets top scores, but most of the other models briefly reviewed here have been discontinued.
6. Consumer Guide.com	Stair Steppers Reviews and Prices Editors of ConsumerGuide.com As of Apr. 2008		Consumer Guide lists numerous steppers, and reviews six, with three Bowflex TreadClimbers getting "Spotlight Reviews." The editors do not designate any of the stair steppers as a "best buy" and are actually rather negative about them all. The write-ups are detailed, and editors do note pros and cons, but they don't tell us why these steppers are listed over others.
7. About Fitness Equipment.com	Stair Climber-Stair Stepper Editors of About Fitness Equipment.com As of Apr. 2008		This article lists a few general guidelines for buying a stair stepper and then suggests the StairMaster FreeClimber 4200PT as a model "to check out." No specific reasons are given for recommending this model, and no other steppers are compared. (Note that About.com and ConsumerSearch are owned by the same parent company, but are not affiliated editorially.)
8. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Fitness Infomercial Exercise Devices Editors of Consumer Reports Feb. 2008		This article reviews exercise equipment seen in television infomercials. The tests include one stair stepper that works using air bellows. All the reviews are informative and scientifically rigorous, noting the amount of time it would take to lose one pound using that piece of equipment.
9. Consumer Reports >> Details/Subscribe	Infomercial Exercise Devices Editors of Consumer Reports Jan. 2004		This article focuses on as-seen-on-TV fitness equipment, including a device from Nautilus that is a hybrid treadmill/stepper. Editors test the Nautilus model, but they don't compare it to other stair steppers -- and it doesn't receive any sort of overall rating. Still, the short review is interesting and well done.

Stair Steppers Reviews above this line are significantly better than reviews below.

Review Ratings	Citation	CS Credibility Rating	Stair Steppers Ratings Comments on Reviews

10. Men's Total Fitness	Stair Steppers Buyer's Guide Travis Van Slooten Not Dated		This Buyer's Guide describes all the factors to consider when purchasing a stepper: stability, shocks, space, computerization and independent vs. dependent stepping. Although the information at first seems sound and critical, a closer examination finds that the comments are totally paraphrased from ConsumerSearch.com without attribution.