norajane Posted October 9, 2006 Share Posted October 9, 2006 I'm in the market for an elliptical trainer, but am having trouble figuring out what brand to buy and how much I should spend. There are plenty of review sites out there, but most of them provide no explanation of who runs the site, so their reviews and recommendations are a little suspect in my mind. I've been to Epinions.com, but have the same trouble there - some of those reviews sound like marketing-speak, and there are conflicting views anyway. Of the legitimate sites, they're pretty much all saying don't bother buying anything for less than $1,000 because they're junk and will fall apart. They're saying I really need to spend over $1500 to get a good one that will last. Do I really need to spend that much money to get a decent machine??? I'm 5'6 and 130 pounds, so I don't need one with extra long stride length, nor do I need a heavy duty one to stand up to a lot of weight on it. I want one that has both the moving arm handles and an incline adjustment, which narrows my options considerably. NordicTrack and New Balance offer those with NordicTrack coming in under $1k and NB a little over, but I'm reading lots of conflicting info on the durability of NordicTrack and the New Balance ones are new to the market so not much info. Do you have one, what brand, would you recommend yours? Link to post Share on other sites
napoleandynamite Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 I have an eliptical trainer and it's the best workout in the world! It's intense, works all muscles, and is low-impact. You can burn a great deal of calories and really tone up certain areas of your bod. I have a Welslo one. I got it at Sports Authority a couple of years ago. It was originally 200 bucks...but I got it for 100 dollaz on sale! Just get whatever suits your budget that has a decent brand name. 5'6'' is average, you wont need anything special. Link to post Share on other sites
Ssheena Posted October 26, 2006 Share Posted October 26, 2006 Did you look on Consumer Reports? I usually trust what they have to say is good or not - especially for cars, which isn't the same thing as an eliptical trainer but ... Link to post Share on other sites
Author norajane Posted October 26, 2006 Author Share Posted October 26, 2006 Thanks, Napolean! I think Weslo and Nordic Track and a few others are all made by the same company, just different price levels. Ssheena, Consumer Reports is one of the sites that recommends all the expensive ones. The only one they cite under $1k with "average" rating is the Nordic Track one. I just don't want it to fall apart or have bolts and things break off so I can't use it after spending a whole bunch of $$$. Link to post Share on other sites
mrsoul Posted November 10, 2006 Share Posted November 10, 2006 Many people buy exercise equipment and then barely use it. Look for a used one. Should be able to save lots. If you wear it out - buy a new one. Link to post Share on other sites
Jane Doe Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 I use one at my gym and it's great. I can't remember what kind it is, though. I do agree, if you buy a cheap one, chances are it'll fall apart on you. You get what you pay for. Link to post Share on other sites
bab Posted November 14, 2006 Share Posted November 14, 2006 Hi Norajane, did you end up buying one? I went through this same process recently. We ended up spending over $1000 but less that $1500. (don't remember exact price). It's a diamondback. They paid Lifefitness to use their design, but it's considerably cheaper because it isn't the name brand. It has more features than the $2000 Lifefitness machine. I love it. One thing to note is that Elliptical trainers, just like cars, come out with new models every year. You might be able to find a good deal on a 2006 model. I was also frustrated with the Consumer Reports review because they only reviewed 10 machines. I basically went around to all the different exercise equipment stores and tried out the machine and eventually went with the one I liked the best. Link to post Share on other sites
gonetildecember Posted November 18, 2006 Share Posted November 18, 2006 I use a Precor Elliptical Trainer at the gym, and out of all the ones I've tried, I like it the best. Link to post Share on other sites
Author norajane Posted November 18, 2006 Author Share Posted November 18, 2006 I haven't bought yet, but need to do so soon. The weather's getting cold and I don't feel like going for my walks anymore. Precor is one of the really expensive ones. Bab, thanks - I'll look into the diamondback! Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Lucky Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 Norajane: I have a Universal Fitness model that I got at Sport's Authority. It was $1k retail, got it last Black Friday for $500. The less expensive ones just felt cheap to me - this was the least expensive unit that felt solid in use. I shopped SA, Costco, Dicks, Copelands and Sports Chalet to identify the one I liked, then just waited for the sale. Make sure you try the stride and action on the unit you choose as comfort makes a big difference. I also reached deep into my psyche for several swear words I hadn't used in years during the assembly process so you might want to spring for that additional service. Good Luck! Mr. Lucky Link to post Share on other sites
Pink_Tulip Posted November 25, 2006 Share Posted November 25, 2006 I bought mine on clearance for $149 about three years ago. I figured if I liked it I'd spend more and get a nicer one. I still have this one, it still works great. But I am bored with the workout. I really want a treadclimber, but don't have the extra $2500, lol. Be careful about spending a lot of money unless you are already working out and know you will use it. Also, like me, you may get bored soon and need something else. I can hardly work up a sweat anymore no matter how high I have it or how long. My body just got too used to it, which happnes. Although the best advice I can give you is, regardless of price, get one with a water bottle holder. Link to post Share on other sites
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