A new flow for ellipticals
Rickety, squeaky, flimsy, bendable, breakable. The low-priced, home-model versions of elliptical machines have always earned lousy adjectives. But this season has seen the rise of several exceptions to the long-standing rule that you can’t buy a quiet, solid home elliptical for less than $2,000. Innovative new designs with upgraded programs and heart-rate readouts give the four models below a refined, rock-solid and smooth all-body workout that might even help you forget the commercial-quality machines at the gym -- for a few minutes, anyway.
-- Roy M. Wallack
Lets the arms do their swing
Horizon EX-55: Fluid motion in a compact, front-flywheel design.
Likes: Surprisingly stable and smooth. Upper-body motion feels natural due to full arm extension on the handles (unlike the cramped motion of other low-end models). Eight programs, with contact heart rate.
Dislikes: Somewhat choppy motion due to short stride length (18 inches). Plastic, rubber-less footpads can get slippery with heavy sweat.
Price: $599. (888) 993-3199; www.horizonfitness.com.
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Step up to cross-training
Stamina Elite Programmable Elliptical/Stepper: Smooth space-saver with unique switch-over capability.
Likes: The market’s only two-in-one machine; by simply twisting two knobs at the base of the footpads you can switch the foot-platform motion from the circular, quadriceps-focused “elliptical” mode to a glutes-centric “stepper” motion. Extremely solid, nonrickety feel -- a rarity for a small (4-foot footprint) sub-$1,000 machine. The vertical bias of the ellipse delivers a challenging bang-for-the-buck workout. Good electronics, including 12 programs, contact heart rate and four-user memory. Water bottle and cage located on center post.
Dislikes: Shorter stride length than larger machines, so the otherwise smooth motion can get choppy at higher speeds, especially for taller people. Requires batteries. The heart-rate readout doesn’t always seem accurate.
Price: $899. (800) 375-7520; www.staminaproducts.com.
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Almost like being at the gym
Fitline E100: Front flywheel design so smooth it’s almost club quality.
Likes: Solid, wobble-free, with a smooth-as-glass flow. That’s due to a long (20-inch) natural stride length, full arm extension, a heavy flywheel and the use of two concave wheels under each foot, which keeps the foot pedal from rocking side to side. Includes a cleanlooking control panel, contact heart rate and water bottle holder.
Dislikes: No back light on monitor; 77-inch footprint takes up a lot of floor space.
Price: $1,399. (800) 426-6570; www.fitlinefitness.com.
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High-tech on display
Bladez 7.5 E: A Fitline look-alike with a superb feel and impressive electronics. Front-flywheel setup.
Likes: Smooth as butter on a hot pan. Almost identical in feel and design to Fitline -- similar flywheel and dual-concave tires. Smooth and stable even under rapid acceleration and leg turnover. Great electronics: Highly legible video game-style monitor has red backlit, dot-matrix LED display, four windows, numerous programs and contact heart rate.
Dislikes: 80 inches long is huge, adds to clutter.
Price: $1,699. (888) 724-1944; www.ebladez.com.