If you could believe every elliptical trainer manufacturer's marketing material, there'd be nothing but superb, fabulous and stupendous elliptical trainers on the market. But the truth is, although there are a lot of good machines out there, not all of them live up to their billing. If you want to pick out the best elliptical trainer, you're going to have to learn to discern among the most important features and what really works for you.
Priorities
You won't get much use out of your elliptical trainer, no matter how many fancy features it has, if the frame or drive system falls apart. So, make a stable and sturdy frame with a smooth, quiet drive system your priorities when comparing elliptical trainers. This is particularly an issue if you're shopping in the under-$800 price range; common complaints for budget machines include a wobbly, flimsy feel and a loud, rough ride from the drive system, all things that will encourage you not to use the elliptical at all, making your budget investment nothing but money wasted.
Drive System
Eddy current braking is the very best drive system available for elliptical trainers. Eddy current braking adjusts resistance by altering the flow of current to an electromagnet positioned near the elliptical trainer's flywheel. Eddy current braking has no moving parts to speak of, which makes it very quiet and unlikely to malfunction.
The next best drive system is magnetic resistance. This differs from eddy current braking because instead of adjusting the electrical current flowing to an electromagnet, the elliptical mechanically adjusts a standard magnet closer to or farther from the flywheel. Most manufacturers promise that a magnetic resistance elliptical trainer will be silent, or nearly so. In practice, some of these machines do live up to their billing. But others can be very loud, particularly when the magnet is in motion.
Stride Length
Drive system aside, stride length and motion are the two biggest determiners of how the elliptical trainer feels beneath you. The stride motion will differ between manufacturers, even among elliptical trainers with the same stride length. The only sure way to be certain you're getting an elliptical with a comfortable stride length is to try it before buying. EllipticalHome.com recommends choosing elliptical trainers with a stride length between 16 and 19 inches. The Exercise Equipment Expert recommends a minimum stride length of 18 inches.
Features
Stride length and drive system aside, some of the other features you might find most useful on elliptical trainers include a built-in heart rate monitor, which is standard on all but the very lowest-end of machines, and heart rate control programming, which automatically adjusts the elliptical resistance to keep you within a target heart rate zone. Built-in speakers, an MP3 player-compatible input jack, a built-in cooling fan, and customizable workouts are all attractive features that come standard on many mid-range elliptical trainers.
Price
As of August 2010, expect to spend a minimum of $500 for a decent elliptical trainer, and at least $1,000 for a high-end elliptical trainer. Top-of-the-line models can easily retail for $3,000 or more.
Member Comments