When purchasing an elliptical machine to use at home, you need to consider the space you have available. Elliptical manufacturers recommend 3 feet of empty space in front of and behind the machine and 2 feet on each side. To save space, look for compact ellipticals, center drive ellipticals and folding ellipticals.
Elliptical Sizes
Elliptical machines come in a variety of sizes with different benefits and drawbacks. Front or rear drive machines are longer, but not as wide, as center drive machines. Compact elliptical machines have a small footprint, but also have a limited stride length. Folding elliptical machines, which are front or rear drive, are long, but fold up when not in use.
Compact Elliptical
The LifeCore LC 2000 is a compact elliptical with a long stride length of 20 inches. Stride lengths less than 20 inches can feel cramped and jerky, especially to taller users. The flywheel of the LC 2000 sits between the pedals, making it only 44 inches long. Most standard elliptical machines are between 55 and 80 inches long. The LC 2000 also has 16 levels of pedal resistance and 12 built-in workout programs.
Center Drive Elliptical
A center drive elliptical has the flywheel mechanism on the sides of the machine with the pedals in the middle. This shortens the machine considerably. The NordicTrack A.C.T. center drive elliptical is 51 inches long and 34.5 inches wide. You can adjust the stride length between 18 and 22 inches. The A.C.T. is budget friendly, retailing for less than $1000. It offers 20 built-in workout programs and 20 pedal resistance levels.
Folding Elliptical
A folding elliptical has a medium to large footprint, but folds up when not in use, saving you several feet of floor space. The NordicTrack E5Vi is 74 inches long and 25 inches wide, but it folds up into a vertical position, saving you around 3 feet of space. Adjust the stride length to 13 inches, 15 inches or 18 inches. The E5Vi offers 16 preset workouts and 12 levels of digital resistance.
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