My wife and I searched and searched for an elliptical because we were fed up with signing up for gym memberships and not using them. Having to go to the gym just wasn’t practical for us. So we embarked on a quest to find the quietest, most reliable and feature packed elliptical we could find.

Our budget was 2K or less. Online research led us to many brands and many models – too many actually. It was a dizzying array of choices. So we decided to visit fitness equipment stores and sporting goods stores to try out a few ellipticals in person. The fitness stores carried mostly high-end brands like Precor, which we liked, but were all WAY out of our price range. Besides, after looking at the fine print, we noticed that Precors only come with a 1 year warranty. After that, the frame is good for 10 years but parts and labor are at the owner’s expense!

The sporting goods stores turned up the typical mass market brands like Reebok, ProForm, Horizon, Ironman, and New Balance. Most were pretty flimsy feeling and wobbly or the stride just didn’t feel right. The Reebok ellipticals came close but they didn’t offer wireless heart rate monitoring and the stride still wasn’t quite right. Our eureka moment came at Dick’s sporting goods when we noticed one brand that we had never seen before, Sole. They had the E55 model on display and we tried it out. It was very solid feeling and the stride was natural. There was very little heel lift which is a key component for a low-impact workout – also, the foot pads are adjustable which virtually eliminates any heel lift. I was also pleased that the Sole elliptical had both pulse hand grips AND wireless chest strap heart rate monitoring. This is important not only to improve your endurance but also ensures a safer workout. There’s also a great HRC program that varies the resistance based on your heart rate in order to maintain a constant heart rate.

Since I’m not an impulse buyer I was still concerned that I had never heard of Sole before. Searching online turned up a few reviews about their treadmills. Digging deeper yielded a wealth of information about the treadmills and it turns out that Sole makes a very reliable product and their treadmills are well reviewed and used exclusively at Hilton and other hotel chains. With an endorsement like that I was sold. My online research also turned up the official Sole company site and I was happy to learn that I could order online with free shipping and no sales tax. The delivered price was still 0 below our budget! We also learned that the Sole ellipticals came with a great warranty, 2 years labor, 5 years motor and lifetime frame and deck. Not bad and twice as good as the Precor which was 3 times more price-wise.

In summary, this is absolutely the best bang for the buck as far as ellipticals go. Sole ellipticals are the best ellipticals under 00 and they even compete very well with the ones above 00 as well!

Lastly, the best place to buy them is from the company’s own website [...]

Feature

• Features a 27-pound flywheel and dual-action functionality for an upper and lower body workout
• Grip pulse monitoring and heart rate chest strap; oversize and adjustable foot pedals
• Sixteen resistance levels and ten programs for a challenging workout
• Offers a 20-inch stride length, LCD display monitor, cooling fan, and water bottle holder
• 350-pound maximum weight capacity; measures 82 by 27 by 68 inches (L x W x H) when assembled

Overview

Enjoy an efficient full-body workout without heading to the gym with the Sole E55 elliptical trainer. Boasting a heavy 30-pound flywheel, a high gear ratio not found on most comparable models, and a pair of upper body handles, the E55 delivers an extremely smooth workout with plenty of top-end resistance. Users will also appreciate the unique oversize and adjustable foot pedals, which were designed in collaboration with a leading physical therapist and sports enthusiast. The pedals are not only extra large, but also feature a 2-degree inward slope that reduces the ankle and knee stress that’s common in other elliptical machines. The collaboration also produced a revolutionary foot pedal angle adjustment not found on any other elliptical. Taking into account that not everyone walks the same way, Sole engineers made the E55’s pedals adjustable to fit the way you walk. This also reduces the likelihood of numb toes and sore Achilles tendons.

Workout specifics include 16 resistance levels, 10 total programs (including two custom and two heart-rate programs), and a 20-inch stride length. Perhaps the handiest feature from a user perspective, however, is the easy-to-use electronic console, which integrates a blue backlit LCD display, a cooling fan, and a water bottle holder. The E55, which offers a maximum weight capacity of 350 pounds, carries the following warranties: lifetime on the frame, five years on all parts and electronics, and two years on the labor.

Specifications:

• Assembled Dimensions: 82 by 27 by 68 inches (L x W x H)
• Arm Spacing: 23 inches
  

  The E55 offers an LCD display on the console to track your key workout metrics.

• Arm Stride: 30 inches
• Step Up: 15 inches
• Foot Spacing: 5.5 inches
• Stride Length: 20 inches
• Front Drive: Yes
• Steel Frame: 38mm
• Resistance Type: ECB
• Adjustable Pedals: Worm Drive
• Articulating Pedals: Yes
• Flywheel: 27 pounds
• Resistance Levels: 16
• Power: Plug in
• Upper Body: Yes
• Molded Hand Grips: No
• Pulse Grips: Yes
• Handlebar Adjust: Yes
• Display Type: LCD
• Heart Rate Control: Yes
• Heart Rate Telemetry Belt: Yes
• Auto Pilot: No
• HR % Graph: No
• Windows: 1
• Track Display: Yes
• Color Backlit: Blue
• Audio System: Yes
• Incline: Power
• Six Standard Programs
• Two User-Defined Programs
• Two Heart Rate Programs
• Cooling Fans: Standard
• Water Bottle Holder: Yes
• Rear Rail Shroud: Yes
• Weight Capacity: 375 pounds

Manufacturer’s Warranty
Frame and brake – lifetime, parts/electronics – 5 years, labor – 2 years

About Sole
Sole brings over twenty years of treadmill and fitness product design and manufacturing to the table in their line of innovative equipment designed for fitness-conscious people. The company’s treadmill line is simple in design, with an emphasis on quality and warranty all at a great price. Sole’s easy-to-use treadmills offer a great value and feature a convenient, space-saving portable design. The treadmills have a very stable base with four wheels for ease of movement, folding decks to conserve space, and a 30-year motor and lifetime deck and frame warranty. Sole is always looking for ways to make their equipment better, more efficient, with higher quality at a great price.

About Elliptical Trainers
Elliptical trainers represent the next wave of advancement in low-impact cardiovascular exercise machines and continue to grow in popularity. By simulating motions experienced through walking, stepping, cycling, and skiing, elliptical machines allow for a smooth and fluid motion while building strength in the arms and legs. Similar to the exercise position for treadmills, elliptical trainers are used by standing in an upright position while holding the handrails of the machine. With elliptical trainers, however, your feet remain in the foot pedals throughout the exercise regimen and circulate in a smooth and seamless motion, resulting in little to no impact on the knees, back, and hips.

Elliptical trainers are compatible for all ages and fitness levels and allow you to select the difficulty level through the incline and intensity settings. Additionally, elliptical trainers allow you to determine the complexity of your workout based on your needs, all while listening to music, watching television, or reading a magazine while exercising in the comfort and safety of your own home.

Although different types of elliptical trainers offer an assortment of features, many of them include an array of challenging programs, forward and reverse directional movement, EKG grip pulse handles, a lightweight portable design with easy fold-up capability, and a monitor displaying calories burned, distance, speed, time, and heart rate. Other types of exercise machines, namely treadmills and bikes, offer excellent cardiovascular exercise and muscular training for the legs in a forward-motion exercise. Elliptical trainers take this to the next level by offering an upper and lower body workout with dual motion, challenging and diverse programs, and a low-impact exercise machine that won’t strain sensitive joints.

List Price

$2,499.99

Offer Price

$1,499.00

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jan 14, 2010 06:35:09

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