Find The Best Trainer With Our Full Guide

Elliptical trainers have a lot of health benefits for those looking to get fit but choosing the best elliptical machine can be a difficult task with so many options available.

This site gives you all the information you'll need to make the right choice and start enjoying a healthier life using an elliptical.

With thorough research and analysis of each of the best models you can finally make an informed decision on the cross trainer for you.

How This Site Will Help You Choose The Best Elliptical For Home Use

I cover the different brands, reasons why you need an elliptical, what to look for when buying one and more. I know that purchasing an elliptical trainer is a big investment so you want to get the best one for your price range.

I also realize trawling through endless websites isn't always the best use of your time.

Once you've read the reviews and information presented here you won't have to search further, we've got it all covered.

I've spent hours of time searching through all the facts and features of the best elliptical trainers on the market.

All this information is then condensed into the guide before you including comparison charts to round out our elliptical reviews with the best information available.

Why Buy An Elliptical Trainer In The First Place?

In case you're not already convinced of the benefits of one of these types of trainers here's a quick summary of why they are getting so popular:

• Easy on the joints with less chance of injury
• High 'burn' rate of calories compared to other exercise machines
• Proven to provide results for both weight loss and toning
• Low impact workout that covers both upper and lower body
• Suitable for older age men and women who want to keep in shape

There's three more reasons why one of these cross trainers is a great choice:

1.  These are 'weight bearing' exercises.  Unlike other machines such as stationary bikes, you'll get the type of exercise effective for stopping the onset of osteoporosis.

2.  Low Impact exercise suitable for people with ankle, knee, or foot problems. Even if you aren't affected by an ailment such as those you'll still really appreciate the smooth feeling that a properly designed elliptical machine can provide.

But if you do happen to have one of those health problems an elliptical trainer is your answer to actually being able to exercise and even strengthen those affected areas. Many people who can't even perform normal walking exercises report they love using an elliptical.

3.  I already mentioned this before but let's take a look at it in more detail.  I'm referring to the whole 'dual action' workout that these machines give you.  You'll be exercising muscle groups like quads, hamstrings, chest, back, gluts, triceps and even biceps.

Spend you time more efficiently by getting the most out of your workout sessions. Some elliptical machines are better suited to upper body workouts than others though, read our guide to find out which ones do.

Just reading that makes me want to get on one of these efficient toning machines right now.

Ok, I lied, there's one more...

4.  Lower maintenance than treadmills.  There's less moving parts and lower impact which means less maintenance.  In the same way the elliptical is easier on your body it's also easier on the machine itself.

So both of you stay in better shape for longer.

Those are the main reasons people have been buying an elliptical trainer. What about in comparison to other options like a treadmill (something we just saw they already have an upper hand on)?

The Reason You Don't Want To Buy A Treadmill

One of the best things about ellipticals is that they are low stress on your body.

Unfortunately the same can't be said about treadmills. Similar to actually running or walking, they can stress joints and cause wear and tear over time to the body. You might burn some calories but is it worth causing damage to yourself in the process? No of course not...

Another thing that's not so good about a treadmill is that it doesn't work the upper body like an elliptical does. So you miss out on toning parts that an elliptical would in the same amount of time spent.

Overall a treadmill is just not as efficient or good for your body as an elliptical trainer is. The choice is pretty obvious here.

Here's The Best Ones On The Market

You might have noticed there are many manufacturers selling ellipticals.  Here's a list of the best ones to focus on and will be discussed in closer detail within each of the reviews on this site.

Horizon:  Horizon fits into more of the mid range and affordable region of ellipticals.  If you're not looking to spend a lot but want to get a lot for your spend then this is a good company to check out.  Horizon manages to include great features, looks, and solid technology which result in all around great products.  This is probably why they have close to 20% of the elliptical market share at the moment.

LiveStrong:  This company is probably best know for their affiliation with Lance Armstrong.  Popular due to his work with charity and cancer it's gaining popularity very quickly as a fitness brand.  The company's goals center around strong durable machines that due justice to the brand.  Value wise they represent a very good buy which you will see in my review of the LS 13.0E.

SOLE Elliptical Machines:  Known for their treadmills, Sole also carry a range of elliptical machines.  They cost anywhere from about $995 for the E25 model up to $1995 for their E98 Commercial range.  One aspect of how Sole approaches their ellipticals is through detailed research on both biomechanics and ergonomics.  They aim to blend the perfect union of how the body moves with a machine to naturally match it for the best range of motion.  Sole has been a mainstay in some of the largest hotel chains, they are a proven brand.

Schwinn:  This is another company known for producing another type of product, bicycles, yet now have also entered the elliptical trainer market.  They have a long history as a company overall dating back to the 1960's.  It's pretty probable that you've had a bike from them as a kid or at some other point in your life.  But what about their elliptical trainers?  Favored by both users and critics (Consumer Reports), these Schwinn trainers have an excellent reputation due to their overall comfort and design.

For those on a budget, the Schwinn 431 represents one of the best budget models out there.

Smooth:

Yowza Fitness:  Somewhat of a new comer but born from an impressive pedigree, Yowza Fitness is one of the bright new elliptical companies to arrive in recent times.  They are based in Florida, you might recognize some of the names of their models taken from islands in Key West.  The main man behind Yowza is Leao Wang, who use to work at another elliptical company called Smooth Fitness.  Their Captiva is my top pick overall.

The overall quality and construction of these Yowza ellipticals is almost unmatched.  Wang also holds many patents in the physical equipment arena and his expertise in this market shows in the Yowza products.  Read our reviews to find out more.

These are our four top picks for elliptical manufacturers and represent the best elliptical machines out now.  Yes we know you might think some were 'left out', but they weren't, they were excluded for a reason.  These are simply the best rate and most popular brands which is why they earned a place on our site.

How These Trainers Are Judged

In these elliptical reviews we use a variety of factors to decide which is the best trainer for your hard earned money. Overall build quality, ergonomics, features, comfort and price are compared to give total value for each elliptical.

Here's a more in depth list of criteria used in our elliptical trainer comparison:

• Stride Length - Particularly important for tall people, stride length is a key aspect of any trainer in regard to how comfortable you will be able to perform exercises on.
• Ergonomics - Overall the trainer should feel comfortable and solid. Other details are things like pedal guards to keep your feet in place and non moving arm grips.
• Console features - Recently the consoles on ellipticals are getting more and more high tech. Most include workout programs.  Some models even include things like LCD TVs. While these can be fun if you don't actually need them you can end up paying more than you need.
• Size - You need to check the total size of a unit you are interested in to make sure it will actually fit the space you intend to put it in. Don't overlook this important but commonly forgotten aspect of choosing a trainer.
• Heart Rate Monitor - Does the trainer include one as standard or will it cost you extra? Having one of these can be really important to make sure you don't over exert yourself. Remember these ellipticals give quite a workout so you need to pace yourself especially early on.
• Safety Features - If you have children around you certainly want to make sure the elliptical you purchase has the necessary provisions for keeping them safe. One feature that most good trainers utilize are locks for the pedals so the machine can't be operated when un-attended.
• Noise Level - The overall construction of the elliptical along with the types of components it uses will contribute to the overall amount of noise it produces when being used. Depending on where it's located and your own personal preference this may or may not be a factor in your final choice.
• Resistance Levels - A basic feature but the more options here increases the complexity and challenge of your workouts.