Elliptical recommendation

Does anyone have an at home elliptical machine that they would recommend. It is so hard to decide on one. I am looking to spend under $800, thanks!

Re: Elliptical recommendation

I'm currently reasearching ellipticals too, but as far as I can tell the machines under 1K are poorly rated. I think we are going with Precor. Let me see if I can copy and paste what Consumer Reports says on the subject.

From Consumer Reports:
Buying advice Elliptical exercisers
This relative newbie to the exercise field is growing in popularity

Elliptical exercisers are part stair-climber, part cross-country-ski machine. Your feet move in flattened circles--an elliptical pattern. The workout value comes from resistance that slows the machine's flywheel as you try to turn it.

A home elliptical trainer offers the convenience of not having to plan your workouts around the weather or off-peak hours at the gym. In a 65 percent increase from the year before, 3.3 million Americans regularly worked out on an elliptical exerciser in 2003. Ellipticals have caught on big for a number of reasons: The pedaling is easy on the joints (an advantage over treadmills); the exercise is weight-bearing and helps protect against osteoporosis (an advantage over bicycling and swimming); models with movable arms add a modest upper-body workout (an advantage over most treadmills and exercise bikes); and using an elliptical is easy (an advantage over cross-country-ski machines, which require a degree of finesse). What's more, an elliptical lets you burn calories about as effectively as does a treadmill.

The effort to make exercise interesting and as pain-free as possible has led to an array of features. One useful device found on most ellipticals is electronic programming that automatically increases or decreases the workout's intensity, the way running up and down real hills does outdoors. You can also make the adjustments manually. On the gimmicky side, a growing number of ellipticals load the console with gadgets such as fans, a CD player, and a cubbyhole for a TV remote.

The disappointing news from our most recent tests is that a number of machines had problems, from annoying "clunking" sounds to mechanical failures that seriously affected performance. Our findings also suggest that you get what you pay for, especially if you work out frequently. Ellipticals that cost $2,000 and up were well-built and felt stable to our testers, more like the $5,000 machines at gyms. And they were less likely to have defects.


WHAT'S AVAILABLE

Models costing less than $1,000 include Fitness Quest, Horizon Fitness, Keys Fitness, and Icon Fitness' Reebok, Nordic Track, and Proform brands. They're sold in big stores like Sears, The Sports Authority, and other national sporting-goods chains. Models that cost up to $2,000 are sold in specialty sports stores or online, under such brand names as Life Fitness, Nautilus, and Precor. The more-expensive machines tend to feel more solid, operate more smoothly, and have more features than the under-$1,000 models.

Price range: $500 to $1,000 (feel flimsier); $1,100 to $2,500 (approach the quality of those you'd find at a gym).

Message edited 3/17/2006 5:05:23 PM.

Re: Elliptical recommendation

And here is the ratings chart. Okay, the chart is not posting very well. But the score goes down as you go down the list so, the last one listed is the one with the lowest score. Hope that helps. If you have any specific questions, let me know.

Price Overall score Test results

Similar models in small type, comparable to tested model




1
Precor EFX 5.19
$2,400

2
Life Fitness X3 X3i
$2,600

3
Nautilus NE 2000
$2,300
•
4
Vision Fitness X6600HRT
$2,500
•
5
New Balance 9.5e
$1,200
•
6
Schwinn 418 CR Best Buy
$1,100

7
Keys Fitness HealthTrainer 840EL
$900

8
NordicTrack CX 990
$800

9
Reebok RL 525
$600

10
Pro-Form 1080 S
$800

Message edited 3/17/2006 5:10:10 PM.

Re: Elliptical recommendation

Oh, I love the Precor! The gym in my old complex had one, and it was awesome.

I want one so badly, but just can't justify spending $2500 on it