Buying Elliptical - Any Suggestions?

My fiancee and I are going to be buying an elliptical for our house so that she doesn't need to go to the gym. I personally am looking forward to having this piece of equipment as well.

I've spent some time looking at the stores, and have looked online a lot.

There is one brand called Proform that I am wondering if it is reputable or not. I've found some places saying that their customer service is absolutely terrible. I've found some ellipticals around $800-$1,000 by them that I really like... if they would hold together long term.

Our other idea is buying a slightly used Precor elliptical that usually costs $3,000 for like $1,600 or so.

I'd prefer to buy the new proform one for $900 or so. I cannot find good information either way on these so I wanted to ask around here.

I'm looking forward to a way to exercise that I'll be excited about, that can be done indoors during these cold times!

Katie, that is the brand my fiancee wants. After some further looking it looks like this proform brand markets their products very well... but has underlying inferior parts/construction that are not good if we actually want to use it a lot!

I have an elliptical. I did a lot of research before buying it. I read that the scoop is as follows, and forgive me if the information i give is inaccurate, I found it on the internet and I am FAR from a fitness guru... If you're a single person who uses the elliptical for 30 minutes or less a day, a low-end elliptical will work for you. If you have two people or you use it for long periods of time, you may benefit from a mid-range product - I wouldn't go super high-end unless I had a home gym and intended to use this thing for hours a day, and even then, since having what I have, I am not sure it's worth it. People were very negative about me getting an elliptical but I use it everyday and I've already had a ton of luck losing pounds, inches and gaining muscle. I love the precor/life fitness at the gym but I went with a cheaper product because i wanted something I could transport if I move and I didn't know 100% i would use it so I didn't want to spend a bundle. I ended up searching for stuff based on price / weight and reviews. When it comes to functionality, sure, there are models that cost about the same and do more but they also tend to weigh about 3x the amount. Since I got the unit, I see that I don't use the programs - anything with additional functionality wouldn't have done much for me. I usually use resistance and do straight cross training. Sometimes I will do interval but even low-level machines offer those programs. Anyway, I got one of these www.kettlerusa.com/fitness/crosstrainers/4734

Keep in mind, I am a petite woman. My SO uses it sometimes, he is an average size man and he doesn't have any problems (then again he never goes very far and hopefully he wouldn't complain about a machine he didn't pay for). I also didn't assemble it myself so mine is probably better assembled than it would be if I had assembled it. I tried a proform recently, not a low-end one, and it felt pretty good - i think anything can probably work, depends mostly on your needs. Do you want one with a front-drive or rear?

I looked at a lot of these sites elliptical-machines-review.toptenreviews.com/, and it's weird, you will find certain products on some and not on others and I think they are all affiliate links and people post whatever they are sponsored to or whatever pays the most per click. I was considering a yowza but I got the Rivo for less and it weighed less, and it was assembled. For the price, it has worked out.

All the sites comparing fitness machines seem very scammy...

Haven't thought about these things in a long time.. I figure, $500 / 12 months is $42 a month. If it lasts a couple years, it's cheaper than a gym membership and way more convenient! If in a while I am willing to spend more on an elliptical and weight isn't an issue, and mine is no longer working, maybe I would upgrade knowing that I use the machine daily, but maybe not. I don't see that a bigger machine would enable me to burn more calories faster.

Sorry for the long response. The machine I have may not be ideal for you but I am just putting it out there that I got a lower-end machine and I have been happy with it. It's strange for me to feel this way - I usually don't skimp on things. :)

The gym I belong to uses Cybex equipment.
I like the arc trainer because it is adjustable and easy on the knees. Used properly you can feel your core getting a workout.

http://www.fitnessblowout.com/brand/cybex

Are there gyms near you where you can go and try out the different brands of equipment?

I love those Cybex Arc trainers. They are by far my favorite cardio machine. Don't confuse these with the Gazelle.

I agree that you can feel your core work. For some reason these feel more "self" driven than an elliptical, but ellipticals are awesome as well (and typically smaller :) ).

I'm not saying you should join, but LA Fitness typically has day passes available for free.

Also, I've gone to gyms (usually non-chain) when I've been traveling. I've always arranged to use the facility for a small fee and didn't have to pay the initiation fee.

Also, Sears and Dicks sporting goods generally have some ellipticals out.

I think your wife has a good idea on her elliptical having the adjustable incline and adjustable resistance.

One thing people may not think of is the positioning/size of cup holders or magazine holders. There's nothing more irritating than to have a small cup holder that doesn't fit your bottle (and there's only 1!). I've also run into a problem where the magazine holder was too high on my parents treadmill.

Thoreau....do you already have a treadmill?

If not, maybe consider the one that's like a combo of treadmill and stair-climber thingie...weight bearing exercise is better than elliptical would it not?

q

" It has a built in cooling fan and the handles and control it has makes working out a lot easier for me."

yes ! someone else who thinks working out should be easy ! what's with all the sweating and grunting and torn rotor cups ???? (that one for you dude )