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By Toby, July 8, 2010 2:32 pm

Consumer reports provides purchase advice and product reviews of many products including elliptical trainers. They have a buying advice guide that provides a ton of information similar to what we provide here, types of elliptical trainers, features, brands and shopping tips.

Consumer reports reviews are expected to be independent and non profit reviews, but sometimes you have to wonder if some companies have not slipped them some money to give a more favorable review to certain products over others.  Personally I think Consumer Reports is a good place to start with your elliptical review search, but you should also read other independent reviews, preferably by individuals who have owned and used the elliptical trainer for a decent amount of time.

The main advice Consumer Reports gives is to know your price range, stick to a budget, consider your space requirements and workout intensity.  After you define all of these targets you will need to review the various brands and find one that fits this criteria.

Purchasing from a well known company, and eliminating their lower end models should make sure you get a quality elliptical trainer that lasts you years to come.   Lower end elliptical trainers simply do not provide the quality workmanship as the mid range/high end elliptical do. For someone who is on a budget a mid range elliptical model is usually more than sufficient.

Some of the recommended/higher end elliptical trainers to consider:

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By Toby, June 25, 2010 2:48 am

The Schwinn 420 is a great elliptical trainer for anyone looking for a piece of fitness equipment to work out with at their home, produced by a company with a well respected name like Schwinn.

The Schwinn 420 provides a true total body workout, by combining motions that successfully provide upper and lower body workouts.

Click here for more information about the Schwinn 420 Elliptical Trainer

Working out with any elliptical trainer with any type of regular use will increase heart and lung capacity and allow for more stamina and endurance in your every day life. No more getting tired while walking up the stairs to work or chasing after your kids.

Within its price range the Schwinn 420 offers features that are second to none. Including 16 computer monitored resistance levels and 12 programs that all you to vary your workout each day so you do not become bored with the daily workout plans.

Changing between resistance levels is hassle free with its quick change resistance settings.  This machine also features an 18 inch stride which is a decent stride length that is fairly comfortable for people of all heights(short, average or tall).  Schwinn has put endless amounts of effort into research to ensure the user is comfortable allowing you to workout longer at a higher intensity.  This simply ensures that you are able to maximize your workout time without having to stop with sore joints or legs.

One of the biggest complaints about home elliptical machines is balance issues, many manufacturers skimp on the material used to produce these elliptical machines(to save money), Schwinn has bulked up their machine and added oversized stabilizers and weights to ensure the machine is balanced and does not rock around during your workout.

Click here to read more Schwinn 420 elliptical reviews

The Schwinn 420 elliptical has has some features that are not super important but really nice to have, this includes a water bottle holder and magazine rack.

Generally, commercial elliptical trainers are not meant to be moved around easily, manufacturers forget that homeowners need to be able to move the unit since home elliptical trainers are not at a gym, but need to be moved because they are in our house.

Schwinn 420 Elliptical Trainer

Ideal for the home gym for fitness enthusiasts of any skill level, the Schwinn 420 provides an effective cardiovascular workout by combining upper and…

Rating: 4.5 / 5.0

If you are looking for a more compact elliptical trainer, which will even fit under your desk at the office check out the Stamina Inmotion E1000 Elliptical Trainer.

Other Highly Recommended Elliptical Trainers:

	Schwinn 430 Elliptical… The Schwinn 430 offers eight computer-controlled…
	Schwinn 460 Variable… The Schwinn® 460 elliptical helps you burn…
	Schwinn 431 Elliptical… With its comfortable and compact design,…
	Nautilus E514 Elliptical… The Nautilus® E514 elliptical is engineered…

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By Toby, June 16, 2010 7:24 am

Becoming familiar with consumer reviews are important before purchasing an elliptical trainer. Consumer reviews provide important details about various elliptical trainers on the market today which will help you determine which elliptical machine is best for your needs.

For example, if you are looking for a space saving or compact elliptical machine, something like the Stamina Inmotion E1000 elliptical trainer might be right for you, it fits right under your desk or easily slips into a corner of your room.

If you have some extra money to spend and want a gym quality workout then something like the Octane Elliptical Trainer might be best for you. While somewhat costly they are highly respected in the industry and will provide years of worry free workouts.

Without reading various articles and consumer reviews you would not be in a position to make a solid judgment of which elliptical machine would be worth investigating further as such costing you both time and money by possibly researching or purchase the wrong elliptical machine.

Some people may be unsure about what they need to meet their fitness requirements, they may not even be sure if they need an elliptical machine or a treadmill.

What important information should you look for when reading consumer reviews online?

I would first recommend you look at the date of the review, for instance if the review is a couple years old it may not apply, quality standards and materials could have change even for the same model elliptical trainer.

Next I would check that the person has actually used the elliptical machine more than a few days, many reviews on popular sites have reviews from consumers who have owned the machine for a week and only used it once. How can they give a fair an honest review?

Lastly, I would recommend you read reviews from a few different websites/sources, some webmasters are not honest with reviews so if you check with a few different sources you are more likely to notice common comments or trends which makes it more accurate.  Consumer reports is also a good place to read up on the various machines and they are well respected for their reviews and opinions.

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By Toby, March 15, 2010 11:46 pm

Octane Fitness brand elliptical trainers are recognized as the industry leader in elliptical trainers. They allow for a pro style workout at home. Even though many people are really happy about owning a Octane elliptical trainer you still should review all of the elliptical reviews online to make sure it is the right machine for you.

Currently Octane Fitness offers three different elliptical trainers in their product line, plus one seated elliptical trainer:

Q47 Series

Is known for revolutionary low impact fitness training with comfort smart stride technology. This machine offers stride lengths from 18-26″ which increase in 1/2″ increments. This will help accurately simulate walking, jogging or running. The machine also features hand grips that can be adjusted on the fly as well as 1.8″ peddle spacing for optimal comfort.

The Octane Q47 also features a low step up height that makes it easy for smaller people to get on and off the machine and also makes this machine ideal for rooms with low ceiling clearance.

Octane fitness has really tried to make all of their elliptical trainers top of the line in design for both ergonomics and durability.

The Q47 Series comes in two different models the Q47ci and Q47c, there is roughly a $500 difference between the two, the Q47c has a few less options and programs than the Q47ci which can be reviewed at Octane Fitness’ website.

Q37 Series

Is very similar to the Q47, it has many of the same features but is more compact which is great if you are purchasing this for home use. There are two different models in the Q37 line, both are a good value. The Q37ci and the Q37c, like the Q47 there is about a $500 price difference between the two models. The more expensive Q37ci has additional electronic features such as wireless heart rate and My Quick Stats it also has additional workout boosters.

Q35c

The Q35c is the lowest price of the above Octane elliptical machines. This was the original elliptical from Octane, but has been greatly improved over the years. This machine also features xMode and ArmBlaster.

Octane Q35c Reviews

There are not that many reviews online for the Octane Q35c elliptical machine.  Overall it is one of the lower end Octane machines, but it is a lot better than most low end elliptical trainers. It has a 300 pound weight rating and has lifetime guarantee on the frame, 5 years for parts and a year for labor.

Where Can You Purchase Octane Elliptical Trainers?

You can check at a local fitness equipment store in your local area. If you are looking online you can purchase both used and new octane elliptical trainers on eBay, Amazon.com, AtHomeFitness.com and FitnessSales.com

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By Toby, December 22, 2009 1:00 am

Before buying an elliptical trainer you should also compare one elliptical trainer with other similar elliptical trainers to see if for the money you are spending you are getting a quality elliptical machine.  Read over all of the pros and cons of each elliptical machine so you have a better informed buying decision.

Make sure you also look at different brands of elliptical machines as one brand may be slightly over priced for what you are getting.  After doing all of the research you may determine you want a treadmill vs an elliptical.

You may also want a compact elliptical machine, these machines are easier to move and allow you to have them in smaller spaces within your home.  Compact elliptical machines are great because often you can put them right in front of a TV which makes workouts much less boring!

Some of the best entry level elliptical trainers are made by Smooth Fitness, NordicTrack and Schwinn. They are very affordable machines with decent quality.