Buying an elliptical? You'll obviously want to look at several elliptical trainer ratings before buying to get an idea of which trainers are best for you.
Before you look at ratings however, here are a few things you need to know about how elliptical trainers are rated:
#1 Elliptical Machines are Rated in Specific Price Groups.
There are really 3 categories of elliptical trainers: Economy Buys, Mid-priced and Commecial Grade.
Economy buys range from about $300 to $1000. Mid-priced ellipticals range from $1000-$2000. High End or Commercial trainers range from about $2200 and above.
When experts go to rate elliptical trainers they usually compare the machines within price class. So just because an economy elliptical gets 5 stars and a mid-priced elliptical gets 4 stars, that doesn't mean the economy machine is better than the mid-priced machine. It just means that compared to other economy elliptical trainers, that one is superior.
#2 Raters Value Features Differently
Ever wonder why certain elliptical trainers get rated highly by some raters and not by others? It's because different raters value some features over others.
So for example, we at EllipticalTrainerReview.com value high quality construction, long warranties and stability and smoothness of ride over the number of programs or workout fans. Whereas another rating system may value number of programs or console sophistication over warranty and smoothness of ride.
It doesn't mean one elliptical trainer is better than another - it could just mean they are rated using different criteria.
#3 Use Caution When Reading Consumer Elliptical Ratings
In addition to expert ratings, there are also websites that allow people to write a review of their elliptical. While these can be helpful when shopping for an elliptical, be cautious of basing your decision just on these opinions. Why?
Exercise equipment is big business and some companies are not above having one of their employees post negative reviews on their competitors (We've seen actual evidence of this, more times that you'd think).
Also, no one brand has a perfect track record - sometimes everyone makes a dud. And those are usually the people that go online to post a negative rating. Those people who are happy with their elliptical are less likely to post a review so the data is easily skewed.
Bottom Line? Take user ratings with a grain of salt and compare them to your own research when deciding on your elliptical trainer.
So those are 3 things to keep in mind when looking at elliptical trainer ratings. For the latest top rated elliptical trainers, check out our Best Elliptical Buys.
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Was this information useful? This article on Elliptical Trainer Ratings was one of several on our Elliptical Trainer articles section.
