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Sole elliptical trainers are manufactured by Sole Fitness. Sole may seem new but in fact they've been making treadmills for the hotel market for over 20 years and make some of the best treadmills on the market today (they are the preferred treadmill used by Hilton hotels).
They recently took their commitment to quality and put it into creating several high end home elliptical trainers. Ranging from $999 to $1699, Sole elliptical trainers offer a great alternative for those who want the quality of a commercial gym elliptical without the price tag.
Strengths:
- Proper Alignment Of Footpads - When you use an elliptical the natural alignment of your body is thrown off no matter how close the footpads are.
- Sole footpads have a slight inward angle of two degrees. This angle actually helps to puts your body back into a neutral alignment throughout the elliptical motion and protects your back, knees, ankles and hips.
- High User Weight Capacities (300 - 400 pounds) - a sign of the stability of the elliptical trainer is seen in how high a user weight capacity it offers. The higher the user weight capacity, the more stable the elliptical trainer (other things being equal). The Sole E95 elliptical has a user weight capacity of 400 pounds - the highest user weight capacity we've seen.
- 20" Stride Length - Many cheaper ellipticals offer stride lengths of only 14 or 16". The larger 20" stride works a larger range of leg muscles and burns maximum calories. This longer stride is also appreciated by taller users and gives you a much smoother feeling ride.
- Built In Speakers with iPod / MP3 Hookup - All of the new models come with built in speakers and iPod / mp3 hookups - not a necessary feature but still a popular one with buyers.
- Heart Rate Monitors - You can monitor your heart rate using either the handle bars with built-in pulse sensors or the heart rate chest strap for hands-free pulse monitoring. Also there are a variety of heart rate interactive programs available depending on the Sole model.
- Extensive Warranties - With a lifetime warranty on the frame, 5 years on the parts and electronics and 2 years on service, this is one of the best elliptical warranties in the business and tells you something about the quality of parts (Note: the warranty on the E25 is a bit shorter)
Weaknesses:
While the 20" strides give you a better workout in general, shorter users (5'2" and under) may actually prefer a 16 - 18" stride.
Summary:
These are large, impressive machines. Sole ellipticals, while new to the market, have gone above and beyond what many other ellipticals offer with a wider stride length, properly aligned footpads, higher user weight capacities and extra long warranties.
Sole ellipticals definitely give you high value for your money and are an excellent alternative to commercial ellipticals like Precor or LifeFitness.
Bottom Line: Watch out Precor. High Quality For A Much Cheaper Price.
Where To Buy At A Discount:
The best place to purchase a Sole Elliptical is to buy direct from the Sole manufacturer. You'll buy it at cost and skip the middleman. You also save on shipping and sales tax.