This could be the perfect machine
Written: Dec 19 '99 (Updated Aug 13 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: very sturdy, great design
Cons: weighs a TON!
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| netKat's Full Review: HealthRider E330 |
If you're looking for a no-impact fantastic exercise, ellipticals are an excellent choice. I spent a lot of time trying out many different machines. Cost was definitely a factor. I was not interested in spending over $500. I did try the more expensive models though, just to make sure that I was not missing too much. I also researched what was on E-Bay and why people were selling them, as well as Consumer Reports recommendations. When I narrowed the field down to the final 2, I dragged my engineer husband along to check out the machines for structural and mechanical soundness. We were both impressed with the Healthrider E330. It is very well built. Here are some of the great features:
-The incline frame: The E330 mimics many of the more expensive models by having the foot pedals and pedal arms roll up and down a special incline path, rather than just be suspended in the air. This greatly adds to the smoothness and sturdiness. We also believe this will lessen the chances of structural failure of the pedal arms (something I've heard of happening in other machines).
-The console with 3 programmed workouts (aerobic, fat burner, and stamina building). The console also shows you how you're doing in terms of a lap counter on a virtual track. Heart rate is readily available by simply grasping the special lower handle bars. One thing I love is that the console shows you your target pace by lighting up a series of red bars. Right next to the target pace is you actual pace displayed the same way. If you're at all goal oriented (and I am!) you'll love this! It's very motivating and holds your interest. You can also set the console to continuously display all different kinds of information at 5 second intervals. Very cool.
-The upper body moving arms. This is a feature I would not want to be without. I want to get more bang for my workout time by exercising all different areas at the same time.
One interesting thing to note about these elliptical machines in general: They are particularly suited to shorter people. The stride for me (5'2") is just perfect, whereas when my husband rides (6'1") he feels he would be more comfortable with a longer stride. This appears to be true for all the machines I tested.
My second choice was the ProForm 485E, which at $350, could have saved me $150. It was definitely a comfortable ride, but the the Healthrider really won out due to the incline frame feature and overall heftiness.
Assembly was not bad with this model. It took about an hour. The machine comes mostly put together. Be forewarned: the box is very, very large. The difficultly was the weight of the unit. I could not handle this by myself!
The best thing to do with ellipticals, as well as any other type of exercise equipment you're thinking of owning, is to get on and ride. If it doesn't feel right to you, the odds it's going to end up in a corner gathering dust... or being sold on e-bay!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
netKat
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 - Top 200 |
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Member: Kat
Location: Maryland
Reviews written: 166
Trusted by: 885 members
About Me:
Analytically inclined mom, bank officer, freelance writer, and internet addict.
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