Do you weigh 300 pounds? Don't spend $650 on the ProForm CardioCross
Written: Jun 01 '06 (Updated Aug 13 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use; inexpensive; works upper and lower body.
Cons: Flimsy; only four programs; a knob for resistance.
The Bottom Line: This is not a 5 star machine but for the right person (not heavy, a woman, young - one or all of these) the price is right.
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| jo.com's Full Review: ProForm 650 CardioCross PFEL2922 |
The ProForm 650 CrossTrainer Elliptical machine is the first elliptical machine by ProForm that I have reviewed. At the low, low price of $300 to $400 it is also one of the most inexpensive around. ProForm is made by ICON the company that also makes Reebok and Nordic Track machines.
Elliptical machines have come to be thought of as much gentler on one’s joints that the pounding they may take on a treadmill. I also find that they burn more calories than walking on a treadmill unless you have that treadmill at a very high angle or are running. They are considered a safe, low impact cardio-vascular (heart/lung) workout.
Information on the ProForm 650:
The 650 is a small, light machine. It weighs only 118 pounds. I am not sure why other suggested this was a heavy machine unless over the last couple of years ProForm has changed the model.
Many elliptical machines weigh closer to 200 pounds. It measures 54 inches long by 23 inches wide by 62 inches high. This is considerable shorter than most elliptical machines I’ve reviewed.
The machine has wheels making it perhaps not what one might call portable but easy to move around. This is another change. I read that it has no wheels but in fact it does.
The pedals are very simple like the entire machine. They do have a lip at the front so my foot didn’t slide off. However I found the pedals narrow. They are long enough and will accommodate large feet but I personally like the stability a wider pedal gives me.
The 650 has moving arms. You can work your upper body while working your lower body and heart/lungs. However this is a mixed blessing. For those of you who don’t work your upper body this is an easy way to get some exercise. However the handle bars are synchronized with the pedals. What that means is when the arms move the pedals move. I dislike that on a machine. This is the reason. I can cheat. In other words when I move the arms on the 650 the pedals move so am I working my arms or legs? Perhaps my legs are just going along for the ride and I’m pushing and pulling them with the arms. The opposite is also true. I pedaled and had the arms moving and was barely touching the arms.
In addition the ramp on the 650 is fixed. So although I can change resistances from 1 to 15, I cannot change the height of the ramp.
It has a poor warranty. The warranty covers parts and labor charges for 90 days. You can get extended warranties which I would highly recommend.
The maximum user weight for this unit is 250 pounds.
There are heart rate sensors in the handle below the console. I reviewed a much more expensive machine by Precor that didn’t have a heart rate monitor so for the price this may be a machine for the right person which I’ll get to later.
The console:
The console is small and simple to use. You won’t need any lessons. It has an integrated water bottle holder on the top of the console. There is also a magazine rack. However because the console is small the magazine or book you choose to read will have to be small as well.
The console readouts are large and blink when I pause the machine. ProForm can do this on a small console because there aren’t many fancy functions. The readouts are distance, time, pulse, speed, calories burned, and fat calories. Considering I don’t input my weight or age, these numbers especially calories burned and fat calories may be off from other machines by as much as 20%.
The 650 has four programs. I don’t need a lot but three is really bare bones. The programs are numbered rather than given names but each program is shown is picture form. I could see that program three, for example, rose in intensity in frequent intervals and looked like a set of steps in the picture.
Let’s use it:
Getting on the 650 was a little bit of a challenge because I had to step on the pedals and then reach for the handle bar. Since the arms moved I couldn’t depend on those as handles.
Most elliptical machines have pedals that move backward.
The machine is quiet and rides fairly smoothly considering that this is a light weight machine. At fast speeds I felt the machine shake which I don’t like but remember the price tag. Still it is a somewhat flimsy model only suitable in my opinion for the right person.
Once on and once I had picked a program I decided to change resistance levels. This was a new experience. I am used to arrows or numbers. The 650 has a knob on the right hand side. This knob is noisier than the machine is! I sometimes have a hard time turning knobs so I wasn’t thrilled with this feature. I imagine it is less expensive technologically for ProForm to use a knob rather than adding arrows to the console.
Jo’s Thoughts:
I am not terribly impressed with the 650 however I think that it has a place for some. I would recommend it (again thinking of the very low price) for the person just getting into elliptical machines. This person won’t want many programs; won’t want to learn programs and wants just the basics. This person will be glad there is nothing to plug in and wants to strengthen their entire body or at least tone it and get it moving.
I would recommend it perhaps as a graduation gift. I think it is well-suited to the younger person just starting out or to women who are not heavy. Even with the 250 maximum user weight in my opinion that is stretching the number for this machine. At 130 pounds I was making it shake!
With the few program selections, fixed ramp and synchronized arm and pedal movements this isn’t a machine I would spend my money on but I am writing this for you. If you fit the criteria I mentioned then you can’t beat the price. Don’t forget to buy the extended warranty. I saw it for $35.00 on one site.
Please note that this machine requires two people to assemble it.
Other elliptical machine reviews:
Vision Fitness Elliptical- 5 stars • Precor Crosstrainer 5.19 • Precor Elliptical Crosstrainer 5.17i •Life Fitness X9i Cross Trainer- 5 stars • Star Trac Elite •
Reebok RL 900-5 stars • Cybex Arc Trainer- 5 stars • Precor EFX546 Elliptical Trainer
My fitness equipment reviews can be found here.
Recommended:
Yes
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