elliptical trainer?

[Anonymous]

I want to get an elliptical trainer but have no idea about them. I would like to get a used one I think, and wonder if anyone who has researched them could share what they have learned. Thanks.

[Anonymous]

The best way to approach this is to go to a used sporting goods store and try them. Make note of the features that you want. There are so many good solid ellipticals out there between the $500-$1K (new) that the real differences come when you compare the features.

We have one - I actually can't remember the name of it - that we bought from Sears. There were about 4 versions fo the same machine but we needed one that folded up since we were short on space. That helped us decide. Price and size were big considerations for us, too.

[Anonymous]

do the fold up ones work well. i have a friend who looked into this and concluded that only the really big ones that don't fold and cost $2000 are any good?

[Anonymous]

I've heard good things about the gazelle (the one with adjustable resistance options)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:do the fold up ones work well. i have a friend who looked into this and concluded that only the really big ones that don't fold and cost $2000 are any good?

I have a Proform elliptical that folds up (saves a little space, but not as much as I would want!). It is solid and very stable. I have been using the elliptical a couple times a week for the last 7 months and I have had no issues. We paid about $700 - it was on sale at Sears.

As a PP mentioned, go try the machines - you will easily be able to tell which ones are flimsy and shaky when you use them. There are a lot of fold up versions that are junky. I doubt you will be able to find a good machine for under $500 (new).

[Anonymous]

Definitely go try them out. We also got ours (a NordicTrak) from Sears--they had probably 10-15 models to try on the floor. Pay attention to whether the wheel is in the back or in the front. We found that those with the wheel in the front provided a more natural stride than those with the wheel in the back and also tended to be more sturdy (and expensive of course). Also think about who else might be using it. I, at 125 pounds, would've been fine with a less sturdy (and less expensive) model but my husband, at 230 pounds, required something much more sturdy to be comfortable using it.