Looking at elliptical exercise equipment? There are a lot of brands and different types of ellipticals out there - it can get confusing!
To help you out when choosing elliptical exercise equipment here are the top 3 things to keep in mind.
#1) Price
If you want a quality elliptical trainer, be prepared to spend at least $800. Why? Because most ellipticals under this price point just aren't built to stand up over the long haul.
Example: My $400 elliptical that I bought from a department store several years back lasted 3 months - 4 if you count the last month it was used as a clothes hanger in my living room.
After 3 months it developed an extremely loud squeaking noise that couldn't be fixed - no matter how long or hard my handyman husband worked on it.
So the bottom line is: the cheaper ellipticals usually make noise and wobble around. If you are really serious about getting in shape, you deserve to invest in a piece of exercise equipment that's going to last you - so be ready to spend a bit more on your elliptical trainer.
#2) Who are you buying it from?
While there are lots of places the sell elliptical exercise equipment - both online and off, make sure they have several years of experience and a solid return policy. If a company has experience selling elliptical equipment, this will make your transaction (and shipping) go much more smoothly.
A solid return policy also gives you peace of mind when buying your elliptical. For example, even if you try your elliptical out in a store, you might get it home and find that after a week it strains your arms or hurts your hips. You want to know that you can return your elliptical without a hassle.
Many specialty sports stores will offer some kind of return policy and most experienced online elliptical stores also offer you a standard 30 day return policy.
#3) Upper Body Arms
Ellipticals with upper body workout arms are one of the #1 things customers look for. The beauty of an elliptical trainer is that it offers a whole body workout.
Whereas treadmills and recumbent bikes tend to work mainly the lower body only, ellipticals offer you a chance to burn calories and build strength using upper body arm handles. This means more calories burned in less time.
Surprisingly enough however, not all elliptical trainers offer upper body arms with their units. Make sure you choose an elliptical with upper body workout arms included if this is an option you want.
It usually won't cost you extra to have upper body arms however one note of caution: Many of the cheaper ellipticals don't necessarily have the coordination between the arms and the legs exactly right. This can result in injury or a less efficient workout.
You should not have to lean over to use the upper body arms.
So there are the top three things to consider when buying elliptical exercise equipment. For a list of elliptical top buys, check out our Best Buys page.
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