New Balance 8000 Elliptical Trainer Review

Strengths:

2 Position Adjustable Stride - Adjusting the stride length of your elliptical allows you to work your muscles differently, which can help you achieve more definition faster. Strides can be adjusted between 18" and 20". These are excellent stride lengths which will benefit most user heights - although someone under 5'2" may prefer a 16" stride.

2 Side Flywheels - You may have noticed this design in many of the high end commercial elliptical trainers. It's a trend that is slowly creeping into the residential elliptical market. Having 2 side flywheels (instead of 1 large one in the middle as most ellipticals have) cuts down on space requirements and also makes for a very stable, sleek looking machine.

Oversized Comform™ Foot Pedals: - ComForm™ foot platforms offer a built-in skid resistant surface and allow you to find the most comfortable foot position within the elliptical motion. Along with a high 300 lb user weight capacity, the extra large platforms support your body weight more evenly and provide added stability.

T Bar with Hand Heart Rate Sensors - If you don't want to work your upper body arms but still want to track your heart rate, there's a T Bar with heart rate sensors built in. This is a nice touch as many ellipticals only have the sensors on the arm bars.

Weaknesses:

The brand is fairly new so they really haven't been proven yet. And while the 2 side flywheels may seem cool, it also means there can be more parts to fix if the unit does not hold up over the long run.

Summary:

The New Balance 8000 elliptical trainer offers some great features for an economy elliptical. The compact design is great if you're low on space. And the adjustable strides are a nice touch that will suit most users in the family.

Overall however, we would probably still go for a more proven brand name at this price point like Nordic Track or Schwinn.

Where To Buy At A Discount:

While these ellipticals can be hard to find, you can still get the New Balance 8000 at Fogdog. They also offer free shipping and no sales tax in most places.

Click here for more on the New Balance 8000 Elliptical

The New Balance 8000 elliptical trainer is one of the economy units put out by New Balance - a fairly new name on the elliptical scene.

With it's compact design, stable feel and 2 side flywheels (versus one in the middle of the machine as most elliptical trainers have), this elliptical is getting a lot of attention for it's commercial health club look.

And at $799, the NewBalance 8000 is affordable for most buyers - is it the right fit for your needs? Here's a review to help you decide:

Features:

Price: $799

Stride Length: Adjustable - 18" & 20"

Resistance Type: Magnetic

Resistance Levels:16

Built In Workout Programs: 6

Upper Body Arms: Yes

Heart Rate Monitor: yes

Water Bottle Holder: Yes

User Weight Capacity: 300 lbs

Warranty: 10 year frame, 2 years electronics, 1 year parts