Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer
June 30, 2010 by Mohamed
Filed under Best Ellipticals To Buy
Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer
|
 List Price: $1,999.99 Sale Price: $999.99 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Eligible For Free Shipping |
Product Description
The Sole E25 elliptical creates a fluid natural motion provided by a whisper-quiet ECB drive system. Its 20-in stride length is ideal for areas with limited floor space, and the adjustable, articulating pedals provide multiple workout options. You can work up a sweat to your favorite tunes thanks to the built-in sound system, and keep track of your progress with the blue backlit LCD display.
Details
- Features a 23-pound flywheel and dual-action functionality for an upper and lower body workout
- Grip pulse monitoring and heart rate chest strap; oversize, adjustable foot pedals
- Sixteen resistance levels and seven programs for a challenging workout
- Offers a 20-inch stride length, LCD display monitor, cooling fan, and water bottle holder
- 325-pound maximum weight capacity; measures 71 by 27 by 68 inches (L x W x H) when assembled
Rating
I’ve had this elliptical for a month. Between my husband and me, we use this machine 8-10 times a week. I will update this review if my opinion changes.
This is a GREAT machine for the price. A LifeFitness was out of my price range, and research showed that this was a great “budget” model so this is the one I went with.
Pros:
- 20″ stride. My husband and I are both tall and 18″ machines don’t feel right.
- Warranty. Compare this to other brands. I couldn’t find a warranty this good.
- Stability. This machine is VERY stable for us, even for intense workouts. Far more stable than the Horizon and Nordic models I tried.
- Price. This is a “budget” machine but it doesn’t feel like one to me.
- Heart rate strap: Love having this!
Cons:
- As the previous reviewer said, the console and fan aren’t great. Oh well. I care far more about the quality of the machine than whether the console looks modern.
- The iPod connection works great, but the sound is a bit tinny. See my comment above. This is a very minor issue.
- Not fun to carry downstairs! But we managed. Assembly took a couple hours.
- No heart rate control. Most people don’t use this, so it doesn’t matter. I would have liked it, but it was not worth the price to upgrade to a different model for me.
This 2009 version has a manual incline. Mine arrived in non-working condition. A repairman was sent, did some adjustments, and now it works great. I am happy with the customer service about this issue. This was all covered by warranty, of course. Having the incline is a very nice feature (the e35, about $300 more in price, has a power incline).
For those with low ceilings: My husband is 6’2″ and he can comfortably exercise in our basement with 7′ ceilings. Don’t quote me on this, but 8″ clearance seems like enough.
Overall, this gets 5 stars for me – remember that this is a budget model, so you may not get the best programs and the best console. But so far, so good for us!
Rating
It’s a very well built and sturdy machine but the console is lacking features. The display program it uses feels like it’s out of the 90′s.
The fan it uses barely moves any air, it’s like a little 100mm fan from a computer case or something.
Good machine if you want a nice workout but don’t expect any wonders from the display.
Rating
We’ve had the E25 for about 10 months. This is a great elliptical machine for the price. It is really heavy and very sturdy and it wasn’t too hard for us to put together ourselves. Most of our time putting it together was spent trying to retrieve a wrench we dropped inside the flywheel housing. Be sure to get the main middle support bolts really tight – this is the part that supports all of your weight and holds the display – get the bolts as tight as you can physically get them – but don’t drop anything down the hole – retrieving the wrench was not fun or easy.
We use it about 2-3 hours per week and hadn’t really had any problems except there was a thumping sound after about 2 months of use that was fixed by cleaning and lubing the wheels and tracks. After about 6 months or so, we started hearing a squeak coming from the right pedal. It got louder and louder…I wish we had called Sole about the squeak sooner. We told them the problem and they sent a new part. The bolt under the front part of the plastic pedal needed replaced on one side. The contracted repairman came out and fixed it with no problems and gave some tips on what possible problems to look for and what we might expect to see in a machine like this over time. He also gave some general maintenance tips. Everything was covered under the warranty since it had been less than a year since we bought it.
The only con with the design is that the little fan that is mounted on the top of the display panel is kind of weak and basically pointless. The display is pretty basic, but I expect you would have to pay a lot more for a fancy display. The heartbeat monitor – both the handle monitor and the supplied wireless chest belt type monitor both work well. The machine itself runs very smoothely as long as it is completely level and it doesn’t wobble or bounce like some of the cheaper machines do. It is really quiet when everything is working properly…ours is in the living room and someone can easily watch television without having to adjust the TV volume while someone else is working out.
If you are really going to use it a lot or you are not comfortable with eventually doing some basic repairs yourself, you may want to pay the extra money for the E35 since it is a very similar machine but has a longer warranty and it has a powered incline. It’s a machine with a lot of moving parts, so there are bound to be some maintenance issues eventually – just like a car. We are totally happy with our E25 – we just clean the wheels and rails with alcohol once in a while and put a thin coat of the supplied lube on the rails to avoid thumping.
Overall, we are very happy with our machine and the service we received
Rating
Elliptical is great. When I made the purchase, I was worried that by going for the lower end model instead of E35 or E55 I was making a compromise on quality, but having used it now I am very satisfied with the product.
Assembling the elliptical is definitely a 2-person task. Important thing to keep in mind during assembly is to tighten the joints as best as possible to avoid noise later on.
Rating
I read the articles and reviews before I purchased the E-25 and they helped me to make a very wise choice. Because I read now in Consumers reports that the E-35 is the best for your money. I chose the 25 because I did not see the necessity of paying more to have an item that could go bad if the kids over used it (the auto ramp is the only difference between the two that I could see). Other reviewers said about 3-4 hours to put it together and they were right – 2 people are not a must but do help out. I am very happy.
Rating
Update at 6 months: the squeaks I mentioned below were fixed quickly after a call to Sole — they sent new parts and a technician – all fixed under warranty. I have no complaints – the machine works great, still used nearly every day.
I have had the E25 for about 2 months. I assembled it myself to save money — not too hard, but this machine is understandably heavy and was quite a chore to move into place. The action is smooth, though I have a few squeaks that bolt tightening is supposed to fix – taking off covers is a pain and I’m dealing with it for now. This display is fine – I agree the fan is almost useless- but that’s minor. The many programs are good and can be individualized.
I can get a very strenuous workout. Incline feature (manual really is no problem) adds variety. The “feel” of the motion is sturdy,and smooth, the machine totally stable and is very much like the ones at the expensive gym I no longer have to pay dues to or drive to. My daughter and I use it nearly every day.
Rating
i’ve had this about 3 weeks now. very sturdy and great quality. extremely quiet although a slight squeak that isn’t worth the trouble to find (normal suggested fixes helped but weren’t perfect. fan is useless. handy bins to hold your water, keys and mp3 player in. was difficult to put together – might be worthwhile to pay someone, it took several hours to put together. save some money and buy it cheaper direct from manufacturer or from retailer. i was able to negotiate with a sports retailer “_ _ cks sporting” to get at $799 + 3 yr warranty $109. test it out in person, this product is so much better than the other models available in show rooms. you won’t want anything but a Sole.
Rating
Assembly took about 2 hours. Recommend a metric socket set to make assembly easier. Very smooth and quiet operation.
Rating
I have had this machine for a few months now, and it has been incredible how solid and stable it is. But what is more, is the service I have received from Sole. Anytime, day or night, I have been able to get them to assist me with questions, or concerns I have had about the unit.
Originally I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to buy an extended warranty, but I see now that won’t be necessary. The machine is solid and stable, and I don’t forsee any problems. The interaction I have had with Sole, both pre-sale, and post-sale, has been exemplary.
I looked at many lower end models, in the $600 range, and then I jumped up to over $1500, and found this little unit right in the middle. I feel that every dollar was well spent on this machine. My cholesterol has already lowered, and I feel great. Well worth $1000.
Rating
Because I broke my last elliptical from over-use, I spent quite a bit of time researching to find a replacement machine that was well made and good quality, but still reasonably priced.
My research led to this machine, and I could not be happier with my purchase. I live in Canada and ordered over the phone, but shipping was still free and it arrived quickly. It was very heavy, so I needed help getting it up to my apartment. Assembling it alone was not difficult, but moving the heavy parts by myself was; if you’re alone (and not a heavyweight champion), I suggest enlisting some help.
All set up, the machine works perfectly: it is smooth, has easy to use display and user settings, a great ipod docking station, and also adjustable foot petals to mitigate the common ‘numb toes syndrome.’ It was a little squeaky at first, but I fixed it by tightening some of the bolts and putting some grease (included) on the polyurethane wheels and rails.
All in all, I am quite pleased to have purchased what seems to be a gym-quality machine that is within my budget. I highly recommend this elliptical.