Ellipitical advice

[lucigo]

I know its probably not the right time of year to buy a budget elliptical (supply/demand thing), but I am wasting $19 on a gym membership that I'm not using and would really like to exercise at home.

I need some advice...should I go to a sports store and pick out the most comfortable one? get one from craigslist? shop online?

I really don't want it to become a clothes rack! I had a cheap wal-mart one once that I finally scrapped. It was just too short and choppy.

Do you have one that you love?

 

[sunlover13]

Definitely go to a sports store and try one out.

You can then see if you can find it cheaper online, etc.

I wouldn't invest in one unless I tried it out and was comfortable on it.

We did the same thing with a treadmill. I bought a cheap one a long time ago that barely lasted two years. We went to a fitness store and tried out the treadmills, invested a little more $, and we still have it 8 years later, never been serviced.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

We just bought an elliptical - it was part christmas/birthday gift for me. We did a lot of shopping and ended up buying a not-so-budget model simply because the cheaper ones just don't last. We would rather pay a little more up front and have it last years than be shelling out $300 every 9 months for one.

We ended up buying a Livestrong brand and are happy with it (but we have only had it a week, so I can't comment on duribility over time). We really wanted to buy a Sole because they have stellar reliablilty ratings and excellent warranties, but the Livestrong just felt better.

We bought at a Dick's Sporting Goods and the staff there was very helpful.

 

[TnTWalter]

CRAIGSLIST or go to the gym. JMHO.

 

[lck33]

I have a sole E95 and love it. A bit pricey, but weel worth it. We have had it for over a year now and I have lost so much weight and feel great. Worth every penny.

 

[CleoPahd]

You most definitely have to go somewhere to try a bunch out first. Once you find one that you like the feel of...then shop it around. If it's not a comfortable "ride" you won't use it. I never thought I'd like an elliptical for myself from the ones I had tried until I found "the one" one day unexpectedly. I'd look online, sometimes you can get free shipping/delivery.

 

[niccikatie]

We bought an Octane Q37 about a year ago. It was definitely not budget friendly, but the overall value was present for us. We decided on that brand after we used the one at our apartment complex for 1 1/2 years. I would recommend that you try several. Once you decide, I'd look on craigslist for a decent deal. Try them first, though, so that you don't regret your choice.

 

[tower_of_terror_luvr]

I bought mine at a yard sale for $50 bucks. So far I have definately gotten my money out of it.

 

[LaughingSphinx]

Go to sporting goods stores, department stores, try out the machines til you find one you like, and check online reviews to see how long it's likely to last you. DH and I have a Schwinn we bought a couple years ago, and while it was a clotheshorse for a while, maintenance has been minimal and it still works quite well.

 

[dznyacct]

We bought an Octane Q37 about a year ago. It was definitely not budget friendly, but the overall value was present for us. We decided on that brand after we used the one at our apartment complex for 1 1/2 years. I would recommend that you try several. Once you decide, I'd look on craigslist for a decent deal. Try them first, though, so that you don't regret your choice.

I have an Octane also and it is fantastic! It is VERY comfortable, especially the arms. It was $$ (~ $3,000), but is very high quality.

 

[lucigo]

I ended up finding one on craigslist with an 18" stride length so figured i would give it a try ($175). Its got a minor problem that makes it louder than it should be, but my son is working on that. In the meantime I have a lot of work to do, its kicking my butt!