Elliptical Reviews and Ratings 2012 » Life Fitness Ellipticals Review

Life Fitness 9500hr Elliptical Trainer Review

vladimiro — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:48:14 +0000

The Life Fitness 9500hr Elliptical Trainer is usually found as remanufactured, it isn’t the newest model from the Life Fitness catalog, but it still has quality and delivers good performances to keep on being remanufactured from health clubs into private homes, it doesn’t lose any of the quality of commercial use, but it is much cheaper and polished for home usage.

The 9500hr has had some complaints from customers about the rear drive and the heart rate sensors on the handlebars, these problems are usually due to the pounding they get to endure while on health clubs. With some fine tuning they are back to shape and ready to roll.

Life Fitness 9500hr Elliptical Trainer Specifications

20 Levels of Resistance
Built in Heart Rate Monitor in Handlegrips
18’’ Stride Length
9 Pre Programmed Courses
Reading Rack and Accessory Tray
Rear Wheels For Easy Mobility
Maximum User Weight: 350 lbs
Dimensions: 82’’ x 27’’ x 62’’

Commercial Quality Affordable Elliptical

The Life Fitness 9500hr Elliptical Trainer is a health club machine, it wasn’t built to be used in your home, so the only units that you can find are remanufactured ones that are replaced with newer models in health clubs and get polished, cleaned and most parts replaced so that they can be sold to home users at affordable prices.

One thing that you should be aware of is that this elliptical is heavy, it has its upside points like the stability and it can endure long periods of workouts, but it is hard to move. It has rear wheels that help to move it around, and it doesn’t need to be plugged to any electrical outlet, but do not expect that you can move it from room to room for storage.

Overall it has the quality of a commercial grade elliptical, it is always a bit of a game of luck to buy a remanufactured elliptical, but it is a good buy considering the quality for the reduced price. Maybe for the price you pay you can find some really good brand new elliptical that will fit better in your home.

Life Fitness 9500hr Elliptical Trainer at a Glance…

Pros:

Affordable
Commercial Grade Quality

Cons:

Warranty

The Life Fitness 9500hr Elliptical Trainer is a remanufactured commercial grade elliptical. It still has all the quality but is outdated, for the same price there are other home elliptical trainers that have great features and are brand new. It is also better to look for a retailer that has a good warranty on these machines, and that isn’t easy to find on any remanufactured units of elliptical trainers.

Life Fitness 9500hr Elliptical Trainer Review is a post from: Elliptical Reviews

Life Fitness X1 Elliptical Cross Trainer Review

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:55:30 +0000

Life Fitness X1 Elliptical Cross-Trainer with Advanced Workout Console

One of the famous brands when it comes to exercise machines and elliptical is the well appreciated Life Fitness. They are not famous without a reason and you can get to know the reason behind their fame with the Life Life Fitness X1 Elliptical Cross-Trainer with Advanced Workout Console. If you are the type of person who just wants to get and go, then this machine should be on the top of your workout machine list. Know the reason why it remains on the top by checking at the product specifications.

Life Fitness X1 Elliptical Cross-Trainer Product Specification:

Manufacturer: Life Fitness
Console: 4″ x 6″ blue and white custom etched LCD with instructional message centre
Programs: 10 programs: manual, hill, random, EZ Resistance™, Sport Training™, Fat Burn, Cardio, Heart Rate Hill™, Heart Rate Interval™, Extreme Heart Rate™, goal workouts (calories, distance, target heart rate), and 2 x custom
Feedback: Level, Time, Speed / RPM, Distance, Calories, Watts, METs, Pace, and Animated Symbols
Heart Rate Measurement: Hand grips and receiver
Resistance: Eddy Current
Resistance Range: 1-20
Stride Length: 20 Inches
Dimensions Open: L165 x W68 x H157cm
Product Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg)
Maximum User Weight: 300 lbs (135 kg)
Power Method: Mains
Usage: Home
Warranty Details: Home warranty: 3 years parts and 3 years labor.

The first thing that I noticed on the Life Fitness X1 elliptical is the stride length. While most elliptical have a 19” stride length, this machine has 20”. That makes the machine more user-friendly and guarantees a much smoother ride. Experts would agree when I say that the longer the stride length would equate to a more elliptical pattern resulting to a smoother action as well as proven to be kinder to your joints. Even at full speed, this machine is easier to use because of the long stride. Longer stride would also mean that it is suitable for taller individuals but in this case, it is perfect no matter what height you have.

If your goal is to have a total body workout then the X1 may stop you from that search as it is specially designed to fulfill that need. The best part is it makes burning calories easier because of the elliptical action of the pedals together with the shape and the position of the handles that was designed to synchronize the upper and lower body movement. With this machine, you don’t have to spend on other exercise machines as it already targets a whole body work out.

Life Fitness is famous for smooth and natural performance and this is exactly what you will get with the X1 elliptical cross trainer. The machine carries the signature Link6 drive system of Life Fitness. That only means that you can expect to have a stride that feels as comfortable and good as walking. This is great for low-impact workouts but then again with the wide variety of workout program on this machine, your workout can be as high impact and as rigorous as you want it to be. It also has heart monitoring features that uses the Lifepulse digital hand sensors or you can also chose to use the Polar wireless chest trap.

No matter what shape and body size you have, you can expect the Life Fitness X1 Elliptical Cross-Trainer to be accommodating. This is because of its oversized pedals that are optimally spaced to lessen the lateral hip shifting that can cause a stress on the lower back. Since it can accommodate varying body size and shape, another great feature is the ability to save and create custom workouts for different users. Plus it comes equipped with an Ergogrip that will work to your advantage.

The cons on this machine is it’s so big and heavy that moving it around can be a challenge. It would require two individuals just to move it. And the price would make you think twice especially if you will not be using the elliptical on a regular basis.

Life Fitness X1 Elliptical at a glance…

Pros:

User-friendly
Smooth and natural performance
Gives total body workout
Wide variety of work out program
Accommodating to all sizes and body shapes
Ability to save different profiles for each user
Ergogrip

Cons:

Hard to store and can’t be moved around easily
Price
Bulky machine

If you are serious about getting a total body work out and is really a big fan of elliptical then the X1 elliptical would be considered as good buy for you. On the other hand, if you are not a regular user of elliptical, then you are better off purchasing a cheaper machine.

Life Fitness X1 Elliptical Cross Trainer Review is a post from: Elliptical Reviews

Life Fitness x5i Elliptical Review

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:26:03 +0000

If you have a lot of money to spend on an exercise machine, then you may want to check out the Life Fitness x5i elliptical. The price tag is considered to be on the high end but the price is trivial when it comes to its great features. From the popular Life Fitness, this machine is a considered as one of the better big boys when it comes to elliptical machines.

Life Fitness x5i Elliptical Product Specifications:

Maximum User Weight: 350lbs (158kg)
Unit Length: 83″ (211 cm)
Unit Width: 26″ (66 cm)
Unit Height :63″ (160 cm)
Unit Weight : :250 lbs (113 kg)
Power Requirements: Plug-in (All major voltage configurations)
Safety: CE, CSA, FCC, GS/TUV, UL
Warranty : Lifetime warranty on frame; 3-year on parts; 1-year on labor (warranties outside the U.S. may vary)
Frame: 2″ x 4″ (5 cm x 10 cm) robotically-welded steel frame
Pedals: 15-3/4″ x 7″ (40 cm x 18 cm) oversized FlexPedal™ with Lifespring™ technology
Resistance System: Eddy current
Minimum Step-up Height: 10″ (25 cm)
Stride Length : Manual Adjustable (18″ – 24″)

If you are wondering what the difference is between the Life fitness X5i and the X5 version, then you’ll be happy to know that the X5i is an upgraded version of the X5. With the X5i, you get an additional feature of wireless heart rate control and the addition of 6 or more programs as well as 4 personalized programs.

With this version, you can also expect to use some of the simple and easy to use heart rate control work out programs together with the wireless heart rate monitor. These added features gives experts more reason to put this elliptical on the list of the top exercise machines.

The Stride length of this elliptical which is manually adjustable from 18”-24” is one of the biggest advantages of this machine. Most elliptical offers a 19” stride but with this machine, you can adjust the stride with your comfort in mind. This is a perfect machine for a family who is into exercise because your whole family will be comfortable using it because they can easily adjust the stride.

For example, if you are 5’3” in height and your husband is a 6 footer, both of you can be comfortable using the machine because you can easily adjust the stride basing on your own stride length.

The Life Fitness X5i elliptical also promotes a completely natural stride. This is an important factor when buying for an elliptical because this will make your work out easier. Just imagine struggling on sticking with your workout routine because using the machine itself is a struggle.

Not a good scenario, right?

If your answer is yes then you will love this machine because using it feels like a natural movement and eliminates the struggle factor.

Another important factor when choosing an elliptical is the noise. This is one thing that I had checked on this machine and so far it gained my respect. It was real quiet. This is something that is hard to find with big exercise machines. And according to some owners of X5i, even at two years of daily use, it still maintains its promise of a quiet machine.

This elliptical is one great machine except for the fact that it is so bulky and could be hard to store. It may eat up a lot of space in your home. You also can not move it easily alone and may need 2-3 persons to move it to another location. Then off course, there is the issue of the price. It will really hurt your pocket but for many fitness buffs, it’s worth every penny because of its amazing feature.

Pros:

More advanced version of elliptical machine
Has wireless heart control
More workout programs to chose from
Adjustable stride resulting to a more comfortable use
Guarantees a natural stride
Quiet

Cons:

Price
Bulky
Hard to Store
Heavy machine

The Life Fitness x5i Elliptical is an expensive machine but worth every penny as the whole family will be able to use it comfortably. It is not recommended however if you only have a small space in your home as it will eat up too much space.

Life Fitness x5i Elliptical Review is a post from: Elliptical Reviews

Life Fitness Club-Series Elliptical Review

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 17:51:06 +0000

When it comes to ellipticals there are 2 brands that stand above the others, both in perceived value as well as in cost.

Life Fitness is one of the two, providing remarkable perceived quality and a sense of style other machines just can’t afford to include. At roughly $4,000 the club elliptical offers a lot of features albeit at a high price.

For those who can afford it, the life fitness club model is an extremely smooth model which reminds users of the look and feel of a club machine.

Besides general clean styling, the Club is characterized by its easy to read LED console which makes you forget that you are working out on your 3 season porch and not in the middle of a room full of sweaty people.

Life Fitness Club-Series Elliptical Specifications

Stride Length: 18″
Type of Resistance: Alternator
Resistance Levels: N/A gradual adjustment
Dimensions: 83″ x 28″ x 61″
Product Weight: 235 lbs
Max User Weight: 350 lbs
Display: Led
Programs: 18
Warranty: lifetime frame, 3 years parts and electronics, and 1 year labor

With an alternator resistance the Life Fitness Club offers an amazing range of possible resistances and offers extremely quiet functionality. Designed to spare not expense, the club has come of the best programs which I have seen on any elliptical, even though the club series does not feature an LCD screen.

Top Quality Machine

When it comes to programs, Life Fitness provides some of the most enjoyable and imaginative fitness machine programs on the market. The list of 18 programs includes one that allows a user to simulate various terrains around the world called Around The World. Inventive as well as thorough, the line up of programs shows where a small portion of the price tag comes from.

Alternator resistance, not found on lower priced machines, not only allows for a gradual increase in resistance, but also provides a smooth transition which will not interfere in your workout. This style of resistance also contributes to the machines overall smooth motion and quiet operation.

More than just a collection of unique features, the Life Fitness Club-Series is a great overall machine offering quality construction and quality materials throughout.

However, there are gripes about this machine which go beyond the price tag. Personally, at $4,000 I was very disappointed that this machine has the same warranty found on many $1,000 Ellipticals.

It would have been nice to at least see a warranty which matches the ones offered by Sole’s more expensive ellipticals. My only other concern is that despite the fact that other Life Fitness machines to offer adjustable strides, the club does not.

An 18″ stride length is uncommon among more expensive machine and may be restrictive to true runners who may have a longer stride and higher speeds.

Club Quality Made For The Home

Overall? I believe that the Life Fitness Club-Series is one of the best ellipticals on the market. Other machines in the Life Fitness home elliptical line may be more enjoyable for many people with improved display and adjustable stride.

Despite price tag the club series comes recommended as a quality machine for those who are interested even though I tend to agree that it may not be the best “value” on the market.

Life Fitness Club-Series Elliptical Review is a post from: Elliptical Reviews