Sole Elliptical
by Sally
Sole Elliptical Machines haven’t been on the market as long as some others, but Sole has formed a good reputation with the treadmills they supply for large hotel chains like Hilton and Omni. Because these hotel machines have to endure heavy use by a wide variety of people they need to be durable. They are using this experience to design a quality elliptical trainer for home use at an affordable price.
Sole ellipticals hit the market with four different models ranging from about $1,000 to $1,700. All four models are front drive ellipticals that offer both an upper body work out and of course a lower body workout.
Sole Elliptical Features
Sole has a good reputation for their treadmills and they are working to have that same good reputation with their elliptical exercise machines. They are striving to provide a quality but affordable elliptical for home use. As with many products reading the warranty gives you an idea of the kind of product they offer.
By looking at the warranty Sole offers on their elliptical machines you can tell they stand behind their products. They offer a lifetime warranty on the frame, five year warranty on parts and two years on service (three years parts and one year on labor for the Sole E25). That’s a great warranty; especially when you consider these are basically mid-range priced elliptical trainers. That says a lot about the quality construction of these trainers.
One of the features unique to Sole elliptical machines is the design of the foot pedals. They had a physical therapist help with the design of these pedals which have a 2 degree inward slope. This slope was created to help reduce knee and ankle stress, but many feel it helps provide a more natural feeling stride as well. The pedals are also oversize and the footbeds are adjustable to make the elliptical workout more comfortable and to increase performance.
Sole Elliptical
Sole elliptical trainers also offer a smooth and quiet ride with the help of the heavy flywheel and a high gear ratio. Along with a smooth feel this helps provide a good amount of resistance for a solid workout. These trainers have the feel of a more expensive brand. They were built for the everyday user, not just the occasional user.
All models have an incline ramp to help add resistance, diversify your elliptical workout and to help work different muscle groups. Most have a power incline, but the Sole E25 has a manual incline. For some a manual ramp may not sound as tempting but at least you have the option.
There are some other features that make Sole ellipticals popular. They have a stride length of 20 inches which makes it more user-friendly for people who are tall and it helps work a wider range of muscles. Many elliptical trainers have a stride length of 18 inches or less.
These machines also offer a higher weigh capacity than many others. They can accommodate weights from 325 to 400 pounds depending on the model you choose.
Some other popular features include built in speakers with MP3 player hookup, a good number of resistance levels and programs, an easy to use electronic console and a build in fan.
There generally aren’t a lot of complaints with these elliptical machines but some of the cons include them being somewhat difficult to assemble, and some feel the heart rate monitor can be fussy.
Buying A Sole Elliptical
If you’ve done your research and have decided to buy a Sole Elliptical you can find them online or at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Amazon has a great selection plus here you can read reviews to see about the experience other users have had.
Summary
I know a few people who have worked out regularly on a Precor elliptical at the gym but couldn’t afford one for home use so they bought a Sole instead and have been quite happy with it.
Overall a Sole elliptical exercise machine is considered a great buy for the price. In fact a couple of their models can be found on “Best Buy” lists, particularly the Sole E35 Elliptical. This model has also received high recommendations from Consumer Reports. Sole provides a solid elliptical machine at an affordable price; that’s something that can be hard to find.