ProForm is a well-established brand in the fitness equipment industry. These ellipticals are made by ICON, which is the fitness manufacturer that also makes the popular NordicTrack ellipticals. We are consistently impressed with the machines that we see released from ProForm. Throughout the years and during our several visits to the corporate headquarters in Logan, UT, we have seen ProForm produce equipment that is safe, effective, durable, and technologically forward.
One of the most impressive features on all ProForm equipment is the interactive fitness technology known as iFit. iFit is allows users to access an ever-growing fitness platform that showcases both live and on-demand workouts. Even though a lot of people find cardio boring, particularly at home, iFit solves that problem.
This technology will give you a variety of workouts that are new and exciting so that you’re never dreading your upcoming workout. It will also help keep you motivated and accountable with features like a community leaderboard, and connected fitness tracking.
Now you may be wondering, what makes the E10 different than the rest of the ellipticals in the Carbon series? Keep reading to learn more about the specs on this machine.
The ProForm Carbon E10 is priced at $1,403, “FREE” with the purchase of a 3-year iFit family membership. Pay just $39/month for 36 months.
25 lb. Flywheel – A 25 lb. flywheel is nothing to shake a stick at. A heavy flywheel on an elliptical translates to a smoother and quieter workout. Basically, the heavier the flywheel on an elliptical, the better in terms of stability and safety. A heavier flywheel makes your elliptical feel more stable and secure while in motion. Honestly, this flywheel is heavier than we’d expect to see on an elliptical priced around $1,000.
Stride – A 19” Power Adjustable stride is a full-length stride that will be sufficient for most users.
24 Resistance Levels – 24 levels of resistance will allow you to push yourself to your limits during exercise. If you only have a short time to fit in a workout but want to get your heart pumping, crank up that resistance to get a good sweat in. The wide range of resistance levels will allow you to max out your effort levels, and take advantage of challenging iFit workouts as well.
0-20 Degree Power Adjustable Ramp – An adjustable ramp, or “incline” on your elliptical will take your workouts to another level. You can use this feature to shift the shape of your stride, which will change up the muscle groups that are being used during your workouts. This will boost caloric burn and enhance muscle building.
Comfort Features – Performance features are the most important feature on fitness equipment. However, it’s also important when you’re investing in an elliptical that you will feel comfortable with the extra comfort features as well. ProForm has you covered with comfort features like a 10″ Smart HD Touchscreen, adjustable, oversized, cushioned pedals, water bottle holder, a CoolAire fan and dual 2” Bluetooth speakers.
iFit Interactive Programming – If you’ve looked for fitness equipment, you have probably heard of iFit as you were researching and browsing. But, what exactly does iFit offer? Take a look…
Global and Studio Class Options – One of the cons of working out on an elliptical is that it can be boring. Let’s face it… Staring at the four walls of your living room isn’t the most exciting scenery location. With iFit, you can take advantage of the standard studio classes. BUT, you can also choose to take one of their global workout classes. This will allow you to take your workout scenery to anywhere in the globe. Talk about a fun elliptical workout!
Fitness Tracking – iFit technology keeps track of your workouts for you. Not only do you have access to view which classes that you have taken, but you can keep track of your workout stats. Take advantage of viewing your progress so that you can stay motivated and stay on track.
*Note: At the time of this review, ProForm is offering a 30-day free trial to iFit. After the trial is over, it’s a monthly fee of $39 to continue your membership.
Warranty – The warranty on the Carbon E10 elliptical is 10-year frame, 2-year parts, and 1-year labor.
Compared to the other ellipticals in the Carbon series, the Carbon EL and the Carbon E7 – the Carbon E10 comes is the most feature-rich for the price. If you’re looking for an elliptical from the Carbon series, the E10 is the best “bang for your buck” at the $1,000 – $1,500 price range.
However, if you do plan to keep your iFit membership after the 30-day trial expires, you may want to take the Carbon E7 into consideration. The E7 is known as the FREE elliptical, because it’s free with the purchase of a 3-year subscription to iFit. So, if you are confident that you’ll keep using iFit, the E7 might be a better fit for you.
Learn more at www.proform.com/ellipticals.*
You may have heard of the brand Sole Fitness. Sole has been around for a long time, and their company has certainly earned their stripes over the years in the fitness industry. While other top name brands such as NordicTrack or ProForm are known for their flashy machines, Sole has established a reputation for durability and consistency in their fitness equipment products.
At our last visit to the Sole corporate headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, we discussed the mission behind their machines. The owners at Sole told our Fitness Equipment Source team that the goal at Sole is to provide consumers with the highest quality fitness equipment. Their company chooses to spend money on the components and engineering of their products, rather than the bells and whistles you may see on other machines on the market.
Sole ellipticals are appealing to a wide array of budgets. Their machines have always ranged from the $999-$2,500 range. With Sole’s newest elliptical launch, they’ve expanded the affordability of their products even more. The brand new E20 elliptical from Sole is priced below $800, which is a new price category for their company. As most of us know, cheaper doesn’t always mean better. So, the real question is, is the new budget-friendly elliptical from Sole worth your money? Let’s jump right in. Continue reading
And although it might seem like some super-human task (I mean, 26 miles is pretty long), the truth is, anyone can do it! You’d be surprised to find that more people than you think have ran marathons.
From professional athletes and Hollywood actors to Grammy-award winning singers and famous comedians – many of your favorite celebrities have worn out their running shoes and crossed the marathon finish line. Here’s just a few familiar faces that have checked “run a marathon” off their bucket lists. Continue reading
Recumbent bikes are gaining more traction again in the fitness industry. The older models of these indoor stationary bikes were in their prime in the 1960s-1970s. 
Let’s be honest… the concept of the recumbent exercise bike back then was far from spectacular. These machines were infamous for being uncomfortable, noisy, bulky, and just overall impractical.
Thankfully, there have been some major improvements since then.
Get the commercial grade Sole R92 recumbent bike at a residential price of only $1,099. 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.
Click Here for Free Shipping on the R92 Bike from Sole
*Shipping/Delivery Note: All Sole bikes come with free curbside delivery. For this standard delivery, the driver will back the truck up as far as they can (which is sometimes at the end of your driveway) and unload your box for you. Bikes can often be awkward to move and typically require more than one person. Sole now offers Assembly Authority Delivery for $299. An Assembly Authority Tech will unload the bike to the designated room of your choice, assemble it, and demonstrate the functionality for you. This new delivery option is a great deal in our opinion.
Fitness Equipment Source team member testing her Sole SB900 recumbent bike.
Sole is a brand that we have continued to be impressed with throughout the years. Their company has been recognized for the quality and durability of their fitness equipment over and over. Sole’s customer service and warranty is one of the best that you will be able to find in the fitness industry.
Our team has made several trips to the Sole Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah to get further insight as to why this company is so successful, and why their products are some of the best in their class. Several of our team members have owned Sole equipment over the years and have been thoroughly impressed with the longevity of their ellipticals, as well as how low maintenance they are.
Recently, one of our team members has purchased a recumbent bike from Sole and she has been very impressed with the use that she has gotten out of it.
There are many perks to utilizing recumbent bikes for some people. For example, you may benefit from using a recumbent bike if…
These are just some of the reasons that you should consider opting for a recumbent bike. Also, you may just enjoy biking over other cardio equipment such as an elliptical or a treadmill.
Affordable – We typically see this bike priced around the $1,000 price point, a great price tag for a sturdy bike.
20 Resistance Levels – The R92 offers 20 levels of ECB resistance. This will give you an easy, quiet transition while switching your workout intensity level.
Posture Support – As we mentioned earlier, stationary bikes are ideal for those who suffer from any chronic back or joint issues. The R92 bike features a 2-degree inward design to maintain proper posture during your workout.
Compact Size – Many recumbent bikes are big and bulky, this machine 50” h x 30” w x 57” L.
LCD Display – An easy-to-read 9” LCD display. This machine comes with 10 engaging workout programs to keep your exercise routine far from boring.
Technology and Additional Features – Bluetooth capable, USB charging port, tablet/phone holder, cooling fans, water bottle holder, heart rate monitoring with pulse grips and chest strap included.
Warranty – Lifetime frame warranty, 3-year electronics, 3-year parts, 1-year labor. This is one of the best warranties that you will currently find in the fitness equipment industry.
Although using a bike will not allow you to get in the intense HIIT workout that you may could achieve on your elliptical or treadmill, it’s an excellent way to get in your daily cardio movement. Choosing to use a stationary bike machine will get your blood pumping, without putting yourself at risk for injury or inducing any pain. The recumbent bike is also a great option for those who are just starting out on their fitness journey, elderly, need to avoid joint impact, suffer from any type of pain, or just really enjoy cycling!
If a recumbent bike sounds like the right addition to incorporate into your workout routine, we confidently suggest the R92 recumbent bike from Sole.
Go to www.SoleEllipticals.com to learn more.
When you start out with a weight training program, it’s easy to get really excited about getting strong and toned…but then you may feel like you aren’t seeing the results you’ve been hoping for.
There is a reason for this, and it has nothing to do with how hard you’re working. As it turns out, during the first few weeks of weight training, your body is actually strengthening your nervous system.
New research (1) reveals what goes on in your body during the beginning of a weight training regimen. Continue reading
There are benefits – you don’t have to commute to the gym, you can play your music as loud as you want in your living room, and you can avoid the smelly Steve at your local gym.
But you probably miss having more than one barbell to choose from, and you probably miss your favorite exercise machines too.
Since it seems like the virus isn’t going away any time soon, it’s probably time to take your home gym to the next level. With New Year’s approaching, soon you’ll have a chance to make New Year’s resolutions, new fitness goals, and change your workout routine.
And to make all of that happen, you need new fitness equipment. With Black Friday approaching, now is the time to buy exercise equipment. Continue reading
The SF-E3872 from Sunny Health and Fitness is their under-desk elliptical. Priced at less than $150, this machine seems pretty attractive to consumers. Most users who work at desk jobs will find this under-desk elliptical particularly attractive in hopes to incorporate some leg movement while they are sitting all day.
Although you may not have heard of Sunny Health and Fitness, they are really popular on Amazon. Most of their machines have really good user reviews. This elliptical for example has 4.5/5 stars with over 2,000 consumer reviews.
Sunny Health and Fitness is a much smaller brand in the industry, they have only about 100 employees worldwide. Their main headquarter location is in Los Angeles, CA. Sunny Health has a second headquarter location in Xiamen, China.
While Sunny Health and Fitness certainly doesn’t have the name recognition as other brands such as NordicTrack or Horizon, having such popularity with consumers on their Amazon store is promising for their equipment.
The SF-E3872 under-desk elliptical is definitely a unique option that we don’t see often on the market, and there is a reason why. There are some better options out there for the goals of most consumers.
SF-E3872
An under-desk elliptical seems like a great idea in theory. Most people think that it’s a great way to “kill two birds with one stone” so to speak – get your exercise in while you are working. However, the movement alone of simply moving your legs while at a desk or chair is actually not very effective at all.
Horizon EX-59
Of course, there are always benefits to moving your body. In comparison, the benefits to only working your lower body, rather than the full body workout that a standard elliptical will give you are minimal. If you are looking to get toned, burn calories, and get your heart pumping, this is probably not the option for you.
If you are looking to add some really effective exercise into your today, we suggest another budget elliptical instead – the Horizon EX-59. The EX-59 from Horizon is priced at $649, and they offer monthly financing options.
Sunny Health and Fitness is a smaller brand that is not well-known by most people. Their company has only about 100 employees worldwide. Sunny’s main headquarter location is in Los Angeles, CA. Sunny Health has a second headquarter location in Xiamen, China.
While Sunny Health and Fitness certainly doesn’t have the name recognition as other brands such as NordicTrack or Horizon, there are some good reviews on their fitness equipment. Sunny Health and Fitness has a large presence on Amazon. The SF-E905 elliptical has a 4/5 star rating with over 4,500 reviews.
The SF-E905 does seem to be popular among some consumers, but we do have some concerns with this machine that we want to make readers aware of before making their purchase.
SF-E905
Digital Monitor – Nothing fancy, just a display monitor, but it does give you information like your time, speed, distance, calories, and pulse.
Horizon EX-59
The SF-E905 elliptical from Sunny Health and Fitness comes with some decent features for such an affordable price. Although it’s compact, shows fitness stats, and has resistance adjustment options, we feel the safety concerns outweigh the positives of this machine.
We suggest checking out the Horizon EX-59 elliptical instead. The EX-59 is sold at $649, with monthly financing available. We are very confident in Horizon as a brand and have seen countless positive consumer reviews over the years for the EX-59. The EX-59 from Horizon is a safer and more durable choice for an elliptical trainer.
Sunny Health and Fitness is a smaller brand in the fitness equipment industry, with only about 100 employees worldwide. Their main headquarters location is in Los Angeles, CA. Sunny Health has a second headquarters location in Xiamen, China.
Some people may view small brands as a disadvantage. While Sunny Health certainly doesn’t have the name recognition as other brands such as NordicTrack or Horizon, there are some advantages when choosing to purchase from a small brand.
Sunny Health and Fitness is vocal about their dedication to making their company atmosphere as much like ‘family’ as possible. Since they strive to create a close-knit workplace – their customer service is likely to be much more personal as well. (Which is a huge plus when purchasing fitness equipment!)
There is no denying that the SF-E902 from Sunny Health comes at one of the most appealing price points on the market. Let’s face it, if you can spend under $100 on an elliptical trainer, who wouldn’t want to?! However, we have some really serious concerns with this elliptical trainer.
SF-E902
Product Weight – The SF-E902 Elliptical Trainer only weighs 31 lbs. While a lightweight product can be a great feature, not this lightweight. Sunny Health makes the claim that the SF-E902 can hold up to 220 lbs. of user weight. Considering this is over six times the weight of the elliptical, we do not feel this is a safe weight limit. With a product weighing only 31 lbs., there are major concerns for both stability and safety during your workout.
Horizon EX-59
This elliptical is sold at a price that nearly all of us are drawn to. It seems like a great deal, especially for someone who is looking for a basic treadmill to get some movement in at home. However, as we stated, we have some safety concerns with this elliptical unfortunately.
We suggest checking out the Horizon EX-59 elliptical instead. The EX-59 is sold at $649, with financing available. There is a bit of a price jump from $100 to $600, but we are very confident in Horizon as a brand, and have seen countless positive consumer reviews over the years for the EX-59. We feel the Horizon EX-59 is a safer and more durable choice for an elliptical trainer.
When trying to balance a healthy lifestyle, sometimes it’s best to bring the gym to your home. At home fitness equipment comes in all shapes and sizes, but it is very important to opt for a fitness machine that is designed scientifically and ergonomically. Otherwise, it is possible to end up with injuries and no effective fitness results. But our time constraints in daily life hinder us from physically going to stores and doing extensive research about fitness machine products before purchasing them.
So, we search online, and different websites have plenty of different items available for sale on their websites. We heard about MaxKare, a company that sells ellipticals, also called MaxKare ellipticals ,on Amazon. When it is a matter of reviewing fitness machines, our team is always ready to explore! So, we did not waste time and started researching the MaxKare ellipticals.
One of the reasons that definitely drew our attention to MaxKare is that it sells MaxKare ellipticals; however, MaxKare also sells other products along with fitness machines, and its website suggests that fitness machine manufacturing is something that they are least bothered about.
When we try to deliver a review about a company and its products, we always start by examining their websites closely. The websites hold so much information to clear many doubts. When it comes to a fitness machine manufacturer company and their products, learning and understanding things becomes easier since we have a basic knowledge of which technologies and latest upgrades are in the market and how they are working. So, by analyzing the specifications of a fitness machine, we can almost get sure about its credibility.
After we are done with our research and analysis about MaxKare and its ellipticals, here are some facts that we feel you need to be aware of before you make a decision to purchase them:
Our final take is that we recommend the Horizon EX-59 over the MaxKare elliptical. It costs $599, but in order to achieve sustainable durability and reliability, we believe it is a much safer and better investment. Let’s look at some reasons why this is our suggestion.
There are different ergonomic, functional, and safety-related reasons that make us suggest to customers the Horizon EX-59 over the MaxKare elliptical.
Whenever we are researching an exercise machine, our primary research approach is to find out whether the machine ensures safety or how much sturdiness its weight provides. While researching the MaxKare elliptical, this has also been no exception. The product description shows that a MaxKare elliptical is a fitness machine that weighs 72.7 pounds. It made us doubt the product’s sturdiness right away. We went on thinking and discussing among ourselves that if a user is more than 140 pounds and chooses to go for this machine, it can bring a fatal result.
As soon as we found out that the MaxKare elliptical machine failed to match our primary criteria, we started looking for an alternative, and we discovered that the Horizon EX-59 is a way better replacement for the MaxKare elliptical machine; here are some reasons why:
As we have discussed before, the weight of the MaxKare machine made us skeptical about its sturdiness. So, we tried to find an alternative and learned that the Horizon EX-59 is the best replacement. The Horizon EX-59 elliptical weighs 145 pounds, more than twice as much as the MaxKare elliptical. MaxKare says that its elliptical can support up to 286.6 pounds of user weight. We believe that this suggestion is incorrect and that someone of this weight using an elliptical in comparison to the actual weight of the elliptical could pose a safety issue.
In their opinion, the MaxKare elliptical has a stride length of 14.17 inches, which is comfortable enough for all clients. Their product description provides us with this information. However, this is not a practical case. In contrast, the Horizon EX-59 elliptical possesses an 18-inch stride length, which is something that we would only suggest for people with an average height. The Horizon EX-59 stride length is suitable for most people who are 5’6–5’7′′ or shorter. We believe that most users would consider the MaxKare elliptical’s 14.17 stride length to be excessively restricting.
A flywheel is an important aspect of an elliptical machine since it determines the motion of the exercise machine. The more it gains motion, the more effective it will be in calorie burning. So, it is very crucial to look for heavy flywheels that ensure optimal motion to help you pursue a fruitful fitness goal.
Through research, we came to know that the MaxKare elliptical has an 11-pound flywheel, which is not at all promising to scale up your exercise regimen. If your motion is not perfect, your exercise will not be effective at burning calories. So, we went to look for the Horizon EX-59 machine’s flywheel information and it states that EX-59 has a 14.3-pound flywheel. This implies the fact that the Horizon EX-59 has tougher flywheels and ensures better motion when it comes to exercising.
Warranty is a very crucial factor when it comes to machines. Since ellipticals are fitness machines, the importance of the warranty period is also vital here. Having a warranty makes sure that you get your coverage free of cost and if any part goes wrong, the company takes the responsibility to replace it. Since this aspect is very important, we wanted to research this factor too.
We learned that the MaxKare elliptical comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee and if there is any fault or shipment damage, there is a 24-month manufacturing warranty. This is a poor warranty, and we believe that a poor warranty reflects the fact that the product is not up to the mark. The Horizon EX-59 comes with a way better warranty plan, with a lifetime structural warranty and a one-year parts and labor warranty.
As discussed before, many buyers look for fitness machines on sites like Amazon. MaxKare ellipticals are one of those fitness machines that are available on Amazon and many people buy them online from Amazon.
After purchasing and using the product for some time, they leave their reviews in the product review section. We took a look into that because it is one of the most important things to get clients’ feedback about a product because they use the product extensively before writing a review. Here are some glimpses from that section discussed below:
Update: “I attempted it again, and it can be achieved by yourself, but it’s difficult.”
Recommendations:
MaxKare appears to be selling and receiving love from customers everywhere in general. However, both their official company website and Amazon store are difficult to use for a buyer to purchase a fitness item. Despite some positive Amazon reviews, a significant criticism appears to be the machine’s faulty construction and poor engineering design, along with bad customer support. When it comes to purchasing exercise equipment online, these factors are very crucial and major concerns for buyers.
Another issue with this fitness machine that we are concerned about is its safety and reliability. We are apprehensive about their suggestion of a 286 lb. client maximum weight limit. We have tested the equipment and also noticed that the machine’s flywheel weight is also not up to the mark. So, a calculation of the ratio between user weight and machine weight suggests that a user weighing nearly 286 lb. would be roughly four times the machine’s weight.
Our final thoughts would suggest that if your budget is that of the MaxKare elliptical, you should opt for the Horizon EX-59. Our research and review team has examined both of the products very closely, and we can assure you that Horizon EX-59 is a far more secure and prudent option. It boasts a bigger stride length, a stronger and heftier unit weight, and a better insurance plan. Horizon also has a considerably better reputation in the industry. If you want to know more about the Horizon EX-59 product, you can head on over here to read our full review of this product.
