ProForm Carbon EL Elliptical Review

High Quality for Budget Price!

ProForm Carbon EL Elliptical

Why should you consider the new ProForm Carbon EL?  First, it is one of the better ellipticals at the competitive $799 price range.  It offers features typically not available at this price range, like being iFit enabled, having a full color display and offering a wide, comfortable 19” adjustable stride.

Another attractive feature is that it is in stock.  With the advent of Covid 19 the fitness industry is struggling with keeping up with the demand of home cardio machines. We have seen many of the most popular machines out of stock for months, and this is particularly true for machines under $999. There are few quality ellipticals at that price range that are currently in stock. 

ProForm is a brand under the company Icon Fitness. Icon is the largest manufacturer of fitness equipment in the world. Since they are such a large manufacturer, they produce on a larger scale.

What this means for the consumer is that you can usually get more bang for your buck with brands such as ProForm and NordicTrack, who is also a part of Icon Fitness. This machine doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that you will find on the higher price range ellipticals from ProForm. However, for a budget price, you still get some pretty decent features.

Check out a comparison chart of all ProForm ellipticals here.

ProForm Carbon EL Features

20° Adjustable Ramp with 5 Positions – You can quickly adjust between 5 different incline positions to target different muscle groups and get a more effective workout.

5″ High Contrast Display  – A full color, high contrast display screen on a machine in this price range is not a feature to overlook. 

19″ Power Adjustable Stride – 20″ stride is what most users report as the most comfortable. In this price range, we usually see an 18″ stride so 19″ is pretty good.

15 lb. Flywheel – The weight of  flywheel determines the smoothness of the elliptical motion. The heavier the flywheel, the better. This weight will not give you as smooth of a workout as higher end machines, but it’s decent for the price point.

Warranty – Consists of 10-year frame, and 1-year parts and labor, which is pretty standard for this price range.

Front Drive Design – The Carbon EL features a front drive design. Learn more about Front Drive vs. Rear Drive in our article here.

18 Resistance Levels – 18 digital resistance levels will ensure you get a great workout, as you progress from easy to difficult. They feature SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance to keep your noise to a minimum. 

iFit Ready – iFit is a signature training technology found on machines from Icon Fitness (ProForm and NordicTrack). The Carbon EL elliptical comes iFit enabled, however you will have to pay an additional monthly fee for an iFit subscription, which is usually around $40/month. If you want an elliptical with iFit already included in the price, you may want to check out the ProForm Carbon E7 elliptical. The E7 comes with 3-year iFit subscription included in the price of the machine.

Other Features…

• Soft Touch Upper Body Grips
• Oversized Pedals
• Audio Auxiliary Port with (2) 2″ Speakers
• Tablet Holder
• Water Bottle Holder

Note: The weight capacity on the ProForm Carbon EL is 300lbs. 

Our Review – ProForm Carbon EL Elliptical Trainer

The ProForm Carbon EL is a great machine for the price point. There aren’t many ellipticals out there in this price range. This machine may not have all the fancy features, but it will get the job done and you can get a great workout right in your home.

If you can afford $200 more, you may want to take a look at the Carbon EX in their Carbon elliptical series. It’s very similar to the EL, but it does have a few upgraded features such as a 6″ screen, 20 lb. flywheel, and 20 resistance levels.

Note: Fully assembled dimensions are 25” W x 68.5” D x 67.75” H.

To learn more, visit ProForm.com