If you’re looking for a high end, heavy duty elliptical trainer, the Sole E35 2011 model is your best choice. Expert reviewers consider it one of the top picks for 2012. What sets this machine apart are its high end features and affordable price. With a street price of about $1300, its “best buy” rating by leading consumer magazines and websites is well deserved.
Product Features
• Equipped with heavy 25-pound flywheel for smooth performance
• Comes with power incline feature to add resistance to your workout while targeting different muscle groups
• Brightly lit 6.5-inch blue LCD display monitors time, distance, calories burned, and resistance
• Oversized custom-designed foot pedals for more comfortable workout
• Built-in cooling fans and integrated sound system
• 375-pound user weight capacity
Quality and Performance
The Sole E35 elliptical trainer provides a challenging full-body workout. The machine is equipped with a heavy 25-pound flywheel not found in most models of this class. The heavy flywheel, in combination with a high gear ratio and whisper-quiet drive system, provides a smooth performance that you often find only in top-end elliptical trainers.
The E35 elliptical trainer also has a power incline feature which boosts the resistance further even as it target different muscle groups, thus adding diversity to your workout. A press of the button is all that’s needed to incline the ramp to your desired level, providing a workout similar to walking uphill. The ramp angle is fully adjustable from 0 degrees to 30 degrees. You can individually target all the major muscle groups in the lower body.
20-Inch Stride Length
The stride length of the Sole E35 measures 20 inches and is ideal for users of average to above-average height. Combined with the heavy flywheel, the result is a smooth and comfortable elongated motion, which is exactly what you want from an elliptical trainer. Cheaper units often come with an 18-inch stride and a lighter flywheel, producing a choppy circular motion that is not as comfortable and requires lifting your knees.
Adjustable Foot Pedals
For a more comfortable workout, the Sole E35 elliptical trainer is designed with oversized, articulating food pedals that angle with the elliptical motion. The pedals are designed in collaboration with a physical therapist and sports enthusiast and feature a 2-degree inward slope. The design helps reduce stress on the ankles and knees. Additionally, you can customize the adjustments to the angles of the pedals in order to accommodate users of different gaits, including users with flat feet or high arches.
Display and Console
With the brightly lit 6-1/2 inch LCD display, you can easily monitor your workout. The display shows your time, resistance, distance, calories burned, and pulse rate. For added convenience, the console also offers a number of amenities such as built-in speakers, cooling fan, and a water bottle holder.
Workout Programs
To help achieve your fitness goals, the Sole E35 elliptical trainer comes with six automatic programs and two heart-rate controlled workout programs. The heart-rate programs lets you customize your workout according to your needs. When exercising with your HR workout, the console will display a heart-rate zone graph and automatically adjust the resistance to keep you in your target zone. To achieve this, the E35 comes with a wireless chest strap and is telemetry-enabled. The elliptical trainer also comes with two user-customizable workout programs.
Resistance Levels
The Sole E35 offers 16 resistance levels, allowing you to make small incremental adjustments from one level to the next. This is very important because it lets you fine-tune your workout at the resistance that’s optimal for you. In addition, the controls for resistance and incline are located on the handlebars. You can easily make adjustments without breaking your stride.
New for the Sole E35 2011 Model
In the 2011 model, the LCD display simultaneously shows speed, time, distance traveled, incline, calories burned, pulse rate, and pace. It also displays a 1/4-mile track feature with a peak and valley graph that lets you visualize your progress. The console can be tilted to achieve the best viewing angle based on your height.
Pros
• Solid, heavy and stable
• Runs very quietly
• Power incline provides a nice addition to the machine’s features
• Wide range of resistance transitions smoothly between resistance levels
• Easy to assemble
• Accurate heart rate monitor
• Accurate and easy to read display
• Reasonable price
• Excellent warranty
Cons
• Heavy and difficult to move around even with wheels
What Customers Say
Customers are very pleased with the Sole E35 elliptical trainer. It is solidly built, stable, and works as smoothly as the expensive, high-end machines in commercial gyms. Customers also find it surprisingly affordable despite its many features and amenities such as power incline, 16 resistance levels, workout programs, adjustable foot pads, cooling fan, and built-in speakers.
There are very few complaints for the E35 elliptical trainers. A few customers remarked that it is very heavy and takes some time to assemble. Overall, however, customers who left a review say they would recommend this elliptical trainer to others.
