Sole Fitness E55 Elliptical Trainer Review

This Sole Fitness E55 Elliptical review sets out in an easy-to-read format the features, benefits, shipping options, and warranty information for the Sole E55 Elliptical.

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OVERVIEW

 The Sole Fitness E55 Elliptical Trainer, a front-drive elliptical trainer, offers a larger display than the Sole E55 Elliptical.  The E55 also comes 2 heart rate control workout programs that is not part of the E55 feature set.

Features
Stride Length Fixed Stride Length: 20″ – mid to high stride length.
Drive Type
 The Sole E55 Elliptical is a front-drive elliptical that enables you to pedal forward and backward.
Incline Option
 Yes, you can create a variety of incline workouts ranging from 15 to 40 degrees incline.  Along with the 20 resistance settings, the incline feature on the Sole E55 gives you many workout variations that target different lower body muscles.
Handles
  • Take your pick with this elliptical – you can use the moveable handles with resistance for a total body workout or hang onto the fixed handles to only workout your lower body.
  • Why would one grip the fixed handlebars?  If your upper body is recovering from weight training, then you may wish to avoid any resistance applied to your upper body muscles – and then it makes sense to hang onto the fixed handlebars.
Foot Placement Pedals The Sole E55 Elliptical designed the foot pedals with two nice features to make your elliptical workouts more comfortable and enable a natural and comfortable stance and gait for you.  These two features are:

  • Oversized foot-placement pedals giving you the space to place your feet that suits you; and
  • The foot placement pedals that were designed by a physical therapist, are inward sloping 2 degrees so that stress to your ankles and knees is minimized.
Resistance Levels
  • Customize your workout and build intensity for both your upper and lower body with 20 resistance levels.  You can create a low-intensity workout for an easy-going-stride or really pump your legs and arms with high resistance – and then there are all resistance levels in between.
  • What type of resistance system is used? Eddy Current Braking (ECB) system.
  • What is an Eddy Current Braking system? ECB produces resistance with electromagnetic induction. Click here to read more about ECB.
Heart Rate Monitor System
  • One thing I really like about Sole ellipticals is they come with both handle grip and chest strap heart rate monitors.  Now, if you don’t bother with workouts that require monitoring your heart rate, this feature isn’t important to you; however, if you’re like me and like to do workouts that require monitoring heart rate, then the chest strap feature is a bonus.
  • What’s so great about a chest strap heart rate monitor? I know you can buy heart rate monitors with chest straps separately from your fitness equipment; however, I like fitness equipment that has a built-in chest strap heart monitor so I can use the pre-programmed heart rate workouts (there are 2 heart rate workouts on the E55) in sync with the chest strap heart rate monitor.
Display The Sole E55 is outfitted with a blue backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) that features large font so you can easily read the messages and your workout figures.
iFit Technology No.
Audio System
  • Yes.  There is a built-in sounds system which can hook up to your iPod or MP3 player so you can listen to music on speakers rather than headphones.
  • If you’ve ever worked out at a gym, you’ll know then that being able to workout listening to music through speakers is a luxury because obviously gyms don’t outfit each fitness equipment item with speakers (the jumble of noise would be unbearable).
Workout Fan
  • Yes, there is a built-in fan so you can enjoy moving air while striding along on the E55 Elliptical.
  • The fan feature may seem unimportant, but it really is a nice feature.  When you cycle or run outside, you have air sweeping along your skin.  When you workout indoors on fitness equipment, the air is static.  The fan creates more of a real-life outdoors workout scenario, plus helps keep you cool.
Console Features 2 water bottle holders centrally located – they’re called water bottle holders, but I often place other objects in them such as my spectacles (when I tire of wearing glasses while working out) and any other gear I have that I may want to look at while working – perhaps a Blackberry, snacks, etc.
Maximum User Weight
  • 375 pounds.  If you think about it, there are two ways to see if a fitness equipment machine frame is well-built:
  1. The maximum weight capacity; and
  2. The warranty on the frame (ideally it’s a lifetime frame).
  • I’m not saying any fitness equipment machine is no good if it doesn’t have a high maximum user rate or lifetime warranty; however, it stands to reason that if a manufacturer rates a frame to handle more rate than other machines and backs it up with a lifetime warranty, there must be something to it.
  • Sole Fitness offers a lifetime warranty and a really high maximum user weight on the Sole E55 Elliptical trainer.  These two specifications make the E55 an attractive elliptical.
Workout Programs Enjoy 10 programmed workouts that come with the Sole E55 Elliptical Trainer including: 6 standard workouts, 2 user-defined workout programs and 2 heart rate user programs.
Dimensions
  • Footprint: 82″ X 27″ ;
  • Weight: 200 lbs.

Shipping Options
  • Residential Delivery: free shipping (curbside) with the E55 Elliptical.
  • Ground Inside Delivery: Pay an additional $99 and you can have your E55 hoisted into a room of your choice.
  • Turn Key Delivery: The full delivery service – pay $239 and you will have your Sole E55 Elliptical set up where you want and put together for you.

Benefits
  • Chest strap heart monitor give you freedom with you hands (assuming you use heart rate monitoring workouts).
  • The Sole E55 Elliptical Trainer presents a comfortable stance and gait options with oversized foot placement pedals.
  • Durable frame (for a non-commercial-grade elliptical trainer).
  • An elliptical trainer is an excellent cross training and aerobic machine for year-around fitness.
  • Ellipticals are well-known for providing low impact workouts.

Complaints
  • Fixed stride only.
  • Max. stride length is only 20″.

Warranty
  • Frame: lifetime.
  • Parts and electronics: Five years.

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