My boyfriend and I use this Sole elliptical at least five days a week for years and it's still going strong! For our household the Sole elliptical was a very good investment. Ease of Use For me, I use the handles so that I can get more of a full body workout. My favorite feature is that you can program and save your own workouts so that when you get on you can just press a button and go, as you would for the other set workouts it comes with. I do one minute each of going as fast as I can, then with as high of difficultly as I can, and last a minute of just normal (this makes me sweat like beast, it's amazing, even if just for 15 minutes!), so that's what I have saved as my programmed workout. Durability We've made a few minor repairs over the years (replaced a foot pedal and, separately, one of the rails) but those were easy to order and accomplish using the Sole website. We even got the parts free the first time even though the elliptical was already years out of warranty! I should mention that my boyfriend is over six feet tall (he's not a small guy!) and he's actually the one who primarily uses the elliptical for hours on a daily basis, just to give you an idea of what this machine can take! He doesn't use the handles either because he likes to use it while he plays games on his Playstation, which must be putting quite a bit of additional pressure on the pedals (probably why one cracked!).

LasVegasKitty

USA

Just replaced our previous Sole Elliptical E35 for a newer version. While there are some improvements with the size and brightness of the screen, there are some things that make me miss our old E35. I have two big frustrations with it. The first is an annoying squeak that has developed, and I can't figure out where it's coming from to fix it. The second is the ease of changing a user program. If I want to adjust my user program routine from day to day, even with a minor change like just adding 2 minutes on to my time, I have to delete the whole program and redo the whole thing. I have found that just doing a manual program is faster, but it's frustrating that I can't maintain a user program that I can easily adjust. Our old E35 allowed me to do that. Otherwise, there isn't any difference between the two. The fans on both are useless. The ability to give you a good workout by changing the length and resistance is easy (unless you're in a user program as mentioned). The motion is fluid with no jerky movements as you work out. Ease of Use Hate the issue with changing the user program Durability Squeak driving me nuts Design While it has wheels to move it, it really isn't designed to be put away. Took about 2 of us about 2 1/2 hours to put together.

dmsubscriptions

Duluth, GA

This machine is so quiet and easy to use you will WANT to exercise! Assembly was about 1.5 hours and the directions were fairly clear. It is very heavy - so I would suggest that you have it delivered close to the area in your home where you will be using it. This machine is sturdy and runs very smoothly. As a woman, I really appreciate the fact that the foot rests are not too far apart. Our other machine's foot rests were so far apart that my knees "knocked" in and caused terrible knee and hip pain. Not with this machine! It is easy on the body and a joy to use. You may want to make sure that you will fit on this machine and have the necessary headroom clearance. My DH is 6'2" and we had to cut a hole in the ceiling so he wouldn't bang his head on our 7.5' ceiling. One other thing, the rails need to be wiped down periodically and then lubricated. If you don't do this, there will be some operating noise. Not a big deal at all - just an observation for future buyers. Absolutely no regrets with this machine!

romperoo

Grove City, OH

I purchased the Sole E55 as a Christmas gift to my wife (and myself) after reading quite a few positive reviews on the elliptical.  Due to a name mix-up the delivery of the elliptical was delayed by a week, but it did arrive in time for Christmas. Assembly of the machine was about a 1-2 hour procedure and would rate it about 6 out of 10 on difficulty.  The instructions leave a bit to be desired but get the job done.  The machine is quite substantial in size and construction.  My wife and I are both impressed except for one issue- when using the elliptical there is a pronounced thumping sound which originates from the main axle shaft/bearing.  As the wheel rotates it actually shifts right to left about 1/8th of an inch with each revolution.  I have contacted Sole and hope that they will remedy this issue quickly as neither my wife nor I want to use the elliptical as is for fear we are causing further damage to an associated part.  I will update my review based upon their response.

LabraGuy

Coldwater, MI

I recently purchased the Sole eliptical after doing a lot of research on different models. I am a tall and heavy set individual. It was vvery difficult to find a machine that had the weight requirements and that was comfortable to use being as tall as I am. This machine was the cheapest model that had a high weight limit. It had good reviews all over the internet and it has lived up to those reviews. The machine has many different settings that I find very useful for my workout. It allows you to change the level of difficulty as well as the incline. To top that off it has adjustable foot peddals that allow more comfort for long work outs. There has been many times when I have used an eliptical at the gym and my feet begin to lose feeling after long work outs. The adjustable foot peddals make this easier to avoid. The one downfall of this machine was it was difficult to put together. It was fairly simple to understand how the parts fit together but there were many akward spots where you had to put a screw in.

Melissakillman

Rockford, MI

 When I first went to the gym I wanted to work out so I thought that I would just get on any machine that I saw not knowing what to expect. I chose the elliptical machine and it gave me a run for my money. I was just exaulted when I finished my work out like I didn't know what hit me. I have heard people say that they had a good work out at the gym, but I have never really experienced it until now. I have been doing some research on the elliptical and there are several different kinds of Elliptical machines. Each machine does some thing different. I like to get me a good cardiovascular and aerobic workout.I know by using this elliptical machine that I will reach the goal that I am trying to achieve. There is nothing like a good body workout.  A good workout with the machine a couple times a week and i know that it will be well worth the exercise. I would like to purchase one for my home some day.

camy879

Smithville, GA

Great piece of equipment. Very smooth and quiet. Super easy to use. No strain on the knees. Nice comfortable long stride. By leaning different ways you can work different muscle groups. Make sure you get the machine with the long stride not the shorter one.

tgardner

Delaware, OH

I bought this elliptical at the end of December. It is now the last week of January and I have lost 9 pounds, and countless inches.  I noticed that my clothes were fitting differently (better) after the first week.  I work out about 20 minutes 4 days a week.  As a busy mom of two small children, I set time aside to do this for myself.  This machine provides cardio and aerobic workout, as well as upper body, since the handrails are not stationery.  I would compare this machine to the one I used to use at the gym, but it is almost half the price.  I love that it has a built-in fan, speakers/MP3 hookup, ability to adjust resistance and incline on handrails, and longer (20") stride.  I looked at several brands of ellipticals before buying this one, and this is hands down the most sturdy and makes the least noise of any I tried out (NordicTrack, Schwinn, LiveFit).  I am very happy with my purchase! 

hls1209

Nicholasville, KY