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- 1). Measure your space. Be sure there is room in your home for an elliptical. Also consider head room as you tend to bounce up a few inches as you 'ellipse'. Basements with low ceilings may not have enough head room for a home elliptical.
- 2). Try before you buy. Visit local retail outlets and vigorously test display models. Every home elliptical has a different feel and stride length comfort changes from model to model. Even if you want to order an elliptical online, be sure to make the effort to check it out in person. (This will also help you determine whether or not you have the space and head clearance necessary for a particular model per step 1.)
- 3). Look at the stride length. At a minimum, stride length should be between 16 to 19 inches, but a bigger stride is even better. If more than one person will use the elliptical, look for a model that offers an adjustable stride length. Also check to see if the home elliptical will allow both forward and backward motion. The option to change directions works different muscles and enhances an elliptical workout.
- 4). Check the drive shaft. Home elliptical machines are 'driven' either with a front drive, rear drive, or in some innovative designs,a center drive shaft. Rear drive shafts give the smoothest elliptical movement. Front drive ellipticals need movable foot pedals for users to manually smooth out the gait with their feet.
- 5). Recognize that higher prices mean more bells and whistles, not necessarily a better workout. It is possible to get sturdy cheap ellipticals for less than a $1000. In general, more money buys a better frame, a smoother gait, and expensive gadgets that, if they break, are almost impossible to fix. There are pros and cons to paying less and paying more; weigh each carefully.
- 6). Compare and contrast the following features on ellipticals: resistance and how easily or not the resistance can be changed, incline and how easily or not the incline can be changed, ergonomics, stride length comfort (very important!) and the presence of a pedal safety pin that locks the elliptical and prevents children from using it unsupervised. Also look at the exercise gadgets such as fans, heart rate monitors, cd players, mp3 ports as well as the types of pre-programmed workouts the elliptical offers. Note that most cheap elliptical will not offer these extra gadgets. See the Resources section for a list of well reviewed home elliptical machines.
- 7). Determine if spare parts are available if the home elliptical should need repair. Stress points such as the foot pedals that bear the brunt of your weight during a workout can wear out at the joint and snap over time. If you are handy, so long as elliptical spare parts can be sourced, you should be able to repair the elliptical for less than the cost of buying a new one. If you aren't handy, consider investing in an extended warranty.
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