I am trying to decide between a Precor EFX 5.17i and the Lifefitness X3i eliptical trainers. Any recommendations or endorsements?

I find the Precor too bouncy. I own a Lfe Fitness for that reason. I find the stride, smoothness, quiet and pedal spacing without equal .

Precor, Octane and Life Fitness all make gym and home versions. Cybex makes an excellent and expensive gym version. Vision Fitness makes ellipticals for home use.

Cybex and Precor gym models are the gold standard because:

-Their models have proven durability in gym environments, and are the only ones with adjustable inclines. Variable incline is a significant feature in terms of intensity, that also serves to enable shifts in the primary muscles that can be targeted. Octane, Life Fitness and Vision do not have this feature, though Life Fitness does allow for variable stride length that IMO is an effective feature. Life Fitness is the only one of these three with significant gym use experience.
-All except Cybex make home versions that are well made and offer rigorous workouts using similar but slightly different elliptical motions. Only the Precor home version offers a variable incline. Life Fitness allows for variable stride length on some models, which is helpful.
-The Octane, Life Fitness and Vision have advantages in terms of space requirements. The Octane has the smallest footprint when in use. The Life Fitness and Vision have space advantages when they are folded up. In use, they require about the same approximate length as the Precor, which is the longest of the ellipticals.

Otherwise, they have similar motions with slight variations; all provide good workouts. Try each to see the difference in feel and intensity if this is important.

http://www.epinions.com/search/?subm...h_vertical=all

http://www.epinions.com/search/?subm...h_vertical=all

For something along the lines of 'Life but smaller, also consider Octane:
http://www.epinions.com/search/?subm...rtical=2522265

You forgot the reviews for Life Fitness.


http://www.epinions.com/sprt-All-Exe...s-Life_Fitness

However I do think the Octane Q45 is the cream of the crop. Never tried the Cybex. Wouldn't own a precor. The feel like a cheap toy ellitpical .

Hello, I'm new to the forum obviously from my post count. I'm in the market for one of these elliptical machines right now. I've tried Nordic Trac, Octane, Precor and Life Fitness. My main objectives are sturdiness, comfort, features and price. I don't want to pay for something that is going to sit without use.

Nordic Track - I know it isn't in the same class as the others but it costs 1/3 of the others. The new one, 1055, is sturdy, the price is right and the comfort is good although the stride length is kind of short (and I'm only 5'7"). It doesn't have the features of the others.

Precor - I actually just got on one for the first time last night. Although it reclines it seems sort of bouncy. Maybe it was inclined or something but my first though was it seemed sort of like a stairmaster.

Octane - This unit looks different and it has something the others don't; it will automatically adjust your stride length to you speed. The main drawback of this unit for me has to do with the stride. It isn't natural for me and there is a point in a stride where it seems like I'm fighting the machine or it is rough to work through.

Life Fitness - The military gyms I've been in all use this line. The one I like at the moment is the X5i which has adjustable stride length that must be adjusted prior to getting on the machine. It seems to be the smoothest but this could be due to being the normal type machine I'm on.

All of these are $3k or more except the Nordic Track. These are my current opinions and I would absolutely love any comments since this is a big purchase and I want to make the right decision.

Didn't forget the Life Fitness reviews, it's not contingent on me to provide every possible link. As far as the motion and feell they're all similar but slightly different, and should all be tried if possible.

The new elliptical equivalents from Nordictrack Nautilus (Treadclimber) look appealing to use. Keep in mind though, that these are new products with no proven track record of durability.

With something like this, it's useful to try all that are of interest because of the slight differences in feel, as mentioned above. Expect to pay over $1,000. The other possibility is going low-end. In terms of build quality and good workout with a similar motion and workout to ellipticals, consider a used Nordictrak Pro for $100-$150.

My wife has been using a NordicTrack Pro for 14 years now. She absolutely loves it. If you like the feel of it and can use it, it is the best bargain in exercise equipment there is. Get one at an ebay auction for around $125 and it will last you a long time.