Ellipticals come in many models with different shapes and sizes. This makes it a job in itself to choose the perfect one. The first thing to consider is safety. Your children or pets would be running around it, and you do not want any accidents to occur. The second thing to consider is space. If you have a big enough space around your house, you can go ahead and buy a bigger elliptical. However, if your space is intimate, you will be forced to buy a smaller elliptical that would not obstruct movement. To choose the best home elliptical pay attention to the following factors:
Check if the elliptical comes with a warranty
Sometimes elliptical trainers have component failures, and they end up being abandoned because no one is skilled enough to fix them. In the light of this, it is strongly advised that you only buy ellipticals that come with a warranty. This is the only way you can be sure that your machine is new and wasn’t recently tampered with. Some sellers of used ellipticals also offer warranties. When buying second hand ones, ask if they come with a repair guarantee.
Drive design
Since you are buying it for your home, you are allowed to be specific with the drive design you want. There are three different designs in the market- front, rear and center drive. They are all great; as far as the workout is concerned the only difference is that they give you different postures. Front drive designs give you a sloped elliptical path, which is more like stair stepping. Rear designs tend to be flatter, more like walking. The center drive ellipticals put you in an upright position. Select the drive design according to your preferred posture.
Stride length
The maximum distance between the pedals is the stride length. Look for an elliptical machine with a longer stride length. The great distance between your feet would make for comfortable workout sessions. With most machines, the stride lengths range from 13 to 22 inches. Most people feel comfortable with an 18 to 20-inch stride length. Even better, settle for an elliptical with an adjustable stride length so that it would be comfortable for use by any younger or older member of your family.
Armbars
When your arms move less frequently as opposed to your limbs, the result may be stiffness on your shoulders and strain to your back. That is why the armbars are an essential component of the ellipticals. Choose newer models of elliptical machines that have moving arms. They would give you a great upper body workout experience in addition to the walking, contributing greatly to your fitness and health.
Foot pedals
Ergonomically designed cushioned foot pedals are the better option for your comfort, and they give maximum support to your bone structure. They help limit the stress on your ankles and toes so that you do not get toe numbness when you work out for an extended period. Avoid foot pedals that are left bare on metal or those with little rubber insulation.
Control panel
Check the control panel for the options you have. The more choices there are, the better. At the bare minimum the panel would be able to show you the calories burned, distance achieved, and the average number of steps you make per minute and resistance settings. Some even have a heart monitor rate. The more options you are exposed to the better you would be able to evaluate your performance. Make sure that you can read the display in different light conditions and the wording is illustrated in a language you can understand. It would be useless to have so much in the display that you cannot make sense of.
Pricing
You can buy a brand new machine or a refurbished one. You can get a cheaper and better quality machine if you look through a pile of options and cancel a few specifications that you would not need. Whatever price you settle on make sure that the machine has everything you need and is equipped with a warranty in case of a breakdown.
To get the best ellipticals in the market check the type of warranty and settle on the one with the most benefits. Do not focus on saving money by not getting a warranty; it may prove to be more costly in the future when your machine breaks down.
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