Sole E95 Elliptical Trainer (2008 Model)

We originally purchased the E55 in 2007, but then we gave that model to a relative and upgraded to the E95. We love the upgraded screen and rail covers and even at the additional price, we are still about a third of the cost of a Precor. I have included our original E55 review for reference and hope that it will be of help to perspective buyers :)

My wife and I searched and searched for an elliptical because we were fed up with signing up for gym memberships and not using them. Having to go to the gym just wasn't practical for us. So we embarked on a quest to find the quietest, most reliable and feature packed elliptical we could find.

Our budget was 2K or less. Online research led us to many brands and many models - too many actually. It was a dizzying array of choices. So we decided to visit fitness equipment stores and sporting goods stores to try out a few ellipticals in person. The fitness stores carried mostly high-end brands like Precor, which we liked, but were all WAY out of our price range. Besides, after looking at the fine print, we noticed that Precors only come with a 1 year warranty. After that, the frame is good for 10 years but parts and labor are at the owner's expense!

The sporting goods stores turned up the typical mass market brands like Reebok, ProForm, Horizon, Ironman, and New Balance. Most were pretty flimsy feeling and wobbly or the stride just didn't feel right. The Reebok ellipticals came close but they didn't offer wireless heart rate monitoring and the stride still wasn't quite right. Our eureka moment came at Dick's sporting goods when we noticed one brand that we had never seen before, Sole. They had the E55 model on display and we tried it out. It was very solid feeling and the stride was natural. There was very little heel lift which is a key component for a low-impact workout - also, the foot pads are adjustable which virtually eliminates any heel lift. I was also pleased that the Sole elliptical had both pulse hand grips AND wireless chest strap heart rate monitoring. This is important not only to improve your endurance but also ensures a safer workout. There's also a great HRC program that varies the resistance based on your heart rate in order to maintain a constant heart rate.

Since I'm not an impulse buyer I was still concerned that I had never heard of Sole before. Searching online turned up a few reviews about their treadmills. Digging deeper yielded a wealth of information about the treadmills and it turns out that Sole makes a very reliable product and their treadmills are well reviewed and used exclusively at Hilton and other hotel chains. With an endorsement like that I was sold. My online research also turned up the official Sole company site and I was happy to learn that I could order online with free shipping and no sales tax. The delivered price was still $500 below our budget! We also learned that the Sole ellipticals came with a great warranty, 2 years labor, 5 years motor and lifetime frame and deck. Not bad and twice as good as the Precor which was 3 times more price-wise.

In summary, this is absolutely the best bang for the buck as far as ellipticals go. Sole ellipticals are the best ellipticals under $2000 and they even compete very well with the ones above $2000 as well!

Lastly, the best place to buy them is from the company's own website, soleellipticals.com

This is a great elliptical; I did a lot of research before I got this product. I wanted a machine that wasn't too pricy but also wasn't cheep.

I would give it 5 stars if the shipping didn't take so long. I ordered it directly from sole. Their shipping says it can take up to 2 weeks, so after 2 weeks I still have not heard from the shipping people. So I called them and called Sole and they were both helpful and got it in a couple days. I kind of wished I could have got it sooner.
It took me about an hour to put the machine together
Each of the steps has its own packet of parts so it's easier to figure out what parts you need.

After I got it together and tried it out, I knew I made a great choice.

The frame is very stable, and is comfortable to use. The fan is a bit lacking but would probably never use it. The speakers are not that great (no Bose system), but they work nicely for working out and not having to wear head phones.

The resistance goes up to 20 but which is plenty since up to 5 gives a good work out.

Love it. Would recommend to anyone wanting a quality elliptical.

I searched around quite a bit for an elliptical machine - I had a few requirements.
1) Must have longer stride - I'm six ft tall - most machines didn't feel natural to me because of a shorter stride.
2) Must be smooth running and sturdy - many machines felt cheap and creaked when in use.
3) Must have decent display - something akin to a gym quality machine - clear displays of stats such as heart rate, level, time, distance, etc...

I ordered the machine and it shipped within a couple of weeks. This is a large item - delivered on a half skid. Get a couple of good sized folks to help you move it!

Went together easy enough - probably in about 2 hours - and that was really taking my time. The parts are VERY well organized - there are only four "steps" total each with their own packet of parts. Comes with the tools you'll need - although a socket wrench and a good screwdriver wouldn't hurt. My only complaint with the instructions is that there is a little vagueness in some of the final assembly. Some part numbers that didn't make sense - a couple of covers that simply don't fit. I think this is do to the e95 being a very close cousin to the e35. The major differences being a much improved display and fancy covers.

Complaints? I can see where one bolt may have to be re-tightened (after a week's usage), and the cup holder is a joke - it's at a 40 deg angle.

I use this everyday - I couldn't be happier with this purchase. Everyone who has tried it loved it. They're impressed by it's level of quality - its smoothness / quietness especially.

I wanted a quality machine and was willing to fork over some $. I think you could only do better if you spent twice as much and purchased a LifeFitness model.