SOLE E25 ELLIPTICAL TRAINER REVIEWS
Mon, Aug 30, 2010
- Features a 23-pound flywheel and dual-action functionality for an upper and lower body workout
- Grip pulse monitoring and heart rate chest strap; oversize, adjustable foot pedals
- Sixteen resistance levels and seven programs for a challenging workout
- Offers a 20-inch stride length, LCD display monitor, cooling fan, and water bottle holder
- 325-pound maximum weight capacity; measures 71 by 27 by 68 inches (L x W x H) when assembled
The Sole E25 elliptical creates a fluid natural motion provided by a whisper-quiet ECB drive system. Its 20-in stride length is best for areas with limited floor space, and the adjustable, articulating pedals provide multiple workout options. You can work up a sweat to your favorite tunes thanks to the built-in sound system, and keep track of your progress with the blue backlit LCD display.Enjoy an efficient full-body workout without heading to the gym with the Sole E25 elliptical trainer. Boas
List Price: $ 1,999.99
SALE Price: $ 999.99
Rating: 
(out of 20 reviews)
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Tags: Elliptical, Reviews, Sole, Trainer
Review by E. Goldberg for Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer
Rating:
Nearly four months ago, I bought one of these. I still don’t have a working elliptical.
Here’s the problem with this elliptical: if it doesn’t work, forget your expectations from getting your computer or TV fixed: you can’t send a 300 pound elliptical in for repair. Nor does Sole have a dedicated staff of repair technicians; they contract to companies who do parts replacement on many different brands and models of fitness equipment. Your repairman may have never seen your particular model before, and won’t necessarily know its nuances as a qualified sustaining engineer would.
Worse, the actual diagnosis has to be done remotely by phone. Then they’ll ship parts to you by ground. And only after you finally receive the parts can you schedule the repair visit — the whole process takes weeks per repair. The repairman isn’t paid to do anything other than swapping the parts, so you’re technically SOL — no pun intended — if the technician wasn’t able to successfully guess the right problem from a single phone call.
Imagine trying to get your car repaired this way!
That’s why, nearly four months later, hours of my time, and two repair visits, I am still stuck with a non-working elliptical, and there’s no end in sight. On the plus side, the repair contact at Sole has been really kind and great to work with (despite things being set up to be very hard for him to actually solve my problems.)
But I have to admit if I knew it would be this much trouble, I would have paid the extra bucks for a Precor. I can’t recommend this product in good faith.
Review by S. Lambert for Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer
Rating:
I’ve had this elliptical for a month. Between my husband and me, we use this machine 8-10 times a week. I will update this review if my opinion changes.
This is a GREAT machine for the price. A LifeFitness was out of my price range, and research showed that this was a great “budget” model so this is the one I went with.
Pros:
- 20″ stride. My husband and I are both tall and 18″ machines don’t feel right.
- Warranty. Compare this to other brands. I couldn’t find a warranty this good.
- Stability. This machine is VERY stable for us, even for intense workouts. Far more stable than the Horizon and Nordic models I tried.
- Price. This is a “budget” machine but it doesn’t feel like one to me.
- Heart rate strap: Love having this!
Cons:
- As the previous reviewer said, the console and fan aren’t great. Oh well. I care far more about the quality of the machine than whether the console looks modern.
- The iPod connection works great, but the sound is a bit tinny. See my comment above. This is a very minor issue.
- Not fun to carry downstairs! But we managed. Assembly took a couple hours.
- No heart rate control. Most people don’t use this, so it doesn’t matter. I would have liked it, but it was not worth the price to upgrade to a different model for me.
This 2009 version has a manual incline. Mine arrived in non-working condition. A repairman was sent, did some adjustments, and now it works great. I am happy with the customer service about this issue. This was all covered by warranty, of course. Having the incline is a very nice feature (the e35, about $300 more in price, has a power incline).
For those with low ceilings: My husband is 6’2″ and he can comfortably exercise in our basement with 7′ ceilings. Don’t quote me on this, but 8″ clearance seems like enough.
Overall, this gets 5 stars for me – remember that this is a budget model, so you may not get the best programs and the best console. But so far, so good for us!
Review by K. Tan for Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer
Rating:
I had this product (2008 model) for 1.5 years and it broke 2 times. I use it 5 days a week, and I weigh less than 120 lbs. My husband weighs about 200 lbs and it seems like every time he starts using it, the machine will break within a few weeks. The part that broke about six months ago was the left connecting arm. I called Sole and they sent out technician to replace the part for free.
Now the exactly same part on the other side – right connecting arm broke off. The process to call/wait for technician is very lengthy and hopeless. I called Sole and told them exactly the part that was broken because it’s the same part that broke last time, they said I have to wait for the technician to call me and make appointment so he can come out to take a look. They said the technician will call within 24-48 hours, but it always takes a few days for the technician to call. I asked if they could already send the replacement part while waiting for the technician, they said no and told me to keep waiting for technician’s call. I know from the past experience that once the technician calls (who knows when that will be), he will call Sole to order the replacement part, which will take another 1-2 weeks to arrive. Then we have to contact the technician again to make another appointment for him to come and install the part. That will take another week. (And last time they even sent the wrong replacement part, so they had to re-send and all, so add another 2 weeks)
So within 18 months, 2 parts broke. I’m not able to use the machine for about a month every time it breaks. I’m expecting something more reliable for the price I pay, will definitely not recommend this product to anyone.
Review by K. T. Chew for Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer
Rating:
Update at 6 months: the squeaks I mentioned below were fixed quickly after a call to Sole — they sent new parts and a technician – all fixed under warranty. I have no complaints – the machine works great, still used nearly every day.
I have had the E25 for about 2 months. I assembled it myself to save money — not too hard, but this machine is understandably heavy and was quite a chore to move into place. The action is smooth, though I have a few squeaks that bolt tightening is supposed to fix – taking off covers is a pain and I’m dealing with it for now. This display is fine – I agree the fan is almost useless- but that’s minor. The many programs are good and can be individualized.
I can get a very strenuous workout. Incline feature (manual really is no problem) adds variety. The “feel” of the motion is sturdy,and smooth, the machine totally stable and is very much like the ones at the expensive gym I no longer have to pay dues to or drive to. My daughter and I use it nearly every day.
Review by David Charron for Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer
Rating:
Once assembled, the E25 model is solid. But boy oh boy is it time consuming to put together. SOLE advertised set up at 25-35 minutes. Come on! It is easily a 3 hour effort! With practice I suspect I could cut that time in half. If you can negotiate “set up” for a reasonable fee, run with it. Otherwise expect to get your heart rate up for the wrong reason.