Best Elliptical Trainer under $1000 Best Fitness E1 Review

I really enjoy my elliptical workouts, they are a great way of cooling down and warming up before weights.  Or if I have been running too hard and need to lower the impact on my legs then an hour on an elliptical is a great alternative.  Not everyone has the space for a full sized machine which is why the Best Fitness E1 Elliptical Trainer has found favor with thousands of users.

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The key feature of this machine is that the elliptical is Center Drive by putting all the mechanical parts in the middle of the machine makes the overall size much smaller than front or rear drive ellipticals.

But! Is it any good?  Read on for the full review of the Best Fitness E1

Stride

The first decision when buying an Elliptical trainer is what stride length to go for.  With a generous 21″ stride length the Best Fitness E1 is great for medium to taller users.  If you are over about 5′ 4″ then you will find this a very comfortable machine that will give a smooth ride without your legs feeling over extended.

All ellipticals claim that their stride is a natural shape, at the lower end of the market you could question this.  When the prices reach $1000 then all the machines have a good “shape” to their ride and are very natural.

The stride is not adjustable, so if you are shorter than 5’4 you may want to look at a product with a shorter (or adjustable) stride such as the Nautilus E616 which is the same price as the E1

Comfort

We like that its possible to step onto this machine without having to climb over the centre area – as is common with rear drive machines.  Once on the machine you will find that your feet are nice and close together.  Some machines have wider spaced foot pads, and for some users this can lead to discomfort.

Because of its shape the machine is very compact, with the weight close to the ground.  This makes the ride feel very stable even when riding fast at high resistance.

As there is no motor in the elliptical, it is incredibly quiet, just the swish of the pedals and an occasional click telling you the machine is running.

Clear Console

The console is very simple, and basic it does a good job of communicating all the information you need.  If you are new to elliptical workouts you won’t feel overwhelmed with detail.  All the information such as: workout speed, distance, time, speed and calories burned.  It also shows heart rate, although this is another small issue, the sensors are on the small handles that are fixed near the console, not on the moving handles.

Range of Workout Programs

The Best Fitness programmed with a range if different workouts, 12 in fact that will help you meet you fitness goals.  Fat loss, endurance training, hill climbs.  There is actually quite a lot to keep you busy and motivated to keep training.  This is fewer than other machines at a similar price, however all the main programmes are covered and we didn’t feel that the range was inadequate.

Most of the programs tie into the resistance, as the workout progresses the resistance changes and the aim is to keep turning the feet at the same rate.  In total there are 17 resistance levels.

Will it fit in your home?

This is the big strength of this machine.  That it takes up such a small footprint.  Most ellipticals are long, the Sole E95 one of the best products available needs 85″ of space to fit in.  The E1 requires just 48″ from front to back for storage, thats nearly 2 feet less than the Sole.  Note that for working out it cannot go flush against the wall as the foot pad linkage extends to the front by about 18″  If space is an issue check out our list of folding ellipticals for the home.

Overall the dimensions are 48 x 30 x 66 inches

To help you Best Fitness have a room planner section on their website

Other Features of the Best Fitness E1:

• There is a basic water bottle cage fitted that will take a bike style water bottle, or a 500ml bottle.
• It will require some home assembly, but in practice this is very easy.  The manual is clear and easy to read if you want to read the manual, here is a link.
• The machine weighs 210 lbs, with a maximum user weight of 275Lbs
• Pros and Cons of the E1

Pros

• Low center of gravity and center drive
• 21 inches long strides
• Small size and easy to store
• Extremely Quiet

Cons

• Water bottle placement is horrible (must stop to access)
• Electronics/display – very bare bones – “NO FRILLS”
• Heart rate monitor – not very effective
• No book/magazine IPAD holder

Alternatives to the Best Fitness E1

While there are no other Centre Drive Ellipticals availble, there are plenty of great options availble for around $1000.  Here is our pick of the best $1000 Ellipticals:

	Product name	Rating	Price
	Best Fitness E1 Elliptical Trainer by Body Solid		$1,045.00	Learn more >>>
	Horizon Fitness EX-59-02 Elliptical Trainer		$699.00	Learn more >>>
	Nautilus E616 Elliptical Trainer		$999.00	Learn more >>>
	Schwinn 430 Elliptical Machine (2016)		$649.00	Learn more >>>
	Yowza Fitness Pompano Cardio Core Elliptical Trainer Machine		Click to see	Learn more >>>

What are other user review saying about the Best Fitness E1?

This machine is well liked by its users, over 20 people have rated this 4.5 out of 5 stars.

The main features that people like are its compact size, nearly 2 foot shorter than some of the Ellipticals this is great for using round the home.

“Solid machine, easy to assemble and fun to use!”

“Works great with TVs–Saves me at least an hour a day, and Compact in Size!”

“Good elliptical and works great in a small space area.”
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What is the best $1000 elliptical in 2016?

In this post we look at the best model to choose.  While the E1 gets our recommended choice.  We like it for its innovative design, the Best Fitness Elliptical excels for being the real option for a center drive elliptical, which is the most compact machine for this price (and quality). Here is our full comparison with other $1000 Ellipticals.

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Our Summary and Recommendation

This is a great all round machine, its smooth and comfortable to use.  The centre design means that its also nice and compact, particularly good if space is tight.  The price is good for such a well made machine, the RSP is $1745, however it can usually be found for under $1100.  Ellipticals can take up a huge amount of space in the home, this is our best choice for maximizing the equipment in your home gym.  Plus the build quality is great and will give years of great service.