Horizon Elliptical Trainer
Designed for those wanting an elliptical on a budget, the Horizon elliptical trainer compete in the five hundred to one thousand dollar range against brands such as Nordic Track and ProForm. In my opinion a consumer should be prepared to pay a thousand or more on an elliptical trainer as I find that in general those that are less have cheap parts and are not that well made.
The fitness testing I do is in large stores like Sports Authority and Dick’s sporting where machines have been tested and abused so that you get a real idea of their durability. I have found in my testing that Horizon elliptical trainer do not hold up under hard use. Half of those tested had loose handlebars. Though it is simple enough to tighten them, the point is, quality machines do not have that problem. There were also squeaks on some, while others just did not feel stable.
My main issue with them however is their stride length which on many models I found to be far too small. Some machines were restricting with the shortness of stride particularly on the Horizons at the low end of the price. The motion became less elliptical and more circular and there was a definite bounce. The 18″ stride machines were definitely better than the 14″ ones which are more designed for shorter people.
Horizon elliptical trainer have several models and have two series, Horizon and Elite. Their website offers 13 models, though in a large fitness store there were others not on their website. If you are thinking of buying a Horizon my advice is to avoid the low end models. Either the CSE 4.6 or the EX44, both have the 18 inch stride and a range of resistance levels. It may be a good idea to purchase an extended warranty though particularly if you intend to use the machine alot.
If your budget is absolutely limited to just a thousand dollars then Horizon are one of the better companies you can go for at that price. But if you want to be able to workout often, and want something that is durable and of quality you need to find another five hundred dollars at least and look at the $1500 plus elliptical trainers.
