I first saw the Sole Fitness E35 on my friend Susan’s Amazon wishlist one day when I was at her house. She is a fitness enthusiast like myself, but I didn’t realize that she was looking to get an elliptical until then. She says that all my “elliptical talk” was starting to rub off on her and so she decided to do some research on her own. She said she was actually saving up to get a Sole Fitness E35 because that is the one she wants. I asked her why this particular model, and she said it was because it is an “elite” elliptical. I understood immediately that this was a high-end machine, as I know Susan and she likes expensive things.

So I went off to do some research of my own. I couldn’t let my best friend make such a large purchase without getting my stamp of approval, after all. Not all high-priced ellipticals are worth the price you pay for them and I know that if you shop around you can usually find something similar for a better price. What I found was that the Sole brand, though not as old as some other exercise machine brands, has been around for a few years and started out providing exercise machine to hotels. They quickly became popular and expanded out into the home exercise machine sector. Take a look at what I was able to find out about the Sole Fitness E35 in particular.

Easy To Use Console

I will start with the console on the Sole Fitness E35, as I think it is clearly one of the best features on this machine. The Sole Fitness E35’s console LCD display has a blue backlight that illuminates the screen and makes it easier for you to see your workout data even in poorly lit conditions. People who like to work out at night and also those who have difficulty seeing will find this feature useful. It is all of 7.5 inches, which is a nice big size for a console monitor, and you will be able to tilt it to a position that allows you to see it best.

You can use the LCD display to monitor workout data like your resistance level, distance, time, and calories burned. It can also display your heart rate when you put your hands on the stationary handlebars, which have sensors to calculate your pulse. You can also use the chest strap that you get when you purchase the Sole Fitness E35; it helps you keep track of your heart heart rate and the data from this device will also be displayed on the monitor.

There are 10 preset workout programs on the Sole Fitness E35, which isn’t as many as what you will normally find on comparable ellipticals, but is still enough for the average person to work with. You will be able to customize two of these programs according to your specifications. The Sole Fitness E35 also allows you to set up two separate user profiles to make sharing the machine easier. For people like me who like to be entertained while working out, the Sole Fitness E35 has built in speakers that are compatible with most MP3 players, iPods, iPhones and iPads.

Some Comfortable Features

How comfortable you are when you are using an elliptical is a very important factor, especially when the elliptical is a high-end model like the Sole Fitness E35. You may be able to cope with a less-than-comfortable workout on a cheap machine but when are are spending a considerable sum of your hard earned money for an elliptical, you should at the very least be comfortable. Don’t you agree? So when I was looking at the Sole Fitness E35, I looked very carefully at the features it has that should make it comfortable to use.

It has oversized foot pedals that were designed, with the help of a well-known physical therapist, to make your workout more comfortable. The foot pedals slope inward at a barely noticeable 2-degree angle in order to reduce the stress on your ankles and knees, and they can also be adjusted to fit your feet perfectly. The moving handlebars can be adjusted to be more comfortable as well. There is also a cooling fan on the console to help you stay cool and comfortable during your workout session.

Adjustable Incline Gives More Variety

The Sole Fitness E35 gives you more variety in the types of workouts you can do, because you are able to adjust the incline of the machine. Not many ellipticals have the ability to incline and even those that do normally offer only up to 20-degrees, but the Sole Fitness E35 can go up to 30 degrees, which is quite impressive. Its incline-ability gives you more workout options and allows you to target specific muscle groups, especially in your lower body.

Super Stride for All Heights

Many of the ellipticals that I have reviewed are only suitable for persons of average height because they offer a limited stride length, normally only about 15-inches. With the Sole Fitness E35, however, the stride will not be an issue no matter how tall you are. This elliptical has a stride length of up to 22-inches, so even the tallest of users will be able to use it comfortably and get the most out of their workout sessions. What’s even better is that the stride length can also be adjusted to the specifications of the individual user to provide a truly customized workout experience.

Where Do I Put My iPad?

The Sole Fitness E35 is compatible with devices like your iPad, but for some reason the console does not have a platform or rack for you to put large devices on while you workout. It does have a small platform where you can put your iPod or mobile, but frankly I think it should be bigger. For an elliptical at this price point you should be able to rest your book or device on a rack so that you can read or watch while you use it. Is that too much to ask? Looking at the bigger picture, I may be making a mountain out of a mustard seed. You can position the Sole Fitness E35 within view of your TV if you want to watch something during your workout and it does have those speakers that you can use to hear audio from your device, so I guess it is not all bad. You be the judge.

Verdict

This is clearly a superior elliptical machine that has many of the features that you would expect to get from a high-end model, such as its large console, large stride length, and ability to incline. I found a few things I personally didn’t like, such as the absence of a reading rack and how large the machine is. Its size makes it unsuitable for my small workout space, but if you have the space which Susan does, and don’t like to read when you workout (she doesn’t), this elliptical is a high performance machine that has a lot to offer. I gave Susan my stamp of approval for this model and she is very happy.

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