Customer Reviews

j/fit Hope Series Mini Elliptical Trainer (Pink)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I love this elliptical trainer - the best part? It's completely SILENT! You can park it in front of the TV - watch your favorite show - and get a workout! How many products can you say that about?

If you're looking for an exercise that's easy to use, doesn't require dressing up & going to the gym (I hate getting ready for the gym!) and when you're done working out - you're DONE! No driving, nothing....it's over and you can get on with your day!

If that's you....this is for you!

Hi, I'm not your ordinary fitness bunny. I'm 60 years old, overweight, recovering from a rheumatic joint disease and pretty much house-bound. When my J Fit arrived and I tried to put it together, I found, as so many others had, that it was missing the bolts that attached the petals. Not wanting to wait until I could straighten things out with the tech support people, my husband took me to the hardware store to buy replacements (the metric size was nicely listed in the instructions). It took two hardware stores but we found them. I finished putting my J Fit together, tried it out and quickly fell in love with it. I've been working with it for a month now. I petal standing up until my knees burn, then I sit down on a bar stool and petal lighly until the burning stops. My knees are slowly building up strength and for the first time in many years I can do a deep knee bend without holding onto something. As an added bonus, my overactive, 10 yr. old granddaughter loves my J Fit. After one of her more intense sessions, I noticed that my J Fit developed a squeak so I oiled around the little black wheel and around the little black washer on the rotating petal arm. No more squeak. I can see where a very active adult looking for a heavy workout could quickly wear out a J Fit but I hope to have mine for a long time ... if not, I'll buy another one!

I would start by saying it is bigger than it looks. It fits under my coffee table, but just barely. It is heavy and substantial. Going forward, it has a short stride, and feels more like a cross between an elliptical and a stair stepper. It's a bit jerky. If you do a backward stride, it is a comfortable glide. You can turn the machine around, but it pulls on the shins a bit. I wouldn't be able to balance on this by myself while using it, but it works in a doorway. You could also put it by a pony wall to balance. I have also used it sitting, like a cycle, and it works okay that way. (It helps to prop it up in front.) It's versatile and easy to store, so my only gripe is the jerky forward stride. (My 6 year-old also loves this...he'll use it for 5 to 10 minutes, and thinks it is fun.)

I was a little hesitant to buy a product with only 8 reviews, but this mini elliptical trainer went together easily with the instructions and tools provide... although, I would recommend turning the unit upside down to make the base attachments tight. I placed it in a doorway (from other recommendations for balance) and hopped on. The whole mechanism glides smoothly and quietly. It has a 90-day warranty, so I will provide another review then. I am over 200 lbs. and can tell you this is fun and uber-convenient! Just hop on & off for 20 minutes at a timer and you will feel it. I am about 5'8" tall and was concerned about the stride, but really it is like a sprinting motion which is fab for the calves and buttocks. I suspect that after a few more goes, I will not need the door jam and could use some light weights in my hands to get more benefit. So far, I highly recommend this little pink darling from J-Fit.

After reading all the reviews I decided to take the chance. I work from home and could really use an occasional "run" in place to re-energize myself after long hours in front of the computer. I needed something inexpensive and portable and small. This was easy to put together and the seller got it to me quickly (in silver rather than pink which is fine, they let me know they didn't have any more pink), and it just isn't enough of a workout. It's like taking little itty bitty steps in place. Even if I try to go fast, it just doesn't give me the "yeah, this feels great!" feeling I get from real exercise. It just doesn't do enough. The amount that your feet actually turn is just so small that it just doesn't cut it for me...I consider myself athletic but VERY out of shape from living such a sedentary exisistance most of the time. In the past I have done triathlons, biked, swam, ran, hiked so maybe it's fine for people that haven't ever exercised or who aren't athletic at all? I am going to return it (but I have to eat the return shipping which may be a lot because it's so heavy!)

This machine is very compact which is a huge bonus for anyone living in cramped quarters. It was easy to put together and seems pretty sturdy. ***It's slightly too tall to fit under the typical bed but compact enough to fit into even a cramped closet or corner***

Many people in the reviews I've read have complained that it's tough to get the balance down. The balance, if you know what to do, is simple. If you've ever hockey skated, use that exact stance and it'll work like a charm. If not, keep your weight on the balls of your feet. If you put the weight on your heels you'll lose your balance backwards. So remember, knees bent, weight slightly forward, you'll be exercising like a pro in no time.

This machine really works the thigh and rear end area and if you stay on it long enough it also provides a cardio workout. I would recommend this to anyone who needs to get or stay in shape and doesn't have the room for a full exercise room or the money for a gym membership. This is a great deal!

I've had it for about 9 months. I don't use it regularly because a few months ago it started to squeeke really loud when I increase the tension. I've tried to take it apart to look at where I can put some W-d 40 but haven't had any luck.

On first use the elliptical broke, I had only been on the machine for about 2 minutes when a washer of some type came off. I weight 135 so I know it is not because I exceed the weight limit. I called customer service twice and they have yet to call me back or email me. The washer that keeps popping off holds the pedal onto the machine. I put it back on and sat on the floor and used my hands to pedal, and it popped off yet again... this machine is a complete waste of money... I had read reviews about others that where loud and now I wish I would have ordered the loud ones... at least they worked!

I received this a week ago, and have used it everyday since. It's very compact and I store it in the corner of my living room and use it while watching TV. I am not a runner, I walked occasionally for exercise. This machine is fabulous! The stride is a bit shorter than an elliptical at a gym, but still comfortable. After doing it the first day, I was afraid my legs would hurt because of the short stride. I have no pain! And by 20 minutes on this machine, I am dripping in sweat and my heart is definitely working! I can't say enough good things about this trainer. I hate going to the gym, and for the price this works much better! I also hold small hand weights while using it. I don't have it in a doorway. I am not very coordinated and it's still very easy for me to balance on. The machine itself is easy to assemble and is very sturdy. If you are looking for an affordable way to do cardio at home, this is it.

UPDATE: Just wanted to update after I've had the Jfit for awhile. I've had it for four months and it works just as well. The parts and everything are still in great shape. It was definitely worth every penny over an expensive gym membership.

Just got my pink elliptical. It took me about 15 minutes to assemble. There's not much to assemble just screwing on the two pieces of the base and the black paddles. I had a big treadmill before, but I had to keep it in the guest room. It took up too much space and there was no TV in site, so it eventually became an object to hang my clothes on, then I got rid of it. I wanted something small enough to place in front of my TV that's quiet and gives me a moderate cardiac workout. This is it! It's a bit too tall to fit under my bed, and I have a regular size bed. It's a bit awkward to use at first. You have to balance yourself and hold on to something. Follow the safety instructions. Step on the lower paddle first. I really like the fact that it has an electronic meter that is easy to use. Nothing too technical. It just has ONE button that you just keep hitting to see how many strides you took (which it is great so that you can challenge yourself by increasing the number of strides from day to day). If you hit the button again, you'll see the amount of calories you burned. It hit again and you can see how much time you took. NOTE: It does say in the manual that the weight limit is 250 pounds. This is a great little machine! This might be a keeper.