Customer Reviews

LifeSpan Fitness EL3000i Elliptical Trainer

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Our budget was $1000-$2000 range. We needed something that was not as big as some of the units at health clubs but wanted something solid (not a Gazelle type product), and this one fit the bill for me (6'1") and my wife (5'7"). I would say that we are moderate users and our anticipated usage is 6-8 hours per week.

It took me about an hour to assemble by myself and was simple and straightforward. We are very impressed with the machine. It is very simple to use (GREAT CONSOLE), very smooth, and extremely quiet!

The built-in pre-programmed routines offer a nice range and the Fitness Club has been nice for my wife and I to monitor and track our programs. Our daughter is now home from college and she is using it as well and plugs her iPod into the console and listens to music thru the USB port.



We both really enjoy the arm motion and it feels very natural compared to pushing / pulling motion of the other units that we tried at The Sports Authority. We are very pleased with our purchase and decision to commit to a healthier lifestyle.

I bought this elliptical at the beginning of June and took advantage of the special offers from Amazon. This is my first big (physically and money) purchase but I was very impressed with the Elliptical machine and Amazon delivery team. I ordered it on Sunday and got a call from Eaqle the delivery company on Thursday and it was delivered on Friday. The Elliptical Machine was pretty easy to assemble my husband said and is simple to use. Cool feature is the buttons blink telling you what to push next to either do a program or start, VERY simple! It is very well built and comfortable. I am 5'3" and my husband is 6'1" (he tried it when I first got it and says he will use it but I doubt it!) but it feels good for both of us. I am/was a runner but the discomfort in my knees led me to research elliptical trainers to lessen the impact. I came across this model because of the pedal suspension, I have noticed a difference in the lack of pain after my workouts and am able to cross train about 25 minutes at a time 4 days a week...I typically would go for an hour run but have not worked up to that duration on the elliptical yet. I have only owned / used this for about 3 weeks so I can't speak to the long term durability but so far so good. I would recommend this product and Amazon for making this and other large appliance purchases based on my experience so far.

I absolutely love my elliptical! It has everything I wanted AND more.

PRO's:
#1 - The USB feature with the free USB drive and membership is awesome! I read this in the text but it was not clear to me exactly what it was BUT you insert the USB drive into the console and the elliptical saves my exercise information and then lets it upload to my personalized account...REALLY cool to track your exercises and progress and it has other cool tools to keep me motivated!

#2 - The handlebars don't just go front to back in a straight line like the others do...this one goes in on an angle---they call it converging path---either way I feel like it works my arms better and feels better versus just a pulling and pushing motion.

#3 - The cushion built into the pedal is really nice and helps with the pain in my knees

CON's:
#1 - There are a couple of covers that snap together to cover bolts. The idea is very good because I did not have to use tools to assemble that part but the one tab broke and did not stay tight. I did call Amazon customer service and it was handled promptly

I could not be happier with my purchase and would recommend this to anyone!

Bought my LifeSpan elliptical over a month ago. Delivered timely. Had a small leveling issue during assembly but now feels solid, no problems at all. Very smooth and fluid motion, and arm and leg movement is comfortable. Comes with a cool USB feature and LifeSpan Fitness Club membership. I save my workout data then upload it to my online account. On any given day or week I can see how long I exercised, how far I went, how many calories I burned and what my heart rate was doing. I also manually enter data from exercise I do outdoors, as well as track some vital stats like my weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure all in my account. I feel better and my account data shows it. A few more options would be great and LifeSpan said they're working on adding some new features (as you'd expect with any software program).
Overall, I'm pleased with my elliptical purchase and with the performance of the machine.

Some of the other reviews look like commercials to me. I doubt they are from actual users.
The good things about the machine is that it is not too big and simple to use. Here are the cons:
1) It has some noises from the wheel area from time to time
2) There is no mentioning (at least I did not find where) in the installation manual of where to plug in the AC adapter or how to use the extended leveling devices
3) I wish there is a lock in the machine. I have two little kids and they can easily hurt their fingers or arms if they try to play with it. When someone is using it, be absolutely sure that little kids don't get close - it can easily break an arm if one tries to insert his/her arm into the moving parts. Later I looked at other models and they don't look as dangerous.
4) I wish the screws/nuts/washers were packaged in a separate bag instead of pre-installed and taken out when I started to assemble it. One washer fell into the big hole next to it when I was unscrewing it.
5) I think the Amazon sale price of this item ($849) is still very pricy compared with other models I looked at. The so-called regular price is just for dummies like me who think the sale price is a good bargain.

My physical therapist recommended that I look at an elliptical as I am starting to have some knee joint pain and he felt that this woudl be better for me than a treadmill which I was originally looking to buy. This is an excellent value with the features you get. The display is large and easy to read and use with all the direct buttons you push one button instead of scrolling.

The pedals have a built in suspensoin and I am thankful that my PT recommended an elliptical for me as I have noticed ALOT less pain after working out! The motion is smooth and the machine is very quiet and easy to hear your music thru the console speakers or when you are wearing your headphones. The handlebars are really nice. I am not sure what they call it but the handlebars go towards the center of the elliptical instead of front to back and it feels more natural.

My favorite feature is the Fitness Club that comes with the elliptical. The USB thumb drive plugs into the console and stores my workout information and then it is uploaded onto my own site and stores and tracks my information. There is ALOT that you can do with this feature to monitor, in fact i print off my sheets and take into my PT to review.

I would recommend this to anyone and everyone especially if you are looking for a little extra motivation to stick with your routine, the Fitness Club should help.

I've had my LifeSpan EL 3000i for almost a month now. Don't need my gym membership anymore! I can exercise whenever I want and with the Fitness Club membership it is just like having my own personal trainer. For under $1500 you will not find anything better, trust me I have been looking for elliptical since Christmas! The stride length is perfect and the pedals are spaced just right. I REALLY like the handlebar motion is GREAT I am not sure if anyone else has this feature or not but it is SOOO much better than others with a straight front to back motion. I waited for a while to make this purchase and without a doubt this one of the best purchases I've ever made.

I brought this ten months ago in the Thanksgiving deal for 850 bucks. It is very heavy and difficult to move it to the 2nd floor. Once assembled- it is quite easy- it works very nicely. There are many programs to work on. It is quite and smooth. No complains so far.

Recieved this product from Amazon today. The box was nicely packed and everything was found except there was no instructor manual included in the box. I had to download the manual from the Lifespan web site. Don't know if this ommision was an exception or the norm.

This elliptical is a very solid unit and extremely quiet. The workout it provides is very very good workout. The USB and Lifespan Health Club membership are a big plus.

The console doesn't seem to have a power off switch. When you plug it in, it lights up and operates quite impressive; but when you are finished exercising the console stays powered up with it's buttons flashing awaiting the next workout settings. I thought maybe leaving the unit in idle state for a while would automatically shut the console off, but it was still lit after an hour. I've been unplugging it each time after use to stop the blinking lights. Don't know if this is a flaw or its intended design. Regardless, don't let this console issue prevent you from purchasing this very quality unit.

I am dealing with degenerative disc syndrome and a cross trainer was the recommended piece of equipment from my doctor to reduce the stress and impact while I workout. I already have a Schwinn recumbent bike which I like alot but want to add to my workouts and increase my workout intensity but not at the expense of my back. I selected this model because of the 20" stride length and the gel pad cushions in the platforms that you stand on while working out.

The console is easy to use and read. All of the information is on 1 screen and if you want to use the programs the buttons blink to show you how you get set up. It does have speakers and the plug in for my iPod which I had to buy. (NOTE...it does not come with the auxilary cable that has the male ends on each side to go into iPod and then into the console). The usb personal trainer feature is very nice as well.

Delivery was ok...ABF was late for their delivery appointment. Assembly took us about an hour all said and done and was not really that difficult. It is also very easy to move and fits thru a doorway fully assembled. I am very pleased with this purchase and the workout has been an excellent addition to my weekly routine.