Customer Reviews

Smooth Fitness CE2.1 Elliptical Trainer

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

 

 

Only had it a week but appears to be well-made and quiet. However I would upgrade to the next level for the controls and matrix screens. The LCD is mediocre at best and the computer is difficult to read for settings. The two units are mechanically identical, so performance is not an issue. 4 stars for the product, not for Smooth Fitness as a company.

Make sure you track all transactions with Smooth Fitness. Smooth Fitness attempted to send a used unit, but I caught the price difference and called/emailed them on it. Not a big deal, but...

Another order for a 6.25 treadmill was delivered and turned out to be a used machine that was partially packaged. The treadmill was upside down in the box with missing and broken Styrofoam pieces. Obviously, it was a customer return that was never tested or repackaged. The huge box was in good shape with no dents, no cuts, no holes. The delivery issues are the result of Smooth Fitness sending a used rather than a new unit for which I paid. This is the second time that Smooth Fitness has done a "bait and switch". Good equipment, but not a company with which I choose to do business.

I can't believe how quiet and smooth these ellipticals are! There is absolutely no sound at all created by using my elliptical. No fighting to hear the tv, no annoying clunking, clacking, or squeaking. The only thing is the stride is a bit short & I have to be careful not to bang my knees on the handle assembly. I have the very low-end model so I think for a bit more money the higher end ones have a longer stride. FYI I'm 5'9". The movement is super smooth too. These are a bit pricey (I got mine used very reasonably) but they are so much better than the ones you'll see at most stores (Proform, Nordic Track, Weslo). They're not quite like the high tech ones at the gym, but for home use on a snowy day they're more than adequate!! Highly recommended!

I really like the 2.1 and have been using it for about seven months. It was easy for me to put together (to my wife's amazement) and it's well-made and of high quality. The stickers did come off, but a little super glue took care of that. It took me a few days to get used to the elliptical movement, but I use it regularly for cross training and to prevent/recover from running overuse injuries. It's been a life saver when I haven't been able to run. The 2.1 is basically the same machine as the 3.2 without the heart rate monitor and the fancier computer. I have a dedicated heart rate monitor which gives me all the information I need, so the additional cost for the 3.2 was unnecessary. The computer on the 2.1 is sketchy, but none of the computers on any of the ellipticals (at least the ones I've tried) are accurate or dependable. I also find the (9) preset programs unnecessary. I start the workout with the time set for ninety minutes and adjust the intensity levels manually with a quick press of a button, and go as long as I like. It's pretty much a seamless operation to change the intensity levels while working out. I can get a heck of a workout, and I can raise my heart rate as high as I like--when I'm doing a long distance run, my HR is usually LOWER on the run than on the elliptical. Although the 2.1 workout is often more intense than many of my runs, it doesn't feel as difficult even though my heart rate is higher than when I'm running. Exercising at 90% of my maximum HR feels easier on the 2.1 (though not easy) than on a run. Basically I use the 2.1 as a manually operated adjustable machine, and for that, I couldn't have chosen a better one. I particularly like that the movement can be forward or backwards. I usually cool down in reverse motion, which probably balances my muscles a bit. I'm about 5'11 and 145 lbs,and my machine is very stable and quiet, but shorter/heavier/more compact people may have a different experience. Initially I wished the stride were a bit longer, but after about a week, it ceased to be an issue. If you need bells and whistles, the 2.1 may not be for you, but if you have a heart monitor (which costs less than the upgrade to the 3.2) and don't need to rely on the computer for more than time and intensity level, it's terrific. The computer does give distance traveled and calories used, but I use that just for comparing workouts. I don't believe they're accurate measures. One other point is that the 2.1 is a rear fly wheel elliptical and so doesn't have rails which need to be cleaned regularly. There are very good front wheel ellipticals on the market, but I wanted something simple that would stand up to strenuous workouts. So far, so good! P.S. Check the prices, as they frequently go on sale.

I spent a lot of time looking for a piece of exercise equipment that I could use at home to get me to work out on a regular basis while doing something I enjoy more, like watching TV. After nearly purchasing a treadmill, I went back and found this. A treadmill, I found out after I ordered, would need electricity requirements I could not reasonably provide in my home. I did some more research and bought this elliptical based on reviews for the company's product quality and quietness.

This has been an exceptional purchase having now owned it for about a month. I went with free super saver shipping and got an extra $100 off with a rebate Amazon had at the time. It was delivered very quickly (I think only about 3-4 business days from the purchase date) and I was surprised after reading some reviews for equipment like this that my delivery person helped bring it into my house to the location I wanted to set it up. Mind you, my house is a small 850 sq/ft one floor place. There would have been no way to move it into the house on my own.

I put the entire thing together, cleaned up, & broke down the huge box all in about 3-4 hrs. while the TV was on in the background. I also took a short lunch break included in that time. I'm a small, 135lb 5ft 6in male and was able to assemble the entire thing myself. That said, it was far from easy and I would recommend having two people work together on it as some steps are very awkward or heavy to maneuver with one person. Notably, the flywheel portion of the trainer, it probably weighs upwards of 140lbs on its own. Thus, I had to tip the box carefully over on its side and basically drag the thing out sideways to get it free from the box. The only other issue I had with assembly was one part where the handle portion wouldn't slide on to the main frame because there was about a mm of a bump on the cylinder it was to slide on to. I had to work very hard to get it past that. In the end, the machine gave me my first workout in assembly alone.

Having been using it now for about 4-5 times a week for 3-4 weeks, it is very smooth and quiet. The only exceptions to the quiet are when the resistance level is changing and an occasional creaking sound which I feel that I can attribute to the handlebar portion not being snug up against another part. That may be an assembly issue or something that just requires a tweak that I haven't bothered with yet.

Overall, the programs are nice and provide a solid level of variety and it comes with all the amenities I could want. Although, it doesn't come with a bottle holder or very much of a space holder for a TV remote which is a tiny drawback. It is also mobile, with wheels on the back so that you can lift the front and move it somewhere, probably a couple of inches or feet out of the way, not across the room.

I'm extremely pleased with the build quality and functionality of this machine and expect to use it for many years to come.