Horizon Elliptical Trainer Review

Not every Horizon elliptical trainer review will tell you what you really need to know about these machines – so why not let us?

Horizon are made by Johnson, who also make much more expensive brands like Vision. But has some of that high end manufacturing expertise rubbed off on this line of ellipticals?

Er, no…not that we can notice.

Horizon ellipticals are selling very well, but should they be?

Horizon elliptical trainers retail for between $799 and $1,225, but can be found for a low as $599 to $999.

That puts them in among the congested low to mid-price bear pit with the likes of NordicTrack and ProForm, so do they stand out and say, “buy me”?

Let’s find out…

Horizon Elliptical Trainer Review – Introduction to the Range

We’ve looked at three models in our Horizon elliptical trainer review, Checkout..

Horizon EX 55 Elliptical Trainer
Horizon EX 65 Elliptical Trainer
Horizon EX 75 Elliptical Trainer

They’re all very similar machines with the same basic layout, structure, components and look.

They’re all front drive machines…with a fairly distinctice appearence that’s a little bit different to most other elliptical trainers you’ll come across…

Horizon Elliptical Trainer Review – Features…

The flywheel is in front of and beneath you as you stand on the machine, just above the pedals. An arrangement that Horizon claims gives added stability as well as reducing the footprint of the machine – an advantage for home users with limited space.Their distinctive appearance is down to the front drive arrangement. Horizon ellipticals have what the manufacturer calls a ‘stacked flywheel’ design.

Horizon also claim that this arrangement gives the machine a lower step on height, the lowest in the industry at 9.1″ they say.

Handy if you’re very short or perhaps have a mobility problem that makes climbing onto higher pedals difficult.

There are other interesting design details, like the close together pedals that Horizon claims is more suited to the way we walk.

Each model also benefits from pivoting foot pedals – essential on front drive machines – upper body levers, a generous 18″ stride length…

There are plenty of workout programs, user friendly consoles and fairly decent warranties that are longer than those of many rivals.

But Horizon models have fewer of the gadgets and gizmos that rival brands produced by industry giant Icon Health and Fitness boast.

So does this add up to a package worth your hard earned cash?

In a word, no. our Horizon elliptical trainer review would suggest that the build quality isn’t up there with the best of the competition, and as a package you could do a lot better.

Horizon Elliptical Trainer Review – The Bottom Line…

You should learn to accept that you will never get everything you want on a machine at this price.

However, if you’re on a budget and searching for a worthwhile elliptical trainer for home use, our Horizon elliptical trainer review would conclude that you can get a lot more for your money from the best of the competition.

Not convinced? Then you may find our more detailed model reviews helpful:

Horizon EX 55 Elliptical Trainer Review
Horizon EX 65 Elliptical Trainer Review
Horizon EX 75 Elliptical Trainer Review.