Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer Review

Our Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer review takes a look at the entry level elliptical from Sole – but has the low price compromised its performance?

Whilst priced at over $1,000, there are many cheaper ellipticals around than the E25 and this is certainly not a budget machine.

However, think ‘entry level’ and poorly built, unstable machines with limited features and a chopped off stride length come to mind.

With the E25, Sole has avoided that trap and built a machine that shares many of the key features of the higher end machines in the range.

So is the E25 a good choice in Sole’s extremely competitive range?

Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer Review – Features

The elements that make them such a good bet if you’re in the market for a near-commercial quality elliptical trainer for home use.When compiling our Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer review, we were impressed by the way that Sole had refused to compromise on the key elements of their trainers…

For instance, the E25 has the same 20″ stride length as its more expensive siblings. This is almost unheard of on ellipticals at this price where 15″ or 16″ is more commonplace.

Even the tallest users should find this sufficent to comfortably accomodate their stride length.

The E25 also shares the same Whisper Quiet Drive System as the top of the range E95, with a 23lb fly wheel and high gear ratio.

Where you’d expect a motorised resistance system, the E25 has eddy current braking (ECB), the state of the art system found on the most expensive machines.

All of which makes for a smooth, quiet ride that’s not found on many ellipticals at this price.

The E25 also has the oversize foot pedals with a 2 degree inward slope for reduced joint stress and extra comfort.

There’s no cushioned footpad, though, although a decent pair of trainers should provide adequate protection.

The pedals sit on four wheels, which ride on heavy duty rails, again contributing to the E25’s solid feel.

There’s absolutely no wobble with the E25, to which the 300lb maximum user weight is adequate testimony!

The control panel and display is simple and adequate and the trainer has a wireless chest strap to monitor heart rate.

So where have the compromises been made in the E25?

It’s certainly not in the build quality, which is excellent. However, the E25 weighs in at 179lbs, so is not as solid as the higher end models in the range.

It also has a much smaller footprint at 71″x27″, which may actually be a good thing if space is limited.

The E25 has a lighter flywheel at 23lbs than the 30lb flywheels found in the higher end models, making for slightly less stability.

There are 16 resistance levels but only 4 workout programs, just one of which is user defined and may be a problem where multiple users want to store their own programs.

The E25 also lacks a heart control function, which is useful as the trainer can then monitor your heart rate and automatically adjust the resistance to give you the workout intensity that you want.

From a safety perspective, there’s no plastic shroud to protect the rails and the warranty is not quite as generous as on the higher end models.

The E25’s manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is $1,999.00, but the E25 is currently on sale at $1,099.99 with free shipping, direct from Sole.

Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer Review – The Bottom Line…

Our Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer review would conclude that the E25 is a very good piece of kit, certainly at the sale price of $1,099.00. However, there are better buys at the MSRP of nearly $2,000.

For my money, whilst the E25 has a lot going for it, if your budget can stretch a few hundred dollars then the E35 has a slightly better build quality and more features – for not a lot more money – and is a better bet.

For more information on the E25, check out Sole Elliptical Trainers.