Top 5 Cross trainers 2015 – 2016
When it comes to working out, a cross trainer is one of the best pieces of exercise equipment you can have. As the name suggests, this device is great for training areas across your body, making it a perfect go-to instrument for home workouts.
Fortunately, the current market has a great range of cross trainers available, for a range of budgets. To help you in your search, here’s a look at the top 5 elliptical trainers you can currently buy.
Xterra Free Style Elliptical Cross Trainer
The Xterra Free Style is a crosstrainer designed to offer high quality across a variety of areas. You could even say it rivals that of many gym variants, as it has a broad range of features, including:
- With an 11.3kg flywheel, this crosstrainer has no problems generating resistance.
- Similarly, this is highly customisable, with 20 different resistance levels.
- This, in turn, is supported by 20 different incline levels, allowing for greater customisation and resistance.
- The cooling fan is also a welcome inclusion, especially during intense workouts.
- This trainer also comes with a digital console and a range of 13 different programs.
- As far as size goes, this trainer is a little large with a size of 209 x 55 x 171 cm, but this represents all its additional features and customisable options.
- Despite this, however, its surprisingly light at just 110 kg, boxed.
- The heart rate measurement is a welcome feature, giving useful information mid-exercise. This can be done via the small handlebars – with built in pulse sensors – or a strap that comes included with the kit. The latter is especially useful if you wish to use the larger handlebars instead.
As you can see, this is a very well designed product and plenty of care has gone into ensuring that all of the features you could want or need have been included. If you’re looking for a device to regularly exercise on, this crosstrainer has enough features to help control and adapt your experience.
Summary
Features: 11.3kg Flywheel – 20 Levels of Resistance – 20 Incline Levels – Cooling Fan – Heart Rate Measurement – Digital Console – 209 x 55 x 171cm – 110 kg.
Pricing: High-End
DKN XC-140i Elliptical Cross Trainer
The Elliptical Cross Trainer is a smaller, compact model, yet it still offers some great flexibility when it comes to fine-tuning your experience. It’s many features include:
- For a small, compact design, this crosstrainer still manages to fit an impressive 14kg flywheel.
- This is combined with 32 levels of resistance, offering for some great precision control.
- The digital controls make operating this device easy, as well as allowing further customisation through apps and other features.
- This kit also includes a built in heart rate measurement system, so you can get live results mid-exercise.
- If you have a small home, this trainer is ideally size at just 142 x 164 x 56 cm.
- Likewise, it only weighs 58.5 kg, making it one of the lightest cross trainers around and very easy to pick up and move.
- Finally, this device is also designed to be used with tablets, allowing you to connect your exercise programs with your digital apps and tracking services.
If you’re looking for a device that is easy to use and control, this crosstrainer has a lot to offer. It has many features, such as a digital console and the ability to integrate your tablet, that make it extremely more useful in personal, home environments.
Summary
Features: 14kg Flywheel – 32 Levels of Resistance – Digital Control – Tablet Integration – Heart Rate Measurement – 142 x 164 x 56cm – 58.5 kg
Pricing: Mid-Range
NordicTrack E9.5 Elliptical Cross Trainer
This NordicTrack crosstrainer offers a very smooth experience, yet its design still ensures you get exactly what you need from each session. Let’s take a look at what it has to offer.
- With a 12 kg flywheel, there’s plenty of power and resistance when using this crosstrainer.
- As far as customisation goes, 22 different levels is more than enough variance – everyone can find a setting that suits their workout.
- Similarly, the resistance itself is magnetic, ensuring a smooth and quiet experience.
- This is also a reasonable size. Unfolded, it is 176 x 63 x 184 cm.
- When not in use, it folds to a size of 171 x 46 x 77cm.
- It also doesn’t weigh as much as you might think, either, at just 145 kg.
- When in use, the cooling fan is a welcome touch, offering a gentle blast of fresh air.
- Likewise, the digital console helps to further customise the experience. Alongside resistance, you can also control the speed, incline and other settings.
- There’s also a built-in music port with speakers. This is a nice touch if you have a music playing device on hand.
This is another product that offers some great exercise features, such as a powerful flywheel and variable resistance, alongside some other welcome additions. The speakers, especially, are a clear example of the extra attention that has been given to this trainer.
Summary
Features: 12kg Flywheel – 22 Levels of Resistance – Cooling Fan – Digital Console – 176 x 63 x 184cm – 145kg
Pricing: Mid-Range
JTX Tri-Fit
The JTX Tri-Fit has some very impressive features that work together to offer a fantastic experience. Despite it’s size, the JTX offers a precise level of fines. This is thanks to its many features, including:
- The most obvious feature is the large, 17kg flywheel, which helps ensure really powerful workouts.
- Aside from offering some great resistance, this device has 5 stride settings, allowing you to control your stride. These settings range from 16 to 20 inches.
- This is also supported by 4 incline settings, for added versatility.
- Between the 4 incline modes and 5 stride options, there are 20 different set-ups available on this device.
- If that wasn’t enough, the kit also comes with heart rate equipment, to better monitor your own performance mid-exercise.
- In terms of size, great care has been taken to make this device compact. At 153 x 75 x 173 cm, this will easily fit into most peoples homes.
- At 75 kg, it’s also one of the lightest options available.
To surmise, this is a product that many beginners will feel right at home in, yet it has enough control options that more experienced trainers can get exactly what they need at the same time.
Summary
Features: 17kg Flywheel – 5 Stride Settings – 4 Incline Settings – Heart Rate Strap – 153 x 75 x 173cm – 75kg
Pricing: Mid-Range
JTX Strider-X7
Another JTX product, the Strider-X7 has a simplistic design, intended to fit easily into a home environment. Yet this doesn’t stop it from packing some very worthwhile features, including:
- At 12.5 kg, this powerful flywheel is more than enough.
- 16 different resistance levels, likewise, allows users to fine-tune their exercise efforts.
- This can further be controlled by a touch-screen console that is quick, easy and intuitive to use.
- It also comes with 16 different programs for added versatility.
- As a surprisingly useful inclusion, this device is wheeled. While it’s stable to use, this ensures you only need to glide it, rather than lift it, when you want to put it away.
- Even if you do need to lift it, at 54 kg, this is a very lightweight design.
- Size wise, this product has a rough dimensional frame of 170x70x130 cm.
This device is very easy to use, instantly feeling familiar, but that doesn’t stop it from generating a powerful workout. Yet its other subtle features, such as mounting the entire device on wheels, make it much more practical and home-friendly than you might originally imagine.
Summary
Features: 12.5kg Flywheel – 16 Levels of Resistance – Touch-Screen Console – 170 x 70 x 130 cm – 54 kg
Pricing: Mid-Range
Verdict
As you can see, when it comes to crosstrainers, you really are spoilt for choice. All of these 5 products are fantastic options in their own right yet – when looking at the complete list – the Xterra Free Style is clearly above the rest. This device offers a professional level of quality, as well as some very worthwhile features, for a very reasonable asking price. If you’re serious about staying in shape, this exactly the kind of device you need!
Read more about Best Cross Trainers – Top 5 Review Of 2015 – 2016 on Cross Trainer Reviews - Best Of 2015 - 2016.
