Sole E95 Elliptical Machine Review

Let's first discuss the one thing you may not like about the E95. The machine is, simply said, massive! Once fully assembled, it will have a footprint of 83L x 27W x 62H inches. You will have to look hard to find a spot for it, and it cannot be folded, so once you set it down it's there to stay. The E95 is also heavy, weighing 215 pounds, so moving it around won't be so easy either. But the weight will make it very stable, and it will not wobble when you start using it. The elliptical does have two transportation wheels in the front, plus a handle on the back so you can lift it, making moving it around just a tad easier.

The E95 is a very solid and stable elliptical. This is all thanks to the steel frame which supports the machine. The frame is made out of two pieces, so it won't be as hard to assemble. This also makes it more secure, plus if you need to separate it, you won't be left with one solid frame piece that you can't put anywhere. The solid frame can support users weighing up to 400 pounds without warping or breaking, so there's no need to worry about damaging the machine. The footprint is what gives it the power to support as much weight, but as we said, it is rather huge and you'll have to find a good, roomy spot for it if you want to exercises properly. The frame has a finish consisting of three bases, and each base has a leveler to make the machine as stable as possible on any type of flooring.

The main difference between an elliptical and any other cardio machine is the presence of handlebars. These handlebars will engage your hands, making your full bodywork when you use it. The E95 has both mobile and fixed handlebars. They cannot be adjusted though, so you might struggle to reach them or not having enough room to move your hands properly if you are very tall or short. But they do have multiple places where you can grip them, so you might not struggle as much. The handlebars are curled, so if you are tall, your knees won't hit the bars as you pedal. The fixed handlebars are equipped with pulse sensors which accurately measure your heart rate. The fixed handlebars have buttons where you can adjust the incline and the resistance level. They both have comfy padding made out of rubber foam, making them easy to grip, and they are anti-slip, so when your hands get sweaty you won't lose the grip!

A good elliptical machine will allow you to adjust the incline, so you can make the exercise harder. The E96 does have this feature, and it's automatic! The incline mechanism sits at the rear end of the machine. The incline can be adjusted up to 20 degrees, which can provide a good challenge. Once the angle of your pedaling changes, the focus shifts to different muscle groups, allowing you to target every muscle. Your knees will have to go higher and higher as the incline changes, increasing the range of motion. The system has two heavy-duty rails, and four stable rear wheels, which makes the wobble and side-to-side movement of the pedals minimal. As we said, the drive is automatic, and it can be adjusted from the handlebars. This means that you won't have to stop working out just to change the angle. Plus, there are plenty of programs that change the incline all by themselves, challenging you on different levels. Changing the incline also changes the stride, and the E95 has a long one. It can go from 20" to 22", providing a good exercise for users as tall as 6'6", although users under 5' might struggle with it.

The Sole E95 has a pair of great pedals. They are 15" long, enough to accommodate most shoe sizes, and they are quite wide too, so you won't struggle with fitting your feet on them. Luckily, Sole has realized that feet do not stand at a horizontal angle, so they slightly tilted the pedals to make the position more natural. This will reduce the impact and stress on your joints, making the exercises less demanding for your body. The angle of the pedals can be changed in three ways, letting you select the angle which works the best for your body. This will potentially minimize sore toes and painful Achilles tendons that can happen as a result of prolonged pedaling. The pedals will lift you up to 22", so add this amount of height to your height to see if the ceiling is high enough to allow you to use it.

The drive system of the elliptical is electromagnetic. There are three types of drive systems an elliptical can have, and electromagnetic ones tend to be the best. But because the drive system is electromagnetic, you will need a power source to make the pedals and handlebars move, so you will need to find a spot for it which has an outlet nearby. The machine comes with a six feet long power cord with a plug, which might make finding a spot for it easier. The cord starts from the front of the machine. The cord also has an on-off button. The drive system creates 15 different levels of resistance. You can adjust this resistance either from the console or from the handlebars. The flywheel which powers the whole elliptical is actually very heavy, improving the stability and preventing wobbling. It weighs about 35 pounds, and it's made out of aluminum, creating a smooth ride.

The console of the E95 is not very advanced, which is something we would like to see improved. The E95 is fairly pricey, and there are ellipticals in this range that have more advanced consoles. The display of the console is LCD, and it's 9' wide, illuminated by blue light, so you can read it in any kind of lightning. The display will show you a lot of values, such as RPM, your heart rate, distance, speed, calories burned, and much more. There are 10 programs to choose from, and two of them are custom so you can create your own experience. The console has plenty of buttons, most of them used to quickly or slowly adjust the resistance and the incline, and some are used to set the programs. You can plug in any kind of device in it which plays MP3 files, and it has both an audio and a headphone jack. The console itself has two speakers in case you don't have your own source of the sound. The front of the console has a fan that will cool you down as you start to pedal. The console has a tablet holder sitting just above the main keyboard, while a bottle holder sits underneath the display. The console can be tilted, and it features a chest strap heart rate monitor for more accurate readings. It cannot be connected to Bluetooth or the internet, so you cannot upload any exercise data to see it or save it, which is what we do not like about the console.

The E95 is a huge machine, so setting it up will not be an easy task. The elliptical does come with a very detailed and easy to understand manual, but a person that does not have any techy experience will struggle to put it all together. It can take you more than 2 hours to put it all together! There are a lot of small screws and joints which you must not forget to put in place, plus every joint has to be lubricated before it's put in its place. The machine is very heavy, so before you begin the assembly, place a mat underneath it to avoid damaging your floors, and start putting it together where you want it to be. You can benefit from a helpful hand! The drive and brake system are pre-assembled, but you will need to put everything else together by yourself, Luckily, the right tools for the job are included. Maintenance is easy, and the joints require periodic lubrication. You will also need to tighten them again from time to time. Of course, you will need to clean the machine every time you're done using it to avoid any damage.

As we said, the E95 is rather pricey. It costs about 1,800 dollars, so you will really need to save up to buy it! The cost might put off some people from the idea of going for it in the first place, but you need to remember that the E95 does have a lot of solid features. It has an amazing drive system, it's very stable and secure, and the console does have good features, even though it lacks connectivity.

The Sole E95 is a machine we believe is worthy of your time. It is exceptionally large and heavy, but thanks to that, it will not wobble, and it can support up to 400 pounds. You can adjust the incline and the tilt of the pedals, and the pedals are wide and large enough to support most users. The stride is long, and the machine is comfortable to use. The console has a lot of features, although it does lack Bluetooth and internet connectivity. To sum it all up, you can find ellipticals at the same price point which have more console features, but the E95 is still a very solid machine!