ProForm Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical Review

Last Updated on February 10, 2021 by Jeff

Smart Strider Elliptical Overview:

At this price range, the ProForm Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical is a great piece of exercise equipment. It has just about everything that you’ll need for an intense workout. It has a strong commercial-grade steel construction and with a 13 lb, rear-mounted flywheel, which provides a solid and smooth stride. This design provides a gym-like feel of a top rated elliptical that is two or three times more expensive. ProForm backs up their construction with a lifetime frame warranty.

The Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical offers tons of great features like 18 levels of digital resistance and oversized, adjustable foot pedals ensure a comfortable, pain-free workout. It also has dual-grip heart rate monitoring that allows you to work out in your target heart zone and burn as many calories as possible. Finally, the best feature of all is the 18 workout programs and iFit® capability provides on this elliptical. You will be hard pressed to find another elliptical in this price range with as many workout options as the ProForm Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical.

Click here to see the lowest price on the ProForm Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical.

Technical Info:

Dimensions:

• Height: 65”
• Width: 25”
• Length: 74”
• Item weight: 190 lbs
• Max user weight: 275 lbs

Features:

• Commercial grade steel construction makes this machine built to last.
• 13 lb rear flywheel provides a smooth, steady stride.
• 18 levels of silent magnetic resistance ensure a smooth, frictionless workout and allows you to adjust your workout resistance for increased calorie burn and higher intensity.
• SpaceSaver® design folds up in one easy step and frees up precious floor space. Perfect for apartment living or for people who just don’t have a lot of workout space.
• Oversized, adjustable foot pedals with several foot position options so you can settle in for a great workout and enjoy great traction control.
• Built-in, dual-grip heart rate monitor keeps you in your target zone for better, faster results.
• Water bottle holder so you can stay hydrated throughout your workout.

Computer Features:

• Large LCD display keeps you workout stats right in front of you.
• iPod® compatible so you can listen to your favorite music with the built-in sound system.
• iFit® compatible provides you with unlimited workouts designed by certified personal trainers.
• Provides global Google MapsTM routes, extensive fitness tracking and an unlimited workout library.
• 18 workout apps including:
  • Calorie workouts
  • Performance workouts
• Display readouts include:
  • Distance
  • Resistance
  • Speed (RPM)
  • Calories (Cal & Cal/Hr)
  • Pulse
  • Time

Warranty:

• Frame: Lifetime
• Parts: 1 year
• Labor: 1 year

Shipping and Assembly:

Shipping costs will vary for the ProForm Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical depending on where you purchase from and what type of delivery you prefer. However, some retailers, such as Amazon.com, will provide free shipping.

Assembly literally takes minutes with the Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical since it is fully assembled. It will literally take you longer to get it unpacked then to get it assembled and ready for exercising.

What We Love About the ProForm Smart Strider Elliptical:

Computer Programs

The 18 programs on the ProForm Smart Strider Elliptical basically blows its competition out of the water. Add the ability to connect to iFit® and there’s no other choice to make. Since its iFit® compatible, you will need to purchase a wireless module and a subscription. iFit® is a smart fitness technology that provides quick and easy access to endless training opportunities including custom-built workouts, automatic tracking and routes powered by Google MapsTM. The custom-built workouts are provided by top fitness trainers like Jillian Michaels and automatically adjust your workout intensity. With Google MapsTM you can literally train anywhere in the world. The program provides you beautiful street views throughout the world and automatically adjusts the incline and decline to simulate the actual terrain.

Design

The rear-mounted flywheel design is great on the Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical. It has a smooth and realistic stride motion. It makes you feel like you’re getting that gym-like workout. Another great design feature with the 735E Elliptical Trainer is the SpaceSaver® design. It’s great because with a 6’ footprint, it can easily fold up to free up floor space. Finally, the out-of-box assembly is awesome. You can literally take this elliptical out of the box and start working out. A lot of other manufacturers exaggerate with these claims, but ProForm delivers.

Other Considerations:

Stride

While we love the smooth, gym-like motion that the ProForm Smart Strider Elliptical provides, it is disappointing that the stride is only 18”. While it may not be a big deal for everyone, if you are 6’ tall or taller, you may want to try this elliptical out before buying. It’s possible that you won’t be able to fully extend and you may have to compact your stride. This will greatly hamper your ability for an intense workout. The other thing that we miss with this elliptical is the ability to incline. While most other competitor models in this price range also fail to deliver with incline, you can upgrade to the ProForm Endurance 520 E Elliptical for about another $50 and get it. It’s just an option if that’s something you’re looking for.

Final Word on the ProForm Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical:

The ProForm Smart Strider 535 Rear Drive Elliptical is a nice elliptical, especially in the mid-$500 price range. In fact, we can’t find another manufacturer that can beat the features that it offers at this price. It has more resistance levels and workout programs than other elliptical at this price point and we love the rear flywheel design that provides a gym-like experience. Its only competition is the upgraded ProForm Endurance 520 E Elliptical. For just a mere $50 more, you can get a larger stride, increased weight capacity and the ability to incline. It may be worth taking a look at our review before deciding to make a purchase.