Last Updated on March 3, 2018 by Jeff
Overview:
The SOLE E98 Elliptical is extremely well built and comes with a lot of comfort features. Matching its level of durability, SOLE Fitness equipped this elliptical machine with comfort features you won’t find on competing machines.
Resistance and up to 40° of incline can be adjusted from the handlebars. The SOLE E98 offers heart rate monitoring on stationary handles and also with an included chest strap. The foot pedals are cushioned, fully adjustable and articulating to match your stride. These features are designed with the user in mind to make sure they are as comfortable as possible and so they can really extend their workouts. Read on for our full elliptical machine review of the E98 SOLE Elliptical.
Click here to see the price of the SOLE E98 Elliptical Machine on Amazon.
Technical info:
Assembled dimensions:
- Height: 67 inches
- Width: 32 inches
- Length: 82 inches
- Weight: 249 lbs
Features:
- Stride length of 20” fits most users.
- 20 resistance levels through the Eddy Current Brake (ECB) system that adjust at the push of a button from the handlebars.
- Up to 40° of incline, all adjustable by automatic controls from the handlebars.
- Heart rate monitoring on handlebar grips and with an included chest strap for hands free application.
- Cushioned, fully adjustable and articulating foot pedals with a 2° inward slope to reduce knee and ankle strain.
- Built-in cooling fan to keep the user cool throughout their workout.
- Water bottle holder to ensure the user stays hydrated while exercising.
- Maximum User Weight: 400 lbs.
Computer Features:
- 9” backlit LCD display.
- 10 programs including 6 pre-programmed workouts, 2 user defined programs and 2 heart rate programs.
- 2 user profiles.
- Built-in speakers and a plug-in for an iPod® or MP3 player.
- Workout data includes:
- Speed
- Incline
- Time
- Distance Travelled
- Calories
- Pulse
- Pace
Warranty:
The frame has a lifetime warranty. It also has five (5) year electrical and parts warranties, a two (2) year labor warranty.
Shipping and Assembly:
The SOLE E98 is sold on Amazon, usually with the lowest prices, and with delivery options.
SOLE Fitness offers three delivery options. They are:
- Residential Delivery – Completely free of charge by a freight partner along with a tracking number. You will be called prior to delivery to schedule a time convenient to everyone. The driver will unload the equipment from the truck and the rest is your responsibility.
- Ground Inside Delivery – Comes at a charge of $99 and again delivered via a freight partner with a tracking number. Once a delivery time is confirmed, they will deliver the box inside your home to a room of your choice. Unpacking and assembly are your responsibility.
- Turn Key – Not recommended as the manufacturer states assembly is simple, and it comes with a charge of $239. The machine is delivered and assembled wherever you want in your home
About the Manufacturer:
SOLE Fitness has been providing exercise equipment throughout North America for decades. They have been the fastest growing brand in the US and Canada the last five years. Their target market are hotels nationwide, but have slowly evolved into residential sales. SOLE Fitness equipment is known for quality performance under rigorous use. They provide lines of bikes (both upright and recumbent), treadmills, elliptical machines and rowers.
What We Love About the SOLE E98 Elliptical:
SOLE Fitness is known for providing high quality, commercial grade exercise equipment to the hotel industry, and now they’re bringing that same equipment to your home. The light commercial grade E98 SOLE Elliptical packs in a number of conveniences that provide the user with a comfortable workout. This machine is especially friendly for users looking for an exercise machine to assist in rehabilitation.
Durability
The SOLE Fitness E98 SOLE Elliptical is a light commercial grade elliptical machine. You are pretty much getting a machine that Sole Fitness would sell to the hotel industry. It is beyond durable and built to take a beating. This front driven machine with a 34 lb flywheel isn’t going to more no matter how hard you’re working out. The maximum user weight is 400 lbs. I don’t you’ll find another elliptical machine in this price range with that capacity, if you can find another machine at all. Sole Fitness backs this all up by providing a lifetime frame warranty for the E98 SOLE Elliptical.
Incline
Most elliptical machines in this price range provide powered incline, just like the E98 SOLE Elliptical. One nice feature is that the controls for the incline are conveniently positioned on the handlebars so you never have to move your hands. The biggest advantage this elliptical machine has over competitors is that the incline can rise up to 40°. This is nearly unmatched. Most other machines provide 20° incline and maybe 30° if they’re lucky.
Foot Pedals
The foot pedals on the E98 SOLE Elliptical are completely adjustable and have a slight inward slope of 2° to take stress off of the knees and ankles. The pedals are also articulating, which means they will adjust to your stride motion. These are extremely good features for users who are looking for an elliptical machine for rehabilitation purposes. Sole Fitness also made the foot pedals cushioned to again take stress off of the user’s joints so they can focus on optimizing their workout.
Other Considerations:
Pre-Programmed Workouts
One con of the Sole E98 Elliptical is that there are only 10 programmed workouts. Most machines in this price range have twice as many pre-programmed workouts and multiple other computer features to provide an enjoyable workout. Other elliptical machines, some over $1,000 cheaper, provide interfaces with online apps that provide an almost endless amount of workouts. The E98 SOLE Elliptical severely lacks on available workouts.
Assembly
Some users commented on the difficulty in assembling the SOLE Fitness E98 Elliptical. SOLE Fitness claims assembly is easy and recommends passing on the assembly package offered with delivery. I would agree at the price of $239. However, some users stated that assembly took around two hours. The E98 comes with a detailed instruction manual with step-by-step illustration. The Sole Fitness website also provides assembly videos to assist in the process. You’ve heard it before, but it’s true, you only have to worry about assembly one time…thankfully.
Final Word on the SOLE E98 Elliptical:
In its price range, the SOLE Fitness E98 Elliptical is a good buy. If you want an elliptical machine that is going to last forever, this is a good as you’re going to get. The light commercial grade elliptical machine is the epitome of SOLE Fitness exercise equipment, but it’s for your home. The SOLE E98 Elliptical is stacked with comfort features like cushioned, sloped and articulating foot pedals and full automation with 40° incline and 20 resistance settings with controls on the handlebars.