Top Qualities of the Best Elliptical Trainers

You have made your resolution this year to improve your fitness level, exercise and lose weight.  Now the question becomes how will you go about achieving your goals? For many people the answer has become an elliptical trainer.  The best elliptical machines are one of the only machines to come on the market in a long time that has actually made an impression in fitness equipment sales and stayed around due to its unique no impact workouts. If you are searching for the best elliptical machines, you may find yourself overwhelmed by all of the different models available.  The following is a guide to what features the best elliptical trainers will have.The highest rated elliptical machines have these items in common:•    Have a weight capacity of 250 pounds or more.  If you purchase a machine that does not have a higher weight capacity, they just may not last over time. Take into consideration your weight, and the weight of anyone else who might use the machine and purchase a machine accordingly.•    Have a clear, easy to read console; with a few features such as a heart rate monitor and possibly some workout programs.  The best elliptical machines will give you optional workouts, with warm up and cool down programming.  The additional features in the console will give you encouragement to keep going as you monitor your workout.  It will also give you calories burned readings as well.•    Magnetic resistance (versus belt) on the fly wheel.  Consumer reports agree that magnetic resistance provides a smoother, more reliable way to give increased results to your workout for women and men.  Magnetic resistance models are also more durable.•    The best elliptical machines will have a quiet, smooth operation.  The best way to check this is to get on the machine and try it out. If the machine has a jerky operation or rattles and vibrates; it is a pretty good indication of poor quality components and/or workmanship.  It is likely this machine will not hold up to continued use for very long.  The more your weight the quicker the machine will wear out also.•    The highest rated elliptical machines are not cheap.  This sounds cliché, but you really do get what you pay for most of the time with elliptical machines.  This isn’t to say you should go for the pricey brand name product and spend money just because a machine is endorsed by someone.  However, you should understand a reasonable quality machine will cost at least 300 dollars; and with additional features (such as workout programming); you should expect to spend around 600 dollars or more.•    The best elliptical machines will allow the operator to access all functions of the machine from the console (control) panel.  The panel should be easy to reach and operate as well. Safety features should be incorporated and easy to find also.  This is very important should you need to turn the machine off quickly or a child/pet get on the machine.  Purchasing the best elliptical machines is an investment of your money, and the purpose is for you to use it to reach your fitness goals.  Doing a comparative analysis of different models in different price ranges will help you better choose what machine you will be more likely to utilize, will last the longest, have the most features and still be within your budget.