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Ellipticals | Home » » » » Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer | | | | | | | Description: | | The E35 elliptical from Sole® is a value in every sense of the word. It's designed with an easy-to-use console that features a vibrant LCD console, and a built-in cooling fan and water bottle holder offer total convenience. Fluid, natural motion is provided by the whisper-quiet drive system, while the combination of a 25-lb flywheel and high gear ratio ensures a smooth feel with plenty of top-end resistance. | | | Features: | |
• Elliptical trainer with heavy 25-pound flywheel for smooth performance
• Power incline feature adds resistance while targeting different muscle groups
• Vibrant 6.5-inch blue LCD display tracks time, distance, calories, and resistance
• Integrated sound system; oversized, custom-designed foot pedals
• Built-in cooling fans; 375-pound capacity; weighs 200 pounds
| | | Product Details: | | | Product Length:
| 68.0 inches | | Product Width:
| 34.0 inches | | Product Height:
| 22.8 inches | | Package Length:
| 66.5 inches | | Package Width:
| 34.0 inches | | Package Height:
| 22.5 inches | | Package Weight:
| 221.0 pounds | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 70 reviews |
| | | | Customer Reviews: | |
Average Customer Review:
 ( 70 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
401 of 403 found the following review helpful:
 Nice Elliptical TrainerJan 27, 2011
By EmbeddedFlyer
Of the "consumer grade" elliptical trainers sold online and in some of the big box stores the E35 is one of the best. I've done a lot of research and the Sole has a smooth solid feel that many of the others (especially less expensive ellipticals) can't match.
The most important thing to remember is the best machine is the one you'll USE. If you have a jerky, clunky, noisy, or otherwise unpleasant elliptical you're less likely to use it regularly.
What you want in an elliptical is a solid frame that doesn't flex much when you really pound on it at higher resistance levels and work hard with your arms. If you try that on a cheaper machine, it will rock, flex, creak, squeek, clunk, etc. The E35 passes this test.
And you want a heavy flywheel (hidden inside) to smooth out the motion so it's not jerky. The resistance should feel constant throughout the stride. The E35 does. Front or rear "drive" doesn't seem to matter much.
You need good bearings at all the pivot joints to avoid "clunks" during the stride and keep it quiet. You also need good wheels that ride on solid tracks. Again, the E35 has all this.
Unless only shorter (as in under 5'10" or so) people will be using it, it's best to have a stride length around 20" not 17-18" like many of the cheaper models. For taller people a shorter stride feels "choppy" and isn't as fluid or pleasant. The E35 has a 20" stride.
The heart rate monitor grips tend not to work all that well when you're moving. That's true of even the $5000 club machines. As your hands move around on the sensors it confuses the electronics so your heart rate isn't that accurate or is only displayed sometimes. If you want accurate heart rate, use a chest strap. The E35 is somewhat rare in that it comes with a chest strap monitor (known as telemetric or telemetry). So that's a plus over other models including the Livestrongs.
The above are the most important. Everything else is much less important. Like the power elevation (incline) on the E35 works smoothly but doesn't make a huge difference in your workout (at least to me). A backwards (reverse) stride and changing your hand positions makes a much bigger difference.
The consoles all have various gimmicks and features but many of them won't get used much. The speakers for your iPod/MP3 player sound terrible--headphones work much better. The fan is a joke. You can't tell it's even on once you're working out. And fancy training routines add some variety but are not that likely to get used either. What usually works best is either a constant resistance, a ramp up-level off-and cool down routine, or an interval routine (hard/easy/hard/easy/etc.). Everything else is just kinda fluff--especially when it's easy enough to tap the resistance up and down yourself whenever you want during your workout.
Many manufactures play up the ergonomics of their machines. Some angle the foot pads in. Some (like the E35) have adjustable foot pads or variable strides. Some have the footpads closer together (like the Livestrong and Horizons). To be honest, unless you have really odd body mechanics, I think most of it is marketing hype. If you look at the $5000 machines, they typically have none of these features and are used by hundreds of different people a day at health clubs without any ergonomic issues.
It's worth knowing that Sole, Xterra and Esprit/Spirit are all made in China by the same parent company--Dyaco in headquartered in Taiwan with a US office in Jonesboro AR. Sole is mainly sold online and at Sears and Dicks Sporting Goods. Xterra has a different dealer network including some of the warehouse stores. Esprit and Xterra both have models similar to the E35.
Another big manufacture is Johnson that makes Horizon, Livestrong, Vision and AFG. Again, all the home grade products are actually made in China. I bring this up because Johnson has a better reputation for customer service than Dyaco. If you have a warranty issue, need parts, etc. you'll likely spend less time on hold with one of the Johnson brands.
NordicTrack, Schwinn and Nautilus are all the same company. And all seem to have more customer complaints. All 3 brands have been bought and sold sometimes more than once so don't assume because they were good in the past they still are.
ProForm is a favorite brand in the big box stores. And I couldn't find any that compare to the E35--but most are also cheaper.
I've compared the similarly priced Livestrongs to the E35 side by side and prefer the E35. The Livestrongs are nice but not as well made, had a few squeeks, and seem to have more complaints about problems on the various forums. The Horizon products (same company) have lots of bells and whistles but just don't feel right to me.
Vision makes some really nice ellipticals but they're mainly only sold through specialty fitness dealers and cost more than the E35. The same is true of Octane, Diamondback, Precor and Lifefitness. I've tried all of them. There's also Smooth, Star Trac, True and a few others with good reputations that I have't tried.
A good resource is treadmilldoctor dot com for relatively unbiased info on all the brands and brief comments on many of the models.
So that's my research and opinions. I hope it helps someone! The E35 is hard to beat for the price.
127 of 130 found the following review helpful:
Recently Purchased after ResearchNov 10, 2010
By Hudock
I recently purchased the Sole E35 2011 model after spending a few weeks online researching between the Sole, Norditrack, Horizon, and other top models. I then went and tried a few machines out at some local shops, and my choice landed on the E35.
Reasons I chose the E35 over the E25 or E95, was mainly the heavier wheel and the longer unit was the perfect sweet spot. I also was buying this unit for my wife as well.
I have used many precor's and other top models at the gym for years.
I will update this review as time progresses, so here is the recently purchased review.
After two days...
Install, as many others has stated the box unit is extremely heavy and large, very difficult to carry. We were keeping it on a ground level entrance so just two people was enough. It took 2 people about 2 hours to put the machine together. The directions are very good and its virtually impossible to put any part of it together wrong.
After first use, the machine is whisper quiet, and very smooth. I did a 30 minute workout on lowest incline and it was just exactly as you would expect from the machines at the gym. I'm a bigger guy (6'1 270) and it did not shake at all. I tested the MP3/speakers feature and it worked perfectly. The wireless heartrate chest monitor works flawlessly as well and was rather nice since my gym only has the handles.
So far I'm very pleased with my purchase.
I will update this review in a month.
85 of 88 found the following review helpful:
 love my 2011 E35 sole ellipticalNov 02, 2010
By Dr. M. Judith Block
"mj"
Did the usual consumer report/amazon.com/treadmillDR. research and this brand came up with high marks for the cost. Then went to Dick's sporting goods where they have them in stock to check out. Actually ordered one direct from Sole as this was the best price (no tax, free shipping)...I splurged for the "turnkey service". It is an extra 235.00 and meant they would haul it to the second floor of my home and set it up and haul away all debris. WELL WORTH IT. Strikingly at Sole when I placed the order they discouraged this service and said for 100.00 they will deliver it to the room of your choice and "its really easy to put together" I don't think so.....The two professional movers who put together about one of these machines a week said it is challenging and it took them working together 2 solid hours. Soooo, think about that when ordering.
In terms of the machine itself, I have only had it for a week and both I and my 11 year old daughter have used it. I am 240 lb and short, 5 feet, 4 inches....the machine works fine for me both moving forward and backward directions. My partner who is only 5 feet 1 inch also says it works for her. (Shorter folks just grab the handle bars lower down.) It is totally quiet (much more so than my bowflex treadmill which sits next to it). It comes with a heart monitor strap, or you can grab the stationary hand grips and get heart rate that way. Compared to the precor I use at the gym, I find the quality and work out is comparable. Someone said the built in speaker for mp3s was useless. I plugged my ipod in and found it was plenty audible, even when not cranked to full volume. When I asked at Sole if there was any difference between this model and the 2010, they said just the color/quality of the display. So, the older reviews are likely relevant.
Bottom line: ok for the short and fat....worth paying extra to have professionals haul and assemble it.
42 of 42 found the following review helpful:
Solid and QuietNov 30, 2010
By B. Forgeron
We did some research and saw that the E35 from previous years was pretty well reviewed by Consumer Reports and regular consumers, but a few support horror stories made us a little skeptical of buying it online. We instead went to Sears where we were able to try it out next to other competing Nordictrack models and it seemed to be the best built. I've used cheap equipment before and since I'm 6'4" 245lbs I almost expect to hear or feel some give in the equipment, but we've had the E35 for about a week and after a couple workouts this thing is solid as a rock and whisper quiet. I was concerned about it being hard to use because I'm a taller guy, but it feels fine for me and for my 5'4" wife to use. As other people mentioned in their reviews, yes this sucker is heavy. The box it came in listed it as weighing close to 240 pounds, so don't expect to move the wheel up the stairs by yourself. It took about an hour and a half to put together and the directions were better than most I've had to use. My only grief with the E35 2011 so far is the cheap little fan in the console virtually pushes no air. This of course was not a selling point, just a neat little extra, but it's not even worth turning on. We instead bought a $25 fan from a local store which we use near the unit. If you're looking for a decently priced elliptical you plan to use often I would suggest you take a good look at the E35 and make sure you try it out in a store before you buy it or any other elliptical.
34 of 34 found the following review helpful:
Excellent product and valueJan 08, 2011
By Andrew Little
Updated 2/4: I've had the E35 for close to 6 weeks now and I remain totally impressed.
I've had this Sole E35 now for about 2 weeks and am highly impressed with the quality and workout I get. I have used Precor ellipticals in the past and really like them but there was no way I was going to spend $4K-$5K for one. The E35 is an incredible value of quality and offers an equally outstanding workout. I'm 230Lbs now (with a goal of 195), and I can say the E35 is a very solid machine with a sturdy high quality feel, and the 25Lb flywheel makes it plenty smooth as well. The machine glides in near silence, which I also love.
The screen is large and bright and offers plenty of options and information. You can monitor your pulse with either the hand grips or the chest strap, and both work excellent. Oddly the instructions say it offers 16 levels of resistance, but mine goes to L20. Regardless there are plenty of levels of resistance.
When shopping around I also compared it to the Livestrong 13.0e, which is also a very nice machine. But I was sold on the fact that the Sole has 2 glide rails on each side, rather than 1 like the Livestrong. It seems that 2 rails provides better lateral stability. Also, the display on the Sole is superior.
About Assembly:
I am highly mechanically inclined and very comfortable using hand tools, and it took around 2.5 hours to put together, and I was taking my time and being very careful to do it perfectly. The instructions are well laid out, but the schematics could be a little better if they were printed a little larger. The screws, nuts and bolts are logically packaged and labeled by the steps in the directions. It could have been a little easier if they had labeled the plastic covers with numbers, so it took a little trial and error to figure out which cover went where.
It is a heavy machine. I was contemplating having four guys carry it from the garage to the basement, but instead decided to open the box in the garage and carry the separate pieces into the basement. This was a very wise choice. However it's important to note, that I did also remove the 2 pedal assemblies from the flywheel, which requires a 5/16" hex wrench and wrench for the nut (can't recall what size). You will need two people to carry the heaviest/largest pieces.
Also, about head room/ceiling height. I am 71.5" tall and I have the E35 under the duct work in my basement where I have 92.5" from the floor to the bottom of the ducts. When pedaling at the highest point and I have about 4.5" of clearance from my head to the duct. EDIT 2/4: The 4.5" headroom is when I'm standing straight up, and you don't use it standing straight up, so in practice I have more like 6.5" of head room.
All in all, the E35 is a great product that I can highly recommend. I'm looking forward to getting into great shape.
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