How to Find the Right Sole Elliptical for You
Sole
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Sole Fitness Ellipticals are quickly rising in popularity, and for good reason: The brand has a wide range of elliptical machines, all of which are high-quality, competitively priced machines built to last.
Ellipticals provide a smooth, low-impact workout, ideal for a full-body workout that's easy on the joints. Many other types of cardio machines tend to only focus on one muscle group, while ellipticals can train several body muscle groups simultaneously.
Whether you’re looking to pick up an elliptical for home use or outfitting a commercial gym, Sole has an elliptical for you. One of the Sole’s best features is that every one of the brand’s ellipticals has ECB resistance, which uses frictionless magnets for a smooth, silent and comfortable cardio workout.
With seven models to choose from at a variety of prices, choosing the right Sole elliptical can feel overwhelming. In this buyer’s guide, we’ll share the specific details of each model and help you choose the perfect one for your needs.
Sole Elliptical Models
Sole E20
Sole
Key features:
- Price: $699
- Flywheel: 14.4 pounds
- Weight capacity: 275 pounds
- Dimensions: 70 inches x 24 inches x 64 inches
- Monitor: 5.5-inch LCD display
- Stride length: 18 inches
- Resistance: ECB
The E20 is Sole’s entry-level elliptical trainer, coming in with the lowest price yet still packed with features. This is its newest model, designed to be an affordable option without sacrificing any quality.
The E20 doesn’t have a fancy display screen or cooling fans, but it’s still a great option, especially if you need a compact elliptical for a smaller space. The elliptical includes an 18-inch stride length, water bottle holder, built-in speakers to hook up to your MP3 player (no Bluetooth) and Sole’s silent ECB resistance.
The incline adjustment is manual, not an automatic incline adjustment, so you can’t change your incline without stopping your workout.
The Sole E20 is a heavy-duty elliptical that will likely last years, well-suited for those with smaller spaces and individuals on a budget.
Pros:
- Very affordable
- High-quality, especially for the price
- Uses silent ECB resistance
Cons:
- No cooling fan
- Slightly reduced stride length
Sole E25
Sole
Key features:
- Price: $999
- Flywheel: 20 pounds
- Weight capacity: 350 pounds
- Dimensions: 70 inches x 24 inches x 64 inches
- Monitor: 6.5-inch LCD display
- Stride length: 20 inches
- Resistance: ECB
A step up from the E20, the Sole E25 elliptical was Sole’s original “entry-level” elliptical, and remains a fantastic piece of fitness equipment.
The Sole E25 boasts a 20-pound flywheel, generous 350-pound weight capacity and 20-inch stride length, which should be suitable for users of most sizes and weights. The E25 also features a built-in cooling fan, phone or tablet holder and Bluetooth-compatible speakers to listen to your shows or music while you work out.
You can operate the elliptical with both forward and reverse motion, allowing you to train with a variety of movement patterns. There are 20 resistance levels and 20 power-adjustable incline levels to allow users to adjust the difficulty and intensity of their workouts. Sole also includes a wireless heart rate monitor chest strap that displays your heart rate metrics on-screen.
At under $1,000, the Sole E25 offers a lot of features in an elliptical at a reasonable price point. Anyone looking for something with a decent amount of resistance and incline but without many of the advanced tech features is likely to enjoy the simplicity and utility of the E25.
Pros:
- Powered incline adjustment
- Bluetooth speaker and a built-in tablet holder
- Wireless heart rate monitoring with included chest strap
Cons:
- At $999, this is a big price increase from the $699 cost of the E20
Sole E35
Sole
Key features:
- Price: $1,199.99
- Flywheel: 25 pounds
- Weight capacity: 375 pounds
- Dimensions: 82 inches x 31 inches x 67 inches
- Monitor: 7.5-inch LCD Display
- Stride length: 20 inches
- Resistance: ECB
The Sole E35 elliptical is the E25’s larger counterpart, with a small price increase and a few nice upgrades. Mainly, everything about this machine is a little bigger and heavier, providing more resistance and stability.
The 25-pound flywheel is a step up from the E25’s 20 pounds, providing more challenge at higher resistance levels. The E35 has an above-average weight capacity of 375 pounds, 25 pounds higher than the E25. The display screen is one inch bigger, which isn’t a huge difference, but worth noting.
These features mean this is a slightly larger elliptical, but if you’re a larger individual, or want the extra resistance, the increase in price and size may be well worth it. Unlike smaller machines, the Sole E35 won’t wobble when used at quick speeds or high resistance. Like the E25, the E35 features a cooling fan, table holder, Bluetooth speakers, and wireless heart rate monitoring through an included chest strap. A lifetime frame warranty is testament to the machine’s quality build. Sole also includes a five-year parts and electronics warranty.
Pros:
- 25-pound flywheel provides extra resistance
- A higher weight capacity than the E35
- 7.5-inch LCD display backlit by a bright white light
Cons:
- This is a bit larger and more expensive than the E25
Sole E55
Sole
Key features:
- Price: $1,199.99
- Flywheel: 20 pounds
- Weight capacity: 375 pounds
- Dimensions: 71 inches x 27 inches x 64 inches
- Monitor: 9.0-inch LCD
- Stride length: 20 inches
- Resistance: ECB
Next up, we have the Sole E55 elliptical, , which is one of Sole’s highest end ellipticals designed for home use. It’s packed with features and Sole’s high-quality standards, but is a slight step down from a commercial gym elliptical.
The E55 is more compact than the E35, designed for smaller spaces, and features more adjustability than the lower-end models. The E55 has adjustable foot pedals that can be changed with the turn of a dial, allowing you to fine-tune your perfect fit and simulate your natural walking pattern.
The incline and resistance settings are also built-in to the handlebars, allowing you to adjust your workout without slowing down and reaching for the console. The E55 comes with 10 preset workouts and offers compatibility with the Studio fitness app for more programming options. Like other Sole elliptical models, this one boasts Bluetooth connectivity, built-in fans, 20 levels of resistance and incline and a solid warranty.
Overall, if you want a fantastic elliptical that’s compact enough for most spaces but still offers a great workout, this is the best choice.
Pros:
- Adjustable pedals allow you to customize the feel of your workout
- Large, commercial-grade LCD display screen
- Small enough to fit in compact spaces without sacrificing quality
Cons:
- No adjustable stride length
Sole E95
Sole
Key features:
- Price: $1,699.99
- Flywheel: 27 pounds
- Weight capacity: 400 pounds
- Dimensions: 82 inches x 31 inches x 67 inches
- Monitor: 10.1-inch TFT LCD
- Stride length: 20 inches
- Resistance: ECB
The Sole E95 elliptical is very similar to the E55, with better features, heavier resistance and quality that rivals commercial health clubs.
A heavier, 27-pound flywheel provides a tougher workout at the top resistance levels offering a challenging full body workout and a 400-pound weight capacity is inclusive for people of most weights and sizes. Adjustable foot pedals and console ensure comfortable use for taller individuals, too.
The Sole E95 has been upgraded with a TFT LCD screen for easier viewing, custom molded hand grips for improved comfort and more adjustment settings for the foot pedals. An included device holder in the console makes it easy to stream interactive programming or watch content while you workout. This elliptical is bigger and heavier and offers more resistance than the E55, a nice upgrade if you have the budget and extra space.
Pros:
- Adjustable pedals provide a comfortable lower body workout
- An upgraded LCD display screen
- Heavier flywheel and weight capacity
Cons:
- It’ll take up more room than the E55, and costs about $300 more.
Sole E95S
Sole
Key features:
- Price: $2,199.99
- Flywheel: 30 pounds
- Weight capacity: 400 pounds
- Dimensions: 84 inches x 32 inches x 70 inches
- Monitor: 10.1-inch TFT LCD Display
- Stride length: 18-24 inches
- Resistance: ECB
The E95S takes everything that makes the E95 great, and makes it just a little bit better.
The biggest difference? A fully adjustable stride length that’s electronically controlled from the console, something rarely seen in home ellipticals. You can adjust the stride length from 18 to 24 inches, making this the only Sole elliptical with an adjustable stride length.
If you find the standard stride length on most ellipticals to be uncomfortable, or have longer- or shorter-than-average legs, the adjustable stride length alone may be worth the upgrade.
The flywheel is a little bit heavier to offer more resistance (30 pounds), but it’s only a small increase from the standard E95. The E95S features the same comfort features, like a built-in fan, water bottle holder, Bluetooth speakers and phone or tablet holder.
Pros:
- The only Sole elliptical with an adjustable stride length
- Between the adjustable oversized foot pedals and stride length, you can fit this treadmill to nearly any body size
Cons:
- At $2,199, it’s a big price jump with the only big difference being an adjustable stride length
Sole E98
Sole
Key features:
- Price: $2,299.99
- Flywheel: 32 pounds
- Weight capacity: 400 pounds
- Dimensions: 82 inches x 31 inches x 71 inches
- Monitor: 10.1-inch TFT LCD Display
- Stride length: 20 inches
- Resistance: ECB
Finally, we have the Sole E98 elliptical, Sole’s commercial health club option. This elliptical is designed for light commercial use, so it may not be a great choice for a busy commercial gym. But if you’re outfitting an office gym, hotel gym, private studio or home gym, this is a great choice.
The E98 includes 10 different workout programs users can choose from, as well as a built-in fitness test program that will monitor the user’s heart rate via built-in handgrip monitors or the included chest strap and automatically adjust the resistance.
It also features the heaviest flywheel of any Sole elliptical and a 400-pound weight capacity. Compared to the E95S, it has a heavier resistance to withstand commercial use, but you won’t get the adjustable stride length.
Pros:
- Strong enough for light commercial use
- Features Sole’s heaviest flywheel for maximum resistance
- Built-in programs to follow, including automatic resistance adjustment
Cons:
- It’s quite pricey, and may be a bit much for home use
- It doesn’t have the adjustable stride length found in the E95S
What Is Sole?
While Sole isn’t as big of a name as NordicTrack or Bowflex, it’s quickly rising in popularity, mostly due to the high-quality of its front drive ellipticals. Sole also sells treadmills, bikes, climbers, rowers and strength training equipment.
Sole elliptical trainers have been carefully engineered to provide an ergonomic, comfortable ride with varying levels of resistance to meet the needs of any fitness level.
You can also sign up for Sole Studio, which includes over 3,000 on-demand workouts, with more added daily. As Sole ellipticals don’t have video monitors built-in, you’d set up the class on your phone or tablet and sync it with your Bluetooth-enabled elliptical and heart rate monitor to see your metrics displayed in the class screen.
This optional subscription costs $19.99/month, but is a nice add if you want to enjoy virtual classes that work with your new elliptical.
Factors to Consider Before Purchasing a Sole Elliptical
Size
Sole ellipticals come in a variety of dimensions, so be sure to measure your space first. If you need a compact elliptical, you’ll want to choose the E25 or E55; the rest are best for those without any space limitations.
Modes, features and subscription
All of the ellipticals are built to last, durable and provide a great workout. The big differences lie in the resistance and built-in features.
As you move up the price ladder, you’ll enjoy heavier flywheels for more resistance, bigger screens and extra features like built-in speakers, cooling fans, adjustable pedals and more.
Each model is compatible with Sole Studio for virtual workouts, but you can certainly enjoy your elliptical without the extra subscription.
Price
Price is a major factor when selecting a large cardio machine. With ellipticals in a price range of $699 to $2,299 (prices may vary on other retailers like Amazon), start by figuring out your budget and choose the appropriate model based on the features you want.
Even the E20, Sole’s most affordable model, is still a fantastic, durable elliptical, so you really can’t go wrong with any of the models.
Training programs
Many fitness companies have their own fitness apps to provide virtual workouts, and Sole is no different. If you’re looking for a trainer program, you’ll likely want to use Sole Studio, which costs $19.99/month.
The E98 features a few built-in training programs as it was designed for commercial gyms, but many would still prefer Sole Studio’s classes over the built-in programs. There’s no need to purchase the commercial model solely for the programs.
Warranty and return policy
Every Sole elliptical offers a lifetime warranty on the frame, with varying warranty lengths on parts and labor. The E20 and E25 offer a three-year electronic and parts warranty, and one-year labor warranty.
The E35, E55 and E95 offer a five-year electronic and parts warranty, and two-year labor warranty. The E98 also offers those same warranties, in addition to light commercial use warranties that are reduced to a three-year electronic and parts warranty and one-year labor warranty.
Sole Ellipticals FAQs
How do Sole ellipticals compare to NordicTrack?
Compared to NordicTrack, Sole ellipticals have very similar mechanical features and roughly equal durability. NordicTrack ellipticals often have better monitors and allow you to follow classes on the built-in display, while Sole monitors can’t display video.
In terms of actual elliptical functioning in a home setting, they’re very similar.
How long do Sole ellipticals last?
Sole ellipticals are built to last a long time, and the lifetime frame warranty supports this. Of course, any elliptical will wear down when used improperly, so it’s hard to say exactly how long yours may last, but with proper care and generous warranties, you should get many years of use.
Is Sole a good brand for ellipticals?
Yes, Sole's product line contains great options for home-gym use in particular. The light commercial use model (E98) would work well in a smaller gym, but if you run a large commercial health club, you’d likely need a different brand built for heavy commercial use.
For all other purposes, Sole ellipticals are very high-quality and highly recommended.
Final Thoughts
If you want a solid, well-constructed elliptical at an affordable price, it’s hard to beat Sole. You may not have the large HD displays with streaming classes found in other models, but you can easily use your phone or tablet.
For the price and quality, Sole produces some of the best ellipticals on the market, and this guide will help you choose the perfect one for your needs.
Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.
