The Life Fitness X9i Elliptical: Smooth, Steady, and Sophisticated
Written: Aug 25 '03 (Updated Aug 26 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: sturdy, smooth, stable, quiet, provides a total-body workout
Cons: space requirements, very expensive
The Bottom Line: After 8 months of regular use, our X9i still works like a dream. It's smooth, quiet, stable, and gives a great whole-body workout.
|
|
|
| qualia's Full Review: Life Fitness X9i Cross Trainer |
In a nutshell, this elliptical works like a dream. It runs smoothly and quietly, and has a high range of resistance that makes for a great workout. After 8 months of regular use, we’ve never had any problems with it.
My fiancé and I have long been big fans of the elliptical trainers at our gym, because they provide a rigorous cardiovascular workout without putting much strain on the joints. Our gym features both Life Fitness and Precor ellipticals, both of which are excellent in their own way. The Precor model has the advantage that it allows you to vary the incline at which you’re pedaling. However, it does not provide an upper body workout at all. The Life Fitness model, on the other hand, does not have a variable incline, but it does have handlebars that you push and pull as you pedal. It therefore gives you a nice total-body workout. We both felt that his last feature was important to us, so when we were looking to buy an elliptical for our home, we decided to go for a Life Fitness machine.
At the Life Fitness website (lifefitness.com), we found detailed information about their various elliptical cross-trainer models, as well as a list of the dealers that sell LifeFitness machines in our area. We then went to a dealer to try out their various models, the X3i, X5i, and X9i. (The “i” stands for the “interactive heart-rate monitoring” feature, which is an option with the X3 and X5 models, but comes standard with the X9).
X3i - Their least expensive model. As I was testing it vigorously, the machine was quiet and the pedaling and handlebar motion was smooth and fluid. However, I felt the frame of the machine wobble slightly from my movements.
X5i - This machine felt more secure, and was the only model that allowed me to adjust my stride length (there were four stride options: walk, jog, run, sprint). Although I found it very comfortable, my fiancé’s opinion was that the body position on this machine did not feel as natural and comfortable as it did on the gym model (he felt as though the machine forced him to learn forward slightly to use the handlebars as he stood on the pedals).
X9i - Life Fitness calls the X9i “the ultimate home version of our health club model.” It shared the same features as the Life Fitness ellipticals that I had used at the gym and has the same rock-solid stability. My impression was that this was the sturdiest of the models. My fiancé felt that the angle of the pedals and handlebars on the X9i made for the most natural and comfortable body position. So, in spite of the hefty price-tag, we decided to purchase this model.
In the 8 months that we’ve had it, our X9i has endured regular use (averaging between 5-8 hours per week) and still holds up as well as it did when it was new. It still works smoothly and the machine is stable even during very intense workouts. Also, the mechanism is quiet enough that I can watch TV or listen to music while I’m working out.
The X9i offers 20 levels of resistance, and will challenge even the very fit. The interactive console displays the cals per hour, total cals burned, time elapsed, miles, RPM, and heart rate. (There are heart rate monitors in the handles as well as in the Polar wireless strap that you wear can around your chest). You can easily adjust the resistance level manually or you can select from different from 18 different pre-programmed workouts. For some of these programs, the machine will automatically adjust its resistance based on the feedback from your heart-rate so that you stay within certain ideal “fat-burning” or “cardiovascular” zones. You can store up to seven of your favorite workouts along with your weight and resistance preferences so you can start a workout quickly. You can also store results from these workouts to track your progress over time.
There are also little, non-technical details of the machine that I like, such as the two cup holders where you can put bottled water, and the ledge along the bottom of the console for holding magazines.
I can only think of a few disadvantages of the X9i. A very minor shortcoming is that the incline is fixed, as I mentioned before. However, I believe a higher incline isn’t really necessary—I can get quite an intense workout merely by increasing the resistance. Another drawback is its size; its dimensions are 82"L x 25"W x 64"H, and it weighs in at a hefty 235 lbs. So, it’s important to make sure you can spare enough permanent space.
A final downside is the price tag… The X9i retails for approximately $4000 (although we were lucky enough to get it on sale at around $3200). If the purchasing decision had been up to me, I would have chosen a cheaper model in spite of the X9i’s virtues. However, my fiancé really loves good fitness toys, and unlike me, he has a real job and can afford to splurge on a few luxury items like this. In his mind, this purchase was worth it. We love this machine.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
qualia
|
|
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 21 members
About Me:
Shutterbug, bibliophile, caffeine addict, crazy cat woman.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.