Precor EFX 245 Elliptical Machine Review (Pros + Cons)

Quick Summary

Want one of the world’s best home elliptical trainers?

The Precor EFX 245 is popular among shoppers with bigger budgets.

It’s the top model in Precor’s Energy Series of commercial-quality ellipticals for home gyms.

Whether you prioritize smooth operation, workout variety, tech integration or some other feature, you’ll probably like this Precor…

But read on for a complete EFX 245 review.

Specifications

Model	Precor EFX 245
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the elliptical's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	83.5%
List Price Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	$4,199
Best Price Since prices change daily, this link goes to our preferred retailer for the best price we've found.	$3699
Resistance Resistance is what determines calories burned per stride. The more levels, the more precisely you can control the difficulty.	16 Levels
Resistance Type The type of resistance affects the performance of your elliptical. Magnetic and Eddy-Current are the most common types.	Magnetic
Stride Length Stride Length is important for comfort and smooth strides. A stride length of 18-21 inches is ideal for most heights (5'3 - 6'7).	n/a
Pedals Elliptical pedals can be cushioned and adjustable for maximum comfort and minimum impact on joints for injury prevention.	Heavy Duty Plastic
Incline Some elliptical trainers can be set at an incline to increase difficulty and burn more calories.	15° - 25° Elevation Range
Flywheel The flywheel controls the smoothness and resistance of your workout. In general, the higher the better.	Undisclosed
Programs Elliptical Programs allow you to complete a workout with changing speeds and inclines, without changing anything manually.	24
User Profiles For each profile the elliptical allows, you can create a custom user account with saved programs and goal settings.	4 Users
Heart Rate Heart Rate programs allow you to track how many times your heart is beating per minute (bpm), and some control the workout for you.	Pulse Grips & Chest Strap (Optional)
Display Elliptical Display refers to the screen you'll look at to monitor workouts. LED and LCD displays are similar to TV screens.	7-inch 16:9 color display with backlit capacitive touch buttons
Max. Weight Max User Weight is the amount of weight, in pounds (lbs), that it can safely support, which can represent durability.	Undisclosed
Dimensions Dimensions are included to help you figure out if this elliptical will fit properly (Length x Width x Height and Height x Depth).	76" x 29" x 65"
Upper Body Most ellipticals have handles to hold while you're working out that provide an upper body workout.
Accessory Tray Some ellipticals include an accessory tray for holding items such as water bottles, wallets, keys, or MP3 players like iPods.
Speakers Ellipticals that include a sound system allow you to listen to your MP3 player/iPod through built-in speakers (without headphones).
Cooling Fans Cooling Fans are designed to help keep you cool during an intense workout on your elliptical.
Folding? Some ellipticals are designed to conserve space by folding up. This is a convenient option, but some features might be reduced.
Quick Controls Quick Controls allow you to select speed, incline and even workout programs with the touch of a button (usually on the handles).
Warranty The warranty is an important part of your investment. The longer the warranty, the longer you can get free/discounted repairs.	Frame: Lifetime Welds: Lifetime Parts: 5 Years Console: 3 Years Labor: 1 Year

Our Rating

Rating: 83.5/100. Looking for an all-around excellent home elliptical trainer? The $3,499 EFX 245 is the top model in the Precor Energy Series, a lineup that leads the residential crosstrainer industry. Each elliptical in this collection has the high quality of Precor’s health club ellipticals but is under warranty for home use. The EFX 245 in this review has moving arm bars and a motorized incline. It stands out from lower models with its variety of upgrades: four user profiles, a touch screen, more than double the preset workouts, personalized workout suggestions, on-screen music controls and more. Here are pros and cons to consider.

Pros:

Touch screen with three-year warranty
Four user profiles
Motorized incline (Eight levels from 15 to 25 degrees)
Moving arm bars
Reversible motion
25 preset workout programs
16 user-designed programs
Personalized workout suggestions
Weekly fitness summaries
16 resistance levels (10 watts to 550 watts)
Quiet performance (Magnetic resistance)
iPod/iPhone compatible (On-screen controls)
Headphone jack
Smartphone charger (Android/iOS)
Tablet computer holder
Wireless heart rate monitoring
Contact heart rate monitoring
13 data points
Metric and standard data choices
Water bottle holder
Accessory holder
Good warranty
Great customer service from Precor

Cons:

No workout fan
Luxury price
Delivery costs extra
Not foldable to save space

Introduction

The Precor EFX 245 is a top-of-the-line home elliptical trainer with commercial quality. Just like Precor’s health club trainers, it’s built to fit virtually every trainee’s body size and workout goals. Among its many highlights are a 7″ touch screen, 25 preloaded workout programs, personalized workout technology, a motorized incline, and on-screen controls for your iPod or iPhone. This luxury elliptical trainer is protected with a long warranty and Precor’s highly rated customer service. Here are details about its workout programs and special features.

Workout Programs

The Precor EFX 245 is loaded with training support. One option is to let the elliptical’s computer choose a workout program based on your specific goals. Also available are 25 preset workouts categorized into five groups: Be Fit, Lose Weight, Push Performance, Get Toned, and Go the Distance. Other programming on this EFX console includes a fitness test, manual mode, and room to save 16 customized routines.

This Precor supports four user profiles. One advantage of having a profile is that the elliptical saves your preferences about resistance and incline for quick-start workouts. Some other benefits are more accurate calorie burn feedback and the ability to automatically track your fitness data with the Preva mobile app.

Workout info are shown on 7″ color touch screen. Lots of feedback is available while you train: The full list includes Time Elapsed, Time Remaining, Segment Time, Finish Time, Total Distance, Total Strides, Elevation Gain, Distance Remaining, Strides/Min, Avg Strides/Min, Calories, Calories/Min, Calories/Hr, METs, Watts, Current Heart Rate, Current Heart Rate Zone, Average Heart Rate, Max Heart Rate, Target Heart Rate and Time in Heart Rate Zone. Several of these categories are also displayed more prominently as graphs while you train.

Precor EFX 245 Features

The Precor EFX 245 lets you exercise with or without upper body resistance. You can leave the handlebars stationary or use them as part of total body training.

For added challenge the EFX 245 has a motorized incline with 15° to 25° range. The preset works can alter the incline, plus you can adjust it with console controls.

To help you stay motivated during workouts, this trainer is built to securely hold your tablet computer. It also has the most advanced iPod integration of any elliptical in this series; while others also have an audio jack and volume control for your mobile device, only the EFX 245 has complete on-screen music controls.

A port is provided for charging an Android or iOS phone.

The console also has an accessory tray and water bottle holder.

Warranty & Guarantee

The Precor EFX 245 elliptical warranty provides the following coverage:

– Frame: Lifetime

– Parts: 5 years

– Console: 3 years

– Labor: 1 year

Conclusion

The Precor EFX 245 is a top-of-the-line elliptical from an industry leader. If you’re seeking a luxury crosstrainer, then Precor is an ideal brand — and if you want plenty of programming, this this particular Precor could be your best buy.