Name: ProForm Hybrid Trainer
Brand: ProForm

Quick Summary

The economy priced ProForm Hybrid Trainer is a light elliptical machine and recumbent bike for a budget conscious shopper.

Recent models have been upgraded to include iFit technology, a tablet holder, and a watts meter.

But despite the upgrades, the online price remains a mere $399.

Does that make this machine is an incredible deal or an budget priced disaster?

There’s only one way to find out…read on!

Specifications

Model	ProForm Hybrid Trainer
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the elliptical's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	82%
List Price Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	$799
Best Price Since prices change daily, this link goes to our preferred retailer for the best price we've found.	$399
Resistance Resistance is what determines calories burned per stride. The more levels, the more precisely you can control the difficulty.	14 Levels
Resistance Type The type of resistance affects the performance of your elliptical. Magnetic and Eddy-Current are the most common types.	Silent 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).	15 inches
Pedals Elliptical pedals can be cushioned and adjustable for maximum comfort and minimum impact on joints for injury prevention.	Oversized & Cushioned
Incline Some elliptical trainers can be set at an incline to increase difficulty and burn more calories.
Flywheel The flywheel controls the smoothness and resistance of your workout. In general, the higher the better.	Inertia-Enhanced
Programs Elliptical Programs allow you to complete a workout with changing speeds and inclines, without changing anything manually.	14
User Profiles For each profile the elliptical allows, you can create a custom user account with saved programs and goal settings.	1 User
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.	Handlebar Sensors
Display Elliptical Display refers to the screen you'll look at to monitor workouts. LED and LCD displays are similar to TV screens.	Large LCD Window
Max. Weight Max User Weight is the amount of weight, in pounds (lbs), that it can safely support, which can represent durability.	350 lbs
Dimensions Dimensions are included to help you figure out if this elliptical will fit properly (Length x Width x Height and Height x Depth).	63" x 26" x 76"
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: 5 Years Parts: 90 Days Labor: 90 Days

Our Rating

82/100

The ProForm Hybrid Trainer is designed for light and low-impact exercise. Within one seamless workout session it serves as both a recumbent bike and an elliptical trainer (just moving arm bars). The console offers 14 built-in training programs and is iFit-enabled for unlimited additional workouts.

The ProForm Hybrid Trainer is the entry level model in its series. It has a very short stride and a very light drive. Depending on your body size and workout needs, those factors could be advantages or disadvantages.

The MSRP is $799 but ProForm’s web price is $399 with shipping included. Check out our pros and cons to decide if limited, yet versatile machine will work for you.

Pros:

Double duty (Recumbent bike and upright elliptical).
Adjustable seat.
SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance.
14 resistance levels.
14 workout apps.
iFit-enabled.
Tablet holder above console.
Smartphone-compatible.
Contact heart rate monitor.
Water bottle holder.
Transport wheels.

Cons:

Flywheel is very light (13 pounds).
Stride is short (15″).
Worryingly short parts & labor warranty (90 days).
No cooling fan.
No wireless heart rate monitor.
Consumers have complained about squeaky operation.
Product sometimes arrives damaged.
ProForm customer service gets many negative reviews.

Alternatives

Sometimes this product delivers great value, but just as often it arrives defective (and for some people it’s too small). Here are some alternative exercise machines that offer similar features and cost, but are far more dependable:

– ProForm Hybrid Trainer Pro – 17″ stride, 15-pound drive, same fun features
– Sole E25 – Much higher quality but lacks high-tech extras

Introduction

The ProForm Hybrid Trainer lets you lean back to cycle or stand up for full-body elliptical workouts. It’s designed for cardio training as well as weight loss and it’s equipped with 14 workout programs focused on calorie and speed goals. For extra motivation, an attached bracket for your tablet computer makes it convenient to access iFit and the Internet mid-workout.

Workout Programs

Fourteen workouts are built into the Hybrid Trainer console. Eight are designed for calorie burn and six are performance workouts.

For unlimited workout options, this ProForm Hybrid Trainer is enabled for iFit. Using your own mobile device as an iFit monitor, you can design immersive Google Maps™ workouts with Street View, watch iFit video workouts, download a new and personalized workout every day, take part in online bike races, and more. iFit subscriptions cost $99/year and can register up to four member profiles.

Hybrid Trainer Features

This fitness machine has a 15″ stride. The drive weighs 13 pounds and offers 14 levels of resistance. The resistance system is magnetic, which is generally associated with quiet operation. This trainer won’t necessarily live up to that quiet reputation though. Many customer reviews describe it as squeaky. So buyer beware.

The ProForm Hybrid Trainer has oversized pedals that are textured to help you feel secure. The built-in workouts and data (speed, calories, time, distance, and watts) are shown on a simple 3″ x 4″ LCD monitor. You can also check your pulse with a grip monitor.

For a more engaging workout session you can attach your tablet computer to access iFit’s unlimited workout selection, use your own fitness apps, or browse the web.

The console also has a smartphone-compatible port and a sound system.

Just like the Hybrid Trainer Pro, the basic Hybrid Trainer has a 63″ x 26″ x 76″ footprint and attached transport wheels. This ProForm has a 350-pound capacity but the stride and are so small, it’s best for smaller trainees.

Warranty & Guarantee

The ProForm Hybrid Trainer warranty includes:

– Frame: Five years

– Parts: 90 days

– Labor: 90 days

ProForm sells its Hybrid Trainers with a 30-day money back guarantee.

Conclusion

It’s not easy to find a fitness machine under $400. Thanks to a surprising amount of modern tech (for this price range anyways), ProForm Hybrid Trainer is a big step above the previous model. Nonetheless it cuts corners on two important components: stride length and drive. We recommend it only to people around 5’3″ and shorter. We also caution that its warranty and ProForm’s customer service fall short of industry standards. This is not a machine built to last or impress. It’ll work in a pinch and is surprisingly versatile, but don’t expect the ProForm Hybrid Trainer to be a fixture of your home gym for very long.