ProForm Smart Strider 535 Elliptical Review

Quick Summary

The ProForm Smart Strider 535 is an entry level elliptical trainer built for light workouts.

For your convenience it arrives mostly assembled and can easily be folded for storage after each workout. The Smart Strider 535 has an 18″ elliptical path, a rear drive to promote stability, and 16 exercise programs.

This home fitness machine has a $599 sale price and carries a one-year parts warranty.

Get the details below from our full Smart Strider 535 review.

Our Rating

Rating: 68.7/100. ProForm Smart Striders are light duty elliptical machines with moving arm bars. Their overall effect is full body training that’s relatively gentle on joints when compared with regular walking and running. The Smart Strider 535 is entry level in a series of three home elliptical trainers. It arrives almost fully assembled so you can start training within 15 minutes of unboxing! To get you started on a fitness program the ProForm 535 has plenty of built-in workouts with different challenge levels. Unlike the higher models in this series (the 735 and 935) however, this cross-trainer doesn’t work with iFit. Its key points related to performance are a 13-pound drive, 18 levels of resistance and an 18″ stride.

The Smart Strider 535 has an online sale price of $599 and carries a one-year warranty on parts and labor. Here are pros and cons to consider.

Pros:

Rear drive stability
Arrives almost fully assembled
Steel frame with lifetime warranty
Foldable
16 preset workouts
Smartphone-compatible (2″ speakers)
Grip heart rate sensors
SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
Resistance controls on handlebars
Water bottle holder
Workout fan
275 pound user weight capacity

Cons:

- No incline
- Very light drive (13 pounds)
- No wireless heart rate receiver
- Some low quality parts
- Prone to wobbling and squeaking
- Customer service from ProForm is occasionally poor according to customer reviews

Another important spec is the 18″ stride. This is a “pro” if you’re about 5’3″ or shorter because it will feel very natural. Otherwise it could be a “con.”

Introduction

Sale priced at $599 the ProForm Smart Strider 535 is one of the cheapest elliptical trainers on the market. It has a rear drive design, which is uncommon for the discount price class, and its 18″ stride is a great fit for shorter trainees. This machine is best considered a cardio trainer for beginners because its highest challenge level is rather light. Here’s a look at the Smart Strider 535’s workout programming and other features.

Workout Programs

The Smart Strider 535 has 16 workout programs categorized as Calorie and Performance. Each program has a preset duration and adjusts the machine’s resistance. Resistance has 18 settings.

Shopping for Smart Striders can be confusing if you compare the advertised workout programs. Recently ProForm mistakenly advertised the 535 as being iFit enabled, but actually it doesn’t work with iFit for the 2016 model year… For comparison the Smart Strider 735 is iFit-compatible (monitor sold separately) and the Smart Strider 935 is iFit-enabled.

ProForm Smart Strider 535 Features

ProForm Smart Striders support 18″ elliptical strides. That’s on the shorter end of industry standards and is ideal for people with shorter inseams.

A streamlined monitor on the 535 shows time, distance, incline and other data. It can also show your heart rate as measured by grip pulse sensors built into the handlebars. To save energy the monitor automatically shuts off after several minutes of inactivity.

The Smart Strider 535 has a 13-pound flywheel. This is relatively light. The more you weigh, the less smooth the ride will feel.

To keep you comfortable during training the 535 has a cooling fan and conveniently placed water bottle holder.

Folding this elliptical machine is easy. It has transport wheels too for easy repositioning.

Warranty & Guarantee

The ProForm Smart Strider 535 warranty package includes:

– Frame: Lifetime

– Parts: 1 Year

– Labor: 1 Year

ProForm also provides a 30-day money back guarantee.

Conclusion

The ProForm Smart Strider 535 Elliptical is one of the cheapest rear drive ellipticals on the market. It’s appealing at just $599. Even so, we recommend spending a bit more to get more value in the long run. Opting for a $799 or $999 alternative you’ll likely get better reliability and a much improved workout selection.