Best Sole Ellipticals of 2024

FitRated Editorial Team | Oct 24 2022 - 11:58 am

Enjoy smooth elliptical workouts at home! Known for its excellent ergonomics and durable designs, Sole Fitness makes it affordable to own a high quality elliptical trainer. Sole equips its home ellipticals with heavy flywheels and other components that competitors reserve for light commercial units - yet their online prices are as low as $899. Their home ellipticals are consistently praised as "Best Buys."

Sole also makes the Light Commercial E98 Elliptical, which is comparable to full commercial ellipticals from other brands. The E98 is available with residential and light commercial warranties and sometimes has a sale price of $1,899.

Even the cheapest Sole elliptical, the E25, features a steel frame, a heavy flywheel, wireless heart rate monitoring, a 20" power-adjustable stride and 20 levels of incline. Ten workout programs and a sound system for MP3 players are included on each trainer too. Higher models are distinguished by specs such as heavier drives and maximum 22" strides. Some have higher weight capacities too, accommodating up to 400 pounds versus the E25's 350 pound limit.

Warranties from Sole Fitness are generous and include in-home labor. Sole's US-based customer service reps are professional, helpful and easy to reach. All in all, Sole is one of the best elliptical brands for residential and light commercial shoppers.

Sole Ellipticals Comparison Chart

Which Sole elliptical is best for your needs? Sole ellipticals vary in terms of flywheel weight, stride length, screen size and other features. Get an overview on the top 5 Sole ellipticals with our comparison chart.

Top 5 Best Rated Sole Ellipticals

	1	2	3	4	5
Model	Sole E95	Sole E98	Sole E55	Sole E95S	Sole E35
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the elliptical's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	Rating: 95.1 %	Rating: 94.1 %	Rating: 94.1 %	Rating: 93.9 %	Rating: 92.6 %
Resistance Resistance is what determines calories burned per stride. The more levels, the more precisely you can control the difficulty.	ECB	20 Levels	20 Levels	15 Levels	20 Levels
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).	20"	20"	20"	18" - 24"	20"
Programs Elliptical Programs allow you to complete a workout with changing speeds and inclines, without changing anything manually.	10	10	10	10	10
Flywheel The flywheel controls the smoothness and resistance of your workout. In general, the higher the better.	27 lbs	32 lbs	20 lbs	30 lbs	25 lbs
MSRP Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	$3,399	$4,799	$2,799	$4,199	$2,799
Pricing After carefully evaluating each online retailer that offers this Elliptical, this is the website we recommend purchasing from.	See Best Price	See Best Price	See Best Price	See Best Price	See Best Price

Sole Ellipticals Buying Guide

This Sole ellipticals buyers’ guide looks at why people choose Sole in general. Next it presents the six options. It ends with some information about the company.

Why Choose a Sole Elliptical?

Customers choose the Sole Fitness brand primarily for comfortable motion and high quality construction at affordable prices. Excellent ergonomics and durability are brand hallmarks:

Comfortable rides are ensured thanks to heavy flywheels, good-sized elliptical paths, and pedals that automatically adjust to suit the rider’s natural gait.

Durable construction lets you avoid the squeakiness, broken parts, uncomfortably short strides and other hassles associated with some other elliptical brands.

Sole ellipticals have good extras too, although the manufacturer devotes more resources to solid construction than to nonessential frills. (Not every fitness brand shares these priorities.) Read on for details.

Sole Elliptical Choices

Sole Fitness makes one line of elliptical trainers, the E series, which has six models. Five are intended for home use only. These range from the entry-level E25 to the E95S. The sixth Sole elliptical trainer, the E98, has warranties for both residential and light commercial use.

Sale prices range from $1,099 to $2,499. The list prices are $1,799 to $4,799.

Each Sole elliptical has a highly praised front drive design. In general front drive ellipticals are less comfortable to ride than rear drive ellipticals — but Sole’s products are an exception. Smart engineering lets the manufacturer combine excellent ergonomics with the lower cost of building a front drive machine. Additionally, Sole ellipticals have magnetic drives. Magnetic drives promote quiet operation and smooth transitions among resistance levels.

E25: The Cheapest Sole Elliptical

It’s inexpensive yet impressive. The Sole E25 Elliptical features a steel frame, a 20-pound flywheel and a 20″ power-adjustable stride. Riders can choose from 20 levels of incline. Heart rate monitoring is available with grip sensors, plus the E25 has a wireless receiver. (The chest strap is sold separately.) Ten workout programs and a sound system for MP3 players are included too. The console has a 6.5″ LCD with backlighting, a cooling fan and water bottle holder. Full price is $1,799 and the sale price is just $1,099. Parts and electronics are under warranty for three years. Labor is free during the first year.

E35: A Best Buy Elliptical

The E35 is a step up from the E25 in terms of stride choice, flywheel weight and screen size. Also, it’s sold with a chest strap for wireless heart rate monitoring and has an adjustable console. Reviewers often name the Sole E35 Elliptical as a “Best Buy.”

Specs include a 25-pound flywheel and a 20″ maximum stride length. Riders can choose from 20 levels of incline. Heart rate monitoring is available with grip sensors or wireless telemetry. Ten workout programs and a sound system for MP3 players are included. The console also has a 7.5″ LCD with backlighting, a cooling fan and water bottle holder. Full price is $2,799 and the sale price is $1,399. Parts and electronics are under warranty for five years, while labor is under warranty for two years.

E55: An Excellent Compact Elliptical Machine

Made especially for people with smaller workout areas, the Sole E55 Elliptical packs lots of goodness into a compact design. Specs include a 20-pound flywheel and a 20″ stride, which is made especially comfortable by 10-position pedals. Riders can choose from 20 levels of incline too. Heart rate monitoring is available with grip sensors or wireless telemetry, and a wireless chest strap is included. The console has a 9″ LCD, ten workout programs, a sound system for MP3 players, a cooling fan and a water bottle holder. Full price is $2,799 and the sale price is $1,499. Parts and electronics are under warranty for five years and customers get two years of free labor.

E95: The Top Sole Home Elliptical

The E95 Sole Elliptical trainer is another winner. It’s been reviewed as the best elliptical over $2,000, and it’s an exceptional deal when on sale. Discount prices of $1,599 and $1,699 are often posted on their site.
The E95 is heftier than the other Sole ellipticals; it can hold up 400 pounds. It has a 27-pound flywheel and a maximum 20″ stride length. Riders can choose from 20 levels of incline. A chest strap is included for wireless heart rate monitoring, plus grip sensors are conveniently built into the handlebars. The console has a 10.1″ TFT LCD, ten workout programs, a sound system for MP3 players, a cooling fan and a water bottle holder. Full price is $3,399, but it’s sometimes dropped to $1,599. Parts and electronics are under warranty for five years and customers get two years of free labor.

E98: The Light Commercial Sole Elliptical

Topping the Sole E Series is the E98 Light Commercial Elliptical. It’s distinguished from the home models by an advanced magnetic resistance system. It has Sole’s highest weight capacity, 400 pounds.
This model has a 32-pound flywheel with a 20″ maximum stride length. Riders can choose from 10 workout programs and 20 levels of incline. A chest strap is included for wireless heart rate monitoring, plus grip pulse sensors are built into the handlebars. The console has a 10.1″ TFT LCD screen, speakers for an MP3 player, a cooling fan and a water bottle holder.

Full price is $4,799, but it’s sometimes dropped to $2,299. If the machine is used at home, parts and electronics are under warranty for five years and customers get two years of free labor. In light commercial settings the parts and electronics are covered for three years and customers get one year of free servicing.

Sole Elliptical Business Profile

Sole Fitness is headquartered in the United States and has a customer service center in Los Angeles. This brand is owned by Dyaco International, which also owns Fuel, XTERRA and several other fitness brands.

Sole Fitness sells ellipticals and other fitness equipment to hotels worldwide and sells directly to consumers in the US and Canada. The brand has also partnered with the retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods. If you’d like to try out a Sole Elliptical, you could head over to Dick’s — but we strongly recommend making your purchase on Sole’s website. Some benefits include lower prices and free shipping, even for returns! Sales tax is only applied for customers in California and Utah.

The hotel industry is where Sole got its start. The company first focused exclusively on the light commercial elliptical industry and worked with top hotel chains such as Hilton and Omni. Sole’s light commercial ellipticals were first made for hotels’ shared fitness centers and for guests’ private in-room fitness zones. When it added a residential focus, Sole didn’t cut corners; it chose to use the light commercial components already on hand. Excellent engineering and quality control give Sole the confidence to provide excellent warranties that include in-home labor.

Sole Fitness Elliptical Return Policy

Buying a Sole Fitness elliptical directly from the manufacturer is a relatively risk-free experience. That is, this company has a reasonable return policy. Customers get a 30-day trial period. If you decide you don’t want your treadmill, then Sole will pay for return shipping. Your purchase price will be refunded minus just 8%. In contrast, most other elliptical brands expect the consumer to pay for shipping — and with ellipticals weighing hundreds of pounds, that’s quite an expense.

Recent Updates

October 24, 2022: Updated prices and specifications to most current models. Added FAQs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I buy a Sole elliptical machine?

Sole elliptical machines are known to be made from high-quality, durable materials and offer users a comfortable workout experience. Sole ellipticals have heavy flywheels, adjustable strides, adjustable pedals and some impressive extras such as Bluetooth connectivity and LCD touchscreens.

Which is the best Sole elliptical to buy?

Our pick for the best-buy Sole elliptical is the Sole E35.

Which is the cheapest Sole elliptical?

The cheapest Sole elliptical currently available is the Sole E25.

What is the return policy for Sole elliptical machines?

Sole’s return policy for their ellipticals is fairly generous, with a 30-day risk-free trial. Return shipping costs will also be covered if you’re not completely satisfied with your purchase.

Is a Sole elliptical better than NordicTrack?

While this will solely depend on what you’re looking for in an elliptical, Sole is generally known for their high-quality, durable ellipticals, while NordicTrack specializes in their many built-in workout programs and streaming capabilities.