Most people associate the company, New Balance, with the popular running shoe. The company manufactures a respected brand of shoes, designed for both men and women. However, footwear isn’t the only thing that they sell, at least not anymore. New Balance also sells elliptical machines and exercise bikes. Below, we will review the company’s line of elliptical machines. Our ultimate goal was to determine whether or not the quality of their fitness equipment was equal to that of their shoes. We found that it is.
New Balance Elliptical Machines
Perhaps the biggest concern for us, at least initially, was whether or not New Balance could manufacture a quality elliptical machine. Fitness equipment wasn’t their specialty. Shoes were and continue to be their main focus. This concern was tempered somewhat by the fact that New Balance is a well respected and established company and thus has the money, research teams and professionalism to probably pull it off. We were right.
New Balance chose Fitness Quest to license their elliptical machines. Fitness Quest is a respected exercise equipment company who some of you might be familiar with because of their oft televised infomercials. They are the manufacturers of the Ab Lounge and Total Gym.
The New Balance elliptical trainers themselves are sturdy, designed well and reliable. Priced at around $1,000 (new), they are pretty affordable for those in the market to purchase one. Brand new, quality elliptical machines typically costs around this much or more.
New Balance 8000
The New Balance Elliptical Trainer has two popular models available, the 8000 and 9000. Both are high quality machines. Each can support runners who weigh up to 300 pounds. The 8000 model is the older of the two. Because of this and the upgrades available on the New Balance 9000, the 8000 machines are less expensive.
Both durable and reliable, the New Balance elliptical 8000 comes with moving arm handles, which makes for a much more intensive workout than stationary ones. Both the top and bottom portions of the body get a work out. The motion of the machine mimics actual running, making it possible for users to get a workout that will challenge them and improve their fitness in the process. One of the best things about this machine is its stride length. It can be adjusted up to 20 inches, which gives users an impressive range of motion and the ability to really mimic the stride that they have when running outdoors.
The 8000 has 16 levels of resistance and a number of workouts already programmed into the machine. The number of pre-programmed workouts isn’t the most numerous on the market but there is an enough to keep individuals both interested and challenged. The machine’s hand grips also contain a heart rate sensor to monitor your exertion levels.
New Balance 9000
The New Balance elliptical 9000 is a step-up from the 8000 model. It is thus is a bit more expensive. The upgrades, however, are pretty impressive and worth the increase in price. The design is very similar to the first model, the 8000. However, there have been some pretty noticeable changes. The stride length has been expanded. It can be adjusted up to 21 inches or shortened to 17 inches. This makes it possible for multiple users to comfortably use the machine. This can come in handy when more than one person in the household will regularly be using the elliptical machine. The 9000 also comes with a chest strap for heart monitoring. This is a departure from the heart rate monitor built into the handles of the New Balance 8000.
Both models, the New Balance 8000 and 9000 come with a decent warranty. Buyers are covered an entire year for replacement parts, 10 years for the body of the machine and 2 years for any electronics malfunctions.
Overall, the ellipticals manufactured by New Balance are good quality home gym machines. They are well designed, affordable, and sturdy. Some older, better known and time tested brands on the market are Sole or Schwinn, but New Balance brand machines are making a name for themselves. Perhaps with a little more time in the market, New Balance elliptical machines will become a top competitor in home gym equipment market.
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