Life Fitness X3 EllipticalLife Fitness X3 Elliptical

Web Price: $2,199 | Sale Price: $2,199

A more affordable option than its sister model, the E3, this one offers an adjustable stride, Coach Zone training, oversized pedals and overall solid construction and design.

Overall Rating From Elliptical Review Guru: 4.0 / 5.0

Capacity:
Resistance:
400 lbs
20
Stride Length:
FootPrint:
20″ max
82″ L x 34″ W x 61″ H

Overview: The Life Fitness X3 is a commercial-grade elliptical cross trainer with unmatched quality and durability. A more affordable version of its sister model, the E3, it brings a gym level machine right into your home.

Let’s look at some of the top features…

Natural, Quiet Motion

One thing you notice immediately on the X3 and other Life Fitness ellipticals is the fluidity of the motion. This is due to years of extensive research on bio-mechanical design. The motion is smooth and natural, regardless of stride length and intensity.

Console Choices

Unlike on most elliptical trainers, you get to choose from two console options, allowing you to save some money if you don’t want/need the added entertainment and workout features. There’s the basic Go console, with 12 built-in workouts, 2 custom workouts and 2 user profiles. Then there’s the Track Connect Console, with two additional workouts built in, 12 custom workouts and 4 user profiles.

The Track Connect console also gives you the ability to monitor and track your workouts (hence the name), sync them with popular fitness apps, and plug in your smart phone or music player. It’s about $400 more and most users agree that it’s worth the extra money. (UPDATE: As of 2017, the Track Connect console is no longer available on the X3)

Heart Rate Monitoring

The Life Fitness X3 elliptical comes with heart rate sensors on both the moving and stationary grips, so regardless of which you choose during your workout you can measure your heart rate. There’s also a wireless chest strap monitor included for even more accurate readings. So you can really ensure that you are in the optimal zone the entire time you are on the machine.

Other Benefits

Something you won’t find on the lower end X1 model or E1 trainer is something called Coach Zone, a program that actually guides you through your workout to target different muscle groups and really get the most out of your workout.

Another benefit of the X3 is adjustable 20″ stride so each user can select the length that works best for them. The stride on its sister E3 elliptical is not adjustable.

The X3 gives you WhisperStride technology for quiet workouts, oversized pedals, a cup holder and a decent warranty.

Life Fitness X3 Test Drive

UPDATE: It looks like the X3 might have been discontinued as it has not been featured on the Life Fitness site for quite some time. As such we would take a closer look at the comparable E3 elliptical.

We were able to get our hands on the E3 unit, which is basically the same machine with two exceptions…the stride is not adjustable, it has a multi-grip handle and the pedals are a little different. Besides that, you can’t really tell the two apart.

As advertised, the motion is super smooth and natural, and feels just like the elliptical cross trainers you use at any high end gym. The WhisperStride technology keeps the machine very quiet regardless of how intense your workouts are. And speaking of workouts, we tried a handful of the 14 workouts built into the Track + console. All were engaging and had us sweating up a storm. We used the included wireless heart rate monitor to make sure we were in the target range, which is a nice plus you don’t find often. Usually the wireless chest strap is sold separately.

Although we definitely liked the E3 we wonder whether it’s worth the additional $800 for the few extra features that you get. The X3 really gives you everything you need and allows you to adjust the stride which is a big plus.

Regardless of which model you end up choosing, there’s no questioning the quality of Life Fitness elliptical crosstrainers. These are solid machines that make you feel like you are in the health club with smooth strides, natural feel and quiet workouts.

Conclusion

Although these are expensive machines, the X3 elliptical from Life Fitness is a great choice if you have the budget for it. It is one of their more affordable models at around $2000 + on sale, so it’ll give you the opportunity to own a gym-quality machine without spending a few thousand dollars.

Keep in mind that you are paying for the quality and the design here…you’re not going to get a ton of extra features and capabilities like you do on NordicTrack and other mid-priced brands. For that you have to bump up to the Life Fitness Platinum Club Series that gives you internet connectivity among other added features. But you can opt for the Track + console to add some entertainment to your workouts.

All in all, the X3 is a solid choice and an elliptical cross trainer that will give you years of solid, gym quality workouts.