Horizon Fitness Elite E9 Elliptical is Their Top of the Line Trainer

Overview: The Elite E9 elliptical is the top of the line model in their impressive, award winning lineup. Horizon is a brand that has been industry recognized as a top contender in terms of quality and user experience. Touted as a Best Buy winner on several industry sites, you will not be disappointed with a purchase from this line. Priced at around $1599 or so on sale, it comes with several nice upgrades from other models in the series.

Here are some of the highlights of our Horizon Fitness Elite E9 review…

44 Workout Programs

This is ideal if you are looking for a machine that keeps your workouts fresh and challenging every time. The options include 13 distance, 9 calorie, 4 interval, 3 performance, 10 step, 2 custom, 2 Virtual Active™, and a manual option. This large number of workout programs rivals other similarly priced ellipticals, such as the Life Fitness’s X1 Elliptical Cross Trainer, which only offers 13 programs.

Polar Heart Rate Monitoring With Chest Strap

This helps to provide a continuous, accurate heart rate reading in order to enhance your workout experience. It can also provide a more accurate count of your calories burned. This technology works in conjunction with the heart rate readers that are measured through the machine’s contact grips.

Power Incline

The feature on the Elite E9 elliptical helps to burn more calories and target different muscle groups, such as your glutes, your quads and your calves. Adding an incline into your workout transforms your typical cardio routine because it optimizes the amount of work your body does in a given time period and transforms the versatility of your machine. For instance, at low inclines, the machine behaves like a typical elliptical. At medium inclines, it mimics a biking motion. At higher inclines, it almost approximates a stair-climber machine. Adding in this feature is almost like adding 3 more machines into your life for the price of one.

ViaFit

This technology enables you to achieve more, while managing less. It allows communication between your workout device and fitness apps that you already own. This streamlined process of information sharing helps you to keep yourself accountable, as well as share your progress with your friends via social media. This feature requires Wi-Fi connectivity.

Passport

This virtual Active entertainment feature syncs to your body’s motions during the workout. HD videos are displayed on your television screen or the elliptical itself, and the images that go by are of exotic locales, such as Paris and Reims, The Italian Alps, or the Rockies. You will really feel like you are ascending a mountain with this technology, or scaling a cliff, so it adds a whole new dimension to your routine.

Other notable Features: Energy Saver mode, built-in speakers, reading rack, fan, bottle holder, workout calendar.

Horizon Elite E9 Test Drive

If Horizon did anything right, it was the SixStar platform. It encourages better posture for a more comfortable and durable workout experience. What is meant by the word durable? It’s the ability to maintain a workout on a machine and stop only when your muscles and lungs are tired from the workout, not because of joint or back pain from improper positioning. Its foot pedals are located close in proximity to one another, which cuts down on transferring stress to the hips. The handlebars are also located at an ergonomically advantageous position so that you’re not too stretched or cramped when reaching for them.

At a maximum user weight of 350 pounds, this is an upgrade from the Elite E7 model, allowing for the inclusion of a more diverse group of users. As a front-drive trainer with a flywheel of 30 pounds, this machine’s stability is backed by pure science. It is extremely quiet and provides an incredibly smooth ride. This is ideal for people who are noise-conscious, such as apartment-dwellers or early-morning athletes. Gone are the days of bouncing from side to side during an elliptical workout trying to keep your balance with the extreme sturdiness of this flywheel.

The touchscreen displays standard information, such as time, distance, speed, calories, RPM, resistance level, heart rate, the time, and watts.

Horizon’s attention to user safety consistently shows up again in its inclusion of a 10″ step up height. This feature makes exiting and entering the machine safer, preventing spills and falls. The warranty on this machine is pretty standard for other machines in this price range. It includes a lifetime frame warranty, 5 years on parts and 2 years of labor coverage.

There were a couple of things we didn’t love on the Horizon Elite E9 elliptical. First off, the display screen has been downgraded from a 8.5″ LCD screen to a smaller, 7″ touchscreen on this newer model. However, this might actually be a better trade in for customers who prefer the advanced technology and better graphics that a touchscreen brings. Another feature that is absent from all of Horizon’s non-fold up ellipticals is the presence of transport wheels. For a console that weighs 216 pounds, this is not a light-weight thing to change positions around with.

Another weak point is this machine’s limited stride range. While a 20″ stride may have been acceptable for its lower priced models, this elite model should offer a wider range of strides at its value. For instance, the Yowza Captiva Elliptical, which retails for $1899 offers an adjustable stride length of up to 28 inches. Although I was comfortable using the stride range for this machine, keep in mind that I am a little above average height and stature. Users who fall in the extreme spectrum of heights should keep this in mind when considering this machine.

Final Thoughts:

For a machine of this price, the Horizon Elite E9 gives you plenty of great features and capabilities. The most notable upgrade from the Elite 7 seems to be the touchscreen display. If you are especially fond of a better looking display screen, as well as the technology bonuses that come with it, then by all means, this machine will be a great addition to your home.

This elliptical does provide a great ergonomic experience and interactive features that combine to produce the perfect marriage for you to reach your fitness and health goals quicker. However, don’t discount the other machines in Horizon’s line that are just as great, and might fit your budget better.

You can take a look at the specs and special sale pricing on the E9 as well as the E7 and Evolve series on the official manufacturer’s site.