Octane Fitness Elliptical Reviews

5.0 / 5.0

Founded in 2001 by Dennis Lee and Tim Porth, Octane Fitness is dedicated exclusively to elliptical machines. The company’s first elliptical actually sold within 45 minutes of being delivered to the retailer.

Octane Fitness has a well-established, “best in class” reputation in the commercial elliptical industry and has recently broke into the home machines market. They offer a variety of cardio machines separated into three categories— standing, recumbent and Zero Runner ellipticals.

Current Octane Elliptical Lineup

Octane offers a wide selection of elliptical trainers, with something for every budget and fitness level. Let’s take a closer look at the different series.

Standing Ellipticals

The standing ellipticals are their original/traditional models, which have won many awards over the years. You have the Q35x, Q37x and Q47, as well as the commercial-grade XT3700, XT4700 and top of the line XT-One.

I have had a standing Octane elliptical at home for years, the Q47, and the gym that I go to has a number of different Octane machines, including the newer Zero Runners and LateralX machines.

You also have the lateral ellipticals, which are Octane’s standard elliptical on steroids; instead of just the usual stair stepper vertical movement it also incorporates side-to-side movement, which is pretty cool. There is currently one model, the LateralX LX8000, with two console options.

Lastly, there is a new Octane Max Trainer MTX, which is a souped up version of the Bowflex elliptical by the same name.

Recumbent Ellipticals

The recumbent ellipticals are the machines that appeal to those with chronic back pain or injuries, because of the seat, but can be used by all fitness enthusiasts. The line consists of the entry level XR4 (poosibly discontinued), XR6, XR650 and XR6000. You get all of the benefits of a standing elliptical, with the comfort of being in a seated position.

Zero Runners

Lastly, you have the newer Zero Runners, which are like working out mid-air, with zero impact (hence the name). You have the ZR7, the enhanced ZR8 model and the commercial-grade ZR7000 and ZR8000.

Our Take on the Octane Ellipticals

If you compare Octane’s machines to the competition, these are definitely commercial-grade, high quality ellipticals. They are also quite expensive, but worth the extra money if you can afford it.

The workout programs available are comparable to the average elliptical machine, but there are some extra built-ins with an advantage for the tech savvy fitness folks.

What are Octane’s differentiators? SmartStride is a program that customizes to the individual’s height and stature. BodyMapping Ergonomics is a program that memorizes the user’s movements and strength levels to create the best workout program for that particular individual.

Octane ellipticals get rave reviews from the Wall Street Journal, Shape Magazine and Runner’s World, and below is what the critics say about the products:

Critics like…

Quality: The quality of the frame for both the home and commercial machines is exceptional. There is nothing worse than at-home workout equipment that feels weak, and these machines are as solid as they get.

Noise: No one wants their cardio machine louder than their workout playlist. Octane’s machines are very quiet.

SmartLink: You can link your workouts to everything technology— your phone, your tablet or your computer.

Console: It may be not be the most important thing but it is inconvenient when you can’t fit your water bottle, iPod or workout towel in any of the console areas. Octane’s machines have plenty of room for all of your gym essentials.

Critics Don’t Like…

The only real gripe that any of the experts have is that these machines are very expensive. Are they worth the price tag? Most would say yes, but it is a steep price tag.

Most of the residential models range from $2,000 to $4,500 and up, depending on the options and features. They are definitely great to use in the gym, and super popular, but many users would not be able to afford the steep price tag….especially when there are perfectly good options in the $1000-$1500 range.

Octane Elliptical Reviews – Bottom Line

Octane Fitness is a reputable company that specializes in elliptical machines. They are well known for their great quality and attention to detail. Among the competition, they rank equal or greater to in design, user friendliness and workout program selection.

Octane continues to uphold their reputation and has gained great traction in their home products. I would definitely recommend Octane Fitness Ellipticals if you are looking for a commercial-grade cardio machine for your home and have the budget to afford it.

You can find the full line of Octane elliptical trainers for home use on their official site. There are a lot of models to choose from so go through them all carefully to decide which one is right for you.