Precor Elliptical Reviews – An Industry Leader For Quality
You can’t talk about elliptical machines without mentioning Precor. Ever since the company was started in 1980, they have revolutionized the exercise equipment market with high quality, technologically advanced and ergonomically designed workout machines.
Precor introduced the first rowing machine in 1980, the first treadmill in 1990 and in 1995, the very first elliptical machine, the Precor Elliptical Fitness Crosstrainer (EFX). They still use the EFX designation to this day.
You’ve probably used a Precor machine if you’ve ever worked out at a gym, or at a hotel or spa. These machines are everywhere, and for good reason. They are extremely high quality…very well engineered and constructed, designed and built with different users in mind, loaded with great features and capabilities. Their ellipticals are no exception. And the great thing is that the residential versions are just as good as the commercial versions, so you’re truly getting a gym-quality machine for home use.
If there’s anything negative to be said about Precor ellipticals, and this is not really a negative but more of a drawback, is that the machines are very expensive. The cheapest home elliptical they make is right around $2,000 (the EFX 221) and they work their way up to over $5000 for the EFX 447.
So these are by no means entry level machines and are out of reach for many of us. Are they worth the price? Yes. Do you need to spend $2,000 and up to get a really good elliptical? No, you don’t, but if you have the budget for it, it’s one of the best elliptical machines you can buy.
Check out the entire lineup at special discount prices at Amazon
Let’s take a closer look…
Precor Ellipticals – A Look at the Current Lineup
Our latest Precor elliptical reviews revealed 14 different models for sale, so there is a wide variety to choose from.
All of the models share some features such as their patented CrossRamp Technology (an adjustable ramp that changes the elliptical path, allowing you to target different lower body muscles), magnetic resistance for a smoother, quieter workout, water bottle/remote control holder, LCD interface, tablet holder and wireless heart rate monitoring capability.
They also all share the same warranty (except for parts and wear which differ) of Lifetime Frame and Welds, 1 year labor and 3 years console.
As you move up the ladder the machines offer different features. You’ll get more resistance levels, more incline capability, more workout programs, user IDS and more refined touches here and there. It’s basically a matter of choosing which Precor elliptical fits you budget and has the features that you are looking for.
For home use, there are three different series available: the more affordable Energy Series, the higher end Precision Series and the top of the line Experience Series. You also have the unique Adaptive Motion Trainers, or AMTs.
Energy Series
As we mentioned, you have the entry-level EFX 221. Moving up you have the 222, 225, and the top of the line EFX 245 elliptical trainer, with additional features added at each step.
The EFX 221 has stationary handlebars, manually-adjusted 3 level incline up to 25 degrees, 16 resistance levels, 10 built in workouts and 2 user profiles.
The EFX 222 is nearly identical to the 221, just with moving handlebars instead. The EFX 225 improves upon the 222 with 8 levels of power incline.
The top end EFX 245 is the most advanced Energy Series model, with all of the features of the others plus 25 built in workouts and 16 personalized programs, 4 user profiles and an advanced touch screen display instead of the basic LCD console.
Precision Series
The up-level series consists of the EFX 423, 427, 443 and the top-end Precor EFX 447. These models offer even more resistance and incline levels than the Energy series, and are closer to the elliptical machines that you find at the club.
The EFX 423 has stationary handlebars, 20 levels of power incline up to 40 degrees, 20 resistance levels, 10 built in workouts and 2 user profiles.
The EFX 427 is nearly identical to the 423, just with moving handlebars instead.
The EFX 443 has stationary handlebars as well, but adds 24 built in workouts and 4 user profiles.
The top end EFX 447 is the most advanced Precision Series elliptical, giving you the best features of the other models plus 25 built in workouts and 16 personalized programs, 4 user profiles and the advanced touch screen display.
You also get Preva workout tracking, something not find on all of the other Precor elliptical trainers.
Experience Series
These are the top of the line Precor ellipticals, built for commercial settings but you can order one for home use if money is no object. Unless you have a football team training in your basement, you don’t need one of these machines…but they are awesome, and worth considering.
Here you have the newer EFX 731, 761, 833, 835 and 863 and 865. The 700 series is a bit more affordable, with streamlined consoles for better viewing capability. The 800 series is the most expensive, with Converging Ramp technology putting you in the ideal workout position throughout.
Adaptive Motion Trainers (AMTs)
For those with a limitless budget the company also offers a line of Adaptive Motion Trainers, or AMTs.
These machines start at around $8,000 and allow you to adjust the stride all the way up to 36 inches, as opposed to the fixed shorter stride on the traditional Precor ellipticals. You have the AMT 733, 763, 835, 865 and top of the line AMT 885 model with a touch screen console.
Are Precor Ellipticals and AMTs Worth Buying?
Precor elliptical reviews are pretty much unanimous among both experts and users. They have won many industry awards over the years from the Treadmill Doctor and others, and a Best Buy award from a couple of consumer magazines. Users also give very high marks to these machines. A look at Amazon, where they feature a number of different Precor models, mostly older ones, all show at least 4 stars out of 5.
We here at the Guru have been using Precor ellipticals and treadmills, as well as strength equipment, for a number of years and we really don’t have any complaints. They are simply reliable, heavy-duty, fun to use machines that seem to be built just for you…and that’s what the company strives for.
We’ll be reviewing all of the newest Precor elliptical trainers so check back with us often for specs, ratings, reviews and our recommendations for the individual models.