Sole ST300 Strider – More Flexibility For Greater Muscle Targeting

Overview: The ST300 is the base model in Sole’s new Strider series along with the ST600, two new ellipticals first introduced in 2016 offering a very generous 26″ maximum stride. These hybrid machines allow for increased muscle targeting and more freedom of movement, essentially giving you a stepper, elliptical and treadmill all in one.

Here are some of the new machine’s best features…

Adjustable Stride

You can choose from a shorter, 18″ stride all the way up to a longer 26″ stride, which is a welcome change from the typical fixed stride that restricts your motion. This allows you to hit different muscle groups every time you work out, or even change it up within one workout. Along with the movable arms, you can really hit every single muscle group and really work the problem areas.

Smooth, Quiet Motion

Like most of the other Sole ellipticals, the ST300 offers a very smooth, natural motion that is very quiet. The machine is ergonomically designed to provide the ideal movement, as well as reduce stress on the knees and joints so you don’t feel cramped or sore afterwards.

Compact Design

The ST300 Strider is not as long as a traditional elliptical machine, so it is ideal for smaller spaces. It’s not as compact as the up-level ST600 model, but it will still save you some space. It also has transport wheels so you can easily move it around before or after your workout.

Other Great Features

Some of the other nice touches on this new model are cushioned handlebars and pedals, heart rate monitoring, 12 built in workout programs, 16 resistance levels, a water bottle holder and a generous warranty: lifetime on the frame, 3 years parts and electronics and 1 year on labor.

The Sole ST300 Strider Test Drive

We got to test out the ST600 model, which is essentially the same machine as the ST300 with a few advanced features. In addition to being shorter as we mentioned, it also has power adjustable incline rather than manual on the ST300. It also has a different display, but it basically shows the same workout metrics.

UPDATE: Sole is no longer making the ST300 or ST600 Striders. If you’re looking for something similar with an adjustable stride, check out the NordicTrack FS7i FreeStride Trainer.

So for all intents and purposes, the ST300 and ST600 are very comparable. The ST300 is in fact very compact, which is great if you have a smaller home gym that won’t accommodate a large machine. It is mostly jet black with light silver supports and handles.

The workout is very smooth and comfortable, and even after being on the machine for an hour or so, you don’t feel that joint pain that you sometimes do on a traditional elliptical, especially one of the lower end ones. We varied our workout to include both shorter and longer length strides and you can really target the different muscle groups. As we mentioned, if you opt for the lowest end 18″, it is like you are on one of those stepper machines. When you crank it up to 26″ you can really spread out so it’s like you are jogging or running.

We really appreciated the power adjustable stride length on the ST600…the manual adjustment on the ST300 isn’t ideal, as you have to get off the machine to make the adjustments. But still, not a real deal breaker.

You get 12 built in programs to choose from, including some heart rate ones that you can use with either the pulse grip, or if you have a wireless chest strap, you can use that instead for more accurate readings. The workouts are diverse, and there’s enough to choose from. You can also choose from 16 different resistance levels, and going from one to the next is relatively seamless.

The display is large and simple, showing you your speed, time, pulse, distance, calories, RPMs and watts. You have 12 Quick Keys to choose your program. You also have a Start/Stop, Recovery, Reset and Mode button.

The Sole Striders offer a very diverse workout, and are ideal for those who want to target different muscle groups within one workout.

Conclusion

The new ST300 Strider is a great addition to the lineup, and will surely be one of their most popular models. More and more companies are offering hybrid machines these days, and this one gives you a lot to work with at a very reasonable price.

If you have very little room, take a look at the up-level ST600 as well. It is even smaller and has power stride adjustment along with a few added features that the ST300 doesn’t offer.