If you are looking to take advantage of the many benefits of an elliptical machine at home, purchasing one that gives you the best bang for your buck should be your priority, and knowing where to go can save you from driving all over town.
With endless options on the market to fit any user's needs, investing in equipment that can run hundreds or even thousands of dollars shouldn’t be done carelessly.
Here are the top 5 places you should use to find an elliptical trainer to use at home.
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Amazon and Other Online Retailers
If you want the best value, then look no further than Amazon. The ease of searching on Amazon or Google makes online stores a far more competitive market than inside a single brick and mortar store, so you're likely to find the best price and have a wider selection of products online.
Another advantage of buying on Amazon is seeing several reviews by verified buyers. Look for products that have at least a 4 star rating and 50 reviews. If it's a new elliptical that doesn't have many reviews, see the reviews of the manufacturer's last model to get a good sense.
While many manufacturers sell their models only on their websites, there are a few that prefer selling through Amazon. This is because the manufacturer knows they have a bigger audience there, so they are willing to pay Amazon a commission to get more sales.
If you have settled on an elliptical brand such as Schwinn, Sunny Health, Exerpeutic, Stamina, Gold’s Gym, True, Weslo, and others, Amazon is almost always the best place to find them.
In fact, it's common for some elliptical models being more than $100 cheaper on Amazon when compared to the manufacturer’s website store.
We've compiled a list of best folding elliptical machines, which are all available on Amazon.
Sporting Goods Stores
Sporting goods stores used to be a haven for purchasing any piece of fitness equipment. While these stores may be less relevant today compared to five plus years ago, they can still be a great avenue to get a quality elliptical.
Dedicated sporting goods stores focus mostly on budget and mid-priced elliptical machines. You can find a wide range of brands ranging from Precor to NordickTrack as well as SOLE Fitness and Nautilus.
One advantage of these stores is the chance to test the models in their inventory before purchase. Keep in mind these floor models may not be in the best condition as they could be ridden pretty rough, though that could also be a testament to the machine's durability, or lack thereof.
Sales people usually pretend to have lots of knowledge about the models in their inventory even when that is not the case. Some consumers also find the sales people overly pushy and intimidating.
Also during peak times of the day, getting the attention of a salesperson can be quite difficult and could delay you by as much as 30 minutes.
Another important point to keep in mind is that these stores expect you to transport your equipment home by yourself after purchase.
This may be fine if you have enough room in your car and your preferred elliptical model is compact enough for you to carry yourself.
But if you plan to splash on a mid-priced model weighing hundreds of pounds, purchasing from the store’s website could be the smartest choice because the retailer will take charge of making the necessary shipping arrangements.
Popular Retail Stores
Many of us walk into our local Wal-Mart, Sears, Costco, and Target multiple times every week. These popular retail stores can be a good place to find the right elliptical machine for your home gym.
However, one of the main negatives of shopping for fitness equipment in these stores is the usually wrong setup.
A significant number of their machines are usually assembled incorrectly which can stand in your way of judging the performance levels of your dream model.
Most of the salespeople within these stores have little to no clue about fitness in general and elliptical trainers in particular. Therefore, getting detailed information on a particular model can therefore be next to impossible.
Costco is one of the best retail stores for anyone on the hunt for the best deals on elliptical trainers.
However, the fact their elliptical machines in stock are not assembled on the floor means you don’t get firsthand knowledge of your preferred model before purchase.
Manufacturer Websites
If you are going to invest in an elliptical machine for personal use, why not just log onto and purchase directly from the manufacturer’s website?
These websites can give you mouthwatering deals on your preferred model. Additionally, most of these websites offer you extra sweeteners such as Free Shipping and Zero Sales Tax.
Virtually every elliptical trainer brand on the market today has its own dedicated website and this is the place to go if you want true value for money.
Remember, these websites can also be eye-opening in terms of the latest products and product announcements.
Buying directly from a manufacturer also gives you a direct path to getting issues fixed if anything goes wrong after your order.
When you purchase from a middle man, lots of complications with customer service, warranties, and getting replacements for faulty parts can pop up.
Buy Used on eBay, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace
Where is the best place to buy a used elliptical machine? For some things, buying brand new doesn't make sense.
This may be in a bid to save money or you have become so fond of a previous model to the point where you don’t want to switch.
eBay is your best bet for quality previously owned ellipticals and remains one of the largest auction websites on the web today. The site gets thousands of fitness product listings every single day from manufacturers, retailers, and private sellers.
Whatever brand and model of elliptical you have in mind, you can be sure of finding it on eBay. The site gives you the option of either buying directly or participating in an auction.
The auction involves bidding the price you want to pay for a particular model and hoping no one outbids you until the preset biding period expires.
If you want to save even more money, Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace can usually offer even deeper discounts, with same-day pickup and saving money on shipping being added bonuses.
For our advice on the best brands of elliptical machines to purchase, read our recommendations here.