Sole E55 Elliptical Review: surprisingly sturdy and compact

With Sole Ellipticals, you’re not going to find HD touchscreens, the tech does lack, and it always has done with these guys; they’ve never pushed all their efforts toward subscription apps and huge screens.

Instead, with Sole, you get cardio gear that’s well-built and a company that stands behind its products. The Sole E55 Elliptical might not be the most advanced machine in its price bracket, but it does boast the best build quality, and when it comes to the essentials, it delivers.

It’s certainly a machine I want to take a closer look at, and today we’ll look at everything this Sole elliptical has to offer, including any drawbacks. At the end of the review, I’ll also compare it with the E95 just so you can see how these two match up.

Why Do We Like The Sole E55 Elliptical?

The smoothness of the elliptical motion is one of the most important things you need to consider before choosing an elliptical. The last thing you want is a jerky stuttering machine.

And what stands out most about the E55 elliptical is just how smooth the elliptical motion is.

The Sole E55 boasts all the right features to keep things smooth, such as a frictionless magnetic resistance system, a belt drive system, dual rails (not single) with actual wheels, high ratio gears, and a 20lb flywheel. These features deliver an elliptical motion so smooth it can be compared with commercial machines.

I dont think there’s any other elliptical in this price bracket that includes dual rails and high-ratio gears. These are two additional features that help keep everything smooth with the E55.

Build Quality Comes First

But it’s not just the elliptical motion that impresses with this elliptical; perhaps what’s more impressive is the build quality. It weighs 215lb which is heavy for a machine in this price range.

Not only is this extra weight great for keeping things stable, but it’s also a telling sign that the quality of the materials used in the build is high.

And we know Sole Fitness prides themselves on the quality of their ellipticals just by taking a look at their warranties; this machine comes with a lifetime on the frame, five years on parts and electrics, and two years on labor, the only other company with warranties this impressive are Life Fitness and their ellipticals costs at least twice that of the Sole elliptical.

You Need an Incline on a Front Drive Elliptical

You need an incline feature on a front-drive elliptical because you tend to stand on the front of your feet as you have to push the flywheel to get it spinning, unlike rear-drive ellipticals where you pull the flywheel to get it spinning.

There’s nothing wrong with pushing rather than pulling, but with pushing, you’re only contracting the smaller anterior muscles of the legs like your quads.

If you want to burn more calories, you need to work the larger posterior muscles like your hamstrings which are three times larger than the quads, and the glutes, which are the largest muscles in the body. When these large muscles contract, they demand much higher caloric output than the smaller anterior muscles. To work these large posterior muscles on a front-drive elliptical, you’ll need an incline feature, the higher, the better.

And the Sole E55 boasts one of the most impressive incline features in this price range, with a whopping 20 levels of power adjustable incline that can be adjusted via the quick touch buttons of the monitor.

Basic Monitor For Price Point

The monitor might be the feature that keeps a few people from buying this elliptical. There isn’t a ton of tech here; you dont get that nice HD screen you find on the NordicTrack ellipticals.

Still, it’s not all bad. I actually like it, yes, it’s fairly basic, but it’s nice and easy to use. Pretty much everything can be accessed with a single touch of a button, and you get a few advanced features, such as wireless heart rate monitoring, a feature I feel is essential for those who love to train in the chosen heart rate zone.

Wireless heart rate monitoring is much more accurate than the built-in handlebar pulse sensors, plus Sole Fitness provides you with an HR chest strap, saving you a few bucks.

You also have ten workout programs, Bluetooth, built-in speakers, cooling fans, and, of course, the 20 levels of resistance.

And lastly, you get a tablet holder, so if you want to download a few fitness apps to keep away the monotony of long cardio sessions, you can.

Overall an easy to use monitor with everything you need for your workouts.

20″ Stride Suitable For Users Up To 6’3″

A 20″ stride is what you want to find on an elliptical. This is the length most commercial machines use because it suits most people’s heights from 4’11” to 6’3″.

Is The 20lb Flywheel Too Light?

The weight of the flywheel is important because it helps keep the elliptical motion smooth, and it determines how strong the resistance feels in the upper levels. 20lb isn’t light; yeah, it’s not commercial heavy, but it’s good enough for a machine in this price range.

The E55 has never been an elliptical designed for seasoned athletes. You need to pay twice the price of this machine if you want something truly commercial.

Resistance for this elliptical is strong enough for most users. I haven’t heard of any complaints over the years about resistance strength for the E55.

And a 20lb flywheel is heavy enough to help keep the elliptical motion smooth, the weight of the flywheel is just one factor that affects the smoothness of the motion. As I already mentioned in the intro, this elliptical shines when it comes to how smooth everything feels, as it boasts all the features you need, including those dual rails and wheels.

20 Levels of Whisper Quiet Magnetic Resistance

Magnetic resistance is the perfect resistance system for an elliptical because It’s frictionless, which means it hardly makes any sound, and best of all, there’s no wear or tear. Its a maintenance-free resistance system.

Also, because it’s frictionless, it’s smooth, changing between levels of resistance doesn’t feel jerky like it does with other types of resistance systems, and because you have a 20lb flywheel, you can really notice the difference in strength between the levels.

There are 20 levels of magnetic resistance with the E55 suitable for beginners through to intermediates.

To adjust the resistance levels, you can either use the quick touch buttons of the monitor or the handlebar buttons, which save you from reaching the monitor in the middle of a session.

Moving and Static Handlebars

Most ellipticals come with two pairs of handlebars. The static pair of handlebars are great for beginners because they allow you to get used to the elliptical motion, and once you’ve built up confidence, you can move on to the moving pair of handlebars for a full-body workout.

Also, many people love using static handlebars because it allows them to concentrate fully on their lower body.

Ellipticals Can Be Tricky To Assemble

I’ve always found ellipticals more tricky to assemble than bikes or treadmills, especially heavy-duty ellipticals like the E55. This is why it’s always best to have someone help you unbox and get the elliptical in place. Plus, it’s nice to have someone hold the parts. Most people got this elliptical together in 2 hours.

An Illustrated manual and tools for the job are provided. Still, if you’re finding it difficult, check out the video below.

Sole E55 Assembly Video

Alternative

Sole E95 Elliptical

The Sole E55 and Sole E95 elliptical are pretty similar. They share many of the same features, such as a 20″ stride, 20-level power incline, and the same excellent warranties; both have ten workout programs, 20 levels of magnetic resistance, and heavy-duty sturdy builds.

Still, there are a few noticeable differences; the E95 is 10″ longer and a few inches wider. It’s a large machine, and most importantly, it has a heavier flywheel weighing 27lb. The flywheel is a 3rd heavier, which will make a difference in resistance strength. And lastly, the E95 weighs 236lb, so it’s 20lb heavier.

So what you really have with the E95 is a more heavy-duty machine; it can handle more weight, the strength of resistance in the upper levels is going to be much stronger than the E55 because of the heavier flywheel, and it will feel that bit more solid; its a 236lb elliptical, you’re getting closer to that commercial feel.

If you’re really serious about your cardio, then the E95 will be the better choice. But for most people, the compact E55 is more than enough. It pretty much offers everything the E95 does. Just the resistance in the upper levels will be less.

To Sum Up

The Sole E55 remains one of the best ellipticals under $1500. You can’t really go wrong with this elliptical. It has the build quality, the stride length, a smooth elliptical motion, and excellent power incline. The monitor is slightly disappointing, but it’s not a deal killer, as I feel the build quality and warranty more than make up for what the monitor lacks.