Fitness Equipment Information

Cheap Elliptical Trainers From An Industry Giant


From its humble beginnings as a part time business for two college students in Utah, ICON Health and Fitness has grown into one of the world's largest manufacturers of fitness equipment. The company's credentials are impressive: 4000 employees in 11 locations around the world, nearly 200 patents, ISO 9001 certified and a portfolio of some of the best known brands in the fitness industry. Among this stable of brands are some of the best-selling elliptical trainers in the world -- Weslo, ProForm, NordicTrack, and Reebok.

It's no wonder these ellipticals sell so well. They retail from $200 - $900 with an average purchase price of around $400. They boast features usually found on higher-end elliptical trainers such as heart rate monitors, several built-in exercise programs, built-in cooling fans, motorized resistance settings, and iFit.com technology.

The vast majority of consumers in the market for a home elliptical trainer balk at spending more than $500 for a machine. An elliptical trainer from ICON Health and Fitness for $400 seems like a no-brainer, but before you whip out your credit card, you may want to take a peek under the covers.

*The Sears Alliance -- I believe that the biggest factor that makes elliptical trainers from ICON Health and Fitness such big sellers is that Sears carries them. Sears is very well associated with affordable products such as tools, entertainment equipment, and appliances. They also have a good reputation for service. Just don't expect the sales person in the sporting goods department to give you the facts about product returns with ICON ellipticals. I've tried, but who can blame them. It's their job to sell product.

If you do decide to purchase an ICON elliptical trainer then you're probably better off purchasing it from Sears. Sears seems to be pretty good about making exchanges if you have problems during the 90-day warranty period. In some cases, they may just refund your money, but your mileage may vary here so don't count on it. After the 90-day warranty expires then you'll have to deal directly with ICON. Based on reviewers at Epinions.com this tends to be a frustrating and unsatisfying process.

*The 90-Day Warranty Says It All -- If a fitness equipment manufacturer isn't willing to stand behind their product for more than 90-days, then that should be a big honking red flag! Again, take a look at some of the reviews at Epinions.com and see when these ellipticals start breaking down. In many cases, it's before the end of the 90-day warranty period!

*Consumers Speak Out at Epinions.com -- If you haven't checked out product reviews at Epinions.com, you really owe it to yourself to have a look. Just about all of the elliptical trainers from ICON are reviewed here. Real consumers write the reviews and some go into great detail about every aspect of their experience.

In some cases the reviewers describe their on-going experiences with product returns and the customer service department. Do yourself a huge favor and read every one of these reviews if you're considering one of these ellipticals.

*Elliptical Trainer Reviews That Don't Review Anything -- Unfortunately many of the elliptical trainer reviews sites on the Internet give glowing reviews to every elliptical trainer they advertise. When I see rave reviews of any ICON elliptical trainer on these sites I know to not trust any of their elliptical trainer reviews.

My hope is that ICON will eventually begin listening to customer feedback and redesign their elliptical trainers to correct the most glaring weaknesses. Extending the parts and labor warranty from 90-days to a full year would go a long way towards demonstrating their commitment to both their products as well as to their customers.

In the mean time you can protect yourself when shopping for an elliptical trainer by doing your homework -- both on-line and off. It all really comes down to putting the odds in your favor. My suggestion is to narrow down your search to several higher quality residential trainers that you've tested off-line, MSRP $1000 - $3000, and then shop on-line for the best possible price.

Rich Rojas writes elliptical trainer reviews and articles on health and fitness. Check out recommended elliptical trainers at EllipticalHome.com


MORE RESOURCES:

PR Web (press release)

With the Opening of iFitnessGear.com Finding Quality Fitness ...
PR Web (press release), WA - Nov 20, 2008
iFitnessGear.com dedicated to carrying only the highest quality exercise, health and fitness equipment has officially opened for business. ...


Hanover YMCA expansion on its way
The Evening Sun, PA - 16 hours ago
Only the installation of six 42-inch-screen televisions and the fitness equipment from the old aerobic-cardiovascular room need to be moved into the new ...


Fitness Equipment Guru Launches New Fitness Equipment Site
MarketWatch - Oct 30, 2008
FitnessEquipmentGuru.com), an eCommerce company that provides fitness equipment, nutritional products, customer reviews and content tailored to individuals ...


Precor Selects Sport Chalet for California, Arizona and Nevada
MarketWatch - Nov 20, 2008
"It is an undisputed fact that Precor is the world's leader in making the very best quality cardio and strength fitness equipment," said Sport Chalet ...
Precor Selects Sport Chalet for California, Arizona and Nevada PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
Precor Names New England, New York Metro Home Fitness Dealer MarketWatch
all 28 news articles


Dick's Sporting Goods Beefs Up Product Offering With Life Fitness ...
MarketWatch - Nov 3, 2008
A selection of Life Fitness equipment will be represented by a unique "store within a store" shopping experience branded by Life Fitness, ...


New Specialty Retailers Sign Up to Sell Life Fitness Equipment
MarketWatch - Oct 31, 2008
SCHILLER PARK, Ill., Oct 31, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Exercise equipment leader Life Fitness will be carried through 15 new specialty retailers ...


Examiner.com

Get fit now for free
Examiner.com - 5 hours ago
Unfortunately, for most people this includes gym memberships, fitness equipment, supplements, and even diet products. Even if your household budget and ...


Fitness Equipment Market - Home Vs Commercial Segment - www ...
Live-PR.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - Nov 19, 2008
Participation rates for all types of fitness equipment continue to be strong. Product innovation is also driving participation trends. to the commercial ...


Resort to provide playground
The Press Association - Nov 21, 2008
Mature residents of Eastbourne, East Sussex, will be able to enjoy gentle workouts on a range of specially-designed fitness equipment if the proposals ...


New Specialty Retailers Sign Up to Sell Life Fitness Equipment
International Business Times, NY - Oct 31, 2008
It is the largestcommercial fitness equipment provider in the world and the only fitnessequipment manufacturer that has been providing premium equipment for ...

Fitness-Equipment - Google News

home | site map
© 2006