Schwinn 418 Elliptical Review

Schwinn 418 Elliptical Trainer

You're going to find a lot of glowing reviews of the Schwinn 418 elliptical trainer online, and while I agree with some of what people say, I don't think the 418 is the best value elliptical trainer in this market segment, it's beaten hands down by the Sole e25 and Sole e35 elliptical.

Most of the Schwinn exercise equipment is a good value. I especially like their exercise bikes like the 113, and 213 as you can read about elsewhere on this site.

The Schwinn 418 elliptical looks to be a good value on the surface, but as soon as you compare it across the board with some other ellipticals, its' shortcomings become rather obvious.

Schwinn 418 Elliptical Trainer Key Stats and Specs:

• Eight levels of resistance
• Twelve workout programs include: rolling, valley, fat burn, ramp, random, plateau, intervals, mountain, two heart rate program, one fitness test, and manual mode
• LCD display shows time, speed, distance, revolutions per minute, resistance level, calories, calories per hour, load, heart rate, and course profile
• Maximum user weight is 275 pounds
• Warranty of 15 year frame, 2 years parts, 1 year electronics and 6 months labor

There are plenty of things to like about the 418 at first glance, like the 12 workout programs, LCD display, 12 workout programs and 8 levels of resistance and longer warranty of 15 years on the frame that come standard on this machine.

Those features look good until you put them up against a machine like the Sole e35. Here are the key differences between the two ellipticals that appear very similar at first glance.

The Schwinn 418 elliptical has a slightly lower price than the e35, but that's about the only advantage you're going to find - the Sole e35 beats it across the board with a longer stride length (20" on the Sole and 18" on the Schwinn), more resistance levels (16 on the Sole and 8 on the Schwinn).

Here's the real kicker, the Sole comes standard with a wireless heart rate monitor strap which, in my book, is a must have feature on any elliptical over $1000.

The warranty is also better on the Sole e35 (lifetime frame on the Sole and 15 years on the Schwinn) with 5 years on parts and labor (Sole) and a mere 2 years parts and 6 months labor on the Schwinn.

Lastly, the elliptical motion and stride on the Sole e35 is more ergonomic and natural than it is on the 418. The Sole has a 2 degree inward slope on the pedal track that will greatly reduce ankle and knee stress that's common to some other elliptical trainers in this market.

If you're considering buying the Schwinn 418 Elliptical Trainer, I would definitely spend the extra money and upgrade to the Sole e35 Elliptical in a New York minute.

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read the Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer Review

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