Life Fitness Elliptical Reviews - A Top Choice for All Fitness Levels

Life Fitness elliptical trainers are manufactured by a company that puts its name with great pride on all of their exercise equipment, and with good reason.

The company is known for its state-of-the art research and development facility where every type of exercise equipment developed is exhaustively researched, refined and tested.

Life Fitness has the only completely in-house biomechanics research and development team in the industry. According to company information, the working prototypes and robot testing lab are some of the most sophisticated in the country.

Life Fitness spends millions of dollars every year on refining everything from the ergonomic design of the pedals on their elliptical machines to determining the optimal stride length that will work for the greatest number of consumers.

What You Get for the Money

Life Fitness elliptical trainers are constructed with a focus on ergonomic design and sound suppression, two areas that the company feels are most essential to guaranteeing that a consumer will continue using their trainers over the long term.

Included in Life Fitness’s research are in-house testing (hundreds of hours of it) and computer-aided analysis of the relationship between the machines and the movement of the human body.

With the added investment in fine-tuning all of their equipment, they don’t produce an inexpensive product.

The least expensive elliptical cross trainers from Life Fitness come in at around $2,000, so you should be sure you are making a genuine commitment before purchasing one.

A Look at the Current Life Fitness Elliptical Lineup

The current lineup consists of five elliptical trainers: the E1, E3, E5 and two Club Series models: Club Series + and Platinum Club Series.

There's a lot to choose from, so here's a little primer to help you decide which one you should buy for your home gym.

The E Series

Similar to the recently discontinued X Series, the E1, E3 and E5 give you an additional console option with more functionality.  The E3 adds CoachZone training and the upper end E5 gives you an adjustable stride from 18-24 inches.

These ellipticals give you a higher 400 lb. max weight capacity and longer parts warranties.

The Club Series

These are the most expensive and the closest you can get to the ellipticals you find at high-end gyms. 

The Club Series + is a newer, sleeker version of the former base model with a touch screen display.

The Platinum Club gives you three different consoles to choose from and the Platinum Flex Strider is a unique machine with adjustable stride changes on the fly up to an impressive 36".

The base Club Series was the home version of their most popular commercial model, and it was recently discontinued after many years. 

The X Series (recently discontinued)

The X Series is the most affordable, with only the X1 remaining as of our latest review. It offers  generous strides of 20", top quality construction, smooth motions and whisper quiet operation.  

The X3, with CoachZone training with arm and glute toners, was recently discontinued.  It looks like the X1 might be discontinued as well.

This elliptical features the basic Go console and 350 lb. max weight capacities.

The FS Series (discontinued in 2019)

These are the newest Life Fitness ellipticals and a departure from the rear drive design of all of the other models.  

The FS4 and FS6 are more compact, side-drive machines with a more balanced feel.  The FS4 has a fixed 22" stride while the FS6 is adjustable from 18" all the way up to 26".

These models feature side platforms for an upper-body only workout and resistance band attachment points for cross training purposes.

Which Life Fitness Elliptical Should You Choose?

There are a lot of Life Fitness elliptical machines to choose from, so it's sometimes difficult to narrow it down.  Here's a little help for you...

If your budget is tight and you just want something affordable for basic workouts, go with one of the X Series models.  

The E1 is a very good choice here and an excellent value.

If you want something a little more advanced, look at the upper level E Series ellipticals with their added durability, additional console options and stronger warranty.  These are a great choice if your budget is a bit more open.  

The E5 gives you adjustable stride from 18-24" which is great for multiple users or those that just want to target different muscle groups.

The E5 is one of the best models in the series.

The FS Series models are good for those who are tight on space in their home gyms, as they are much more compact than all of the other Life Fitness ellipticals.  They also give you longer strides which may appeal to taller individuals.

The Club Series models are incredible, but they are on the pricey side and most people don't need this much machine in their home.  However, if money is no object and you simply want the best the company has to offer, then by all means go for one of these ellipticals.  

The new Club Series + is one of our favorites in the entire lineup.

What Consumers Say About Life Fitness

Consumers consistently vote Life Fitness elliptical trainers some of the best in the industry for their gym-quality construction.

This is no surprise, since Life Fitness began as a manufacturer of equipment for professional gyms before entering the private, home equipment marketplace.

One of the features most often noted by individual users is the natural stride – that is, the unrestricted, natural walking or jogging gate that they get on these ellipticals.

Another feature that’s highly touted is the length of the stride – even people with long legs and those who are extremely tall feel that they are getting a full stretch of their legs on a Life Fitness elliptical machine.

Professional Opinions on These Ellipticals

Professionals are fond of the Life Fitness line as well, and they have received numerous Best Buy Awards over the years.  They consistently make it into the top few when it comes to high-end ellipticals along with Precor and True.

Their consensus is that you can get excellent results and a truly “professional gym feel” with any of Life Fitness elliptical trainers.

Below you will find reviews of all of the most popular models, with specs, prices, info and buying advice so that you can make a more informed decision.

Life Fitness Model Reviews

E Series

Life Fitness E1 Elliptical - The entry level E series model with a fixed stride and two console options to choose from.

Life Fitness E3 Elliptical - A step up model with multi grip handles, two console choices, CoachZone muscle targeting and plenty of workouts.

Life Fitness E5 Elliptical -  The most advanced elliptical in the E Series, featuring an adjustable stride up to 24" along with all of the features that the E1 and E3 offer.

Club Series

Life Fitness Club Series + - One of the newest models the company offers, featuring a sleek design, touch screen console with Bluetooth technology, heavy 400 lb. max weight capacity and durable construction.

Life Fitness Platinum Club Series - Although it is on the pricey side, it's one of the most well built machines on the market, just like the ones you'll find at high-end gyms.

Older Models

Life Fitness X1 Elliptical - The most affordable trainer of the Life Fitness rear-drive models: low noise, smooth pedaling motion, quality components.

Life Fitness FS6 Cross-Trainer - The newest model in the lineup, improving on the FS4 with an adjustable 18-26" stride for more flexibility with your workouts.

Life Fitness X3 Elliptical - High marks from pro trainer and technician reviews for critical areas such as ergonomics, smooth ride, quiet operation and reliability.

Life Fitness FS4 Cross-Trainer - A newer model with side drive technology, 22" stride, attachments for resistance bands and touch screen console.

Life Fitness Club Series Elliptical - Incredibly smooth glide, accurate HR monitoring, great programs, wonderful ergonomics; ranks near the top on most Best Buy lists for its price range.