The Proform iSeries 785 F Elliptical Trainer: A Below-Average Machine

The front drive Proform iSeries 785 F Elliptical Trainer is underwhelming in its performance and design. It has an incline ramp, a music port, and upper body workout arms, but the nice little extras are for naught; the unit just doesn’t deliver consistently.

What You Get

On the ClearView™ Backlit Display, you can read your time, distance, resistance, pulse, RPM, calories, and carbs burned. When you are ready to step up the pace, increase the stride incline with the Power Intensity Ramp, while challenging yourself with one of the 14 Personal Trainer Workouts or the 6 Weight-Loss Workouts.

The full list of specs on the Proform iSeries 785 F elliptical trainer includes:

SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance – 20 levels

14 Workout Programs

Intensity Ramp™

18" Stride Length

Front Drive

Compatible Music Port for iPod®

Dual-Grip EKG™ Heart Rate Monitor

Upper-Body Workout Arms

CoolAire™ Workout Fan

275 lb. user weight capacity

Warranty – Lifetime frame; 7 years brake, 1 year parts & labor

The Word on the Street

Experts and equipment specialists conclude that if you are looking for a cheap elliptical trainer with entertainment features, this is the wrong model. Proform’s older model 20.0 and the newer ES Crosstrainer 600 machine are far more stable and offer more value for your money than the Proform iSeries 785 F. Overall, it ranks as a sub-standard effort in the company’s lineup.

UPDATE: The ProForm iSeries 785F has been discontinued and is no longer available. You can check out all of the latest model reviews here.

Unhappy consumers have been honest and forthcoming about their low opinions of the Proform iSeries 785 F. The unsteady ride was the number one concern of current owners, as well as problems with defective parts. Writing their own Proform elliptical reviews, users have been brutal in their views; many are calling this unit toy-like and wobbly, and have commented that it does not have a smooth glide, and that it’s unusually noisy.

Our Thoughts

Unfortunately, the Proform iSeries 785 F elliptical trainer is Not Recommended. It’s a shame to have to give this model a thumbs down, since it’s an attractive design and offers all the cool features you are shopping for.

However, the cheap components are too problematic to ignore. Other issues with the Proform iSeries 785 F: the warranty is weak, the quality is substandard for a $1,199 (MSRP) Icon product, and it’s just plain unreliable.

As an alternative, you should research several of the Schwinn ellipticals (the 430, 438, or 460) or the Spirit machines.