Weslo Momentum CT3.8 Elliptical – Loaded with Cheap Parts

The budget-priced Weslo Momentum CT3.8 elliptical is a cheap machine that can only be described as loud, wobbly, and easily breakable. A cardio workout is supposed to help lower your blood pressure – but wasting your money on the CT3.8 will have you boiling mad once it stops working.

What You Get

The LCD display window shows readouts for speed, time, distance, pulse and calories burned. The Weslo Momentum CT3.8 elliptical has an RPM meter display to track revolutions per minute so you can see when you need to slow down or peddle faster to stay on target at the revolutions per minute level you pick for yourself.

The specs on the CT3.8 are:

• 12" Stride
• Adjustable Resistance
• Upper body workout handlebars
• Easy Pulse™ Heart Rate Monitor
• Rear flywheel
• 250 lb. user weight capacity
• Warranty: 90 days parts and labor

The Word on the Street

UPDATE:  As of 2016, it looks like Weslo is no longer making elliptical trainers.  

Take a look at our list of Best Ellipticals Under $500 to find a good machine in this price range.

The Weslo Momentum CT3.8 elliptical measures 44"W x 54½"H x 21"W and has a very abrupt 12" stride length – we didn’t even know that Weslo made stride lengths that short and uncomfortable.

The LCD display uses four type "AA" batteries so expect to buy a lot of batteries to keep the console lit up. The warranty only covers parts and labor for 90 days, and here’s a tip you need to know: replacement parts for crucial components cost nearly as much as the machine itself.

The reviews by elliptical owners on this machine are scathing. There are numerous problems with the Weslo Momentum CT3.8’s performance and reliability: The console stops working, the machine is extremely noisy, very wobbly, the pedals crack, the resistance is either too high or too soft, and there is no response from customer service – the complaints go on and on. Y

ou really have to thank these unfortunate victims for wasting their money on the CT 3.8 so that they can warn others about it.

Our Thoughts

The $199 Weslo Momentum CT3.8 has the same features at the G3.8 but with a different paint job and style on the flywheel housing.

There is nothing positive to write about this elliptical trainer since it fails at everything: the stride is ridiculously short, the resistance doesn’t work, the console runs on small batteries, its unreliable and makes enough screeching noises to wake the neighborhood, and it’s loaded with cheap parts that are going to break sooner or later.

The Weslo Momentum CT3.8 elliptical is definitely not recommended. If you have less than $200 to spend on a cardio machine, consider getting an upright bike.