Life Fitness E5 feature image

Life Fitness are one of the leading home and commercial exercise equipment manufacturers and have world wide recognition as being a supplier of premium products. The Life Fitness E5 Cross Trainer fits their brand image perfectly and is pitched as a high end cross trainer that has an exceptional build quality and is designed to provide you with an optimal cardio workout.

The big question is… does it live up to the hype?

We decided to take it for a full testing to find out and so here we are with our Life Fitness E5 review – find out all you need to know and more below.

Life Fitness E5 First Impressions

The price tag that comes with the E5 is hardly what you might call budget friendly so you would be right to expect this top end cross trainer to look well made – and you will probably not be surprised to hear that it lives up to this expectation. Everything about the E5 looks and feels impressive – so much so that we spent a good few minutes admiring it before we even stepped on to it.

We have managed to bag you free installation when using the link below and this makes the initial set up unbelievably simple – you can simply tell the guys where to install it and leave them to it.

Once installed, you will find you are left with a cross trainer that would not look out of sorts in a commercial gym – in fact, this is exactly the type of machine you would find in a top quality gym, but with the added benefit of having loads of customisable options for ideal home use.

The touch points on the E5 are incredibly well made – from the two sets of multi-grip handles with their soft padded finish to the foot plates that are cushioned for extra comfort through every stride.

The large multi-point display looks very classy and the titanium outer that houses the strong steel frame really does exude the premium look that Life Fitness usually deliver.

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E5 Cross Trainer Specs

When it comes to cross trainer specs there are key points to look for – the E5 delivers on every single one of these so let’s start off with one of the most important – the stride length. The E5 has an adjustable stride length of 18 to 24 inches which is incredibly impressive. We would usually look for a maximum stride length of at least 21-22 inches for a top end cross trainer and the E5 way surpasses our expectations there.

Not only is the stride length impressive, but the smooth motion of each step is extremely fluid and ensures there is next to no impact put on your joints. Life Fitness use their patented ‘Whisper Stride’ technology which as you might have guessed is incredibly quiet in its operation. Each stride takes advantage of self-aligning ball bearings which ensure every single stride is as smooth as the last.

The E5 measures up at 214cm (l) x 87cm (w) x 168cm (h) and the distance from the step to the floor is 26cm. We would suggest adding at least 36cm to your height to determine the minimum ceiling height you need but most standard domestic rooms should be fine for most people – just be careful in rooms with low ceilings such as garages.

The E5 is extremely well spec’d in pretty much every regard. There are two sets of handles, one of which are stationary and allow you to put more of a focus on your lower body than the usual upper and lower body workout. Both sets of handles feature multiple grip points which allow for a comfortable hold as well as allowing you to focus on different muscle groups. Both handles also include pulse rate sensors and you also get a heart rate strap included which beams your heart rate data to the console.

We used the Go Console and found it to be incredibly intuitive with a range of features – including the ability to select different target zones and the option of increasing resistance. There are also controls for resistance and stride length settings on the arms for quick and easy adjustments mid-workout.

The oversized foot pads are ideal for all users and are plenty large enough while having a very comfortable cushioning system built in which makes for a comfortable stride even at high intensity.

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Using The Life Fitness E5

This cross trainer from Life Fitness really is a joy to use. It has a real sense of luxury and it has premium features in abundance. There is app connectivity but the Go Console that we used is more than sufficient on its own. The reality is that when it comes to high end equipment such as this, it is not necessarily about the fancy screens and gimmicks but more about the usability and the longevity of the equipment – and the E5 excels on both of these fronts!

We tested the E5 cross trainer for a couple of weeks and found ourselves drawn to it more than other forms of cardio thanks to the almost zero stress it places on your joints. It is one of the quietest pieces of cardio equipment we have ever used (if you ignore our panting and breathing that is) and as such it is ideal for users who have children or who don’t want to upset the neighbours.

Getting up and running is incredibly easy and making the adjustments to stride length and resistance is as simple as pressing a button. The quick select resistance and stride length buttons found on the handles are ideal for making quick, on the fly adjustments and there are plenty of programmes to work through to give you a tough workout.

The heart rate zone training is ideal for fat loss and the telemetry based heart rate strap that is included as standard works wonders for this and gives highly accurate readouts back to the E5 that are then displayed for you and help you to stay in your target heart rate zone.

The E5 is not a small machine but at the same time it is not going to completely dominate a room. It is ideal for home use but also would be well suited to a gym environment.

We found the E5 had a really good level of challenge and had an excellent range that would suit beginners and advanced users alike. It is not cheap but it does come with a 3 year parts and labour warranty and is suited to home and commercial use alike.

Verdict

The Life Fitness E5 Cross Trainer is at the top of its game and as such deserves a lot of respect when pitched against its similarly priced rivals. The build quality is second to none and this should be a machine that lasts for years (and more likely decades) to come. It may not be a budget buy but it is a solid investment if you want to up your home based cardio workout game and with free installation and a 3 year warranty we would whole heartedly recommend it.

Check Latest Price Of The Life Fitness E5 & Get Free Installation