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Horizon Fitness EX-59-02 Review

Best deal at: amazon.com
$599.00

Ever reached a point when going to the gym sounds like the last thing you want to do with your life? It happens to many of us. During such times, you will wish you had a decent fitness machine at home like the Horizon Fitness EX 59-02.

In order to fit perfectly in your home, the Horizon Fitness EX-59-02 was designed to be user-friendly, effective and comfortable enough for any level of training. It promises to deliver a smooth and natural workout without inflicting any harm on your knees and joints.

When you combine all its features, it won’t be hard to see why this machine is the greatest thing you can have inside your house. Here’s a closer look at what exactly this machine brings to the table.

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Six Star Certification, derived from extensive biomechanics research and user testing, is a combination of key elements needed to deliver the smoothest, most natural feel. ZERO gap overlapping pedal ...
amazon.com
Last price update: 2019-09-02 17:03:54
UPDATE: 4/2/2014: The technician just stopped by and got the elliptical's tension set. I was able to do all the rest of the work but couldn't figure out how to get the tension set properly as it was not mentioned in the document or diy video. If anyone ever needs to know how to set the tension just ask, hopefully you won't need that information.This was one of the easiest warranty claims I have ever experienced. It took a 15 minute call to get my claim going. Horizon ordered my part right away, shipping took 5 days, then I was able to setup an appointment with the technician which took another week. All in all I was down 12 days without my machine.Hopefully there is never a next time but if there is at least I can do the whole job on my own. It's unfortunate when things go wrong regarding any purchase but the difference between a good company and a bad one is how they respond to issues. I feel Horizon handled this issue as well as possible and I would continue giving the company 5 starts. As for my current perception of the elliptical quality though, I'm going to drop it a star along with my cumulative review. If I have any problems in the future I will update this review. For whatever it's worth the technician told me that 90% of his repair work is spent on Proform, Nautilus/Schwinn ellipticals.UPDATE: 3/25/2014: Unfortunately our Elliptical has a problem at the moment. Shortly after my last update the elliptical started making noise inside the case. I contacted Horizon and had a rep from there listen via the phone and she determined the fly wheel was going out. She promptly ordered me a new part and shipped it to my house. I now have to schedule a technician to come out and install it. Horizon has been quick in response but this event has negatively impacted my experience with our elliptical. I will post another update after this issue has played out.UPDATE: 3/4/2014: The machine is getting more use now as it ever has. I have lost 23lbs in 10 weeks and my wife has lost 11lbs in culmination with eating correctly. Haven't had to do a thing in terms of maintenance since my last update. Couldn't be happier with this machine, it has been worth every penny.UPDATE: 1/14/2014: It has been a month into owning the elliptical with around 25 hours logged on it and the experience has still been great. I have had a little better experience than my wife but we both really like the elliptical. I was slightly out of shape prior to starting working out on this machine and began working out on a setting of '2/10' for resistance and have worked my way up to '3/10' for 40 minutes a day, two sets of 20 minutes with a 10 minute break. For kicks I tried max resistance earlier today for a minute on the elliptical, ie '10/10' setting and it felt like I was running in quick sand, extremely strong resistance so I have a VERY long time till I get to that point if I ever do at all.My wife who had not worked out in close to a year prior to working out on this elliptical for the first couple of weeks did a setting of '1' of resistance and would do 5-7 minutes and take a break for 5 minutes and then do another set of 5-7 minutes. She has found its better to listen to her body and take a break when she gets heavily fatigued then try and push through it and risk injury. She has worked her way up over the month to doing 12 minutes straight a day still on the same resistance but she is getting stronger and is going to try and increase her sessions to 15 minutes straight over the next week.As for the machine quality, no issues to report. However there has been just a little maintenance to do, I had to re-tighten down one bolt because a clunk developed from being loose. The clunk occurred shortly after posting my initial review. Haven't had an issue since but I have kept my 5mm hex socket/ratchet and 13mm wrench handy in the office in case I need to re-tighten any loose bolts.All in all we still feel this machine is awesome for comfort, quality and of course weight loss. While it lacks a couple of features the Schwinn has, it has been a work horse for us and is performing like a champ. If any issues arise I will update this review otherwise assume it has been operating as I described in my review.ORIGINAL REVIEW: Rarely write reviews but this is the largest purchase I have ever made online and figured I would for this item. To sum it up one sentence, this elliptical and my experience with it has been great. My wife and I purchased this elliptical instead of the Schwinn 430, which we found to be the most legit competitor to the horizon that was comparably priced.We began researching ellipticals by reading online, going to sports stores and testing out researched machines in person. We are both short, I am 5'9 and my wife is 5'2. We found three variables that we could not sacrifice in buying an elliptical, we needed a machine that was gentle on the knees when on the downward motion of the cycle, right stride length for our shorter bodies and lastly a smooth stride motion. The next most important attribute of buying an elliptical was durability, then lastly features.We then had a budget of no more than 700shipped and started looking at proform ellipticals given their price and found they were harsh on the knees and had a jagged stride motion. We then tested the Schwinn 430 at a local store, the Schwinn 430 is nice and a legit contender to horizon 59-02 but the feedback regarding durability on the previous Schwinn model based on reviews were good, not great.Our search led us to the last version of the Horizon elliptical machine having a large number of users(250+ Users and average rating of 4 1/2 stars) providing good feedback but the newer model had come out. We found that shorter people, ie under 6' tall could comfortably use the last model of the Horizon. So we purchased this item and it arrived the next day.The box weighed 170lbs and was the size of a big screen TV box roughly 4ft by 5ft by 2ft. The workout began sliding the box into the house and into my office by myself. If I had stairs I would have taken each component out piece by piece rather than slide the box in.After getting the box in my office I pulled out the parts and looked at the bolts included. I grabbed my electric impact, 5mm and 7 or 8mm hex sockets and a 13mm wrench rather than use the included tools. I could have used the included tools with no issue but that likely would have doubled my install time. I believe there is a total of 22 bolts to install. It took me 50 minutes from screwing in the first bolt to testing out the elliptical. For most people I would budget an hour and half to two hours for install if you used including tools.The elliptical is belt driven and is extremely quiet, I can use it and not wake up my wife or vice versa. On the display there is a lip that appears to be designed specifically with the intention of fitting an ipad on. I can sit my ipad on it horizontally or vertically with no issues, the lip protects the ipad from falling off the face of the display. My wife uses her kindle. The stride length is comfortable for both of us and is very smooth. No striking compression on our knees on the downward motion, the speakers are louder than our iPad and can easily be heard over the noise of the elliptical. The resistance on it is strong, on the highest setting it appears to be as strong as the life fitness elliptical I was accustomed to using at the gym.The only issues we had is that we have this mounted on our thick carpet and there was a little rocking when I first used it. The elliptical is supposed to be on a flat level surface. The elliptical was not unsafe on our carpet but was something that could cheaply be fixed. I picked up a sheet of plywood 8' x 4' at home depot for 10$ and got them to cut it to fit our exercise mat to provide the flat surface underneath the elliptical and have no rocking of concern since.This elliptical is not perfect, there are a couple of complaints worth mentioning, there is no off/on switch when not in use so you have to unplug the machine's power outlet and plug it in each time you use the elliptical. The water bottle holder is not reachable while in stride, I don't use it but my wife does and has to hit the pause button to take a drink, interrupting her workout. Lastly there is no fan.The Schwinn 430 does have a fan and a conveniently placed water bottle holder. We were willing to sacrifice a couple of those features the Schwinn 430 had if it meant better durability with the Horizon over the long haul. When we used the Schwinn 430 in person we liked it but the pedals felt a bit flimsy and the overall quality was good, but it didn't feel like a machine that would hold up for more than a couple years. My wife and I both believe the Horizon 59-02 will hold up being used for 5-10 hours a week over the long haul.
December 20, 2013
As a previously frequent gym-goer, I decided not to renew my membership and buy some equipment. I often used the ellipticals and decided to spring for one of those first. The machines that I am used to are the Life Fitness ellipticals (which are very expensive, in relation to this machine). I decided to go for this since the previous model had very good reviews. Here is my experience so far:Observations:- The box is very heavy that it delivers in. I had to bring each item up to our 2nd floor room piece by piece, but there wasn't too many that it was annoying. This is just something that might need to be noted.Setup:- Took me about an hour (maybe two, I am very meticulous when building things). All the tools you need are provided. The screws/washers/bolts etc are labeled a bit weird in reference to the instructions, but it worked out okay.- I only had one (minor) problem installing one of the large handlebars to the frame. The provided fastener was not very easy to tighten, but with enough muscle it worked out.Use:- I am 5'9" and my wife is 5'4". My main concern was the stride length. It turns out that, for me, its perfect. I don't feel like its too short or too long. It is not adjustable, however.- The machine is very quiet and solid for its price. We had an older, cheaper elliptical that was very noisy and would sway with your motion. This machine seems pretty rock-solid, and there is just one ticking noise on the downward motion of the left strider that is not annoying to me and might be a byproduct of my installation.Conclusion:- I am VERY happy with this machine. I can get a decent workout with it, and I don't even miss the Life Fitness machines that I used at the gym. For the price of this machine, it's great.At the time of this review I have owned the machine for 2 days. If I have any bad experiences in the future I will update this review.
December 5, 2013
A week ago is 4 years. Still works well.
January 27, 2018
7.8 Total Score

Horizon EX-59-02 is an excellent piece of engineering that any beginner or intermediate user will find so useful and comfortable.  It's able to deliver a great performance even with the lack of an incline and you will also be lucky enough to have a durable and reliable fitness machine if you ever decide to own it. For its price, you get good value for your money. So if this sounds like a trainer you would not mind to add to your collection of assets, head over to Amazon and make your order today.

Features
7.5
Durability
9
Adjustability
7.5
Display console
7
Value for money
8
PROS
  • Solid and sturdy construction
  • Maximum comfort
  • Smooth, quiet and natural elliptical motion
  • Low maintenance
  • Affordable
  • Impressive warranty
  • Full body workout
CONS
  • Lack of incline
  • Relatively heavy
  • Console not telemetry enabled
  • No online connectivity
  • Front-drive design (can be a little uncomfortable)

Product Description

Horizon Fitness EX-59-02 is actually a newer and improved version of the EX-59. If you already know about the EX-59’s good features then expect so much more in EX-59-02 that is way beyond what you would call good.

Resistance and incline

Resistance on this machine is generated through its eddy current brake system. So as to ensure no friction, wear and tear and the annoying sounds the often emerge out of this resistance system, the magnetic brake pad was designed not to come in contact with the machine’s flywheel. You can switch between its 10 levels of resistance by tapping the controls on the machine’s console. Everything is actually automatic. Whether you are paddling forward or backward, you will still experience the resistance.

At 6.5 kg (14.3 lbs), EX-59-02’s flywheel is of medium weight and great for delivering consistent and smooth workouts.

Whereas you will be enjoying the numerous resistance levels, what you will miss most about this machine is the incline. Sadly, the machine lacks an incline feature. What this means is that if you are an advanced level trainer, you may not really be satisfied using really enjoy using this machine.

Console Unit

Even though this machine’s console isn’t as advanced as that of other ellipticals in its category, much of what it comes with is still enough to deliver a great performance.  On top of the 10 workout programs and the 5″ LCD display, you will also be able to keep track of:

Other amenities included on this console unit include:

Something you will perhaps enjoy most about the console has to do with its programs. Three of its programs are focused on weight loss and so if you need a type of workout that will lead to you shaving off the extra pounds, then this is the best elliptical machine for you.

Build quality/ Design

As for the build quality, you will be impressed by the fact that the machine has a Six Star Certification which is one the highest quality standard a fitness machine can get. Its two-piece frame is a product of biomechanics research and it’s largely made of steel tubing so as to make it tough and enable it to give a smooth and natural elliptical motion.

Any part of this machine made of steel is coated with an anti-corrosive paint so as to make them resistant to scratches and corrosion. Solid plastic guards have also been used to cover the ‘insides’ of the machine.

On top of the plastic, just behind the console post, there’s a water bottle space where you can store your water bottle.

To enhance its stability, the machine is equipped with three bases. Both the rear and middle bases are fixed with stabilizers finished with rubber caps. For the front base, wheel caps have been fixed to it so as to ease movement.

Comfort

The machine’s mobile arms have a curved design that helps to enhance a healthy upright posture.  To make the grip firm and enhance comfort while using this arms, the mobile arms are fitted with rubber foam grips and a fairly wide diameter.

Keeping a long distance between the footplates is one of the reasons that leads to a trainer’s hips and back suffering from stress and so to minimize it, the machine’s footplates have been kept pretty close.  Unlike what you will see on other trainers in Horizon Fitness EX-59-02 category, this machine’s footplates don’t articulate, they are fixed.

Stepping on and off this trainer is also easy, thanks to the short distance between its pedals and the ground. The machine’s stride length is also long enough to accommodate users as tall as 6″.

Assembly and Warranty

Assembling this machine isn’t exactly difficult but one thing you will have to keep in mind is that it’s pretty heavy and thus you may need the help of one or two more people to put together some of its pieces.  You also have the help of a comprehensive manual that is easy to follow, and a couple of tools to ensure that your process is easy and fast. On average, it might take you almost an hour or two to have the machine ready.

As for the warranty, here’s the breakdown:

Alternatives

Horizon Fitness EX-59-02 continues to face stiff competition from the top performing ellipticals in its category. Schwinn 430 and its sister model, Horizon EX-57 are two of its closest rivals.

Schwinn 430 and Horizon EX-59-02 are just a few dollars apart when it comes to price. Schwinn 430 comes with far more resistance levels and workout program, an incline capacity, longer stride length, and higher user weight capacity. It also has some computerized features that are absent in EX-59-02. However, EX-59-02 prides itself in having a more impressive warranty which adds more confidence in its durability.

Horizon EX-57, on the other hand, is a little cheaper though only by a few hundred dollars. However, there isn’t  a much significant difference between them except for the workout programs and resistance levels. Many of the remaining features are a bit similar. So it’s up to a user to decide whether they need more workout options or if less is enough for them when it comes to deciding which one to have between the two.

  • Product
  • Deals
  • Photos
  • Last reviews
Six Star Certification, derived from extensive biomechanics research and user testing, is a combination of key elements needed to deliver the smoothest, most natural feel. ZERO gap overlapping pedal ...
amazon.com
Last price update: 2019-09-02 17:03:54
UPDATE: 4/2/2014: The technician just stopped by and got the elliptical's tension set. I was able to do all the rest of the work but couldn't figure out how to get the tension set properly as it was not mentioned in the document or diy video. If anyone ever needs to know how to set the tension just ask, hopefully you won't need that information.This was one of the easiest warranty claims I have ever experienced. It took a 15 minute call to get my claim going. Horizon ordered my part right away, shipping took 5 days, then I was able to setup an appointment with the technician which took another week. All in all I was down 12 days without my machine.Hopefully there is never a next time but if there is at least I can do the whole job on my own. It's unfortunate when things go wrong regarding any purchase but the difference between a good company and a bad one is how they respond to issues. I feel Horizon handled this issue as well as possible and I would continue giving the company 5 starts. As for my current perception of the elliptical quality though, I'm going to drop it a star along with my cumulative review. If I have any problems in the future I will update this review. For whatever it's worth the technician told me that 90% of his repair work is spent on Proform, Nautilus/Schwinn ellipticals.UPDATE: 3/25/2014: Unfortunately our Elliptical has a problem at the moment. Shortly after my last update the elliptical started making noise inside the case. I contacted Horizon and had a rep from there listen via the phone and she determined the fly wheel was going out. She promptly ordered me a new part and shipped it to my house. I now have to schedule a technician to come out and install it. Horizon has been quick in response but this event has negatively impacted my experience with our elliptical. I will post another update after this issue has played out.UPDATE: 3/4/2014: The machine is getting more use now as it ever has. I have lost 23lbs in 10 weeks and my wife has lost 11lbs in culmination with eating correctly. Haven't had to do a thing in terms of maintenance since my last update. Couldn't be happier with this machine, it has been worth every penny.UPDATE: 1/14/2014: It has been a month into owning the elliptical with around 25 hours logged on it and the experience has still been great. I have had a little better experience than my wife but we both really like the elliptical. I was slightly out of shape prior to starting working out on this machine and began working out on a setting of '2/10' for resistance and have worked my way up to '3/10' for 40 minutes a day, two sets of 20 minutes with a 10 minute break. For kicks I tried max resistance earlier today for a minute on the elliptical, ie '10/10' setting and it felt like I was running in quick sand, extremely strong resistance so I have a VERY long time till I get to that point if I ever do at all.My wife who had not worked out in close to a year prior to working out on this elliptical for the first couple of weeks did a setting of '1' of resistance and would do 5-7 minutes and take a break for 5 minutes and then do another set of 5-7 minutes. She has found its better to listen to her body and take a break when she gets heavily fatigued then try and push through it and risk injury. She has worked her way up over the month to doing 12 minutes straight a day still on the same resistance but she is getting stronger and is going to try and increase her sessions to 15 minutes straight over the next week.As for the machine quality, no issues to report. However there has been just a little maintenance to do, I had to re-tighten down one bolt because a clunk developed from being loose. The clunk occurred shortly after posting my initial review. Haven't had an issue since but I have kept my 5mm hex socket/ratchet and 13mm wrench handy in the office in case I need to re-tighten any loose bolts.All in all we still feel this machine is awesome for comfort, quality and of course weight loss. While it lacks a couple of features the Schwinn has, it has been a work horse for us and is performing like a champ. If any issues arise I will update this review otherwise assume it has been operating as I described in my review.ORIGINAL REVIEW: Rarely write reviews but this is the largest purchase I have ever made online and figured I would for this item. To sum it up one sentence, this elliptical and my experience with it has been great. My wife and I purchased this elliptical instead of the Schwinn 430, which we found to be the most legit competitor to the horizon that was comparably priced.We began researching ellipticals by reading online, going to sports stores and testing out researched machines in person. We are both short, I am 5'9 and my wife is 5'2. We found three variables that we could not sacrifice in buying an elliptical, we needed a machine that was gentle on the knees when on the downward motion of the cycle, right stride length for our shorter bodies and lastly a smooth stride motion. The next most important attribute of buying an elliptical was durability, then lastly features.We then had a budget of no more than 700shipped and started looking at proform ellipticals given their price and found they were harsh on the knees and had a jagged stride motion. We then tested the Schwinn 430 at a local store, the Schwinn 430 is nice and a legit contender to horizon 59-02 but the feedback regarding durability on the previous Schwinn model based on reviews were good, not great.Our search led us to the last version of the Horizon elliptical machine having a large number of users(250+ Users and average rating of 4 1/2 stars) providing good feedback but the newer model had come out. We found that shorter people, ie under 6' tall could comfortably use the last model of the Horizon. So we purchased this item and it arrived the next day.The box weighed 170lbs and was the size of a big screen TV box roughly 4ft by 5ft by 2ft. The workout began sliding the box into the house and into my office by myself. If I had stairs I would have taken each component out piece by piece rather than slide the box in.After getting the box in my office I pulled out the parts and looked at the bolts included. I grabbed my electric impact, 5mm and 7 or 8mm hex sockets and a 13mm wrench rather than use the included tools. I could have used the included tools with no issue but that likely would have doubled my install time. I believe there is a total of 22 bolts to install. It took me 50 minutes from screwing in the first bolt to testing out the elliptical. For most people I would budget an hour and half to two hours for install if you used including tools.The elliptical is belt driven and is extremely quiet, I can use it and not wake up my wife or vice versa. On the display there is a lip that appears to be designed specifically with the intention of fitting an ipad on. I can sit my ipad on it horizontally or vertically with no issues, the lip protects the ipad from falling off the face of the display. My wife uses her kindle. The stride length is comfortable for both of us and is very smooth. No striking compression on our knees on the downward motion, the speakers are louder than our iPad and can easily be heard over the noise of the elliptical. The resistance on it is strong, on the highest setting it appears to be as strong as the life fitness elliptical I was accustomed to using at the gym.The only issues we had is that we have this mounted on our thick carpet and there was a little rocking when I first used it. The elliptical is supposed to be on a flat level surface. The elliptical was not unsafe on our carpet but was something that could cheaply be fixed. I picked up a sheet of plywood 8' x 4' at home depot for 10$ and got them to cut it to fit our exercise mat to provide the flat surface underneath the elliptical and have no rocking of concern since.This elliptical is not perfect, there are a couple of complaints worth mentioning, there is no off/on switch when not in use so you have to unplug the machine's power outlet and plug it in each time you use the elliptical. The water bottle holder is not reachable while in stride, I don't use it but my wife does and has to hit the pause button to take a drink, interrupting her workout. Lastly there is no fan.The Schwinn 430 does have a fan and a conveniently placed water bottle holder. We were willing to sacrifice a couple of those features the Schwinn 430 had if it meant better durability with the Horizon over the long haul. When we used the Schwinn 430 in person we liked it but the pedals felt a bit flimsy and the overall quality was good, but it didn't feel like a machine that would hold up for more than a couple years. My wife and I both believe the Horizon 59-02 will hold up being used for 5-10 hours a week over the long haul.
December 20, 2013
As a previously frequent gym-goer, I decided not to renew my membership and buy some equipment. I often used the ellipticals and decided to spring for one of those first. The machines that I am used to are the Life Fitness ellipticals (which are very expensive, in relation to this machine). I decided to go for this since the previous model had very good reviews. Here is my experience so far:Observations:- The box is very heavy that it delivers in. I had to bring each item up to our 2nd floor room piece by piece, but there wasn't too many that it was annoying. This is just something that might need to be noted.Setup:- Took me about an hour (maybe two, I am very meticulous when building things). All the tools you need are provided. The screws/washers/bolts etc are labeled a bit weird in reference to the instructions, but it worked out okay.- I only had one (minor) problem installing one of the large handlebars to the frame. The provided fastener was not very easy to tighten, but with enough muscle it worked out.Use:- I am 5'9" and my wife is 5'4". My main concern was the stride length. It turns out that, for me, its perfect. I don't feel like its too short or too long. It is not adjustable, however.- The machine is very quiet and solid for its price. We had an older, cheaper elliptical that was very noisy and would sway with your motion. This machine seems pretty rock-solid, and there is just one ticking noise on the downward motion of the left strider that is not annoying to me and might be a byproduct of my installation.Conclusion:- I am VERY happy with this machine. I can get a decent workout with it, and I don't even miss the Life Fitness machines that I used at the gym. For the price of this machine, it's great.At the time of this review I have owned the machine for 2 days. If I have any bad experiences in the future I will update this review.
December 5, 2013
A week ago is 4 years. Still works well.
January 27, 2018