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Sole E98 Elliptical Review

$2,299.99 $2,499.99

If you are in the fitness business professionally this is the machine that you would likely recommend to anyone looking for the best home gym elliptical trainer.

The reason you would select the Sole E98 is that it is also used in gyms and is a favorite with gym members.

The Sole E98 Elliptical trainer is much more than your run of the mill cross trainer, it is a trainer that can be both used commercially and for home use. 

The Sole E98 bristles with technology and design that provides the user with the best possible experience and workouts available on the market today.

The E98 elliptical trainer eclipses other trainers because of the incredible design and builds quality incorporated by Sole.

How many design teams of elliptical trainers work alongside professional physiotherapists to give their clients a safe exercising experience.

The good news is that sole does undertake these practices when designing their elliptical trainers.

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The Sole Light Commercial E98 Elliptical was built for the commercial environment. From its articulating foot pedals to its heavy 30 lbs flywheel the E98 is quickly becoming the popular model in ...
Start from: $999.99
amazon.com
Last price update: 2020-03-20 12:14:18
SHIPPING AND PACKAGINGSummary: Weak, but the workout gods chose to punish me and it got here intact.I ordered and received the machine from Amazon. The no-name freight company that delivered it had it packed in the back and we (the skinny delivery kid and myself) were forced to drag its 200 pound bulk over the pallets loaded in front of it.The E98's cardboard and styrofoam box looked like it had tumbled through an Oklahoma tornado. My being in Tulsa, perhaps it had. The box was shredded, with large gaping holes and dented corners. I was very concerned about its condition so we dutifully noted the condition of the box on the packing slip and I took a few photos with my camera. That evening I unpacked the machine and was surprised to find that it looked to be alright (damn).ASSEMBLYSummary: Took 4.5 hours staying after it steadily. You won't go wrong if you plan to make a day of it. Expect to spend 20-30% of your time trying to interpret the assembly instructions (seriously).I received this machine from Amazon two days before I went to Paris for a week so I (chickened out) elected not to assemble it until I returned. Walking Paris was a pretty good workout itself (I told myself).Upon my return I confronted the pile of battered boxes and metal tubing and took to it.As posted by others above and under the other Sole Ellipticals the instructions are pretty weak. The biggest problem to my mind is that for the four major steps of assembly there is but one explosion drawing showing where the parts go; to make matters worse, parts that you are not responsible for installing are in the explosions. Four blocks of text and four explosion drawings. Merry Christmas.It would help greatly if the assembly were broken up into more explosions that show closeup details of the area of the machine referenced instead of the entire machine.To top it off, nowhere in or on the manual is there a simple photograph or drawing of the final assembled product. ALL you get are the explosions. I went online and pulled up an E98 photograph as reference which helped me a bit in stage 4 where you're putting the outer aesthetic pieces on.Assembly took 4.5 hours straight through. Clearer instructions could have saved an hour probably; there's a fair amount of head scratchin'.WORKOUTSummary: Silent, sleek death machine. Like a ninja dropping from the rafters and assassinating my ego.I'm 48 years old, 6'4" and Oklahoman. I like thick steaks and ice cold beer and it shows.I haven't exercised regularly since high school so I'll leave the knowledgeable workout critiques to the perky young hardbodies in the youtube videos. Suffice it to say that just putting this thing together was a workout for me.Looking at the E98 fully assembled makes me winded. Climbing on for more than four minutes at a stretch in "fatburn" mode is like icepicks in my thighs. The first time I got off after a real workout I almost fell down because my legs were like Jello. That's how you know it's working, right?OVERALLGood machine, weak manual with obvious flaws. Fully assembled machine is pretty nice, you just have to push through.It's LONG, TALL and HEAVY. If you're tall and you have low ceilings and/or ceiling fans you best take some measurements lest you be bumpin' your noggin. I'm 6'4" with 8' ceilings and I have only a few inches to spare.BONUS UI MANUAL ADDENDUMNot listed in the manual or indicated on the unit is the fact that the upper row of large horizontal buttons can be used as digits 1 through 10. If you need to type in a weight of 235 then you may do so by pressing the second, third and fifth buttons rather than hitting UP and DOWN a couple hundred times. Be nice if that were in the manual wouldn't it? Yeah it would.
I will admit that my wife is the primary user of this unit and she is a tough customer. If the unit was not solid or lacked overall quality, she would complain.The 5 stars are well deserved in product quality and customer service. It is a bit of work to assemble, but once completed it does deliver and it's solid, quite and delivers a good work-out. Very smooth mechanics and intuitive dashboard. It does not have Internet capability, etc. But we're not interested in sharing our work-out effort via social network and these sort of things. Bottom line is, I can't find a reason to complain about the quality of the this equipment. I can only complement.Now, I was disappointed that a pulse monitor was not included with this unit as it is the top of the line model and lesser models include the heart rate monitor (which is worn across the chest). There are also work-out programs that require this sensor, if a tailored work-out is desired. So I was upset and prepared to argue as I have just spent top dollar for the top of the line and now need to buy an accessory. No way!Well, 1 minute into the call the support person says: "Sure, if you would like the pulse monitor, we'll send you one". Within the week I had a pulse monitor at no cost!So great product and great service. If I had my money back today and an opportunity to decide again from scratch, I would buy this elliptical again.
We've bought 3 ellipticals to date from different manufacturers; this is the best yet. Much better than our $5,500 Precor.
8.5 Total Score

When purchasing a Sole elliptical machine you can only expect to be purchasing quality and well thought out design, and the E898 will not disappoint you. The 34 Lbs. flywheel is at the very core of this machine and with its magnetic resistance settings the user can expect the best workout that can be expected from any home or commercial elliptical trainer. It is the optimal choice for home use, it is super quiet in operation so you will not be disturbing anyone while you power through your workouts. The E98 has digital upgrades that allow a host of apps to be used with the onboard workout monitoring. Sole has even developed its own app for users to have a seamless interface with the machine's Bluetooth connectivity. Other apps are easily used with the Sole E98, apps such as iHealth and MapmyFitness, if you chose to use the Sole app you can also manage the control center of the machine from your smartphone.

Features
8
Console Unit
8.5
Build quality and design
8
Comfort
9
Value for money
9
PROS
  • 34 Lbs. flywheel for smooth operation
  • Magnetic resistance
  • 20-inch stride
  • 20 incline settings
  • 10 full preprogrammed workouts
  • Oversized articulating foot pedals for comfort
  • Super quiet operation
  • Bluetooth connectivity
  • Bluetooth audio speakers
  • Drinks bottle holder
  • 10.1 inch LCD monitor
  • Integrated tablet holder
  • Built to be used in light commercial operations
CONS
  • It is a little heavier than Soles other home elliptical trainers
  • Some other Sole elliptical machines provide better value

New console and other upgrades

Other notable changes from Soles’ other elliptical trainers is the 10.1 inch LCD display that is industry-leading. Unlike the other Sole elliptical trainers, the display screen of the E98 can be angled to suit the user’s vision, as with all Sole machines the display screen has a height adjustment to accommodate a wide range of user heights.

Workout programs can be accessed via the 10.1″ console screen or the user’s own mobile device (iOS or Android) should you chose to install the Sole Fitness app.  There are ten customizable choices available such as manual mode, two tier-designed workouts, two workouts controlled by heart rate, and five classics Cardio, Fat Burn, Hill, interval training and strength training.

The E98 has an upgraded integral tablet holder for easier use, Bluetooth speakers are a welcome addition to make playing your best tunes easy while working out.

The cooling fan has also been upgraded for better airflow across the user when on the machine.

This light commercial machine can handle 400 Lbs. of weight so even the biggest athletes can maximize their workout potential on the E98.

The all-new articulated pedal designs are innovative, the pedals are oversized for the comfort of all user sizes and the articulated pedals prevent stress injuries. These changes have been made with the consultation of sports and fitness professional physiotherapists.

Magnetic resistance

This can be found on other Sole elliptical machines but it’s worth talking about again because it plays such a huge part in the development of the fitness routine.

Combined with the 34 Lbs. flywheel the magnetic resistance delivers precise control when setting how difficult you want you’re to work out to be. There is no snatching at the flywheel and the resistance can be applied progressively.

The magnetic resistance is an incredible tool for endurance and resistance training, over time you will notice your fitness levels improving and the lactic acid build-up decreasing allowing the user faster recovery times.

The E98 has the standard 20 incline positions for increasing the intensity of selected workout program, there are so many variables with both the 10 onboard pre-programmed workout setting and the 20 incline levels that the user will never become bored.

The biomechanics of the machine can accommodate larger users who may wish to start their workout regimes on a gentle and more leisurely elliptical work out.

Sole E98 build quality

Like all other sole elliptical trainers, you can expect craftsmanship and a well-engineered and thoughtfully designed elliptical cross trainer.

For extra stability, this machine has been upgraded with four wheels at the back of the unit to prevent side to side movement given it s4 00 Lbs. bio-mechanical capabilities.

Again as with all Sole elliptical trainers, you receive an excellent warranty that sets the bar for all competitors. The E98 has one minor change to the warranty. The E98 can be used in a light commercial setting say a hotel gym and still be covered under the warranty.

Assembling your Sole E98

 Minimal tools are required only a long and short Phillips head screwdriver to wrenches 13 and 14 mm. Please do not connect the unit to the power supply until fully assembled.

The assembly manual is straightforward and if you take your time you should be up and running in an hour.

Warranty

 Alternatives to the Sole E98

Here are a number of choices like Bowflex and Nordic Track, which are both fine machines and have a great reputation for providing excellent value for money. However, the Sole E98 is ranked at the number one spot and is cheaper.

  • Product
  • Deals
  • Last reviews
The Sole Light Commercial E98 Elliptical was built for the commercial environment. From its articulating foot pedals to its heavy 30 lbs flywheel the E98 is quickly becoming the popular model in ...
Start from: $999.99
amazon.com
Last price update: 2020-03-20 12:14:18
SHIPPING AND PACKAGINGSummary: Weak, but the workout gods chose to punish me and it got here intact.I ordered and received the machine from Amazon. The no-name freight company that delivered it had it packed in the back and we (the skinny delivery kid and myself) were forced to drag its 200 pound bulk over the pallets loaded in front of it.The E98's cardboard and styrofoam box looked like it had tumbled through an Oklahoma tornado. My being in Tulsa, perhaps it had. The box was shredded, with large gaping holes and dented corners. I was very concerned about its condition so we dutifully noted the condition of the box on the packing slip and I took a few photos with my camera. That evening I unpacked the machine and was surprised to find that it looked to be alright (damn).ASSEMBLYSummary: Took 4.5 hours staying after it steadily. You won't go wrong if you plan to make a day of it. Expect to spend 20-30% of your time trying to interpret the assembly instructions (seriously).I received this machine from Amazon two days before I went to Paris for a week so I (chickened out) elected not to assemble it until I returned. Walking Paris was a pretty good workout itself (I told myself).Upon my return I confronted the pile of battered boxes and metal tubing and took to it.As posted by others above and under the other Sole Ellipticals the instructions are pretty weak. The biggest problem to my mind is that for the four major steps of assembly there is but one explosion drawing showing where the parts go; to make matters worse, parts that you are not responsible for installing are in the explosions. Four blocks of text and four explosion drawings. Merry Christmas.It would help greatly if the assembly were broken up into more explosions that show closeup details of the area of the machine referenced instead of the entire machine.To top it off, nowhere in or on the manual is there a simple photograph or drawing of the final assembled product. ALL you get are the explosions. I went online and pulled up an E98 photograph as reference which helped me a bit in stage 4 where you're putting the outer aesthetic pieces on.Assembly took 4.5 hours straight through. Clearer instructions could have saved an hour probably; there's a fair amount of head scratchin'.WORKOUTSummary: Silent, sleek death machine. Like a ninja dropping from the rafters and assassinating my ego.I'm 48 years old, 6'4" and Oklahoman. I like thick steaks and ice cold beer and it shows.I haven't exercised regularly since high school so I'll leave the knowledgeable workout critiques to the perky young hardbodies in the youtube videos. Suffice it to say that just putting this thing together was a workout for me.Looking at the E98 fully assembled makes me winded. Climbing on for more than four minutes at a stretch in "fatburn" mode is like icepicks in my thighs. The first time I got off after a real workout I almost fell down because my legs were like Jello. That's how you know it's working, right?OVERALLGood machine, weak manual with obvious flaws. Fully assembled machine is pretty nice, you just have to push through.It's LONG, TALL and HEAVY. If you're tall and you have low ceilings and/or ceiling fans you best take some measurements lest you be bumpin' your noggin. I'm 6'4" with 8' ceilings and I have only a few inches to spare.BONUS UI MANUAL ADDENDUMNot listed in the manual or indicated on the unit is the fact that the upper row of large horizontal buttons can be used as digits 1 through 10. If you need to type in a weight of 235 then you may do so by pressing the second, third and fifth buttons rather than hitting UP and DOWN a couple hundred times. Be nice if that were in the manual wouldn't it? Yeah it would.
I will admit that my wife is the primary user of this unit and she is a tough customer. If the unit was not solid or lacked overall quality, she would complain.The 5 stars are well deserved in product quality and customer service. It is a bit of work to assemble, but once completed it does deliver and it's solid, quite and delivers a good work-out. Very smooth mechanics and intuitive dashboard. It does not have Internet capability, etc. But we're not interested in sharing our work-out effort via social network and these sort of things. Bottom line is, I can't find a reason to complain about the quality of the this equipment. I can only complement.Now, I was disappointed that a pulse monitor was not included with this unit as it is the top of the line model and lesser models include the heart rate monitor (which is worn across the chest). There are also work-out programs that require this sensor, if a tailored work-out is desired. So I was upset and prepared to argue as I have just spent top dollar for the top of the line and now need to buy an accessory. No way!Well, 1 minute into the call the support person says: "Sure, if you would like the pulse monitor, we'll send you one". Within the week I had a pulse monitor at no cost!So great product and great service. If I had my money back today and an opportunity to decide again from scratch, I would buy this elliptical again.
We've bought 3 ellipticals to date from different manufacturers; this is the best yet. Much better than our $5,500 Precor.