From the Mailbag: Horizon LS 645E Elliptical Trainer

I had one of Our AWESOME readers ask me to take a look at the Horizon LS 645E. I had a chance to go to Sports Authority the other day and wanted to check it out (since it is Exclusive only to SA). So I go into this Mega store, feeling like I do in all these warehouse places…GRAY. Well, as I am looking at the ellipticals, I notice that most of their prices are fairly competitive.

Then I see the item in question, the Horizon LS 645E. Appears to be fairly sturdy and priced on sale at $499……Then I get on it! UGH, I don’t like the feel of it immediately! That does not always mean anything, but this elliptical is no bargin! I noticed that this ellipitcal is very light weight, and does not feel sturdy when working out at a slow pace. I cannot imagine if you were really flying on the thing! The LS 645E is also on the loud side, which is never a selling point to anyone I have ever known!

Besides the noise, I also notice that the flywheel felt light, well 14 lbs is on the lighter side (compared to a 23 to 29 lb flywheel on other brands). This is a standard size, but some just feel better, and this was not one of them!

The positives were fairly commonly found on ICON/Horizon ellipticals, like the decent sized pedals, and the 16 inch stride. That was about all I could give this one, not typical from Horizon!

So Ana, keep looking. I know you can do better in this same price range! Try Schwinn or Healthrider!

Horizon LS 645E Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 18"
Flywheel: Approximately 14lbs
Pivot Footplate: Yes
Display: LCD
Readouts: resistance, time, incline, calories, heart rate, distance and strides per minute
Programs: 9 Goal to Go (3 calorie-specific, 3 distance-specific, 3 time-specific)
Heart Rate Monitor: Yes
Max User Weight: 275
Price: $599