Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer Review – Pros, Cons, and Comparable Ellipticals

The Sole Fitness E25 is a budget-friendly elliptical built as if it belongs in a commercial gym. Here’s a full review of this elliptical, including pros, cons, and comparable alternatives.

Sole Fitness is a brand known for making high-quality elliptical machines in both commercial and home gyms worldwide.

The Sole E25 model is one of their most budget-friendly options, offering multiple adjustments that allow for a more natural stride, low-impact aerobic exercise, and integrated workout programs that will push your fitness to the max.

In this review, we’ll look at what makes the Sole E25 a model worth owning, what “cons” it may have, how it compares against other ellipticals, and more.

By the time you finish this post, you’ll have a better idea of whether or not the Sole E25 is the right elliptical for your workouts.

Let’s jump right in.

Sole E25 Elliptical — The Key Specs

• Price: $1,099
• 7.5″ LCD screen
• 20” stride length
• 20lb flywheel
• Front drive system
• Resistance levels: 20
• Power incline: 0-20 levels
• 350lb max user weight
• 209lb unit weight
• Power incline to adjust for greater incline/difficulty
• Dimensions: 70” long, 24” wide, 70” high
• Integrated hand pulse grips, chest strap compatible 
• Warranty: Lifetime (Frame and brake), components (2 years), labor (1 year)
• Financing options

Sole Fitness E25 Elliptical – The Pros

Here are a few things that make the Sole E25 Elliptical one of my favorite options for a budget-friendly, durable elliptical trainer:

✅ Gym-quality elliptical training

Sole Fitness is well-known for building exceptionally durable ellipticals, and the Sole E25 is no exception.

The Sole E25 has a 20lb flywheel, which is heavy for its respective price class. A heavy flywheel is crucial for an elliptical machine as it provides a smoother and more natural striding experience when working out and burning calories.

While the Sole E25 doesn’t have the heaviest flywheel on the market, the Sole E95s Elliptical has a 30lb flywheel for example, a 20lb flywheel is more than enough for most users and rivals the smoothness of many commercial-grade ellipticals.

The magnetic resistance on the front drive system adjusts smoothly between resistance levels, whether you are going forward or backward on the elliptical (great for targeting the leg muscles in a novel way)

The result is an elliptical workout that feels no different from the waaay more expensive elliptical machines at my local gym at a fraction of the cost.

✅ Ergonomic Design

Outside of the smooth ride, the main thing I liked about testing the Sole E25 was the ergonomic features, which include cushioned foot pedals, a two-degree inward slope on the foot pedals, and handles specifically articulated for maximum comfort.

Sole ellipticals are specifically renowned for using foot pedals that are designed for extended use. The Sole E25 has cushioned and oversized pedals with a slight slope (2 degrees inward), promoting a more natural-feeling foot placement and reducing the strain on your ankles, knees, hips, and lower back.

The design will also reduce toe pain and numbness, prevent wear on your Achilles tendon, and make the workout feel more comfortable with every step.

For those who spend just a few minutes on the elliptical to warm up, this may not sound like a big deal. But by the end of a 60-minute workout or a 20-minute HIIT session, even tiny discomforts can become big pains.

A machine designed to combat these problems makes for a much more comfortable workout. While the Sole E25 doesn’t have an adjustable stride length, the two-degree inward slope reduces needless stress on the knees and ankles.

Additionally, handles on the Sole E25 are built with a special articulated design that allows you to grip them at the spot that feels most comfortable for your shoulders and elbows.

This makes it not only more comfortable for your lower body, but your upper body as well, resulting in longer (and more frequent) workouts on the Sole E25.

✅ Feature-Rich

The Sole E25, like all Sole Fitness models, comes packed with a lot of excellent features for maximum functionality:

• Bluetooth connection with your smartphone so you can play music directly from the speakers
• Direct connection between the elliptical machine and whatever sport or fitness tracking app you use (including Kinomap, MyFitnessPal, iHealth, FitBit, and more)
• An adjustable console that lets you set the right angle for maximum visibility based on your height
• A 7.5-inch backlit LCD that displays all the workout data (including speed, incline, resistance, calories burned, distance traveled, and more) in large, easily visible numbers
• Integrated USB charging port so you can keep your smartphone or tablet topped up while you work out
• Integrated adjustable tablet holder to allow you to watch TV or movies on your smartphone or tablet while training
• Oversized water bottle holder for staying hydrated and refreshed
• Built-in fan for keeping cool and comfortable
• Power incline to change the motion and resistance in order to target multiple muscles
• Pre-programmed workouts that let you change the way you train

No matter what kind of workouts and training you like to do, whether that’s doing heart rate training and monitoring your HR on the built-in pulse sensors on the handles or taking advantage of 10 preloaded workout programs, the Sole E25 has you covered.

✅ Highly Versatile Workout Options

I already mentioned the workout options above, but I want to dive a bit deeper into this particular “pro” because it’s incredibly important.

First off, the Power Incline feature is amazing. The built-in motors will adapt the angle of incline and raise the resistance as desired, making it easy to target specific muscles or increase the challenge of your workout. All of this at just the press of a button.

But for those who are new to elliptical training, it’s the integrated workout programs that can be a real game-changer.

Instead of just getting on the elliptical and “winging it” with no real plan of attack, newbies (or even experienced trainees) can choose from among the workout presets integrated into the machine.

The LCD screen makes it easy to cycle through your options—from HIIT to fat-burning to muscle-building to cardio training—and choose the difficulty level, workout duration, or even a target calorie burn.

Once you’ve set your desired program and get started, you can focus entirely on the workout and let the machine handle the adjustments on its own.

It will raise or lower the incline and increase or decrease the resistance automatically, challenging your body in different ways throughout the training session.

Additionally, you can connect the SOLE+ app to the elliptical via a smartphone or tablet for even more workouts and classes via Sole’s immersive training program (requires a $19.99 per month subscription).

If variety is crucial to your workouts and fitness goals, the Sole E25 has plenty of options and challenges to keep you chugging along in the months and years ahead.

✅ Price

I’ll admit: paying upwards of $1,000 for an elliptical machine isn’t always an easy pill to swallow.

After all, there are plenty of “budget” models on the market for anywhere from $500 to $800 (the Schwinn 411 Elliptical Trainer is an example of a quality, yet budget-friendly, elliptical).

But anyone who’s used one of these budget models will know they just can’t offer as many features as the mid- to upper-range models. The build is also less sturdy, and they tend to be less reliable overall.

If you want to equip your home gym with a machine that will last for years to come, it’s a good idea to shop in the above-$1,000 price range.

The Sole E25 is just within that price range—retailing at $1,099—but despite its low price tag, it’s as reliable as an elliptical machine worth more.

In fact, compared to many of its competitors’ higher-priced options, it’s a winner.

For the price, you won’t find many better, more durable machines than the E25

Sole Fitness E25 Elliptical Trainer — The Cons

Of course, no machine is “perfect.”

Every machine in the gym (or your home gym) has the occasional flaw or minor detail that could be better—and yes, that includes the top-of-the-line models, too.

With the Sole E25 elliptical, there are really only two complaints I think are worth mentioning:

Light Flywheel

As a bigger, heavier guy, the 20-pound flywheel just isn’t able to provide the resistance I need to push myself.

Yes, the incline on the Sole E25 makes for a great stair-climbing workout, and because I’m combatting both the resistance provided by the flywheel and my own bodyweight, it’s challenging enough.

But if I’m walking at the standard “0” setting, even if I raise the resistance to maximum, it feels just a little bit on the inefficient side.

That being said, this is a problem unique to heavier trainees.

For the average person, the Sole E25’s 20lb flywheel is sufficient, and there are plenty of ellipticals for heavier users with more robust flywheels.

Warranty Could Be Better

As one of Sole Fitness’ lower-end models, the warranty on the Sole E25 isn’t quite up to par with the warranty on some of its other models (a full comparison of all of Sole’s Ellipticals can be read here).

For example, with the Sole E35, there is a 2-year warranty on labor and a 5-year warranty on parts and electronics.

With the Sole E25, the labor warranty is only one year, and the parts and electronics warranty is only three years.

However, the frame is backed by a lifetime warranty on all Sole Fitness models, including the E25.

Sole Fitness E25 Elliptical Trainer – FAQs

Does the Sole E25 fold up?

No, it does not. There are wheels on the front that allow you to lift the back (gripping the steel bar built into it for specifically that purpose) so you can move it around. However, it is not designed to fold.

How much does the Sole E25 weigh?

I’ll be honest, it’s not the lightest of the elliptical machines I’ve ever used. It clocks in at a solid 209 pounds. Trying to move it around can be an entire workout in itself.

Like most ellipticals, it’s built tough and heavy. Better to leave it in one place than trying to shift it around too much!

What other ellipticals are similar to the Sole E25?

A few other ellipticals that offer similar features to the Sole E25 are:

Schwinn 470 – The Schwinn 470 offers an identical 20” stride length, is roughly the same shape and size, and has a 20-pound flywheel like the E25. Its user weight capacity is 50 pounds lower (300 pounds), but it offers 25 levels of resistance (instead of the E25’s 20) and has significantly more pre-programmed workouts. The price is also about 20% lower than the E25.

Sole E35 – Sole’s next-model-up, the Sole E35 offers all the features that make the E25 worth your money, but with a 25-pound flywheel that is better suited for larger and heavier users. Plus, there’s that longer warranty we discussed in the “cons” section! However, prepare for a notably higher price for the E35.

See also: Sole Fitness E25 vs. Sole E35 Comparison

What’s the difference between the E25 and other Sole ellipticals?

The Sole E25 is one of Sole Fitness’s “entry-level” models.

(The Sole Fitness E20, reviewed here, is Sole’s most budget-friendly option.)

Here is how the Sole E25 compares to Sole’s other ellipticals:

	E95S	E95	E55	E35	E25
Price	$2,199	$1,699	$1,499	$1,399	$1,099
Flywheel	30lb	27lb	20lb	25lb	20lb
Stride length	18-24”	20”	20”	20”	20”
Display	10.1” LCD	10.1” LCD	9.0” LCD	7.5” LCD	6.5” LCD
Unit Weight	265lb	236lb	214lb	231lb	209lb
Adjustable Foot Pedals	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No

We have tested and reviewed Sole Fitness ellipticals extensively.

For detailed looks, check out these reviews of the Sole Fitness E55 (best elliptical under $1,500) and the Sole Fitness E95, our top pick (again) for best overall elliptical for home gyms.

The Bottom Line

For those looking for a truly high-quality elliptical machine but don’t want to splurge on a top-of-the-line model, the Sole E25 may be exactly what you’re looking for.

It’s a cut above the usual “bargain” or “budget models”, but it’s priced at the low end of the mid-range price spectrum so it won’t break the bank.

It’s not quite as advanced as some of Sole’s upper-level models, but it’s got all the design and functionality features to make it a suitable choice for your workouts.

If you’re looking to save a bit of money but still buy a quality elliptical machine for use in your home gym, the Sole E25 is an excellent choice.

More Elliptical Guides and Reviews

Sole E95 vs Sole E35: Which One is Best for You and Your Workout Goals? Wondering what separates the Sole E95 and the Sole E35? Here’s a detailed look at the differences and similarities between these two popular ellipticals.

How Much Do Ellipticals Cost? (44 Different Models Compared). Ellipticals can be a costly investment in your workout goals. Here is a look at how much each type of elliptical costs and how much to spend on one.