adidas X-21 Elliptical Cross Trainer Review

Just about the most famous sports manufacturer of them all, adidas has been producing high-quality sports equipment for longer than a lot of people reading this article have been alive. With a well-deserved reputation for consistently delivering premium products, we wanted to have a look at the adias X-21 elliptical to see how it performs. Here are our thoughts….

Just about the most famous sports manufacturer of them all, adidas has been producing high-quality sports equipment for longer than a lot of people reading this article have been alive. With a well-deserved reputation for consistently delivering premium products, we wanted to have a look at the adias X-21 elliptical to see how it performs. Here are our thoughts….

Putting the X-21 together is the first order of business and here this machine follows the trend of, more or less, most other domestic elliptical trainers. With a clear, picture only, assembly guide that’s easy enough to follow, as long as there are two people involved the build here is straightforward enough so as not to be an issue.

One of the first things we look at in a cross trainer is how stable it is and here the X-21 passes that test with aplomb, with the caveat that it does need to be levelled properly first using the leg-levellers. Once this machine has been set with all feet planted firmly on the ground, it’s impressively solid. With a footprint of 163cm x 63.5cm (64” x (24”) and a weight of 63kg (139lbs) we weren’t expecting a tank of a cross trainer, but the X-21 is remarkably sturdy for its size and with a maximum user weight of 150kg the overall impression is that this is a very well built piece of kit. It’s also, in the opinion of not just your reviewer, but also the testing team, that this is also quite a good looking elliptical. With a stout, stocky profile, and a funky red LED circle that lights up when you start to work out it’s not your everyday cross trainer but it’s got a nice look and feel to it.

The X-21 has a self-generating motor, so it’s your effort and sweat that powers the console and the motor. Here it’s the human that’s the battery charger. Jump on, start pedalling and hey presto you have power, though thankfully this is not a dynamo system that will power off the moment you stop pedalling. The charging system fills a set of rechargeable batteries (not included) as you workout so there’s no need for a power adapter, wires trailing across the floor or the need to take into account where the nearest socket is which does make it easy to locate this machine where you want it.

In terms of the basic specs, the X-21 has a 15″ (38cm) which will be fine unless you’re much more than 6ft tall, in which case you may find the action on this machine a little restrictive in the stride. If you’re around 6ft or less, then the stride here is long enough to deliver a proper workout no problem at all. There’s a 10kg (22lbs) flywheel employed here and there’s plenty enough weight to ensure a smooth and consistent motion throughout the entire cycle. Even with good weight on the pedals and a low resistance setting, it stays uniform throughout the cycle and this really does make it feel like a high-end machine. As mentioned earlier it’s quite usual for an elliptical of this stature to rock a bit but in our testing, the X-21 remained reassuringly stable. This combined with the feeling the action delivers makes this feel like a grown-up sort of machine.

Body positioning on the X-21 is good with the large footplates providing plenty of support as well as room and the s-shaped handlebars providing plenty of grip options. The stippled, ventilated grips at the top of the moving handles, do a great job of preventing slippage from sweat too which is a really nice feature and something that other manufacturers could probably take note of. The fixed handles have buttons to control the resistance in addition to the ones on the console and again we really like this as it makes a positive difference while you’re in mid-workout. The X-21 shows that adidas has actually given good thought to this model and the result is that while there are no adjustments on the footplates here this machine does feel more than adequately comfortable and easy to use even when you’re in the latter stages of a good workout. Hats off!

The console display is divided into 9 sections that feature large, easy to read characters displaying live performance data including, speed, time, distance, calories, pulse, watts, RPM and resistance as well as a program indicator. There are 4 user profiles to choose from which, once set up, provide enhanced training data based on the profile. All the data displayed is laid out nicely making it easy to track all the elements and we found that even when you’re breaking a sweat it’s easy to see what’s going on.

In terms of training options, there are 24 levels of resistance and 15 workouts (manual, 12 pre-set programmes, heart rate control, Watt mode) covering weight loss and cardio work and heart rate and watt controlled programs. There are also various target based workouts as well as a recovery test. All in all, there’s plenty enough here to keep most people engaged and the workouts themselves do a good job of achieving their stated aim.

The console also features a built-in wireless Bluetooth heart rate receiver (chest belt included) which means that the heart rate control workouts work well and you don’t have to rely on hand pulse sensors. There’s also an integrated tablet holder and stereo speakers with Bluetooth connectivity which is a nice touch. It functioned without any bugs or issues on our test model and again, that’s reassuring.

Other features include a water bottle holder which is always handy and a useless but fun red LED circle that lights up when you start your workout. . Last but not least the X-21 comes with an adidas 2-year on-site warranty, though judging by our experience we think it’s unlikely you’ll need it as this is a very well put together machine.