ProForm Endurance 720 E Elliptical Cross Trainer 2017 Review

One of the many mid-range ellipticals available from Proform these days is the ProForm Endurance 720 E Elliptical which is priced towards the upper mid-range of the spectrum. Looking at some of the details, on paper this looks like it’s got a lot of things going for it so we got one in to see how it well performs and how it compares to the other models available at this price point.

Assembly is easy enough but a bit more time consuming than we’ve become used to lately. There’s nothing complex here of course as this unit is designed for end-user assembly, it’s just that it’s a bit tricky in places. For example, attaching one piece to another can involve up to 7 different parts to make the connection. It’s not complicated but it is time-consuming so expect assembly to take around an hour if you’re good at assembling flat-packed things and longer if you’re not.

It might take a bit of effort to build but when it’s all done what you end up with is a good looking machine that’s substantial in stature. At 173cm long and 66cm  wide (68.1″ x 26”), and 182cm (71.6″) tall this is a serious machine. Thankfully there are leg levellers on this model so it’s simple enough to get it sitting dead flat on the floor and the pedals are also adjustable for the angle of attack by way of a quick-release mechanism. One thing that’s immediately noticeable is that Proform has opted to employ a single-rail mechanism for the pedals to travel along. It’s noticeable not because it’s unusual, but rather because on other models in the Proform range at very similar prices you get a dual rail system, which is much more robust and stable. Having said that this model doesn’t look lightweight, an impression which is given credence by the 89kg (197lbs) kerb weight and 135kg (297lbs) max user weight.

The flywheel on the 720 E is described as having  9kg (20lbs) “effective inertia” so it probably doesn’t actually weigh that much but thanks to clever internals, it feels like it does. The action is smooth as you’d expect from an elliptical costing this much and ergonomically it’s good, again as you’d expect. There’s a fixed set of handlebars and a moving set so you can focus on different muscle groups though the moving handles have a limited amount of grip positions you can take up as they’re relatively straight. Overall it’s easy enough to get comfortable on this machine and the 20″ (50.8cm) stride length makes it suitable for a wide range of users. There’s an incline ramp that can tilt the front of this elliptical up to an angle of 20°, which is plenty steep enough to really feel the difference in which muscles are being worked, and being a power ramp the angle can be changed in the middle of a workout without getting off an manually adjusting it. This really comes into its own during preset workouts that really put you through your paces. Set everything up properly, to begin with, and the Endurance 720 E is really very comfortable and also feels solid. It should do too, this is not a cheap small machine after all!

The console features 24 preset workouts built-in with each workout being categorised as one of Calorie, Intensity, Speed, or Incline making it easy to select the kind of workout you want. All training data is displayed on the 5” backlit LCD display which does a fair job of making it easy to see your stats while you workout. It’s possible to adjust the brightness and contrast and we found that this was necessary on our test model as the bright lights in the studio meant it wasn’t that easy to see on factory settings. It’s also possible to switch units of measurement from metric to imperial to get the readout in miles which is a nice touch. The console is on this model is iFit compatible so it’s possible to sign up to the iFit service, place your tablet into the tablet holder and then access your iFit account during your live workout. Subscribers to iFit get the added bonus of  Google Maps workouts that allow you to map out your own routes on Google Maps and high-definition workout videos led by professional personal trainers which are really impressive. You can also participate in online races against other iFit members as well as get access to personalised advice for nutrition, exercise routines and sleep schedule.

Also included are a water bottle holder, workout cooling fan, USB charging station, audio input and stereo speakers. In addition, there’s a wireless heart rate receiver and the Endurance 720 E is also covered by Proform’s 2 years parts and labour as long as you register it with Proform within 28 days of purchase.