New Balance Elliptical Machines

New Balance was founded as an apparel business. They have expanded and are now marketing exercise bikes and elliptical trainers under their own brand name. You would expect to find a similar quality in these products as you would find in their apparel and clothing. Just remember that fitness equipment is not their specialty.

New Balance elliptical machines are manufactured in Taiwan and licensed through another company, Fitness Quest, which is an infomercial company. As a result, Fitness Quest is not synonymous with quality equipment.

New Balance elliptical machines are on the low end of the spectrum and range form $700 - $1,200. Distribution is accomplished through mass merchants like Sports Authority and Dick's Sporting Goods. Additionally, New Balance elliptical machines are available through several online retailers. Offering machines with either front or rear flywheel designs, New Balance elliptical machines offer no real innovation. Quality is expected to be average at best in this price range.

The consoles and selection of programs offered on New Balance elliptical machines is above average, though. Reviews have found the 9.0 and 9.5 models to be somewhat appealing. Actually, the 9 series received high scores in ease of use and ergonomics.

New Balance offers three versions of their elliptical machine: the series 8.0, series 9.0 and series 9.5. Each has a different set of features. Here you will see an overview of each model’s review.

Series 8.0

The series 8.0 starts at a price of around $856. The lightweight construction at 103 pounds does affect the stability. The 275 pound user weight limit and the shorter 15” stride make it a bit uncomfortable for larger, taller users. Reviews give it an average rating noting that the strong point is the six window console and 12 pre-set programs. Warranty is 10 years on the frame, 2 years on electronics and 1 year on parts. Labor is not covered under the warranty.

Series 9.0

The series 9.0 has a starting price of around $1350. This elliptical machine from New Balance has the drive located in front rather than the rear like the 8.0. With the heavier weight of the machine, stability is increased and durability is better. Reviews note that this model has only eight levels of resistance, so the difference between levels can be drastic. Looking at the feature list, it appears that the only real difference from the 8.0 is the heavier weight and increased stability.

Series 9.5

The New Balance series 9.5 is the cream of the crop. Reviews say that this elliptical trainer is worth looking at. Unlike the two lower end models, the 9.5 has 16 levels of resistance and 15 pre-set programs. New Balance also added a hand grip heart monitor to the 9.5. Still getting an average stability rating, the 9.5 seems to be a fairly good value. Consumer Reports gave this machine a “good” rating, which usually means “average”. Out of 10 machines rated, the 9.5 was 5th overall.

NOTE: The 9.5 also is able to store up to four customized programs, so multiple users can use the machine comfortably.

It will take a couple of years to complete a good overall review of the New Balance elliptical machines. This is one to watch in the years to come.