Elliptical Hits of Alliance Ellipticals

• Long stride – Alliance ellipticals are available with natural-length strides. For example, the Alliance A7e accommodates a wide range of exercisers with its 19” stride. Additionally, Alliance pedals can be adjusted for a more customized fit.
• Heart rate monitor – A grip pulse rate monitors and ear clip pulse monitors helps users exercise within their target heart rate ranges.
• Stability – Alliance cross trainers are made of heavy gauge steel. They are typically sturdy enough to accommodate users weighing more than 300 pounds.
• Upper body exercise – Movable handlebars help people to exercise their arms and legs at the same time.
• Small footprint – Alliance cross trainers take up less space than ellipticals by most other brands. For example, the A7e measures 59” long by 28.5” wide.
• Acceptable warranties – Alliance ellipticals are typically sold with one year of labor, two years of protection on parts, and a longer warranty for the frame.

Elliptical Misses (What You Don’t Get)

• Program variety – Some Alliances might need to be parked in front of a TV or used with an iPod. Otherwise, their repetitive workouts could quickly become boring.

Overall Rating for Alliance Ellipticals

Alliance ellipticals, like most Ironman cross trainers, can be counted on to deliver at least a few years of solid training. However, the best elliptical deals are sometimes reserved for the units with Ironman names. Be sure to compare your options.

ProForm and Smooth also offer some great values in the Alliance price range.

Elliptical Hits

• Long stride – The Alliance A7e accommodates a wide range of exercisers with its 19” stride. Additionally, the pedals can be adjusted for a more customized fit. Many ellipticals in the Alliance’s $1000-$1500 price range have fixed pedals and strides of just 18” or less.

• Heart rate monitor – A grip pulse rate monitor helps users exercise within their target heart rate and maximize the cardiovascular benefits of exercise.
• Stability – With its steel frame and smart design, this 183-pound machine has a 350-pound user weight capacity.

• Upper body exercise – Movable handlebars help people to exercise their arms and legs at the same time.

• Small footprint – Alliance cross trainers take up less space than ellipticals by most other brands. The A7e measures 59” long by 28.5” wide.

• Acceptable warranty – The unit includes a 3-year warranty on the frame and most parts, two years on electronic parts, and one year of labor.

Elliptical Misses (What You Don’t Get)

• Heart rate control – Although heart rate monitoring is included on the Alliance A7e, it can’t be integrated with the elliptical to automatically adjust workouts.
• Few programs – With just six programs, this machine might need to be parked in front of a TV or used with an iPod. Otherwise, exercise could quickly become boring.

Overall Rating for Alliance A7e Ellipticals

Expect the Alliance A7e to deliver at least a few years of solid training. It’s a definite improvement over very low-priced ellipticals, and it has a good stride and an attractive LCD console. Still, competitors offer more advanced features. The Ironman 1860, for one, has a number of upgrades and sells for even less than the Alliance A7e on Overstock.com and other websites. Additionally, ProForm and Smooth offer some great values in the $1000-$1500 price range.