The pricey Lifecore CD600 elliptical is a very high quality trainer, but it doesn’t seem worth its price increase over the CD500. The CD600 has a fixed 21” stride whereas the CD500 is adjustable. Other than that, the machines are virtually identical.
Elliptical Hits: Features of the Lifecore CD600 Elliptical
- Compact size – This elliptical has a small footprint but is slightly larger than the CD500; it’s 46” long and 31” wide.
- Adjustable stride – Despite its overall compact size, the CD600 has a generous 21” adjustable stride.
- Oversized foot pedals – Oversized, cushioned pedals promote comfort during long workouts.
- High quality components – The CD600’s frame is made of heavy metal and houses commercial-quality parts such as coated ball bearings and a magnetic resistance system. Unlike the CD500, it’s sold with residential and commercial warranty options.
- Variety of programs – The CD600 doesn’t have many preset programs, but they provide a lot of variety and can be used in conjunction with a wireless heart rate system. Examples include a glute buster, a lap counter, and heart rate interval training. There’s also space to store user-designed programs and two user profiles.
- Good warranty – This machine’s residential warranty covers parts for 7 years and includes the first year of labor. Unlike with most brands, the warranty is transferable – so used Lifecore CD600s can be a great buy. Additionally, this model is sold with a commercial warranty covering parts for two years but not labor.
- High capacity – This cross trainer weighs 249 pounds and has a higher user weight capacity than the CD500 (350 pounds versus 300 pounds).
Overall Rating for the Lifecore CD600 Elliptical
Lifecore’s CD600 cross trainer is a fine machine, but the CD500 is usually a better buy. The differences between the two models are the warranties, the stride lengths, and the user weight capacities. The next step up – the Lifecore CD700 – is essentially the same as the CD600 but has an electronically adjustable stride and a 10-year warranty.
