Horizon
Fitness is owned by Johnston Health Tech, which also builds the popular Vision
Fitness treadmills and ellipticals. The Horizon elliptical trainers compete at
the low to moderate price range with Icon products like ProForm. We personally
think Horizon ellipticals are a much better product than ProForm.
I personally
worked for a company that private labeled Horizon Fitness equipment. The machines
were nothing special, but for the price they were a reasonable value. The Horizon
CSE 3.5 elliptical trainer is their most popular elliptical and are sold at the
big sporting goods retailers like Dick's and Sports Authority.
Regarding
features, Horizon promotes their "heavy" 14 lb, flywheel. To be honest
it is not all that heavy. The Smooth CE boasts a 40 lb flywheel. The CSE 3.5 comes
with an articulating foot pedal, which means the pedal actually moves with the
elliptical motion. A nice feature that further reduces strain to your joints.
The Horizon 3.5 is built with the flywheel in the front. There are those
who swear the best elliptical machines are those with the flywheel in the rear.
I recommend you try both out and see if there is a noticeable difference. I have
not found one better than the other.
| Horizon
3.5 MSRP | $799
- $899 |
| Programming: | Average
(7 programs) |
| Wireless
HRC | No
(Heart Rate Monitor Handgrips) |
| Warranty: | Lifetime
- Frame 10 years brake 1 Years - Parts & Electronics 1 Year - Labor |
| Resistance: | Motorized
Magnetic |
| Stability:
| Average |
| Durability: | Average |
| Display/Console: | Average |
| Value | Average |
Fitness
Source Review of the Horizon 3.5 Elliptical Trainer
We consider
the Horizon CSE 3.5 to be a budget elliptical trainer. Above you'll notice we
rate all the categories for the 3.5 as average. At this price range that actually
is a favorable rating. You need to realize that in the sub $1,000 price range
the company just naturally has to compromise on the quality of the components.
That said, Horizon 3.5 is one of the better budget elliptical trainers built.
I have a friend that bought a Horizon elliptical and loves it. (He bought a 4.5).
But be aware that the mechanical breaking system can pose problems and may require
maintenance. If you purchase a Horizon elliptical consider buying an extended
warranty to be safe. It isn't that much more.
The one comment on the CSE
3.5 is that we tested this model at two different sporting goods stores and each
one had loose handlebars. In fact, the stability of the machine was compromised
apparently from the constant abuse being on the floor. Not sure if this is evident
on how this machine holds up.
We recommend the Horizon 3.5 elliptical trainer
for moderate use. If you plan to use it regularly, or if more than one person
will use the machine, then we suggest you upgrade to a mid-range machine like
Sole E35.
Epinion.com
Horizon 3.5 Customer Reviews
mid-priced, smooth & solid
machine
Pros: good price, well-built machine, comfortable, good range
of motion, quiet, programmable
Cons: not for tall people, complex assembly
Like
it!
Pros: Good bottle/book-holder layout, Noiseless (finally), Good angled
handle pos, Assembly tools included
Cons: Can't add workout time mid-workout,
Like CSE 4.5 handle-tops better, Footpads can be slippery.