Smooth CE 7.4 Elliptical Trainer Review - See how the CE 7.4 Compares!

Best Buy for Durability and Low Maintenance

The Smooth CE 7.4 elliptical trainer is their residential/commercial grade elliptical trainer, backed by an industry leading warranty. This model has been out for several years and has an excellent service record. I recently tested it when I was at the corporate office and was impressed with how stable and solid this machine felt. I also appreciated the smooth and natural 21" elliptical stride. The rear drive design offers several ergonomic benefits you won't find on a front drive elliptical. In fact, Smooth pays Precor for the patent rights of their commercial grade rear drive design.

Note: The Smooth CE 7.4 typically sells for $1,499 with free shipping. A good value. Also, Smooth runs daily promotions, which vary from discounts and freebies. Go to www.SmoothFitness.com for the latest deal.*

Smooth CE 7.4 Elliptical Trainer Features...

Electro Magnetic System — You generally will find this type of resistance system on commercial grade ellipticals. It sends a magnetic charge that increases or decreases the resistance. There are no moveable parts, and consequently less service issues.
Rear Drive vs. Front Drive — With the rear drive design you have fewer moving parts, and fewer parts means less service issues. With a front drive you have pedals that run along rails with wheels. These wheels will wear over time. In contrast, the Smooth 3.2 uses sealed bearing. The overall design of the Smooth CE 7.4 is simplistic, and that simplicity results in less service. Many feel that rear drive ellipticals offer better ergonomics.
Very Quiet — The rear drive, sealed bearing design results in a very quiet running machine.
My Smooth Virtual Fitness Trainer — New for 2012, the MySmooth technology is designed to assist individuals in reaching their fitness goals. It offers the following benefits.
- Track your workouts and results.
- Determine your fitness levels.
- Get recommended exercises that fit your lifestyle, and which will assist you in reaching your fitness goals.
- In general MySmooth helps you in attaining a healthier way of life.
How it Works - You go online and input your profile and define your fitness goals. MySmooth helps you select a progressive workout calendar. You select programs on your Smooth CE 7.4 that match those workouts. With the use of a USB drive that is provided, you record your stats from your elliptical and upload them onto your MySmooth account. From there you can monitor and track your progress. Tracking your results is one of the most effective ways to attain your fitness goals.
Speaker System & MP3 Input — Studies show that people seem to be more motivated when they workout to music. I personally prefer listening to music with speaker rather than headphones. Overall, the sound quality is not bad. I was also told that the 2012 model has a rack for a tablet and a charger.
Built-in Fan — From what I've been told this minor feature is a popular item with customers. Being built into the console offers the benefit of having the breeze pointed directly at your core.
Articulating Foot Pedals — The pedals align with the elliptical motion. Rather than exercising on the ball of your foot, your entire foot sits flat on the pedal. This further reduces the stress to your ankles, and decreases numbness in your foot. Most elliptical trainers have some sort of fixed articulating foot pedals, but you will find there is often still foot lift. The Smooth 7.4 has pedals that articulate based on the pressure from your foot. A superior design.
210 lb. Unit Weight — At 210 lbs. you get a very solid and stable feel.
21" Elliptical Stride — You'll find machines with smaller strides often feel bouncy and tend to have a bump motion. This is one of the longer strides at this price range. The elliptical motion is very smooth and natural partially due to the heavy flywheel.
Moveable Handgrip Pulse Monitors — This allows you to monitor your heart rate without having to take your hands off the moveable handlebars. More elliptical trainers should incorporate this simple feature.
You get lifetime brake system, 7-year parts and 2-year labor warranty.
The Smooth CE 7.4 has 16 resistance levels, allowing the change from higher to lower resistance to be gradual rather than drastic.
The CE 7.4 includes wireless heart rate control for those who prefer to have their heart rate determine the level of their exertion. It also gives a more exact reading in comparison to handgrips. The wireless belt is included.
Premium LED Console - Smooth elliptical trainers have some of the better designed consoles. The layout is simple and functional. With the Smooth CE 7.4 you get multiple readouts with several different windows.
15 pre-set programs — I particularly like the "Automatic Interval" program. Interval training is the hot workout these days. By alternating between a heart beating routine and a cool down period, it is proven that you can optimize your exercising in less time. You also get a heart rate control program, where your exertion is determined by your heart rate. An excellent way to optimize your workout. The wireless chest strap is included.

New: Check out the Smooth CE 7.4 video demo. Taken during my visit to the Smooth Fitness headquarters.

CE 7.4 Elliptical Trainer Review

The Smooth CE 7.4 elliptical trainer is one of the best values at $1,500. It has an excellent service record, which is reflected in the generous warranty. The 21" stride is long and comfortable, giving the user a smooth and natural motion. At 210 lbs., it is about as stable as you can get. If you are looking for a heavy duty crosstrainer at a reasonable price, look no further.

Customer Reviews...

I had a remarkably positive experience with Smooth Fitness regarding the CE 7.4 Elliptical I purchased from them about a month ago. Jim Mugford and his technicians resolved a small problem I was having, and did so in a way that left me feeling really honored by the company...really treated well. This is the second piece of exercise equipment I've purchased from Smooth Fitness (the first being the 7.6HR Pro treadmill); both pieces are built like a proverbial tank and indeed rival health-club "professional-grade" Lifefitness and Precor models, of which I've had copious experience using over the years. But this was only the first time I've had a minor problem. The way Jim-and-company handled things, there's no doubt I'll be a repeat customer (though I don't expect to ever wear out what I have now!) and I'll gladly refer Smooth products to my fellow fitness-enthusiast friends.

"I have been using it for about 3 weeks now and I am very impressed. This trainer feels like the ellipticals I used at my gym. It is very quiet and has a real stable and solid feel."

The CE 7.4 is very solidly made and in my opinion a much better deal than ellipticals from Precor or Life Fitness. I (6'6" tall) enjoy it very much but I can see that small people might have a problem with it. The ride does feel very smooth indeed.

Could it be better? Sure, but then you're also spending $2k instead of $4k ...

Note: There was a complaint by a woman who was 5'3" and found the pivoting foot pedals and the 21" stride to be uncomfortable, but her 6'1" husband loves it.

Go to SmoothFitness.com to learn more.

*This Smooth CE 7.4 Elliptical Trainer Review is based on not only testing the equipment, but also comments, testimonials, reviews and ratings of customers and third parties. We attempt to be as accurate as possible. Warranties, features and prices can change without notice.