ProForm 150i Elliptical

ProForm 150i Elliptical is mid-range home elliptical exercise machine suitable as part of any home gym and as stand-alone unit. It comes with many interesting features, very important for regular cardio exercises like 12 workout programs, 12 resistance levels, 17" stride length, iFit enabled etc.

If the maximum user weight of 250 pounds (~113 kg) suits your needs and you need a good home elliptical, consider ProForm 150i Elliptical as one of the possible choices.

 ProForm 150i Elliptical - Features and Specifications

When purchased, ProForm 150i Elliptical must be assembled. Manual is very detailed about assembly procedure, but if you are not into DIY tasks, order a technician to assembly and to test the unit for you.

When assembled, unit measures 63" L x 25.5" W x 66.75" H (~160 x 65 x 170 cm) and it weighs 127 pounds (~57.5 kg). Unit can't be folded, but it has front transport wheels and it can be moved around, if required. Personally, position it on a good home gym mat on permanent location and use whenever you want it.

To operate, unit requires 4 D cells or power adapter, which doesn't come by default.

Note: this means that unit can operate even if the mains power is not available close to the unit, which can be rather helpful in certain situations. Personally, when purchasing the unit, buy adapter too.

ProForm 150i Elliptical features front drive, with inertia-enhanced flywheel offering smooth and surprisingly quiet ride.

Stride is 17" (~43.2 cm) long and it is suitable for people up to 6'1" - 6'2" (~1.83 - 1.90 m). Taller people might have issues with stride length, but they can workout too, after some adapting period. Just don't forget that the maximum user weight is 250 pounds (~113 kg).

Oversized pedals provide plenty of support for trainee's feet and when the unit is properly leveled using 'Adjustable Leveling Feet' (check the manual for exact leveling procedure), the unit is very stable during workouts.

ProForm 150i Elliptical comes with simple to use console featuring central LCD monitor for displaying all the relevant information about the exercise (duration, burned calories, workout program, resistance level, traveled distance etc.).

Unit offers 12 various workout programs, with manual mode available too. 12 different resistance levels can be changed quickly and easily, without interruptions during exercise.

Contact heart rate monitor (on both handlebars) allows the user to monitor current heart rate, which is very important for people working out in the 'zone' and especially for people having health issues which require heart rate monitoring during exercise (if you do have any heart related health or any other issue, check with your doctor first before starting to exercise!).

Bluetooth chest strap heart rate monitor is optional, but supported - since contact heart rate monitor requires the user to move hands from the upper body arms during exercise, Bluetooth chest strap heart rate monitor allows the trainee to monitor the heart rate while keeping the hands on the upper body arms (used for upper body workouts).

ProForm 150i Elliptical is iFit enabled unit - using Google maps one can create a workout route practically anywhere in the world - iFit subscription comes with many other options and benefits.

Note: user must have his/her own iFit account which is paid separately, but can be used with other cardio machines like treadmills, for example.

Tablet/smartphone holder limits the visibility of the central console, which can be of an issue when using tablet/smartphone as multimedia device - watching video spots, listening to music (ProForm 150i comes with mp3 audio port) etc.

Built-in 2 inch speakers are doing their job very well - unit is quiet during workout so the speakers don't need to be set loud to be 'louder' than machine :)

One of the interesting features of ProForm 150i Elliptical is that the user can run/pedal both forward and backward, with the same resistance (thanks to the magnetic resistance system). This is very important for hitting the lower- and upper-body muscles under different angles, leading to better and more productive workouts.

Unit is very sturdy, but heavier users might sense some wobble at high resistance levels, but this is IMHO normal to expect even with more expensive units.

ProForm 150i Elliptical comes with water bottle holder, too. It is positioned below the console, near the flywheel, where it can be reached easily.

Some users complain that the water bottle holder is positioned slightly too low (photo to the right) - some taller trainees claim that they have to position one hand on the fixed handles and then reach for the bottle with other hand.

Unless you are working out in summer heat conditions, staying hydrated doesn't require sipping water every minute or two - few sips here and there are more than enough.

ProForm 150i Elliptical comes with 5-Year frame warranty and 90-Day parts and labor warranty - this is good frame warranty for such unit, but parts and labor warranty could be perhaps better.

ProForm 150i Elliptical vs ProForm 250i Elliptical

ProForm 150i Elliptical and ProForm 250i Elliptical (photo to the right) are two very similar units that differ in several details:

- ProForm 150i Elliptical comes with 12 built-in workouts and 12 resistance levels, while ProForm 250i Elliptical comes with 14 built-in workouts and 14 resistance levels.

- both units are bidirectional ellipticals (user can run/pedal both forward and backward)  that are iFit enabled.

- both units have 17 inches stride length and very quiet magnetic resistance system.

- both units have same warranty conditions.

- both units support maximum user weight of 250 pounds (~113 kg).

- when assembled, ProForm 150i Elliptical measures 63" L x 25.5" W x 66.75" H and it weighs 127 pounds (~57.5 kg), while ProForm 250i Elliptical measures 69" L x 25.50" W x 60" H and it weighs 133 pounds (~60.3 kg).

ProForm 150i doesn't have cooling fan, but 250i has a cooling fan - can be important when working out in warmer conditions.

- ProForm 150i is somewhat cheaper unit.

Other than that, these units are very similar.

Long Story Short - Both ProForm 150i and 250i are good mid-range home ellipticals. They are quiet units and can be used with or without power adapter. 250i comes with more workouts and resistance levels, it is somewhat heavier, but also it costs more.

If the ProForm 150i and 250i fit your needs, consider one of them as your new home elliptical, just be aware of their differences.

For more reviews and recommendations, check ProForm 150i Elliptical and ProForm 250I Elliptical Amazon links (links open in the new windows).