Conquer Vertical Climber Fitness Climbing Machine Review

Conquer Vertical Climber is a promising vertical climber machine or mountain climber machine for health enthusiasts, because it’s easy to use and pocket-friendly.

It delivers benefits of both aerobic and anaerobic exercises and also offers a low-impact, high-intensity total body workout. It guarantees results in terms of fat reduction and improved muscle tone if short but regular workouts are done on it.

If users are concerned about a lot of excessive fat, they should do longer workouts to burn more calories. Conquer Vertical Climber can be folded away when not in use, so, it’s perfect for those who have don’t have a large space.

Published: October 4, 2019.

Features of Conquer Vertical Climber

Assembly

Assembly of the Conquer Vertical Climber is very easy and takes around 15 to 30 minutes. All the tools required for the assembly are included in the package. It’s recommended to refer to the instructional video (available either on the company’s website or on YouTube) rather than the manual (the manufacturer sends an email containing a link to the manual) since the visual representation is more effective whereas the manual can be a bit confusing.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the Conquer Vertical Climbers are 37.0″ x 27.0″ x 84.0″ (D x W x H) when fully extended and its height adjustable handlebars set to the highest setting.

Weight of Conquer Vertical Climber is 29 lbs.

The machine can be used by people of height between 5 feet and 6 ½ feet. The taller the user, the more ceiling clearance he’ll need.

Sturdy and Stable

The steel frame of Conquer Vertical Climber is strong and sturdy so, the machine can withstand long-term regular use.
The wide “A-frame” base of the machine also is a sign of strong build quality and prevents any lifting of the machine while being used.

There are four non-slip rubber foot pads that ensure stable workouts free from unwanted movement. The floor will be protected from scratches and wear marks by the feet of the machine.

The most prominent complaint about the build quality of the machine was the fraying of the pulley cable which was fixed by Conquer with the new Conquer Vertical Climber 2.0.
Another issue was that the plastic parts of the machine rubbed against the metals slides while the machine was being used. This created black plastic dust which was released into air.

Some users even found that the orange handlebars emitted a foul odor which they suspected of a chemical.

Also, some users noticed that sometimes the front of the machine was lifted when heavier users used it. This problem was solved by users by adding a small weight to the front of the machine.

All in all, the construction quality of Conquer Vertical Climber is good although there are a few problems, of which the weak pulley cable problem has been solved with the upgraded model, and hopefully the plastic chaffing and odor of handles has been resolved too.

Folding Design

When folded, Conquer Vertical Climber becomes flat enough to fit under most beds or inside a closet, for easy storage. Thus, users with a limited space can comfortably use it at home.

Body-Weight Resistance

This machine doesn’t have adjustable resistance. The arm handles and leg pegs are linked through a wire pulley system. This allows the climbing motion to continue in sync with each other so that as one side goes down, the other moves up. Thus while using the machine, the user creates resistance by lifting his body weight up and down. This action closely imitates rock climbing. If users want a tougher workout, they should take deeper steps and increase their pace. They can also wear a weighted vest or arm/ankle weights to increase the difficulty level.

Monitor

Previously the monitor of Conquer Vertical Climber used to show how long the user has been working out, steps and calories burned. However, this is offered no longer. This is because Conquer found that the old monitor had many problems and was causing frustration to the users.

Therefore, monitors were discarded from the Conquer Vertical Climber because the company feels that the users can buy separate fitness trackers.

Although it may seem to be a letdown that the machine has no monitor, it should not be actually a big deal because most health enthusiasts have their own fitness trackers or smartphones that can record the data better than the monitor offered earlier. Fitness trackers are also available for very low prices.

Even Conquer offers a fitness tracking device that tracks time and calories burned and a free battery.

Handlebars

Conquer Vertical Climber has dual handlebar sets which include one moving and one static.

The movable handlebar move up and down with the footrests to generate a climbing motion and can be adjusted to user’s height and thus short and tall users and everyone in between can exercise. They have 4 different height adjustments. Users just have to pull the pin and slide the handles up or down. The handles should stand at around chin level when users have their feet even. Various muscles can be targeted by gripping the moving handlebars with an “over-hand” or “under-hand” grip.

The static handlebars are positioned at around the hip level. They can be used for getting on and off the machine and to give rest to users’ arms while exercising. Users can also use them to gain better balance or target glutes/legs.
The static handlebar is useful for exercising legs and lower body.

Capacity

According to the user’s manual of Conquer Vertical Climber, its maximum user weight is under 220 lbs. i.e. 100 kg. Although this seems to be a low weight capacity especially when most buyers buy it to lose weight, several users over 220 lbs. e.g. 250 lbs. and some even up to 280 lbs. are using this machine comfortably.

Also while it may seem that taller users can face a problem because of their height causing balance issues or their knees may hit the stationary handlebars. However, users as tall as 6’5” and 6’7” are using this machine without any problem.

Ceiling Height Required

Users can exercise comfortably on Conquer Vertical Climber with a standard 8-foot ceiling.

Step Height

As compared to some climber machines such as “step machines” or “mini-steppers”, which have step heights of just a few inches, vertical climbers come with a very wide range of step heights. Conquer Vertical Climber offers step height in the range of 14”–16”.

When stretched to its full length, the bottom foot pedal is around 5” off the floor and the top foot pedal is around 20” off the floor. These numbers are important because to get on the machine, the user should put one foot on the lowest pedal and then step up to the higher pedal, while holding the stationary handles for balance and help stepping up.

Once the user gets his feet on the pedals, he can shift his weight to bring the pedals in an even position. Then the step height becomes “variable” and the user can select the height between 1” and 15” whichever they want to step. Users should only take care of not hitting the footrests on the floor while exercising so as to keep the climbing motion smooth and controlled and avoiding damage to the machine.

Large Foot Pads

Conquer Vertical Climber comes with foot pads that are spacious and comfortable. They have slip-resistant textured rubber finish.

Effective, Low-impact Exercise

This machine offers a combination of muscle toning exercise and aerobic workout and is easy on joints. It mimics the movement of climbing a mountain by moving users’ arms and feet up and down as if in a climbing motion. The up and down movement of arms and legs produces a total body workout for building lean muscles as well as cardiovascular health.

Users can even rest their arms and focus on their legs by holding the stationary handles. Holding the stationary handles is also useful for beginners to get a practice and better balance before using the moving handles.

Comfort Level

The soft-padded handles on Conquer Vertical Climber help in the smooth gliding motion. Overall this motion is comfortable as long as done in a proper manner. Users should keep their knees parallel to the machine and hips stable to avoid knee pain. Knees should never go “over feet” and if they do, users should try leaning/sitting back a bit.

Users should also steer clear of hitting the footrests on the floor. Every step should be controlled and stop before hitting the ground.

According to some users, the angle of the footrests was not offset from the machine’s forward angle. This means that users’ feet don’t lay flat on the footrest and stand at an angle instead where the side can dig into their foot.

Some users even started feeling pain in their feet after using the machine for around 5 minutes. According to many users, this wouldn’t have been a problem if the footrest had a pivoting feature or they were made parallel to the floor and not to the machine.

Muscles that are Worked On

Conquer Vertical Climber targets the lower body muscles including quads, glutes and hamstrings. It also works upon arms and shoulders and to a lower extent, abs and core. If users want to exercise their lower body only, they should grip the static handlebars rather than the moveable ones.

Noise Level

Conquer Vertical Climber is very quiet. If any squeaking noise occurs, users can just spray a little WD-40 lubricant on the slides and the noise will go.

Storage and Portability

The Conquer Vertical Climber can be folded in seconds and stored easily. Being lightweight, it can also be moved easily. Users just have to pull the pin from the A-frame’s base, bring the two bases together and insert the pin again. However, this doesn’t close the machine fully and keeps it slightly open. But this has a solution – users can leave the pin out, fold the machine and store it against a wall. With this method, much of the space will be saved and the machine can be stored behind a door or in a closet.

Warranty

Conquer Vertical Climber comes with only 60-day warranty on defects in materials and labor.

To get the replacement parts quickly and easily in case of any defects, users should register their machine on the Conquer’s website after buying.

Pros of Conquer Vertical Climber

- Sturdy and stable

- Easy assembly

- Affordably priced

- Large user weight capacity

- Effective, low-impact workout

- Quiet

- Good customer service

Cons of Conquer Vertical Climber

- Non-adjustable resistance, users can increase the resistance only by taking deeper steps and/or increasing their pace

- No fitness monitor

- There are a few build quality issues

- Low user weight capacity (although this is no issue for most users who are heavier and/or taller)

- Footrests are not aligned properly for comfort

- Limited warranty

- No workout or eating plan included

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Bottom Line

The Conquer Vertical Climber is an affordably priced climbing machine which is perfect for those who want to exercise at home rather than a gym and also those who have less space in their home because it can be easily stored away when not in use. It’s also silent so that users can place it before the TV and exercise while enjoying their favorite shows to save time.

Although a few users have experienced some issues, most other users are happy with its performance and results in terms of calorie burning, weight loss, intensity of workout, cardio workout and muscle toning. All in all, this climbing machine is worth trying.

For more reviews and recommendations, check Conquer Vertical Climber 1.0, Conquer Vertical Climber 2.0 and Conquer Vertical Climber 3.0 Amazon links (links open in the new windows).