There are a lot of elliptical trainers on the market. If you go to Amazon, they have pages of ellipticals, ranging in price from as low as about 70 bucks to over $4,500. The Sole E35 elliptical is priced at just under $1,500 if you get it from Amazon. This isn't chump change for home exercise equipment. What do you get for your money and is it worth it?

The Sole is not a light machine. It weighs 200 pounds, which is 25 to 30 pounds heavier than cheaper ellipticals. There are a couple of reasons for the weight. The most obvious is that the E35 has a stronger frame to support a higher user weight and a large flywheel. Users up to 375 pounds can safely use this elliptical; it won't get all wobbly on you. The large flywheel means that the motion will be smooth, not jerky as with some ellipticals. Even if you don't weigh close to 375 pounds, the strong frame means that this trainer will stand up to constant use for many years.

One shortcoming of less expensive home elliptical trainers is a short stride length. When you use an elliptical at the gym, generally price and space are not issues. The machines are large - and expensive. With home machines, space is a consideration, as is price, so the machines are smaller to accommodate the smaller spaces they will be used in, and smaller also equals less expensive. One of the compromises in home ellipticals is in the stride length. You will typically find stride lengths of 16 to 18 inches. If you are taller and have a long stride, this tends to give a choppy feeling when exercising. The Sole E35 has a 20 inch stride length. This extra 2 to 4 inches may not seem like much, but it can add up to a much more comfortable exercise experience.

Let's face it, working out on treadmills, or exercise bikes, or ellipticals can be boring. The exercise motion is very repetitive. Some machines add "bells and whistles" to keep you from getting bored, but the additional features on the Sole E35 elliptical not only help keep you from getting bored, they keep you challenged, enabling you to test and improve your physical stamina.

The Sole has multiple standard programs and resistance levels, as do most ellipticals. Like most ellipticals, you can also enter programs manually. However, the E35 has a couple of really cool features that you won't find on the cheaper machines. It has a power incline, allowing you to raise the ramp up to 30 degrees. Think you're in great shape? Raise the ramp, increase the resistance, and then see how good you are!

With the E35 you can set up a heart rate-controlled workout. You can set a heart rate zone and the E35 ellliptical will adjust the resistance to keep your heart rate in that zone. This is really maximizing your cardiovascular workout.

Yes, the Sole E35 elliptical is expensive when compared to many other ellipticals. However, with it beefy construction, smooth operation, greater stride length, and multiple usable, practical workout programs, you will not soon consign it to the dark corner of your basement. It will last for years and help you achieve and maintain excellent physical condition. You could do worse that the E35 - a lot worse.