Exercise equipment reviews: Features explained
Types of exercise equipment
Many home exercise machines are as good as those in the gym
If you want to buy home exercise equipment, think carefully about which you’ll prefer using and which will best suit your exercise ambitions.
The most popular choices are exercise bikes, cross (or elliptical) trainers, treadmills and rowing machines.
Each type has specific benefits: see our How to buy section for advice about which to choose. However, there are characteristics common to all the types which will help you determine which model is right for you.
Programs
Programs make your workout more interesting and effective by varying the resistance level, which governs how hard you have to work.
The more sophisticated models have programs such as fat burn or mountain which set a pre-determined pattern of varied resistance.
For example, a program may set you cycles involving a minute of low resistance, gradually building to more challenging levels, and descending to easier levels again.
Usually,you can also choose the level of difficulty you want to experience for each program type. Some machines have custom programs allowing you to define patterns yourself.
If you need variety to motivate your exercise, look for exercise machines which have a wide range of programs. Models we’ve tested have as few as one program to well over 20. In reality you probably won’t need more than five to ten options to ensure you vary your workout.
Display panels give helpful feedback on the program and your progress
Displays
Many exercise bikes, cross-trainers and treadmills have electronic display panels which allow you to check you’ve selected the correct program and to follow your progress through the workout.
On some models all your workout information is displayed simultaneously, but on most there is too much to see at once, so you may see some information constantly, and have the option or scroll or alternate to check other functions.
Most display screens are electrically powered while others are battery operated. A battery-powered version means you don’t need to worry about being near an electric socket but the downside is that you’ll need to recharge or buy replacement batteries and run the risk of losing the display if battery power runs out.
Display screens typically present the following information:
Speed, distance and time
It’s useful to keep track of duration so that you can see how much of your program you’ve completed (this can either be inspiring or horrifying, depending on how you’re doing!).
Plus, if you’re running a prescribed distance on a treadmill, a simple timer display can tell you if you’re going to beat any of your previous records.
Most machines will also offer feedback about distance covered and speed. You can usually alter the settings to display mph or kmph as preferred.
We found the displays reasonably accurate (check the individual models’ ratings for more details) but don’t assume that running on a treadmill or riding an exercise bike will feel the same as doing the real thing outside.
Heart-rate
It's definitely worth buying a machine with a heart-rate monitor. Even the monitors on cheaper models tend to be accurate, and they bring an extra dimension to exercising.
To enable your heart rate to be read, you grip sensors on the handlebars or frame. This can be harder to accomplish on a treadmill where you use your arms for balance and forward motion. As an alternative, ear-clip or chest-strap versions are sometimes supplied on more expensive treadmills.
Or, you can consider buying a separate heart rate monitor combining a watch and chest strap. Click here for our guide to heart rate monitors.
Calorie counters
Some machines display calorie counters. Be aware that these can only ever be estimates as they don't know enough about your metabolism to be accurate.
But we’ve also tested models whose calorie counters don't take account of the resistance level. So they give the same readout whether you're really pushing yourself or just taking it easy.
To check whether a calorie reader does factor in resistance, try using the machine for a minute at both high and low resistance and see whether the calorie readout differs.
Other accessories
The more expensive exercise machines may try to tempt you with additional features. Some of these are more useful than others so decide for yourself how essential they will be to your exercise regime.
Drinks holders
Many models supply bottles in holders which fix onto the frame. These are useful but they should be deep enough to prevent the bottle falling out as the frame shakes and need to be positioned so your legs won’t crash into them as you exercise.
Reading racks
These are shelves on which you can rest books, magazines, bottles or towels. They tend to be limited only to the more expensive gym-standard models. They can be handy for the multi-tasker but be careful of reading distracting you from full commitment to your work out!
Fans
Some treadmills have fans but we didn’t find them particularly effective for cooling down our test runners.