6 Best Cross Trainers in the UK in 2024: Reviews from £100 to £1000

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Things to Consider Before Buying

There are many benefits of using a cross trainer but plenty of things need to be taken into account before making such an important purchase. Therefore, the main ones are listed below:

Main Purpose

This is the top factor to consider, particularly because it influences all the others, as well as your overall budget. So, if you want to train on a machine that does similar stuff as the one you’d find in a gym, be ready to spend over £500.

However, there are tons of decent elliptical trainers at a very affordable price that help you get toned and lose weight. You can buy one for as low as £100, the cheaper ones usually come in a 2in1 combo, so you can use it as an exercise bike as well.

But for a better core and lower body workout, you’ll have to look for an inclined angle capability or extra resistance. To get a better idea of how many calories you’re burning, you’ll need accurate heart rate measurements or even an included chest strap. You won’t find these features in a cheap cross trainer.

Build

The materials used are really important, these will tell you how sturdy the cross trainer machine is. For instance, steel is really robust, but it adds to the overall weight of the machine. That means it offers increased stability, though you can’t move it around the house quite that easy.

Make sure you check the overall dimensions before making a purchase, so you’ll know if you have space for it. Other than that, look for a heavy, big flywheel for extra smoothness and stability. The foot pads should also be comfortable, just like the chair.

Programs and Magnetic Resistance Levels

This is an essential feature in choosing a good machine. More programs allow you to customize your workouts better and get great results in no time. However, make sure you understand exactly what each program does and if it fits your purposes.

Each trainer has various magnetic resistance levels, meaning you can adjust the level of difficulty. A long stride also contributes to added resistance, so your muscles have to work harder. That’s great if you want better toning results.

Max User Weight

Since plenty of us want a cross trainer to lose weight, it’s essential to check this feature. In fact, we’d advise you to check this one first, so you can get it out of the way and not lose time falling in love with a machine you can’t use.

Take into account the fact that you’ll also be wearing gym equipment and that your weight fluctuates throughout the day. So if you’re very near the max weight limit for a specific cross trainer, you’d better choose one with a higher one.

Warranties and Extras

Warranties are a guarantee of quality and the included extras show that the company is interested in user experience. Just remember that there are different sorts of warranties: for the frame or for other in-home repairs.

In terms of the extras, you can get stuff like an HR strap for monitoring your heart rate more precisely, access to a free fitness app for more motivation or even a floor mat. These shouldn’t be deal-breakers though, unless they’re essential for your purpose. For example, an HR strap might be for people who want to make their weight loss process extremely mathematical.

How long should I spend on a cross trainer?

You should spend about 30 minutes per day, five days per week doing medium-intensity exercises. This time will help you stick to the WHO’s recommendations regarding the minimum amount of physical activity you need per week. 

However, you can always spend more time on it doing challenging workouts, if you want to lose weight faster. Remember not to exercise if you’re sore. Rest days are extremely important because they allow your muscles to recover. Besides, over-exercising leads to injury and weight loss plateaus.

If you can’t exercise for 30 minutes/ day, don’t despair. You can try a 45-minute session three times per week, or 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening. Take your schedule into account and remember that the only thing that matters is that you move.

What muscles does a cross trainer work?

A cross trainer tones all your muscles. Your lower body gets a more intense workout, while the upper body and core get a medium one.

If you want to see more results in your lower body, increase the incline. That way, your hamstrings and glutes will work harder to push on the pedals, which is almost like a sort of resistance training for your legs.

Final Thoughts

Once you’re here, and you’ve read all our cross trainer reviews, you see we’ve taken you through a large selection of different machines. That, along with our first section about how to choose, should probably give you a good idea of how to pick something that works for your needs.

With that in mind, we’re curious to learn a bit more about you. What will you use this elliptical trainer for? Which machine did you fell in love with? What did we miss in this article? Leave us a comment below.