Life Fitness 95X Elliptical Cross-Trainer Review

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Life Fitness 95X Elliptical Cross-Trainer Rating

Features

Display Console

Durability

Customer Service

Overall Rating

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QUICK REVIEW

Pros The Certified Used 95x Inspire is a commercial quality cross-trainer sold at thousands off the original price. Although pre-owned, it’s rebuilt to be virtually new and carries a warranty for home use. Highlights are a rear drive and smooth club-quality performance, a 7-inch touch screen and optional 17-inch TV, “green” operation (no power cord required), and a motivating mix of 24 preset workouts and fitness tests.

Cons A possible downside of choosing the Life Fitness 95x Elliptical is its fixed 20” stride. While 20” comfortably supports the natural gaits of most adults, it isn’t ideal for trainees who are much shorter than average. (See the CLSX for a shorter stride.) It also has less versatility than an adjustable-stride elliptical machine.

Summary The 95x Inspire is a fitness club favorite. Sold refurbished with a roughly $2500 discount, it can be an excellent value for the shopper in the market for a premium cross-trainer with touchscreen technology and great program variety. The main potential drawback is its fixed 20” stride, which could be a not-so-comfortable stretch for trainees around 5’3” and under.

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Life Fitness 95X Elliptical Cross-Trainer Detailed Overview

A special opportunity for luxury elliptical shoppers, the Certified Used Life Fitness 95x Inspire is a pre-owned fitness club cross-trainer that’s been expertly refurbished for home use. “95x” refers to the base of the machine and “Inspire” is the console. Overall the pair create a classic fitness club elliptical with above-average electronics. Life Fitness sells Certified Used 95x ellipticals for far less than the machines’ brand-new price — about $3500 versus $6000 — so it competes well against the best high-end residential models. And because it’s powered by user energy, the 95x Inspire doesn’t add to monthly electricity bills. A one-year parts and labor warranty is included.

The machine is rear drive, a style that most easily lends itself to comfort and durability. It has a 20” footpath, which lets the majority of trainees take natural-feeling strides with very low impact. A 7” touchscreen is integrated with the console. It features a motivating mix of 24 preset workouts and fitness tests such as Foothills, Hill, Kilimanjaro, Extreme Heart Rate, and Navy PRT. Data can be saved to a USB drive for long-term tracking.

Additionally the Inspire touchscreen gives access to personal iPhone/iPod music and video menus and volume controls. Shoppers can upgrade the 95x Inspire with a 17” LCD TV. It supports a network of 1000 digital TV channels and can also play iPod video files.

The Certified Used 95x Inspire has a one-year standard residential warranty on parts and labor.

Our Favorite Features

Durable commercial quality components; refurbished and new parts from the original manufacturer
Spa-quality ergonomics with a rear drive, 20” stride and wide range of adjustable tension
Great program variety with 24 preset workouts and fitness tests
Touchscreen control center with seamless iPod/iPhone compatibility
Charges mobile devices
Compatible with a 17” HD TV
Energy-conscious with the option to power the machine entirely with user-generated energy

Life Fitness 95X Elliptical Cross-Trainer - Notable Specs:

Overall Rating:	5-stars
Compact / Folding:	No
Incline:
Stride Length:	20"
Flywheel:
Programs:	24
Fan:	No
Weight Capacity:	350 lbs
Dimensions:	88.1" L x 30.7" W x 65" H

Our Least Favorite Features

Fixed 20” stride may be too long for shorter adults, plus it provides less versatility than an elliptical with adjustable stride or incline
One-year warranty on parts and labor is short compared with standard warranties for most high-end residential ellipticals

The Bottom Line

The Life Fitness 95x Inspire is a classic cross-trainer seen in leading health clubs. Sold “Certified Used” it has a discount price that makes it compete well against other ellipticals under $3K. Earning five stars for value it’s a great option for trainees who’d like a fixed 20” stride, which is the health club standard. An alternative with a shorter stride and less advanced console is the refurbished Life Fitness CLSX.

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