Horizon Evolve 5 Elliptical Review – A Good Buy For You?

 

Horizon Evolve 5 Review – Highlights:

 

The Horizon Evo 5 elliptical is a sturdy, mid-range elliptical with a very special feature – it folds up to a very compact size.

It can be hard to find a folding elliptical in this market – but to find a front-drive, quality-built trainer is even harder. So the Horizon Evolve 5 elliptical is understandably quite popular.

 

 

It has a patented hydraulic folding system that lets you easily lift the back base up and lock it into place against the main flywheel column.

It also has wheels on the bottom so you can easily move it out of the way when you’re done your workout.  The trainer folds up to a footprint of 3’6″ by 2’4″ – which is fairly compact.

The Horizon Evolve 5 is a step up from the Evolve 3 model with a heavier flywheel, heavier machine weight, more workout programs and a larger, easier-to read console.

This trainer also comes with an easy 3-step assembly. This means that it basically comes almost completely assembled in the box.

Once you unbox it there are really 3 simple steps to put it together and set it up. Then you’ll be up and running, using the trainer in no time.

If you’re not particularly handy, this is a fantastic feature as nobody wants to spend hours trying to figure out how to put their elliptical together.

 

 

The Horizon Evolve 5 is also built with Horizon’s well-known 6 star certified frame design. This helps to promote maximum comfort with a more ergonomic design (more on this below).

The stride is a generous 20 inches, which many people do feel is the most comfortable stride length and the flywheel is 23 pounds. The heavier flywheel helps to give you a smoother feeling ride. It also helps to anchor the machine for more stability.

 

 

 

Horizon Evolve 5 – Console Review

 

The console on this trainer is backlit and easy to read. It’s dual color with several one-touch resistance buttons and an easy start-pause buttons as well. It’s also larger than the Evolve 3 model.

You get feedback on all the basics like your Calories, Cardio Compass, Distance, Heart Rate, Resistance Level, RPM, Speed, Time and Watts.

There are 38 built-in workouts to keep you challenged including 10 Distance, 10 Step Workouts, 2 Custom , 3 Interval, 4 Performance, 9 Calorie and 1 Manual workout.

 

 

The console also works with Viafit – which basically tracks your calories burned and then sends it to compatible fitness apps. This makes it easy – you just workout and the machine sends your calories burned to your fitness app without you having to do it.

You also get 20 different resistance levels to add more challenge to your fitness routine. There’s also a rack for your tablet and a water bottle holder

 

 

Ergonomic Design For More Comfortable Workouts

 

The Horizon Evolve 5 trainer is designed according to Horizon’s Six-Star frame guidelines. Every six-star certified frame has 6 key features that work together to deliver a smooth, natural motion.

The frame and design is basically made to mimic the way you move. Footpedals are spaced close together to reduce stress on the hips and back.

 

 

A low step-on height makes it easy to get on and off the machine. The frame promotes an upright posture for maximum comfort (and calorie burning).

The grips are within reach and the moving arm bars are an appropriate distance for all user heights. The flat ellipse shape walkway closely mimics walking and running patterns.

 

 

Horizon Fitness Evolve 5 – Passport Ready

 

The elliptical also comes Passport Ready. Passport is a system that you buy separately and hook up to your TV.

You then put the elliptical in front of your TV and watch real trails pass you by that also sync with your running speed to give you more of a virtual reality feel. This is not mandatory – just a nice feature to have if you ever want to try it out.

The Passport player is sold separately and comes with 2 preloaded destinations – Northern Italy and the American Southwest.

 

 

 

Horizon Evolve 5 Review – More Benefits

 

You can also plug in your iPod to the console and listen to your favorite tunes through the built-in speakers. This elliptical also has an energy saver mode. So when you’re not using the trainer, it automatically powers down to save you energy – which is a nice touch.

There’s also two hand grip heart rate sensors in front of the console to help you stay in your target fat-burning zone.

 

 

Horizon Evolve 5 Elliptical Review – Any Drawbacks?

 

This trainer is strong and sturdy – which is what you’d expect for a mid-range trainer. But it lacks a few features that you usually find on a mid-range model.

For example, there is no incline. Incline changes the slope of your elliptical pathway and helps you get a better crosstraining workout. While it’s not necessary to have, a lot of people do like to have it.

 

 

Also, the console is a bit basic. There’s no cooling fan or fancy extras (although there is a media shelf)

One similarly-priced elliptical trainer to compare it against is the Nordictrack Spacesaver SE9i elliptical – which also folds up but does have incline and also gives you a full-color, touch-screen console.

 

 

Bottom Line?

If you need a folding compact elliptical – but you also need a higher-end, mid-range machine, the Horizon Evolve 5 is a fantastic choice for you.

With the heavier flywheel and heavier machine weight, it feels a lot more study and solid than the Evolve 3 or other starter folding ellipticals.

Plus the frame is designed with proper ergonomics in mind – which will give you a more comfortable workout, even during long training sessions.

 

Where to Buy and Save:

You can get the Horizon Evolve 5 at a sale price plus Free Shipping direct from the Manufacturer here.

You’ll also see a video on how it works, compare it to other Horizon ellipticals and get a special offer to save.  

 

Click Here To Save on the Horizon Evo 5 Trainer

 

 

Related: Horizon Evolve 3 Review – A Good Buy For You?

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