Commercial Elliptical Machine

Elliptical trainers are classified into two main categories. Home use elliptical trainers and commercial elliptical trainers. Commercial elliptical trainers are generally more durable and made for fitness clubs and other places where continuous use is expected.

Commercial elliptical machines can be found in therapy offices, doctors offices, fitness centers, gyms and just about anywhere else you can go to work out. Usually, these models are feature packed and run into the thousands of dollars ($4000 is the median). Although the commercial models can have the same features as a residential one, the difference is the quality of the construction. This justifies the price tag.

Very few people truely need a commercial elliptical trainer in their home. Usually a traditional elliptical recommended for home use will be more than enough.

They have a commercial grade construction and the components to it are more durable. Commercial elliptical machines are also a great deal more expensive than your home grade elliptical trainer. The home grade elliptical is usually a basic machine and has just a few of the options that a commercial elliptical machine has to offer. It is less expensive, only because of the added durability and options that are offered on a commercial elliptical machine.

The Nordic Track brand was the first one I remember seeing and it was marketed as a simulator of cross-country skiing. Perhaps this was the basis for the rest of the industry to add in the upper body workout portion.

The first major drawback is the size of the unit. They are usually larger than the smaller "home models." Another drawback is if something does break on the machine the parts cost quite a bit more and you usually need a professional to come out and repair the unit.