Another of our special bargain specials – the ProGear 300LS elliptical machine is another contender for best budget elliptical machine 2020. Your purse won’t be much lighter, but after a few weeks running, you might! One of Amazon’s bestselling elliptical machines in this price range, we take a look to see if it’s worth all the fuss.
ProGear 300LS Elliptical Machine Spec
- Upper body workout included with dual action workout arms
- Stylish look and compact design
- Weight Capacity of 275lbs
- Stride Length of 14”
- Backward stride capability for additional workout options
- Large foot pedals designed for maximum grip to reduce foot slippage
- LCD screen shows information on distance, time, calories burned, heart pulse etc.
- Transport wheels provide for easy relocation in and out of storage
- Pulse sensors on stationary arms
- Water bottle holder
The Progear 300LS Elliptical machine is aimed squarely at those who are on a tight budget, but still want to be able to work up a sweat, and it definitely ticks both those boxes. Coming in at under $140 on Amazon, it really is a bargain, and as such, won’t be the same quality as something costing ten times more, but it has all the core essentials you need for a good workout. Providing nothing goes wrong with it, that is. A rather confusing picture emerges from looking at Amazon reviews: 26% of customers give it 5 stars, and 30% of customers give it 1 star. It seems the 300LS can either be perfect, or useless. Read on for more information!
Nice Stride, but Short Length
As with all elliptical machines in this price range, it has a relatively short stride length of 14” (still 1” longer than some other ellipticals we’ve seen out there), so if you are over 5’9” then you might start to find this difficult to use. But if you are under that then this should be a perfect match. The stride length is another reason for a lower price tag, so don’t always assume a cheaper elliptical is a worse elliptical, sometimes they are just designed to target a smaller body frame. You could spend a few extra hundred dollars and feel a bit more peace of mind, but the elliptical machine you end up purchasing may not be any better. The 300LS also has a maximum capacity of 275lbs so make sure you are under this before you decide to buy.
How’s the Assembly?
Providing you have your own tools and a bit of common sense you should be able to put this together pretty quickly. However, if you aren’t blessed with those items then you might have more trouble. Many of the reviews on Amazon complain about the instructions being difficult to follow, or just making no sense at all. It seems the people who abandoned them and used their own knowledge fared much better! Although, there are also reviewers who say the directions are good and the tools that come with the pack are also good. What we can assume here is that the assembly instructions could be better, but could also be worse.
Budget, Budget, Budget
Many of the issues with the ProGear 300LS are the same as you get with many a budget elliptical. Obviously these aren’t build to last forever with the finest materials, so there is a bigger risk that they will break down sooner and more often. This is something that comes up a few times in the negative reviews on Amazon. In particular some have complained of crank arms coming loose or breaking off entirely, and many have had to return the items. (Remember to read the warranty information below ).
Now, of course, many people had nothing but good things to say about the 300LS, but the issue with buying budget is that you are increasing your chances of something going wrong.
Warranty Information
- ProGear Warranty
- Frame: 1 year
- Parts: 90 days
Our Final Verdict
This is a difficult one. We’ve given it a middling rating, because it seems if everything stays working it is a fine elliptical, and well worth it for such a low price. On the other hand, things have gone wrong for a lot of people who have purchased them (although negative reviews are always overrepresented on commerce sites). It’s risky, but for such a bargain price, could be worth the risk. Your call!
If it’s a budget elliptical you are after, then rather than the 300LS, we would recommend the Exerpeutic 1000XL Elliptical Training Machine.