ProForm Carbon EL Elliptical

The ProForm Carbon EL elliptical is the cheapest machine in the brand’s Carbon series. According to ProForm, the Carbon series ellipticals are characterized by adjustable, oversized, cushioned pedals and resistance and incline control.

The Carbon EL elliptical has a 19-inch adjustable stride, 18 levels of silent magnetic resistance, and 0 to 20 degrees of incline adjustment. The incline is adjusted manually, so you will not be able to change it within the workout. The Carbon EL is constructed with a steel frame. The elliptical also has a five-inch high-contrast multi-color display and an integrated table holder. There are also front-mounted transport wheels so you can put the machine away after your workout. 

ProForm machines are all compatible with iFIT programming, and the Carbon EL comes with a free 30-day family iFIT membership. iFIT is an interactive streaming workout platform; they offer elliptical specific workouts along with strength training, yoga, runs, walks and among other things. While using iFIT elliptical workouts with the Carbon EL, you’ll be able to utilize SmartAdjust technology. This allows iFIT’s trainers to adjust your resistance during the workout so you can focus on your workout and not the settings. You can also use the Carbon EL without the iFIT membership. 

Reviews of the Carbon EL are mostly positive. Users found that the Carbon EL was sturdy, compact, with smooth pedals and had a large easy-to-read display. A few reviewers were upset the incline was manually adjusted rather than motorized. They also found the lowest resistance level surprisingly difficult. A couple reviewers also found the elliptical to be shaky while in use. There are reviewers that experienced product dysfunction and failure; including, power adaptor breaking, the pedal jumping off the track, and grinding components. 

There were mixed reviews on the difficulty of assembling the elliptical. Some people noted that the assembly needed a second person. There are reviewers that assembled the Carbon EL alone but it took several hours. Most reviewers did note that the instructions were clear and easy to follow.