Nordictrack Vs Sole Elliptical Trainer – Which Should You Choose?

Wondering about the difference between Nordictrack vs Sole ellipticals?

You’re not alone. These are both well-respected, highly awarded elliptical brands. Both brands make a range of starter to commercial grade in-home crosstrainers.

But what about when you compare them against each other? How do they stack up?

Since I write a blog about Nordictrack elliptical trainers, you might think I’m biased towards that brand.

But I actually think Sole elliptical trainers are amazing machines as well. They have a lot of great benefits to them – they’re just not as widely known or distributed as Nordictrack.

So if you’re trying to compare between the Nordictrack vs Sole elliptical trainers, this post is for you.

While ultimately it really depends on which models you’re comparing against each other, we’ll cover some general differences between these two brands to help you find a good fit for you.

Nordictrack vs Sole Elliptical – Design

Sole tends to mainly sell front-drive elliptical trainers. Front drive ellipticals mean that the drive system/flywheel is placed in front of the pedals (instead of behind like a rear drive design).

A lot of people like this design as it can feel a bit more stable than rear drive designs.

Sole also uses a unique 2-degree angle in their footpedals that they claim reduces the strain on your hips – and give you a more comfortable workout.

Nordictrack produces several highly rated front-drive trainers as well. However they also give you some different design options.

You can find front drive trainers, rear drive, folding ellipticals and even center drive ellipticals like the Freestrider (where there are 2 smaller flywheels on either side of the pedals).

Some people feel that center drive crosstrainers are more comfortable since you stand more upright on the pedals with less leaning on the handrails. The pedals also tend to be closer to the ground, which makes some people feel safer.

Nordictrack also has rear drive machines that also fold up for easy storage. It can be hard to find a sturdy, stable folding elliptical. So it’s nice to find one in the Nordictrack lineup.

So if you’re looking for more options in design, Nordictrack tends to have the advantage here.

Sole vs Nordictrack Elliptical – Console

Sole consoles look very similar to each other. They tend to be backlit, dual color and easy to read.

They give you a constant readout of everything you need like your heart rate, calories burned, workout program etc. The main difference between Sole consoles is that they tend to get larger the more you go up in price.

Nordictrack has a larger range of consoles on their crosstrainers. But for the most part, they give you full-color, HD, touch-sensitive screens, which are pretty impressive.

You can use these screens to go online and connect with iFit.

From there you can run trails all over the world and see landmarks pass you by in the console as you run. You can also take a new fitness class from your elliptical every day.

You can now even take live fitness classes with iFit in real time – which is very cool.

So you can run trails all over the world with iFit, map out new trails to run with Googlemaps, take a new fitness class from your elliptical – or even track your progress.

Nordictrack is really focusing on giving people the “total experience” when it comes to working out.

Considering all of this, compared to Nordictrack consoles, Sole consoles can look a bit boring.

One redeeming quality however is that Sole has added a media shelf to most of them. So you can attach your tablet or phone and watch shows or go online to add some entertainment.

Plus, Sole recently added Studio – which is a bit similar to iFit in that it offers streaming classes (not live). It’s not as advanced as iFit but Sole is constantly adding new options.

Nordictrack vs Sole Elliptical – Armbar Controls

Sole puts resistance and incline controls on the moving arm bars of all of their elliptical trainers – even the starter models. This is handy since you don’t have to interrupt your upper body workout to change resistance.

Nordictrack only puts arm bar controls on their commercial-grade models like the C14.9.

Nordictrack vs Sole Elliptical – Stride

Stride is the furthest distance between the pedals. Most users think that an 18 – 20 inch stride is most comfortable.

Sole ellipticals are all made with a healthy 20-inch stride – except for one model the E95S – that gives you an 18 – 24 inch stride.

Nordictrack tends to give you an 18 – 20 inch stride as well.  The exception are the Freestrider ellipticals – seen below – that offer an adjustable stride of up to 32 inches.

Bottom Line?

So which is best for you – the Nordictrack vs Sole elliptical trainer?

Well, both brands have their strengths.

Sole tends to focus more on ergonomic design and high-grade construction. You don’t really get a lot of high-tech programs or “entertainment” options to keep you busy while you workout.

Nordictrack ellipticals are also well made and have pulled in a lot of “Best buy” awards. But they also tend to give you more options in terms of entertainment, adjustable strides and online tracking options.

It really comes down to what you’re looking for in a crosstrainer at the end of the day.

Want to Learn More? Check out the links below to compare the latest models for each brand.

Click to Compare All Nordictrack Ellipticals

Click to Compare All Sole Ellipticals

Related:

Nordictrack Freestrider vs Max Trainer – Which is Best for You?