The Lifespan EL 1000 is an average elliptical made by a great company. Over the past few years, no fitness manufacturer has made more headway then Lifespan with the possible execption of Sole. Good quality, good pricing, and good customer service is their halmark. Unfortunately, their elliptical designs don't measure up to their Ellipticals or the rest of the company.
General Information
Lifespan is imported by PCE Fitness, a company that began in 1994 by designing exercise equipment for other companies. They have been known for making some of the best looking designs in the business and are now trying to move into making equipment that is packed with safety and features that enhance the user experience. If you have limited space, this is a good brand to look at with some of the compact units they offer. Their quality has got better and better over the last few years!
Quality / Philosophy
Lifespan is primarily concerned with putting together a quality parts assortment into an attractive package and they do that very well. This year they have become much more aggressive with their pricing. Lifespan has made a push into the specialty realm and now has their focus on the mass-market. Overall, they put good components into a nice package on the value end and better components into their higher end machines where it matters.
Outlook
We would expect Lifespan to be around for some time. If there is a Rocky Marciano in the fitness business, PCE is it. They have developed an impressive dealer list in a short amount of time and understand the marketing side of this business. That can carry you a long way. When you visit their headquarters, you understand they know how to pinch pennies which really helps in an economic time like this.
