Dick’s Sporting Goods Black Friday Elliptical Deals: Top Values Review

Elliptical Reviews TeamLast Updated: August 28, 2020

Our Black Friday deals section for this year has been moved. Please check out the updated Black Friday elliptical machine deals here.

Black Friday now? Dick’s Sporting Goods is getting a head start on Black Friday elliptical trainer sales by offering free ground shipping to online shoppers. Starting on Thanksgiving Day, customers online and in stores can get a doorbuster too: 50% off the top-notch Sole E25 Elliptical. Most other elliptical trainers will be reduced by $50 or $100 with automatic discounts at online checkout.

But how good are these elliptical deals? Most will be matched at the manufacturers’ websites, plus comparable deals can be found on Amazon. Here we review the Black Friday sales on elliptical trainers that get the best reviews from Dick’s Sporting Goods customers.

Sole E25 Elliptical – Advertised at $849

Sole Fitness is the top elliptical brand at Dick’s Sporting Goods. The Sole E25 Elliptical earns excellent reviews, and on Black Friday its $1699 price will be cut in half. This is a true elliptical deal. However, the same $849 deal will be available at SoleTreadmills.com — and buying directly from Sole brings much better customer support. Sole has already dropped their price to $999.

Sole ellipticals stand out with excellent ergonomics. The E25 has a 20″ stride, and to promote comfort Sole engineers angled the foot pedals by 2 degrees. This design helps prevent the knee and ankle stress associated with using many other elliptical trainers.

Fluid natural motion comes with a 25-pound flywheel and a high gear ratio. There’s plenty of resistance at the upper end, so trainees can keep increasing the challenge level and avoid fitness plateaus. Extra resistance comes with a power incline, which has 20 levels. The power incline lets people target different different muscle groups. It also makes exercise more interesting.

Ten preset workouts are included, including two for heart rate. Heart rate can be monitored with conveniently-placed contact sensors or a wireless chest strap (not included). Progress is shown on a backlit LCD. The console also has a water bottle holder, a cooling fan and speakers for an MP3 player.

Generous product protection from Sole reflects their confidence in this product. Customers get three years of coverage for the parts and electronics, and in-home labor is free for a year.

The Sole E25 is one of the best ellipticals available for under $1000. Again, we recommend purchasing it directly from Sole Fitness to get the best customer service. Also worth considering are the Sole E35, which has a 21″ – 22″ stride, and the luxurious E95 (which is a best buy for us) with an 18″ – 24″ stride.

Diamondback Fitness 1260EF Elliptical – Advertised at $2,199

The DiamondBack 1260EF gets four-star and five-star reviews from Dick’s Sporting Goods customers. This machine is high quality, but it’s not exactly a bargain compared with the Sole E25 and other Sole ellipticals.

Key features are a 19” stride, a 19-pound flywheel, 10 incline levels and 15 preset programs. This unit is most comfortable for people with longer arms and legs.

The DiamondBack 1260EF sells for $2199 and isn’t eligible for Dick’s Black Friday online coupons. The DiamondBack also sells for $2199 on Amazon with free Prime shipping. Parts and electronics are protected for five years.

ProForm Smart Strider 935 Elliptical – Advertised at $949

Topped with an iFit-ready 7″ touch display and 30 workout apps, ProForm’s Smart Strider 935 is an appealing elliptical under $1,000. Customer reviews at Dick’s Sporting Goods give it five star reviews. Compared with Sole ellipticals, this ProForm has less reliable engineering but more enticing workout guidance.

Truly easy assembly kicks off a good relationship between the Smart Strider 935 and new owners. Specs for this rear drive elliptical include an 18-pound flywheel, 24 resistance levels and a power adjustable incline with 10° maximum tilt.

Immersive iFit programming attracts customers the most. It lets you virtually exercise along any Google Maps route: Virtually visit your favorite cities, train along the coast or trek through national parks. iFit also provides unlimited program downloads, data tracking, dieting advice and other benefits. This service costs $9.99/month.

How good is this elliptical deal? The Smart Strider 935 normally sells for $999 on Amazon and for $1,299 on the ProForm website. For Black Friday at Dick’s (Thursday through Saturday) the price will drop to $949 with an automatic discount at checkout. We recommend adding an extended warranty because occasionally these units are duds.

Nautilus E614 Elliptical – Advertised at $549

Normally selling for $599, the front drive Nautilus E614 Elliptical with speakers is remarkably sturdy for its price category. For Dick’s Black Friday sale an online discount of $50 will be applied at checkout. This model is also available anytime for $599 with Amazon Prime delivery.

This could be a good discount elliptical deal for an average-sized person. The Nautilus E614 has a long stride, but for people with larger frames the handlebars are spaced too narrowly for comfort.

Key features are a 20” stride, a 17.6-pound flywheel and 20 resistance levels. Trainees can choose from 22 preset workouts too. Data are shown in LCD windows. A USB port can be used for transferring workout data to NautilusConnect or MyFitnessPal, plus it can charge mobile devices. Two user profiles can be saved to the console.

This budget elliptical uses a grip heart rate reader. For better convenience and accuracy, some customers use this trainer with their own wireless heart rate monitors.

The warranty is fair for the product price. Customers get two years of parts protection and 90 days of free labor.

Body Rider 2-in-1 Cardio Dual Trainer – Advertised at $159

The cheapest elliptical trainer with high ratings at Dick’s is the $159 Body Rider 2-in-1 Cardio Dual Trainer. This machine works as both an elliptical trainer and an upright exercise bike. Amazon beats the Dick’s Black Friday sale price when shipping is figured in; they sell it for $169 with free Prime delivery.

Elsewhere this product sells for up to $599, which is overpriced for such an entry-level elliptical. It has a short 12″ stride and a meager 90-day warranty.

Despite its shortcomings, the Cardio Dual Trainer consistently earns enthusiastic customer reviews. It operates quietly, is reliable and has diverse preset programs. The flywheel weighs 15 pounds, which is suitable for beginners. This is likely the best elliptical deal for for budgets under $200.

A Recap of the Deals

The best elliptical trainers at Dick’s are no doubt the Sole E25 and other Sole models. For the best customer service we recommend shopping at Sole online instead; prices have already dropped, and over the holiday weekend Sole will match the deals seen at Dick’s Sporting Goods. As for the other top-rated ellipticals, the prices at Dick’s aren’t anything special. Very similar prices can be found on Amazon year-round.

Note: Instant coupons for elliptical trainers aren’t valid at Dick’s when customers use gift certificates, gift cards or a Dick’s Sporting Goods credit card.