Diamondback Elliptical

These mimic the motion of running but without the impact. And the moving hand grips and adjustable resistance allow you to turn your cardiovascular workout into a full-body workout.

Pricier Diamondback Ellipticals tended to be larger and sturdier, and their parts come with longer warranties. The top-rated Diamondback Fitness 910Ef, $900, is solidly built, has 20 heart-rate programs, comes with a chest-strap heart-rate monitor, and earned very high marks for safety. If you don't need the heart-rate monitoring and can forgo certain other features, consider the Diamondback Fitness 510Ef for $200 less.

We gave our tests a makeover this year, adding new criteria for construction and design and new safety tests, such as measuring how much force is required for a machine to tip over. We also turned a sharper eye to ergonomics, evaluating features such as the position of foot pedals and the motion of the elliptical path. A good Diamondback elliptical is well built, easy to use, and comfortable, and has a range of exercise options.

Here are other criteria to consider:

Size. Most of the Diamondback ellipticals are about 6 feet by about 2.5 feet, although the Fitnex 1260Ef is just over 5 feet long. Since you'll be more elevated than you would on a elliptical, make sure you have a space with a sufficiently high ceiling. And with either machine, you'll need adequate space to get on and off safely.

Safety features. All of the Diamondback ellipticals we tested were very good or excellent for safety. But they're inherently dangerous for children, who could get pinched or trapped in the moving parts. People with children at home or as visitors should make sure that they can't access the machines.

Ergonomics. On ellipticals, check the comfort of the hand grips and make sure the foot pedals aren't too far apart. The stride length and elliptical path should feel natural. Most models scored very well in this area, but the lowest-rated 510Er didn't pedal smoothly.

High-tech features. USB ports, docks for iPods, and wireless Internet connectivity are popping up on many ellipticals. The recommended the Diamondback 510EF and 910EF have a USB port; the Smooth CE 3.6 and Horizon EX-79 have an iPod dock.

Adjustability. Most tested Diamondback ellipticals have incline to at least 10 percent.

Most satisfying Ellipticals brands

The charts below are based on responses about 1,302 elliptical machines purchased new since 2006 by Consumer Reports subscribers. A reader score of 100 would mean that all respondents were completely satisfied; 80 indicates very satisfied, on average; 60 fairly well satisfied. We also asked about specific problems that may have contributed, along with other factors, to readers' overall satisfaction with their home machines.

Among elliptical exercisers, ProForm received more complaints than other brands about being difficult to adjust to the needs of different users (that's important because about one-quarter of all ellipticals had been used by three or more household members) and having a poor range of workout options. NordicTrack scored substantially worse than the other brands for being bulky and difficult to set up. There were no differences among elliptical brands in the rate of those or other problems. Prices represent the median paid by respondents for each brand.