If you’re looking for a high-end home elliptical that’s approaching commercial-quality status, Matrix’s E30 is worth checking out.
With a heavy-duty yet compact frame, a 23 lb flywheel, and 20 levels of magnetic resistance, the E30 immediately has the performance specs to hang with most home ellipticals on the market.
But when you take into account the generous warranty and option to choose a 16″ HD touchscreen console with entertainment apps and iFit, it’s obvious this elliptical is playing in a different league.
All things considered, I think the E30 is a great elliptical, but it’s not perfect – for starters, it’s not cheap and it doesn’t offer an adjustable incline.
I do ultimately think the E30 is a smart buy, but before you decide, you need to know what this elliptical is all about.
And that’s where I can help.
In this review, I’ll go over everything this elliptical does and doesn’t have going for it, including all the most important performance specs and features we should be looking for when comparing ellipticals.
After reading, you’ll know whether or not the E30 is the right elliptical machine for your home gym.
The Matrix Elliptical E30
Matrix is an elite home fitness brand, but they’ve got a commercial lineup of cardio machines as well.
They’ve got a pretty large lineup to choose from and all of their products are well-built, but if you ask me, it’s their consoles that set ’em apart from other similarly-priced brands.
Not only does Matrix let you choose between 3-4 different consoles (depending on the model), but their touchscreen options come pre-loaded with apps, including iFit.
I’ll go over this feature in more detail below, but Matrix combines high-end performance with the option to access instructor-led workouts through iFit.
It’s a potent combination.
Anyway, the E30 we’re here to discuss now is their entry-level home elliptical and will cost ya anywhere between $3k – $4500, depending on which console you go with.
The E30 is a step below the Elliptical E50, which comes with a more sophisticated resistance system, more resistance levels, and a longer warranty.
Pros
- 23 lb flywheel
- 20 levels of magnetic resistance
- 20″ stride length
- Heavy-duty frame
- 325 lb weight limit
- Choice of 3 consoles
- Entertainment apps*
- Screen mirroring*
- Web browser*
- USB charging*
- Bluetooth
- iFit ready
- Built-in workouts
- Multi-grip handles
- Compact footprint
- Low step-up height
- Great warranty
Cons
- No adjustable incline
- Fairly pricey
Stride Length
The E30 comes with a 20″, non-adjustable stride length, which is pretty common for most quality home ellipticals.
This spec refers to the distance your feet will move apart with each step you take and it’s an important aspect to consider, especially for shorter and taller folks.
Nothing’s worse than buying a new elliptical, only to find the pedals move too far apart (or too short) for ya – talk about a buzz kill.
Luckily, with a 20″ stride, the E30 is designed to fit most folks comfortably (although if you’re under 5’3″, you might find this stride a bit long).
The stride length is where we’d expect it for an elliptical in this price range, so nothing too spectacular going on there, but what is interesting is the suspension design Matrix uses.
You’ll notice the E30 doesn’t use standard rollers moving along tracks like most front-drive ellipticals do.
Instead, you’ll notice that their pedals hang suspended from supports that attach to the frame.
Well, Matrix claims this design makes for quieter operation, which requires less maintenance (due to less friction).
Makes sense in theory, but who knows.
What I do know is that the E30 operates remarkably smoothly and is very quiet during use – so maybe there is something to that suspension design after all.
I also want to point out that the E30 comes with an assembled weight of 278 lb, which is very heavy for a home elliptical.
Yes, this makes the machine more challenging to move around, but I like seeing higher assembled weights because it also means the machine is going to feel more stable during use.
For the sake of comparison, Life Fitness’ similarly-priced E3 Elliptical Cross-Trainer weighs in at around 225 lb.
My point is that the E30 is a robust machine that’s gonna feel stable, so you don’t have to worry about it wiggling around or feeling shaky.
Oh, and it can handle users weighing up to 325 lb, so folks of most sizes will be able to use it safely.
Lastly, it’s worth noting that the E30 is pretty compact for an elliptical – this guy only takes up a footprint of 58″ x 29″.
Now you’ll need an extra foot or so of space to safely use it, but that’s still less space than what your typical elliptical takes up – which could make this a doable choice for homes with limited floorspace.
Overall, the E30 scores highly in the stride length department and I like the heavy-duty, suspension design.
Resistance
Like most home ellipticals, the E30 creates its resistance by pairing a weighted flywheel with magnets that can be moved to increase or decrease the resistance provided.
In these systems, having a heavier flywheel is usually beneficial because the extra weight builds more momentum and tends to create a smoother feel.
With this in mind, the E30 comes with a 23 lb flywheel (Matrix’s higher-end ellipticals don’t use heavy flywheels because they have a more advanced magnetic mechanism).
This isn’t very heavy compared to the massive flywheel found on many indoor cycles these days, but as ellipticals go, it’s pretty heavy.
Some ellipticals come with heavier flywheels (like Sole’s E98 and its 32 lb flywheel), but anything over 20 lb is pretty good for an elliptical.
So, at 23 lb, the E30 has enough muscle under the hood to provide smooth pedaling as well as provide enough resistance to challenge users of all skill levels.
Speaking of resistance, this elliptical also comes with 20 levels to work with.
Having more resistance levels doesn’t necessarily give you more total resistance, but it does give you more control over the resistance you’ve got.
Because it lets you make smaller changes between levels, which in itself is a good thing if you ask me.
Oh, something I forgot to mention earlier, but is certainly worth knowing, is the fact that the E30 has a step-up height of only 9.1″.
This spec refers to the height of the pedal at its lowest position and it basically tells you how high you need to step to get on the elliptical.
Considering most ellipticals have a step-up height of around 12-14″, the E30 is considerably easier to get on than most.
Overall, this elliptical scores well in the resistance department too. It has a heavy flywheel and enough resistance levels to give you plenty of control over your workouts.
Features
The Matrix Elliptical E30 comes with the following features:
Choice of console- I mentioned earlier that Matrix offers multiple consoles to choose from and that this is one of the features that really sets ’em apart from other brands. Well, more specifically, there are 3 consoles to choose from with the E30: the ‘XIR’, the ‘XER’, and ‘XR’. The ‘XIR’ is a 16″ HD touchscreen, the ‘XER’ is a 10″ touchscreen, and the ‘XR’ is a simple, 8.5″ LCD display. Going with the ‘XR’ will save you about $1500 vs the ‘XIR’, giving folks who don’t care much about console tech the option to save some serious cash.
Entertainment apps- but if you do opt for the ‘XIR’ or ‘XER’ consoles, you get access to a lot of the most popular entertainment apps already loaded (like Netflix). You need your own subscriptions of course, but this makes it really convenient to access your favorite content during workouts.
iFit- all of the consoles are also iFit compatible, but the touchscreens come with the app loaded and allow you to watch the workouts directly through the consoles. iFit gives you access to instructor-led workouts, as well as metric tracking and scenic routes and has become one of the most popular fitness apps in the biz. You get a 30 day free trial with purchase, but then you’ll be responsible for the membership fee (if you want to continue with iFit, you don’t have to to keep using all the other features).
Screen mirroring- the touchscreen consoles also come with a screen mirroring feature, meaning you can see anything from your phone directly on the console. This is a great feature because you can essentially access any app you want and see it through the E30.
Web browser- the ‘XIR’ and ‘XER’ consoles come with built-in web browsers, allowing you to search the web while working out.
Bluetooth- all consoles are bluetooth compatible with heart rate monitors and headphones (if applicable).
Workouts- all consoles come with a few built-in workout profiles as well, although the number of workouts you get depends on the console you choose (ranges from 5 – 13).
USB charging- the 2 touchscreen consoles offer USB charging, so you can charge your phone while you sweat.
Multi-grip handles- the E30 comes with large handles with multiple grip options, giving you a lot of freedom on hand placement.
Water bottle holder- and yup, there’s even a place to store your water bottle.
Assembly
If you purchase the E30, you’ll be expected to pay for the white glove delivery, which includes delivery to whichever room in your home you prefer, as well as professional assembly.
This is great because it removes the worry of having to assemble yourself (not to mention getting this thing in your home, remember how heavy it is?).
But if for some reason white glove delivery isn’t available in your area, Matrix will remove the delivery fee and drop it off at your front door.
In this case, you’d be responsible for putting it together yourself.
If this happens, no worries – the assembly process is pretty low key.
The majority of the elliptical comes pre-assembled, so all you’ll have to do is attach the console mass, the handles, a few covers, the pedals, the connect the console itself.
There’s only a few steps and the assembly manual is easy to follow.
Warranty
Matrix backs their Elliptical E30 with the following home warranty:
- Lifetime frame
- 5 years parts
- 2 years labor
You can’t beat a lifetime frame guarantee, but 5 years on parts is also really good for a $3k elliptical.
For the sake of comparison, most brands offer somewhere in the 3-5 year range here, so Matrix is at the top of the expected range.
Two years on parts is also very good, considering most only offer a single year.
Overall, a great warranty for the E30.
Final Thoughts
Ok, I think that about does it for the E30.
I feel like I was being too nice in this review, but there just isn’t much to complain about here.
This elliptical comes with great performance specs, awesome console features, and an amazing warranty.
The only thing missing is the power incline settings, so if you’re looking for an elliptical with this feature, the E30 isn’t the best option for ya.
It’s also not the most budget-friendly elliptical, but given its quality and generous warranty, I don’t think Matrix’s asking price is unreasonable.
Keep in mind, you get what you pay for.
This is a high-end elliptical that operates smoothly, but as I’ve said before – it’s the consoles that really grab my attention.
Having the option to get built-in entertainment apps, screen mirroring, and built-in iFit access is unique.
And I like that you don’t need an iFit membership to use all the other built-in features (something else that is pretty unique these days).
Overall, if you’re looking for an elite home elliptical with some serious console game, I think Matrix’s E30 should be at the top of your list. Highly recommended.
