The Sole E25 vs The E35 – A Head To Head Comparison

Sole is one of the best home fitness brands around, so if you’re looking for a quality elliptical, they’re a great place to start.

They offer a great selection of treadmills, ellipticals, and exercise bikes to choose from.

And when it comes to ellipticals, their E25 and E35 are 2 of the top models around in their respective price ranges.

The E35 is an upgraded version of the budget-friendly E25 and as such, it comes with a heavier flywheel and a nicer console.

There’s really no debating the fact that the E35 is a higher-end elliptical, but the real question is whether or not these upgrades are worth the extra cash.

Well, that’s exactly what I’m here to help you figure out.

In this comparative review, I’ll go over all the key differences between the Sole E25 and the E35.

After reading, you’ll know which model is best suited for your home gym.

	Sole E25	Sole E35
Stride Length	20"	20"
Resistance	20 lb flywheel 20 levels of resistance 20 levels of incline	25 lb flywheel 20 levels of resistance 20 levels of incline
Frame	209 lb assembled weight 350 lb weight capacity	211 lb assembled weight 350 lb weight capacity
Warranty	Lifetime frame 2 year parts 1 year labor	Lifetime frame 2 year parts 1 year labor
Features	7.5" LCD console Bluetooth USB charging	10.1" touchscreen Entertainment apps Screen mirroring Adjustable pedals Multi-grip handles
Price	~$1k	~$1500

The Sole E25 vs The E35

 

 

Above images courtesy of Sole Fitness

I really can’t say enough good things about Sole Fitness (and I promise I don’t secretly work for them).

Personally, I think they are one of the best home fitness brands currently in business.

Their machines are durable, easy to use, and fairly priced… I mean really, what more could you want?

Well, I will say that if you’re looking for workout streaming or fancier consoles, Sole probably isn’t your best bet.

As I said, Sole products are easy to use, but with their new upgrades, Sole’s consoles have certainly gotten more sophisticated.

But if you aren’t concerned with that stuff and simply want a durable product that’s designed for optimal performance, Sole is a smart choice.

Sole has a pretty extensive collection of cardio machines to choose from too.

Even though they’re probably best know for their treadmills, their ellipticals and exercise bikes are just as high-quality (they also have a rower and a climber in their lineup).

And something all Sole products have in common is a generous warranty, another reason I like this brand so much.

When it comes to their ellipticals, Sole has 6 to choose from (and all the model numbers conveniently start with an “E”, followed by a number- the higher the number, the more expensive the model).

The E25 is their entry-level elliptical and the E35 is the next model up, both in terms of price and features.

When comparing these 2 ellipticals, I think it makes sense to start with the performance aspect of things and then move on to the console features.

I hope this works for ya, cause that’s how I’ve decided to organize this review.

If you want to see a comparison of all Sole ellipticals, check my complete Sole Elliptical Guide.

Stride Length

The stride length is easily one of the most important specs to consider when looking at any elliptical, so this is probably the best place to start.

By the way, the stride length refers to how far your feet move apart (front to back) during use.

This is going to be a pretty short discussion, since the E25 and the E35 both come with the same 20″ stride length, but if you’re interested in hearing more, check out my article on how to find the best stride length based on your height.

So yeah, both of these ellipticals come with the same stride length, so this spec won’t play into your decision making process.

And a 20″ stride length is optimal for folks of most heights, meaning pretty much everyone should be able to comfortably use both the E25 and the E35 (although if you’re especially short or tall, you should check out my above link).

A 20″ stride length is the gold standard for quality home ellipticals, so both models score highly here.

Resistance

Ok, moving on. Let’s see how the resistance systems for these 2 ellipticals stack up.

An ellipticals resistance system is based largely on 2 components- the flywheel and the magnetic system.

The flywheels found in ellipticals is very similar to the flywheels found in spin bikes.

And just like in spin bikes, having a heavier flywheel in an elliptical is beneficial.

A heavier flywheel creates more momentum as it spins, which results in a smoother feel during use.

The E25 comes with a 20 lb flywheel, which is very respectable for an elliptical around $1000.

The E35 comes with a 25 lb flywheel, which is respectable for an elliptical in any price range.

Personally, I consider any flywheel 20 lb and up to be considered “heavy”, so I would argue both models come with a heavy flywheel.

With the E35, the extra 5 lb is going to make for a smoother, more substantial workout – and by this, I mean you’ll be able to work against more overall resistance.

I didn’t mention this above, but heavier flywheels are usually able to provide more total resistance too- after all, it takes more energy to get the extra weight moving.

Both ellipticals use the same magnetic resistance system, which comes with 20 levels of resistance to work with.

Both models also come with 20 levels of power incline, so no big difference there either.

The 5 lb difference in flywheel weight is the only real difference when it comes to the resistance systems between the E25 and the E35, which in itself is fairly significant.

Frame

Let’s move on and take a look at the frames for each elliptical.

I like the idea of having a heavy-duty frame, especially if I’m looking to do higher-intensity workouts.

That’s because a heavier frame is going to be less likely to shimmy or wobble during use.

When trying to get an idea as to how heavy-duty a machine is, I like to look at the assembled weight and the max weight capacity.

Seeing high numbers in both categories is a good sign.

The E25 weighs about 209 lb fully assembled and comes with a max weight limit of 350 lb- both of which are outstanding for an elliptical in this price range.

The E35 weighs 211 lb fully assembled and comes with the same max weight limit of 350 lb.

So, in terms of heavy-dutiness, there’s really no difference between the E25 and the E35.

Something else worth noting is the difference in size between these 2 ellipticals- the E35 is about 6″ wider than the E25 (both are the same length at around 70″).

So, if you’re working with limited floor space, this could be an issue, making the E25 a better option.

Both ellipticals also come with the same 14″ step-up height, meaning this is how high you have to be able to step to get on the machine.

Overall though, there aren’t any major differences between these 2 ellipticals when it comes to their frames.

Warranty

I mentioned at the beginning that Sole is renowned for their generous warranties.

Well, let’s take a look and compare the guarantees offered on these 2 ellipticals.

The E25 comes with the following warranty:

• Lifetime frame
• 2 year parts
• 1 year labor

And the E35 comes with the following warranty:

• Lifetime frame
• 2 year parts
• 1 year labor

So yeah, there aren’t any differences here – both ellipticals come with the same warranty.

That said, I think Sole offers a pretty good guarantee on both.

 

       

 

Above images courtesy of Sole Fitness

Features

That about does it for the performance side of things, time to switch over to the features you’ll find on each model.

I think a nice chart is the easiest way to display this info (and save my fingers from any unnecessary typing), so let’s give that a whirl.

Here ya go:

	Sole E25	Sole E35
Display	7.5" backlit LCD	10.1" touchscreen
Workouts	7 programs, 2 custom	10 programs, 12 custom
Entertainment apps?	No	Yes
Screen mirroring?	No	Yes
Sole+ compatible?	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth speakers	Yes	Yes
Charging port	USB	Wireless
Cooling fan	Yes	Yes
Adjustable pedals	No	Yes
Handles	Standard	Multi-grip

As you can see, the consoles on these ellipticals are quite different.

The E25 comes with a 7.5″ LCD console while the E35 comes with a 10″ touchscreen with entertainment apps and screen mirroring functions.

Both ellipticals come with bluetooth speakers, charging ports (the E35’s is wireless), cooling fans, water bottle holders, and all that jazz.

The E35 also comes with adjustable position pedals (3 positions) and multi-grip handles, something the E25 doesn’t offer.

The E35 also comes with more workout programs – the E25 comes with 7 built-in programs and 2 custom, while the E35 comes with 10 built-in programs and 12 custom.

Final Thoughts

Ok, I think that about does it for the Sole’s E25 and E35.

As I write this, I’m reminded of how impressive the E25 really is for the price range. I’m also reminded why I chose the E25 as my top choice for ellipticals in the $1k price range.

The E35 is also easily one of the best ellipticals $1500 can get ya.

Comparing the 2, a few key differences can be found:

• The E35 comes with a flywheel that’s 5 lb heavier
• The E35 comes with a much nicer console
• The E35 offers entertainment apps and screen mirroring
• The E35 comes with adjustable pedals

So, do these differences warrant the extra $500 in cost?

Well, that’a more of a personal question, but allow me to provide my 2 cents on the situation.

I would say yes, the upgrades you get with the E35 are significant enough to justify the additional cost.

The touchscreen alone is enough to warrant a few hundred extra bucks, so if you include the heavier flywheel, pedals, and multi-grip handles, I think the price difference makes sense.

That said, it doesn’t necessarily mean everyone should go all-in and invest the extra cash in the E35.

If you don’t care about touchscreens and want to save some money, I think it makes sense to go with the E25.

And if you’re working with limited space, you might want to go with the E25, considering it’s about 6″ more narrow than the E35.

But if you want the upgraded experience, the E35 is the way to go.

Well, I hope you found this review helpful.

If you’re still stuck between these 2 models, at least you can rest assured that both are awesome ellipticals.