Smooth Fitness
Smooth Fitness
Smooth Fitness is a company that (clearly by the name) sells and manufactures a line of quality fitness equipment. Their product line extends from supplements popular to bodybuilding and athletic enthusiasts, to accessories like medicine balls and heart monitors, all the way up to total weight-training systems for the home, treadmills and elliptical trainers.
Here at Elliptical Trainer Exercise we strive to review only products that represent the most innovative, or the most value for money invested. For those reasons, we’ve reviewed the following Smooth Fitness elliptical trainers:
We also have plans to review the new ellipticals for 2012, their new top-of-the-line vertical trainer (think stair-stepper meets elliptical), the Smooth E4250 vertical trainer, Smooth 8.0LC (light commercial) and the Smooth 3.0DS (dynamic stride). The reasons being that we have personal experience using Smooth’s ellipticals – and they are not hyped, they’re the real deal.
In our opinion and hands-on experience, these are some of the market’s best examples of a quality elliptical exercise machine at incredibly discount prices (reasons for the discount pricing found below).
If you want to learn more about Smooth Fitness from the company itself, please visit SmoothFitness.com.
History of the Smooth Fitness Company
Thanks to a long history (beginning in 1984), the name of Smooth Fitness is a familiar one both online and offline. Primarily, they are known online thanks to their vigorous ad campaigns.
The company began as a group of regular fitness stores in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As the internet became more and more popular, the company hopped on board as an early adopter – this was in 1996. The opportunity and timing was right, though not many companies followed suit at the time.
It was at that time that Smooth began to market their products in the Digital Age, and it turned out to be a gutsy and smart move for the business. They succeeded in making their mark online, and continue today to sell over ninety percent of their merchandise on the internet – though they still sell in certain stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sports Authority.
Though I can see them online at Sears.com, I’m not sure if they also sell the Smooth Fitness brand in stores as well (I believe they do).
The big advantage of shopping for them online is immense cost-savings for the consumer.
By leveraging the internet as a distribution channel, they are able to cut out 40% or more on prices, while offering a line of products that are known for smooth and quiet operation.
The president and CEO of the company since 2008 is Bill Olson, former CEO Joe Alter is helping to lead (and act as CEO) competing company: Yowza Fitness.
Keys to the Smooth Fitness Brand
The brand-recognition of the Smooth Fitness brand comes from not only rigorous marketing (buying ads for example), but also through taking care of their customers. Primarily this comes from:
Affordable Quality Fitness Equipment
Because of the business model, this company is very good at cutting down on price associated with overhead. This is seen clearly in the example of buying their machines and home gyms at local stores, versus buying them online, factory-direct (or through Amazon or even Buy.com).
The markup is often hundreds of dollars more – simply due to the cost of brick-and-mortar retail stores. Dick’s and Sears need to pay staff, lease property and keep the lights on. Smooth Fitness merely needs to get the word out online and they can distribute through one of three distribution centers (in the U.S., they have 3 distribution centers, I’m writing from the U.S.).
Especially in light of the economic downturn, saving hundreds by avoiding the high cost of retail stores is key for many fitness enthusiasts.
Their ellipticals are manufactured using the best of low-cost labor, like many manufacturers. They are not manufactured in the U.S., their products are manufactured in Taiwan where many high-end ellipticals are made these days.
Please note they are not “Made in China” like cheap items you find at Wal-Mart, the Taiwan fitness manufacturers have higher standards than their Chinese counterparts – and to prove it, Smooth’s latest (the Smooth 8.0LC) is being offered with an unheard of 10 year warranty on parts and electronics.
The cost savings of manufacturing and distributing their ellipticals translates into high-quality equipment at a very low cost.
Leading Warranty
On their upper class, top-shelf product line – like the new 8.0LC for 2012, they offer a warranty of 10 years on all parts, lifetime on braking system and frame, and 2 years on in-home labor.
On some of their more entry-level products, the warranty is proportional. The Smooth 3.0DS offers a 3 year warranty on parts, 2 years labor and lifetime on braking system and frame.
Their popular Agile DMT and DMT X2, along with their CE line of ellipticals, offers a 5 year warranty on parts, 2 years labor and lifetime on braking system and frame.
Smooth offers a 60-day, money back guarantee on treadmills and elliptical trainers, which is a great way to introduce their new products, and alleviates any buyer’s remorse or risk. On other products, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
All in all, they stand behind their equipment.
Great Customer Service
The best way to “prove” this statement is to share what customers of their products have to say. Following are some selected customer reviews, all taken from 3rd-party sites (though Smooth has their own list of customer reviews you can find at their site – those are genuine reviews – but I wanted to go 3rd party).
What Customers are Saying about Smooth Fitness
The following quotes come from Sears.com, DickSportingGoods.com, RunnersWorld.com forum, and Amazon.com.
This is from DicksSportingGoods.com, a customer named “R Tanner” from Knoxville, Tennessee. The product being discussed is the Smooth CE 7.4 elliptical trainer, written in March of 2011:
I purchased my Smooth CE 7.4…on Dec. 26, ’06…it has been used in my basement gym on a regular basis since the first day it arrived. The first thing you notice is how heavy, and well constructed the elliptical is. I weigh 210 lbs, and my son weighs 245 lbs, and no matter how hard we push ourselves during a workout this machine remains rock steady.
About the company, and notably their customer service after 4 years of ownership, he says:
I have had one small issue with the dampers under the pedals getting a little weak, so I contacted Smooth Fitness in regards to this issue. I was thinking that maybe after 4 years of heavy use they might just tell me that they were sorry but that just happens over time. I was once again totally impressed with this company in the way they handled my issue…they [were] very quick to respond to my email…[Smooth Fitness] had the replacement parts sitting at my door within just a few days.
As I’ve mentioned a few times, this company does stand behind their products 100% and their warranty is one of the best in the fitness industry as a whole. That “5 year warranty” isn’t just eye-candy.
This quote comes from Sears.com, from a user known as “Blasting1″ from Collierville, Tennessee. This review was talking about the new for 2012 model, the Smooth 8.0LC – and was written in May of 2011. This elliptical was given 5 stars by the customer:
I had tried and returned a leading recommended brand’s top…front-drive elliptical after 10 months for a manufacturer’s defect. I was searching…for a gym quality machine that was serious enough to support my 6′, 250-pounds…I use the Smooth CE 8.0LC 30 mins/day X 5 days/week religiously. Incorporating this machine into my home gym has not only saved me time but money over going to a club 5 nights a week…I have been on gym machines for the better part of 30 years and would rate this Smooth machine as commercial grade – quite and smooth.
This quote comes from the forums at Runner’s World (RunnersWorld.com), from a user identified as “coolrunning85″ from June of 2011. The thread was discussing a question about the 9.65LC treadmill, and the discussion from some well-meaning but ignorant people suggested that Smooth Fitness was simply not trustworthy.
Personally I take issue with the sentiment. I began this website as a fan of fitness and produce honest, researched reviews based on personal experience and testing, as well as copious research of what customers have to report.
Graned, they are simply espousing their opinions, however none were founded on fact – all just conjecture with no experience of the Smooth brand and business model. But one forum member actually had first-hand experience with Smooth Fitness, his comment was:
I do quite a few miles (about 2-3 times a week) on the 7.35 [treadmill] by Smooth and I love it. Haven’t had a problem with it yet in the year I’ve owned it.
In another thread at the Runner’s World forum, another user named “UTRunner” had this to share, here the discussion was on the same line of treadmills, different models:
My prior treadmill was an old Weslo folding that worked but not well…The Smooth 7.6 [treadmill], almost needless to say, is amazingly better. It’s smooth, solid, and responds quickly and very smoothly to changes in elevation and treadmill…The controls are also very easy to use and I really like the HR function on the readouts (using the supplied chest strap). I’ve also used the ST treadmills at my local Gold’s Gym and prefer the Smooth (which, to me, has better cushioning).
There are a number of reviews at Amazon.com – some complain about Amazon’s shipping service (which is a localized ‘problem’ and has nothign to do with Smooth itself), others state they had bad customer service (again I’d blame this on an Amazon issue, it’s different than buying directly from SmoothFitness.com like we suggest).
Overall, the tone is positive. Take this 5-star review from Amazon customer “Brownie.” She says about the Smooth CE 3.6 elliptical trainer (on April 7th of 2011):
The machine lives up to its name and is very smooth & quiet. The console is easy to operate and figure out even without the instruction book. The fan, which I did not think I would use, turns out to be a surprisingly nice bonus. The 18″ stride, and width and height of the moving handlebars are very comfortable for both me and my husband (5-foot 4-inches and 6-foot).
Overall, this demonstrates that the company not only understands the fitness equipment they create, but they have a deep appreciation for the people they market to – which is key to any company succeeding.
The Downsides of Selling Fitness Equipment Online
Though there are good reasons (read: low prices) for selling online, the truth is there are some who are hesitant, especially with an investment like an elliptical machine.
Can’t see the elliptical in person…
This is why we give the dimensions of the ellipticals, including the height – but also include lots of pictures so you can see for yourself what the elliptical looks like.
Still – it’s hard to say what products will look like in real life without being there.
Another objection is that:
I want to try before I buy.
One simple solution:
We suggest visiting Sears, Costco or Dick’s Sporting Goods if you have one in your area.
I don’t suggest you spend hundreds more by buying from them – though! But it’s one way to look at your Smooth Fitness elliptical before buying, and try it out.
Remember the Benefits of Online Shopping
Namely – there is no retail markup on cost. You will receive your elliptical factory direct if you use their links, or in the case of the Amazon links we use at the site – you will receive your elliptical shipped from a warehouse in Amazon’s network.
In either case, you will not need to pay for set up fees unless you opt for that. Nor will you need to pay taxes in most cases in the United States. Lastly, you can save up to 60% off retail prices, thanks to Smooth’s business model.
Speaking personally, our family shops online for most of our major investments – the prices and service are simply hard to match for brick-and-mortar stores (with rare exceptions).
What Does Smooth Fitness Specialize In?
Overall, the company makes great elliptical machines, treadmills, and various home gyms and accessories for fitness (like wrist weights and medicine balls, supplements and the like).
They also specialize in standing behind their warranty, and giving great customer service (at the drop of a hat – all it takes is a phone call).
Consumer Reports Praises Smooth Fitness
One of my favorite magazines is Consumer Reports, and in the February issue of 2011, they awarded Smooth Fitness with great ratings on 2 of their treadmills and 2 of their ellipticals (because they take their copyright seriously, I cannot say which models they were – but as a subscriber you can find that out online or offline).
Company Contact Information
For Customer Service: 1-888-211-1611
They are available:
Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. (midnight), E.S.T.
Saturday – Sunday: 9 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. (midnight), E.S.T.
If you have a question before buying, please call 1-888-211-1611, their fax line is (484)-636-0362
For any and all repair or service questions, please call 1-888-800-1167 or fax them at (484)-636-0364
For any service calls, please call during the following hours of operation (again in Eastern Standard Time):
Mon – Thurs: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Fri: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(Closed on weekends)
To track an order after placing it, please call 1-888-800-1167, or fax them at (484)-636-0364
They are open for these calls from (Eastern times):
Mon – Thurs: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Fri: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(Closed on weekends)
Their mailing address is:
Smooth Fitness
780 Fifth Ave., Suite 200
King of Prussia, PA 19406
Our final thoughts on this company is that no, they aren’t perfect, but they are a company that we trust and will stand behind their products as long as they continue making some of the world’s best elliptical trainers at affordable prices.
This company has earned our vote as one of the top fitness companies around, and we’re more than happy to review their excellent elliptical trainers. To return to the main website, click here, and find our Smooth Fitness reviews in the header drop-down menus under either the “Smooth Fitness” page (in the header), or the Elliptical Trainer Reviews page – or in our sidebar.
