Stamina Products Folding Stepper with Monitor

Fed Ex brought this to my door! I was immediately impressed with the weight and sturdiness of the machine - and I was SO HAPPY that it was 95% assembled! All the difficult parts were ready to go and the pieces that needed to be added are easy and the instructions were simple and easy to follow. I LOVE the hydraulic resistance! The machine is super smooth to use, very quiet, and nice and small. It is perfect! The resistance is substantial and quite adjustable. You can use it at a fast pace or use the full length of the hydraulic for more resistance. I highly recommend this for those who are look for something close to a gym stair stepper because the height of the step is much closer to a gym level stepper vs the current mini-steppers which are more calf-focused. I also love the support bar that allows you to lean forward for more glute focus. It is a fantastic, sturdy, well-made machine and I love the ease, convenience, and particularly the quality of this stepper. It is great because it is easy to store and doesn’t use electricity. I will update if I have any issues with use but I am definitely impressed.

I'll begin by noting that I hesitated to buy the Spacemate Stepper because I was concerned that it would not provide a challenging workout. But I eventually decided to take a chance on it and, happily, it does indeed provide as tough a workout as I could want. I'll say more about that in a moment.But first, the negatives: the machine arrived with a few plastic parts broken, which did not inspire confidence. But they proved to be inessential and I was able to set up and use the stepper right away. (And, for the record, customer service at Stamina was excellent and the parts arrived within a few days).The computer, as other reviews have suggested, is complete rubbish--working only infrequently and often shorting out. But, really, all it does even when it works is keep time and count steps. Neither of these functions is important to me since I generally exercise with a heart rate monitor.And, finally, the mechanisms in the hydraulics tend to give off a slightly acrid smell when hot. It's by no means terrible, just a little annoying, but I keep a fan nearby to circulate air and that disperses the smell.As for the positives--and they far outweigh the negatives: The machine offers a very challenging workout and I say this as someone who is very active--cycling, inline skating, and martial arts training. Indeed, I bought the stepper primarily because I will be moving soon and will no longer have access to the large municipal park I currently live nearby and wanted an option for a challenging aerobic workout that I could perform indoors (I will also be moving to a colder climate).Quite simply, the Spacemate offers a workout that is, in my experience, every bit as challenging as gym-quality steppers and, for that matter, $1000-plus elliptical trainers. And this for me trumps the negatives I described above. I really am pleased with it and, frankly, surprised that such a relatively inexpensive and compact piece of equipment can function so well.I'll conclude by noting that I can't speak to a recurring concern in other reviews--the durability of the Spacemate. I've had it for about a week and in that time I've used it five times in vigorous sessions of 45-60 minutes. It's held up just fine but I should point out that I use it for 5 minutes on the easiest setting at an easy pace to warm up not just my legs but the machine (literally, as the warning stickers point out the hydraulics get VERY hot). And then I adjust it to a harder setting for the workout proper. I think this puts less stress on the machine. But will it hold up to, say, several hard sessions a week (as I plan on using it) for long? I can't say. Does it perform as well for persons who weigh over 165 pounds (my weight)? Again, I can't say.But so far I am very impressed with this product and highly recommend it not just to anyone who is on a budget or who has space limitations but to anyone who wants a hard, hard workout.

I only had the Stepper for a week now but I have used it about 12-15 times. I am 5'10" and about 190 LBS and I gave this device a good work out. My longest workout was 16 minutes but at a high tension on the pedals. (You can adjust the resistance of how much effort strength you need to push those pedals.) To me, the 16 minute work out was comparable to a 3 mile run which I usually do in 25-26 minutes.I was afraid this would be flimsy and would not be stable but it is. Also I appreciated that it came pre assembled and it took only 15 minutes to put together. The foam sleeves take some effort to put on and they suggest using soap to make it easier but I used silicone that is not harmful to rubber, and that seem to make the process go better.This is a very nice, put together exercise machine! I am using it for those winter months were there is Ice and snow on the ground which makes it hard to run. (Also for rainy days as well.) It's nice not to get up at 6 AM and blast out the door when it's 15 degrees out.The Timer and Stepper count display is not very bright but good enough. The Stepper seems study enough to last awhile. For $80 Plus dollars you can't ask for better and it will give you a very good cardio workout and strengthen your legs if you use it regularly and put in the effort.I mean if your comparing to those $1,500 Plus machines, yes, it will fall short, but for me, this does what I want it to do, and fits nicely without taking a ton of room.It's also compact enough to use in small areas.My only negative comments comes per the noise. They use plastic bottom stoppers at the end of the pedal where very hard rubber stopper would make this machine much more silent, but I figure I might be able to exchange those for something I may find at the hardware store. Still , I see there concern, as the hard plastic will last longer. However, with the music turned up etc, its not that that big of a deal anyway.