We are always wary of home fitness products with too many gimmicks, but if you're on a budget and want to be entertained while you work out, the ProForm 20.0 elliptical machine is worth a look. For an elliptical in the sub-$1,000 category, the 20.0 offers a host of bells and whistles that you'd only expect to find on high-end machines; the most notable of these are the GameFit interactive games. The ClearView console not only features backlighting and an extra-wide viewing angle, but also houses two motivational video games. The game controllers are conveniently located in the arms of the elliptical so as you enjoy a full body workout you can simultaneously play the Fat Blocker game or the Calorie Destroyer game. Both games are basic and unlikely to lure many kids away from their PlayStation or Xbox consoles, but their interactive nature offers plenty of motivation to push yourself as you exercise, since the harder you work out, the easier the games become.

The console also features built-in speakers and a port for connecting an iPod or other digital music player so you can enjoy your favorite music as you exercise without the need for headphones. The ProForm 20.0 also offers plenty of traditional elliptical machine features, including nine targeted CrossTrainer programmed workouts, three personal trainer workouts and two heart rate workouts. These programs automatically adjust the resistance to focus on weight loss or performance goals, can target upper or lower body muscles or maintain a consistent heart rate zone. We find the unit's silent magnetic resistance worked smoothly, although we'd argue with the claim that it is silent; the 20.0 makes some noise during operation and it does tend to feel a little unstable at its highest speeds, although stability is vastly improved over the less expensive 825, for example.

More alarming to us, however, is ProForm's decision to make the 20.0 a front-drive elliptical design. This provides a less natural elliptical motion than a rear-drive design and also lacks the adjustable ramp. Of course, front-drive elliptical machines are invariably cheaper and ProForm had to cut costs somewhere in order to pad out the feature set. The meager 90-day warranty is also a concern, so we'd recommend considering the optional extended warranty packages that are available for this unit. The ProForm 20.0 elliptical machine offers some exciting features, but these cannot detract from the front-drive design and poor warranty.


Pros: Features interactive fitness games, 14 programmed workouts, iPod port, heart rate monitor, workout fan, inexpensive
Cons: Front-drive design, poor warranty

Warranty
90 days