Spirit XG400 Elliptical Cross Trainer – The Latest Review

If you’re really looking for the best in elliptical trainers, Spirit XG400 E Glide Cross Trainer is for you.

It has a durable construction, a superb set of useful ultra-modern features, and a very thoughtful and equally elegant styling. After reading my review below, I am pretty sure you will also agree with me in saying that the XG400 could very well be the best elliptical trainer money can buy in Australia. Allow me to share with you my experiences with this machine below.

Overview of the Spirit XG400 Home E Glide Elliptical Trainer

The XG400 Home E Glide from Spirit is one of the best elliptical trainers you can find in the market today.

However, this is one investment I would strongly recommend to anyone who wants all the wonderful benefits of a full-sized treadmill machine but without its joint-shattering effects.

Let’s start with its construction. Unlike the other trainers I have reviewed, the Home E Glide comes forged in commercial grade structural steel. It is the kind of metal that you would expect in high end construction projects where only the best will suffice.

Being commercial quality doesn’t mean it comes at a mediocre finish. Spirit was kind enough to give us a taste of their powder coat painting technology. It makes XG400 look and feel so modern.

The XG400 can accommodate a hulking fitness buff at about 180 kilograms. It does so without having to compromise on its footprint. The XG400 only requires 177 centimetres by 170 centimetres of your floor space and you can easily be on your merry way to a fitter body. I also find the integration of a dual track system to be quite unique since it gives me the durability and stability that I long for.

“For Those Who Demand the Best Elliptical Cross Trainer”

The XG400 is a front driving machine yet it still manages to tip the flywheel weight scale at a whopping 14 kilograms for a really smooth run. Alongside the hefty flywheel is a pair of arms upon which the oversized foot pedals are embedded in.

The pedals are engineered with a 2-degree inversion to compensate for the ‘climbing’ tendency of a front drive system. Spirit knows that it needs to compensate for this climbing phenomenon by adjusting the angle of the pedals so that the feet will be naturally pointing slightly inwards and downwards.

The 50-centimetre stride length is just about right for most folks especially the taller ones. But for those with shorter limbs, this might be an issue.

I was also amazed at the embedded workout programmes on the XG400. It comes in 5 standard preset programmes such as Fat Burn, Hill, Interval, Manual, and Cardio. For most fitness buffs this might seem a bit lacking compared to other machines on the market. But, looking at the logic of the programmes, I honestly think you cannot ask for more.

Although they only have 2 customisable programs as well as 2 heart rate control modes, the good news is that this mode can be tracked wirelessly using its advanced telemetrics. However, I did wish they already included a chest strap in the package. Nevertheless, the addition of contact sensors is a big plus.

Speaking of workout programmes, the integration of a remote control feature on the XG400’s handlebars allows users to manipulate the resistance levels in 20 different instances without having to reach for the centre console.

The console features a 7.5-inch LCD with blue LED backlight complete with muscle activation profile and target heart rate bar windows. There’s also a built-in cooling fan, stereo speakers, and an integrated reading rack. Lastly, the Spirit XG400 comes with full Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity that seamlessly communicates with the dedicated Spirit FIT app.

For the record, I strongly encourage you to get the XG400. It is a lot closer in specs and performance to a treadmill machine which is, in my opinion, what an elliptical trainer should be.

A Closer Look at the Features of the Spirit XG400 Home E Glide

Durable, sturdy, and reliably stable construction

The way in which the Spirit XG400 is constructed epitomises the kind of exercise equipment of its class – compact, durable, sturdy, and made of premium quality materials. It doesn’t have the mediocre tubular steel that is often seen in low-end products.

The Home E Glide comes with commercial grade structural steel. It has an elegant powder coat paint to give you an exceptional looking piece of exercise equipment.

The XG400 weighs in at about 94 kilograms and requires floor space that measures 1.77 metres long and about 1.7 metres wide. The overall construction of the Home E Glide allows it to easily handle a full grown adult up to 181 kilograms but definitely less than 2.0 metres tall.

Adding to the durability and stability of the Home E Glide is a pair of tracks mated to concave roller wheels. 

Optimum-weight flywheel for smooth operation

At the heart of the Home E Glide is its humongous 14-kilogram flywheel. It is made of premium steel and not some cheap cast iron. The weight of the flywheel is top of its class ensuring smoother, effortless operation.

This is quite unprecedented for a front drive system since most exercise equipment featuring the flywheel up front will typically reduce the size and weight of the flywheel itself. This is to help minimise the tendency of the front drive machines to ‘climb’.

You would expect the increase in the size and weight of Home E Glide’s flywheel to have a negative impact on its overall usability. Actually, the opposite is true. It is such a joy to glide since it also integrates well-engineered oversized pedals that are designed to be oriented at a 2-degree inversion.

This helps negate the climbing tendency of front drive elliptical trainers. I can only scratch my head why other products cannot integrate the same design in their respective products.

Ultra-modern health and fitness features

I did mention that the Spirit XG400 Home E Glide system is the elliptical trainer version of Spirit’s renowned treadmill machines. Why’s that? Well, the XG400 also features 5 of Spirit’s iconic fitness and workout programmes. They are already preinstalled into the onboard computer of the cross trainer.

You can choose from Manual, Interval, Hill, Fat Burn, and Cardio modes with a touch of a button and the rest is history. Personally, I love taking the XG400 through its Interval Mode. It gives me short bursts of high intensity training exercises to keep me on my toes.

In addition to the pre-programmed modes, the XG400 also comes with 2 customisable settings. I know this may upset some since even low-budget cross trainers can come with 5 customisable settings. Personally, I am one who doesn’t really like having a lot of buttons to tinker with.

Two to three personalised settings should be enough for me. If any the integration of remote controllability of the device’s 20 resistance levels should be enough to allow me to customise the programmes that I really need. And I don’t even have to reach into the bright LCD console of the machine as the remote control mechanism is already embedded into the handlebars of the XG400.

Part of the charm of the XG400 is its heart rate control programmes. It comes with both contact sensors and telemetry to allow for the more accurate monitoring of your target heart rate. I did wish Spirit already threw in chest straps with the purchase, but hey, I’m not complaining.

Integrated personal entertainment system

True to its promise of delivering a highly personalised workout in a non-impact mechanism, the Spirit XG400 comes with its very own integrated stereo speakers. It may not give me the recording studio-quality acoustics that I have initially been hoping for. However, the drivers on the speakers are more than capable of delivering a truly enriching experience.

Perhaps because the room where I placed the XG400 in is relatively small that the room was instantly filled with my favourite tunes. It’s like walking, running, and climbing at various levels of resistance in a concert hall.

I do wish the 7.5 inch screen were a bit bigger though. Nevertheless, its blue LED backlighting allows for greater visualisation of my exercise performance. I can easily track my progress through the target heart rate bar graph as well as the intuitive muscle activation profile display. They allow me to have an idea of which muscle groups are at work for each movement that I make. There’s also an integrated reading rack which I find quite handy. 

Wireless connectivity to modern fitness apps

What’s the use of paying a couple thousand dollars if you are limited to a built-in program on the elliptical trainer? This is one of the things that I really love about the XG400.

With an integrated Bluetooth 4.0 module, the Home E Glide can easily connect to the Spirit FIT app that I downloaded and installed onto my iOS devise. Do take note that the same app has its Android version, too.

What this does is that I can also keep track of my progress on the go so I can easily review and plan for my fitness wherever I may be. And once I am on the XG400, I’d simply connect and it will already be running my fitness plan.

The other thing that I found really interesting is that it works well with mobile training apps such as Fitbit, RECORD, MyFitnessPal, iHealth, and even MapMyFitness. I’m pretty sure it works equally well with other similar apps.

Pro and Cons

Should You Get It?

The Spirit XG400 Home E Glide is a favourite among serious health and fitness buffs. It’s got a fantastic array of features, incredible styling, superior craftsmanship, and well-thought out integration with modern digital technology. If you focus on the many things it can bring you, then XG400 is an excellent choice. Personally, I strongly recommend it.