Have you ever pedaled under your desk? Stamina’s fitness product lineup includes everything from portable under-the-desk pedalers to full-sized fitness machines. They make low-priced upright stationary bikes, recumbent bikes and a hybrid exercise bike and rower. Another special product is the Airgometer, which is perhaps Stamina’s best bike for people in better shape. It is appropriate for all fitness levels.
Some of their unique products cost $99 or less yet earn positive reviews. A good example is the Stamina Pro InStride Total Body Cycle. With different levels of very light resistance, it helps people cycle their arms or legs for rehabilitative training and muscle toning. This product is approved by the Arthritis Foundation, who gave it an Ease-of-Use Commendation.
Since the late 1980s, Stamina Products, Inc. has developed a broad base of satisfied customers through infomercials, catalogs, department stores, websites and more. Stamina products generally have very short warranties, yet they perform well enough to earn a respectable percentage of positive customer reviews. Here some thoughts about choosing Stamina exercise equipment.
The Great:
Generalizing about Stamina exercise products isn’t so easy. There’s a lot of variation. For example, some are very easy to assemble, and some are a headache. We give more specifics in our individual products reviews, but here’s a start about the best features from this brand.- Adjustable Tension: Work out your legs (and maybe your arms) with adjustable tension on Stamina products. All of these products can be used at very low intensity levels too, which sometimes makes this brand a good cheap choice for physical therapy.
- Portable: Many Stamina products are portable. One example is the Stamina InStride Folding Cycle Pro. This compact exercise bike has a simple folding design and wheels for easy transport.
- Quiet Operation: These products get good ratings for being virtually noiseless. The $69 Stamina InStride Pro Total Body Cycle is a good example. This product lets you use your own chair to quietly pedal with your hands or feet. It’s a fine choice for home or the office.
- Programming: Some bikes from this brand provide training guidance. An example is the Stamina Programmable Magnetic 4825 Upright Bike. It has six built-in fitness programs and a pace guide. Each program has a time or distance goal, and the pace guide helps keep you on track for success. The programming is simple, yet good for the price.
- Warranty: Stamina has very short warranties, but can be acceptable in light of the low prices. An example is a $99 product with a one-year frame warranty and 90-day parts warranty.
The Not-So-Great:
Stamina bikes sometimes appeal to shoppers who get a new exercise bike every few years. They like to spend a little, work a bike to its limit, and start again. This brand probably won’t please people who are seeking fancy bikes or exercise bikes made for long-term relationships. Here are some of the more common complaints.
- Inaccurate Heart Rate Data: Whatever brand is used, riders are often disappointed by bikes the only have hand-grip pulse monitoring. It isn’t accurate enough to be useful.
- Basic Consoles: Like many other brands, Stamina uses simple LCD screens to show programming and data feedback. If you choose a more expensive brand, you can get everything from a full-color touchscreen to an exercise bike with web browser and endless workout downloads.
- Imperfect Machines: Quality control and packaging for some Stamina products could be improved. A small percentage of customers seem to receive bikes that were damaged during shipment. Some contained bike parts that weren’t made exactly right.
- Possible Wobbling: Some Stamina products are very lightweight. They wobble and especially when used at the highest tension levels.
Who Should Choose the Stamina Bike Brand?
The Bottom Line
Stamina Products, Inc. offers a varied lineup of home exercise equipment. It might be easy to dismiss this brand for its extremely low prices, but overall it gets great customer reviews. The price is right! See our individual product reviews to learn more.
