Precor EFX 883 Elliptical Review, Pros, Cons, & Comparison
Precor EFX 883 Overview
To get and stay fit, people generally need to keep moving. Whether that is through core exercise, running, hiking, swimming or any other number of activities, the movement needs to happen. However, as winter approaches across the northern hemisphere, it becomes harder for people to access these activities. Thus, people turn to the type of exercise you can get indoors.
Except there’s now a different issue with indoor exercise. Many gyms are shut down or limited thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it hard to get the normal routine in. Thus, people have turned to exercise equipment. Elliptical machines in particular have been one of the options that many have chosen, with Precor’s 800 series being one of the best.
Today we’re going to look at the Precor EFX 883 home elliptical. This is one of the highest priced ellipticals in the 800 series, and we’re going to see if it’s worth that price. Whether it’s the monitor, warranty, size or other elements, we’re going to take a look at each element and spell out what it offers. Then we’re going to give you our opinion on just how much the EFX 883 is worth in regards to its actual price. Once that is done, it is up to you to decide whether or not our evaluation is correct and if the elliptical is right for you. So with all of that out of the way, let’s get into our review of the Precor EFX 883 elliptical!
Precor EFX 883 Review and Specs:
First up are the specs of the EFX 883. After all, it’s important to know the shape, size and weight of the machine before you can plan to place it somewhere in your home. And once you place it, it won’t be moving around very much, as the Precor EFX 883 elliptical machine weighs a mighty 340 lbs (154 kg). This is only 10 lbs (4.5 kg) less than the tested maximum weight of the elliptical, which sits at 350 lbs (159 kg). This is rather rare, as more often than not, the more a piece of exercise equipment weighs, the more weight it can bear.
It’s also a rather sizable machine, so you won’t be taking it on vacation with you. It’s dimensions are 80 inches (203 cm) long, 30 inches (76 cm) wide and 67 inches (170 cm) tall. With the Personal Viewing Screen (PVS) installed, that height is increased to 82 inches (208 cm). Combined with the weight, this makes for a pretty sizable piece of equipment. It can’t be folded like some other ones either, so it will stay this size once assembled. There are wheels on the front of the EFX 883, which makes it moveable, but it’s more likely that most people will want to keep it stationary once delivered.
As for how the EFX 883 is powered, you’ll need to have it at least somewhat close to a power source. In international countries that use 240 VAC outlets, the elliptical is customized to make sure that it can be compatible with them. For the United States and Canada that use 120 VAC, there are also models for those systems as well. The power extends to both the elliptical and the PVS.
Precor EFX 883 Elliptical Monitor
The monitor of the Precor EFX 883 cross trainer (and it’s close relative the Precor 885) are both quality pieces of equipment. One of the first elements you’ll notice about the monitor are the customization options on offer. Regardless of what language you speak, there’s almost certainly an option for you. English, French, Chinese, Korean and Russian are included in the 11 language options. For the statistics that you can track on the monitor, you are able to switch (or stick with) measurements in either metric or the U.S. standard.
Speaking of those statistics, you shall find no shortage to keep track of for your long-term fitness goals. You can look through the resistance level, total calories burnt, average speed, total distance travelled and 16 other statistics as you get running. Even if you aren’t particular about the more in-depth ones like the elapsed time in a zone, it’s still nice to have the options available. In addition to these statistics, there are also 22 different preset workouts available through the monitor. Various hill climbs and interval training are included, allowing you to do so much more than simple manual modes.
You’ve also got the option of tracking your heart rate with the Precor EFX 883 elliptical machine. The inner stationary handlebars have sensors on them that will display an estimation of your heart rate during or after a workout. If you are particularly interested in knowing exactly what your heart rate is through a chest strap, the EFX 883 can work with that through telemetry. Overall, the monitor on the EFX 883 is one of the nicest we’ve seen thanks to the options on offer.
Precor EFX 883 Stride and Incline
One of the elements of these more advanced ellipticals is the incline that they come with. While more basic machines have a fixed incline, the ones in the 800 series can be adjusted for even more workout customizations. It’s the same case with the Precor EFX 883 elliptical trainer. The minimum level of incline sits at 10 degrees, while it can go all the way up to 35 degrees. You can set this incline before (or during) a workout manually in order to experience them.
There isn’t any sort of “smart” technology that will make the incline adjust as you workout. During preset workouts that simulate hills or mountain climbing it will adjust those incline levels, but that is about the only situation. It does this through the “CrossRamp® Technology” that features with all of the 800 series of Precor ellipticals. However, the Converging CrossRamp® tech that is available allows for users to adjust their natural stride to the one they are using on the machine, which is unlike anything else on the market.
The stride length is another important factor that we should cover. After all, people have various stride lengths and it’s important that the EFX 883 elliptical can accommodate those. The stride length of the EFX 883 elliptical is 21 inches (54 cm) at the minimum incline. At maximum incline, the stride length is 25 inches (63 cm). This should give the majority of users plenty of room to find a natural stride length and match how they want to exercise comfortably. The same rings true for the incline system as well, as most users should find that these systems are smooth to operate and will cause few headaches before, during or after exercise sessions.
Precor 883 Handlebar and Pedals
The handlebars and pedals are up next, since these will be the elements that you would be interacting the most with on the elliptical. Like the other “8X3” models in the 800 series, the Precor EFX 883 elliptical trainer has 2 stationary handlebars instead of the moving arms that many people picture when they think of elliptical machines. There is the inner pair, which contains the heart rate sensors that we mentioned earlier. Then there is the outer pair that you are meant to hold onto during the workout sessions. This outer pair does the job, though it does rob the user of being able to work their upper body alongside their lower one.
The pedals of the EFX 883 are the exact same that is fitted on every other 800 series elliptical. They are designed to be oversized, with the polypropylene material that they are made out of allowing users to clean them fairly easily. For those who doubt that the “oversized” description would fit them, the exact dimensions are as follows: 16 inches (40.6 cm) long and 8 inches (20.3 cm) wide. These should fit the vast majority of users, with maybe a very tiny amount unable to get comfortable while standing on them.
It is rather unfortunate that the handlebars are not moving arms, as we would otherwise have zero issues with them. They are well made and comfortable to hold onto, but they could simply be better. The pedals, similarly, are of such high quality design that there is very little issue to be had. For an elliptical of this sort of cost, you would hope this to be the case and we’re glad to report that it is.
Precor 883 Accessories and Assembly
Once again, there’s very little difference between the Precor EFX 883 elliptical and the other ones in the 800 series. You have one accessory and one accessory only. There is a little open space that sits right underneath the handlebars/monitor that acts as a holder for a variety of objects. You can stick your phone or tablet there for entertainment, or place a water bottle there for mid-workout hydration. We’d probably recommend the latter, as the angle just doesn’t really work for watching TV or YouTube.
The assembly process should not take very long, even for those who are not traditionally handy at that sort of thing. The manual that comes with the EFX 883 gives you step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the elliptical. It’s really not a hard process at all and that benefits everyone.
There isn’t a whole lot to comment on the accessories of the EFX 883, simply because there aren’t a whole lot of accessories here! We’re actually rather pleased with this, as it means that Precor put more effort into the core features rather than little bonus bits. The fact that they also made the assembly process easier than the vast majority of ellipticals (thanks to the manual) is also something that should be praised.
EFX 883 Warranty, Price, and Shipping
Finally, we arrive at the point that we have hinted at over and over again in this article. What exactly is the price of the Precor EFX 883 elliptical cross trainer? For those hoping for a bargain, we’ve got some bad news. This machine costs right around $9,900. While you can pay it off with payments as low as $320 a month, this is an absolute ton of money.
The cost might not be ideal, but the warranties that come with the EFX 883 are most certainly. If every single elliptical had these sort of warranties, we could never complain about them again. The Residential Warranty has a lifetime warranty on the frame, a 10 year warranty on the parts and 1 year on the labour. The Commercial Warranty has 7 years on the frame, 2 years on the parts and 1 year on the labour. For more information on warranties and customer service, you can visit their site here.
As for shipping, you’d receive the EFX 883 in one rather large package. The dimensions of said package measure out to 85 inches (216 cm) long, 30.75 inches (78 cm) wide and 28.125 inches (71.4 cm) tall. It’s weight remains extremely heavy, weighing 396 lbs (180 kg). Shipping should take too long. Just make sure there’s no global pandemic going on to slow it- wait a second.
Precor EFX 883 Elliptical Pros:
- In-depth Customization: You’ll get to pick your language, stat measurements and workout choices thanks to the abundance of options you have on the machine. Anyone can enjoy such a variety of choices.
- Fantastic Warranty: Even if the EFX 883 does break (which is highly unlikely) you are almost guaranteed to get a replacement part or some sort of help from the warranty. We cannot praise this enough.
- Masterful Monitor: You can do just about everything with the monitor. From the aforementioned customization to keeping track of the stats, you’ll get to work just about every element of the elliptical from one spot.
Precor EFX 883 Elliptical Cons:
- A Silly Price: You could buy many cars for less money than the EFX 883. Even other ellipticals in the 800 series offer a better money for value option.
- Large Size & Weight: Make sure you have a place to put this machine, as you won’t be moving it around much once put in place thanks to the size and weight.
- Immobile Handlebars: You won’t be able to get a full-body workout on this elliptical, which is not great for the price. Nearly 10,000 for a machine that purely works your lower body seems a bit of a stretch
Final Verdict
While the Precor EFX 883 elliptical is a great piece of exercise equipment, it is very hard to recommend. It is just so expensive for what is on offer. Even the EFX 835 offers a better value for money in the 800 series. The fact that you can’t work out your upper body for nearly $10,000 is simply ridiculous. We recommend looking elsewhere if you are looking for one of the top-tier ellipticals. However, if you are determined to get this elliptical in particular, you’ll find that it will certainly do the job for your lower body.
| Review | Image | C.C.R | Price | Capacity | Display | Stride | Programs | Incline | Charger | Metrics | Handlebars | Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precor EFX 885 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 340 lb / 154 kg | P82 - 15" Touch Screen | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 22 | 10-35° Motorized | Yes | Workout Metrics 18 | Moving & Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 883 | | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 340 lb / 154 kg | P82 - 15" Touch Screen | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 22 | 10-35° Motorized | Yes | Workout Metrics 18 | Only Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 865 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 340 lb / 154 kg | P62 - 10" Touch Screen | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 22 | 10-35° Motorized | Yes | Workout Metrics 18 | Moving & Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 863 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 340 lb / 154 kg | P62 - 10" Touch Screen | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 22 | 10-35° Motorized | Yes | Workout Metrics 18 | Only Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 835 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 330 lb / 150 kg | P31 - LED Display | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 15 | 10-35° Motorized | No | Workout Metrics 18 | Moving & Fixed | 720 Watts |
| Precor EFX 833 |  | Yes, With Converging Cross Ramp | Check on Amazon | 330 lb / 150 kg | P31 - LED Display | 21-25 in (54-63 cm) | 15 | 10-35° Motorized | No | Workout Metrics 18 | Only Fixed | 720 Watts |
