Stamina Stepper Folding Stair Stepper

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.

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 am 5'10 and 225 lbs. and am very impressed with this machine. I have only had the machine for 2 weeks now, but am very happy with the workout I get and the construction of the unit. I am used to working out in the gym, but recently had major surgery on both shoulders. Because of this, I have been out of the gym for a year. In the gym, I lift weights for an hour and then spend another hour on the stepmill. Because of the surgeries, I have lost alot of muscle and had my metabolism slow down because of the inactivity. I bought this so I could workout at home and to try to lose the 25 lbs. that I had gained due to forced inactivity and affects of pain killers. I use the machine for 25 minutes in the morning and another 25 minutes in the late evening. I start to sweat after 10 minutes and am soaked with sweat by the time I am finished. So far, I have lost 5 pounds, am eating more and sleeping much better. I am hoping to get back down to 200lbs in the next few months, so that I will be gym ready after completing physical therapy. So far, so good... I did read that some had complained about defective shocks on their units. If this does happen, the company will replace the set, for the first 90 days. The warranty for the frame is 1 year, but you would have to be a serious lardo to break the frame! They list the max weight capacity at 250lbs., so if you weigh more, this machine may not be for you. Some others complain about the machine making noises, which is nothing more than loose screws. This is not a problem if you are willing to spend 5 minutes on maintenance every so often. The truth is, that this is the best machine I have ever seen for the money! For $100, you get a sturdy machine that really works and a 1 year warranty on the frame and 90 days on the shocks! If you have a problem before then, you're covered! If the shocks do break after 90 days, you can purchase another set from the company and your stepper will be like new! It's affordable, effective, convenient and folds away in 30 seconds when you're done! I just don't see the downside here!

I've been using this thing a few times a week for about a month now. I was skeptical at the price, thinking it'd be flimsy and not provide a good workout. I was really pleasantly surprised at how good this stair machine is. I started off with the resistance at max, which was a mistake because it limits how fast the treadles descend and makes the pace slow. So I moved the resistance all the way to the minimum and after 25 minutes, I'm sweating my butt off. Even at the lowest resistance, it takes a minute or so to get going because the pistons need to warm up, I guess. But they loosen up quick. The whole time I'm on it, it feels very solid and stable. The little console does a good job keeping time and pauses automatically if I hop off and then resumes when I get back on, so no cheating. If I had any complaints it would be 1) the pistons get NOISY after about 20 minutes of use making a squeaky, hissing noise when they get warm and 2) the little cotter pin that you remove to fold it down doesn't fit back in the hole when it's collapsed, so I worry I'm going to lose it. The noise is annoying but not terrible. And I'll get some string to tie the pin to the machine...

When I first got the stepper it sat in my garage for a while. I finally set it up in the spare bedroom. Prior to using this, I had been using a ProForm combo incumbent bike/elliptical for years. I used this stepper within a 14 day period at 15-30 minutes at a time. I alternated between the SciFit StepONE (at the local gym) and the ProForm (home gym). At first I really enjoyed it. I started to notice on the days that I used Stamina Easy Step my lower back and legs started to hurt and eventually started to tingle and my left knee started hurting. I changed the seating level and checked my posture but it would continue to cause me pain and discomfort. I noticed that My ProForm didn’t cause me discomfort but the padding on the seat made my rear hurt. I did not have any issues with the SciFit StepONE. I did ask my mother and my son to try the Stamina Easy step out. I am 42 and 5’ 9”. My mother who is in her 60’s at 5’ 4” complained she felt the seat was odd and felt like she couldn’t get a comfortable seating. My son who is 12 at 5’ 4” said he didn’t have any issues. They did not have any issues on the ProForm. They did not use the SciFit. After a period of debate I decided to return it because it was not comfortable and believe that was what in the end contributed to the discomfort while using it. Did it work? Well. It was a challenge but I compared it to be an even challenge to my ProForm. The two compared to the SciFit —couldn’t compare. The SciFit is a $6000 professional health grade equipment. Could someone else use it? Possible. I am curious that my son at a younger age didn’t have any issues. Many of the reviews on this stepper were positive which contributed to my desire to purchase it. It is made with quality parts. I am not a fan of battery operated exercise equipment because if you are not careful the batteries can go bad. The display uses two AAA batteries. The display could be set to do count downs and specific settings. I was impressed by this because usually when I come across smaller computerized displays they are basic. This one was basic but had a lot more features to it. The resistance knob is easy to use and sits below the computer. The overall workout is good. It challenges you and makes you sweat. I did find the front handle had grease and surface rust spot on it, which I show in the photos. The bars do not protrude out past the width of the stepper but the handles do. When using the stepper the handles to come back far and I felt like they get very close to the body. At times I like to read or watch my phone or tablet. There is no place to put a book, phone , or tablet on your lap or in front of you. If you do the handles hit the item in your hands. There are no grips around the seat if you just want to sit and work your legs. You options are to put your hands in your lap and sometimes the handles would catch me and smack into my wrists. I would still recommend it to at least try. I have a feeling this product will be hit or miss for some people.

Could not get a part to fit in a bracket and called the phone no. supplied in case you have issues with ASSEMBLY. Get a message "customer service is open from 8 am to 5 pm", then get another message "no one is able to take the call and LEAVE A MESSAGE of your problem and they will call you within 24 to 48 hours". To my supprise Amanda, cust. ser. rep. calls me back a few minutes later. I tell her what the issue is and she wants me to send a video or a picture. Putting this thing together was NOT EASY. The reviews are on two different pieces of equipment and most of them say it was easy but you need to look at the equipment they purchased. The Folding Stepper is what the reviews are on, NOT THE Active Aging EasyStep which is what I purchased. I'm 76 and I have put all kinds of funiture, lawn mower, BBQ grill, and installed ceiling fans and ceiling lights with little to no problems. Putting this thing together was AWFUL. I tell Amanda I do not have a cell phone and if I did I would not be able to take a picture because I would need TWO MORE HANDS. She tells me she is sorry but without a video or at least a picture she could not help me. The part I had issues with was the tension control and in my oppion this should have been done at the factory to insure that it is working correctly. Anyway I hang up and very frustrated with NO HELP FROM THE COMPANY and leave it all sit in the livingroom unassembled for the evening. The next day I dig in again when my Physical Therapist came for my session and I ask her if she could help me with it. We sat there with me for about 45 minutes both of us fighting with a cable that was so short to fit in a bracket that tightened the tension. It took FOUR HANDS to work in a space of about 2 inches to connect this cable. I would love to see the C.E.O. of this company put one of these together. To ANYONE CONSIDERING THIS ITEM -- make sure you have experience in assembly of various items, believe me you will need that experince AND have someone else on call because you will need more than 2 hands. AND REMEMBER YOU WILL HAVE NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. Because of sheer determination i got it together but I cannot recommed the product because the assembly instructions in general were not well presented and no parts list, to the buyer who may not have any experince in assembly. Therefore I rate this Company and product ONE STAR.

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 got this for my mother. She has been using it for a couple of months now and she loves it. She says it's very similar to SciFit recumbent stepper she used to use at the gym, minus the $6,500 price tag! Our only three complaints are: 1. It's very difficult to adjust the seat if multiple people will be using this. It's not an issue for us because my mother is the only one who uses it, but I would imagine it being frustrating if both of us needed to use this machine. 2. It comes with a clock, but it isn't a timer like the traditional timer on gym equipment. Honestly, we still haven't figured out how to use it to keep track of how long she's been on the machine. We ended up just using a clock or the stopwatch on her cell phone. :-\ 3.Assembly is doable. But it isn't the easiest thing I've ever put together. I found myself re-reading the instructions multiple times. I would say it took me about 3 hours to do it by myself. But those are relatively minor issues, and I wouldn't let any of them stop me from purchasing or recommending this product. For the cost, this is a wonderful piece of equipment. It feels very sturdy and high quality. It is quiet. It has wheels so that you can move it easily. My mom said it was the best gift she's ever received!

I have ordered this product from amazon and it arrived in 2 business days in Vancouver , Canada. Great.The machine is very durable : thick metal bar supports u foot step. Machine is easy to use and assemble. I toned my buttocks and back and front leg muscles very fast, just 10 min workout every day. Very happy. Thank you. Natasha

Love this for keeping me moving and burning calories. No impact on my "senior" knees, and very quiet machine.

Il est très bien fabriqué. Solide et agréable a utiliser. Le seul point négatif est le bruit causé par les amortisseur lorsqu'ils sont chaud après quelques minutes d'utilisation. C'est tout de même endurable. Je suis un homme de 5'7 et 175lbs et il n'a aucun problème à me supporter puisqu'il est fabriqué solidement. Il est vraiment sans égal pour le prix. Très facile d'utilisation et facilement pliable pour économiser de l'espace, génial. Je le recommande sans hésitation.

Relatively a good piece of equipment. Easy to assemble, like 30 minutes with good instructions. Magnetic resistance is reasonable and produces a good work out. Only issue is feet could lock into place to provide more stability for feet.

I dont like cardio. The only thing I liked cardio wise at the gym was the stair master. This little stepper gives me the same burn and cardio as the stair master. Worth every penny. Great quality. I do this for 20 minutes every morning before my weight training.