VersaClimber is a workout machine developed by Heart Rate Inc. Will the climbing-based workouts really change your life? Find out today in our VersaClimber review.
What is VersaClimber?
VersaClimber is a piece of workout equipment that involves “climbing” on a stationary machine.
The machine stands straight up and has two footrests and two hand-grips. You maintain contact with all four grips at the same time and make a “climbing” motion.
You move your left arm and leg up at the same time, then repeat the process with your right arm and leg.
The end result is faster calorie burning and a better full-body workout. It’s no secret that climbing is a very good workout. VersaClimber combines the power of climbing with the convenience of an at-home workout machine.
VersaClimber isn’t a new machine: it’s been on the market for over 30 years. The vertical climbing design is patented. However, we’ve seen recent competitors like the Maxi Climber and Steel Climber offer similar functionality at a similar price point.
Today, there are 10 official versions of the VersaClimber. Some are designed for high-performance, while others are designed to be used in gyms.
Some have variable resistance (you can adjust resistance between 0 and 500 pounds) while others have fixed resistance.
VersaClimber Features
Here are some of the features you’ll enjoy with VersaClimber:
- A combined lower and upper body workout (“it’s like having two cardio machines for the price of one”)
- Natural vertical climbing motion
- Faster workouts: while most workouts take 40 to 55 minutes, VersaClimber claims to offer the same results in a fraction of the time
- More effective at fat burning than ellipticals, treadmills, step machines, and bikes
VersaClimber Versions and Models
As mentioned above, there are 10 different versions of the VersaClimber, including each of the following:
-H Consumer Model ($2095): This is the most cost-effective VersaClimber unit. It’s designed for home users and is known for its smooth, silent operation.
-HP Consumer Model ($2195): This is slightly more expensive than the H Consumer Model, but comes with heart rate monitoring. All other features are identical to the H model.
-SM Sport Model: The SM is the fully-loaded version of the VersaClimber and comes with padded side hand rails, quick release hand grips, a seat mount bracket, cross crawl climb pattern, and more. Heart rate monitoring is included.
-CM Club Model: The CM Club model is one of the easiest VersaClimber devices to use. The company claims it’s 50% easier to use because it has a reduced step height (1-10”) and a larger arm travel distance (1-27”). This is the model you typically see at gyms and health clubs. Heart rate monitoring is included.
-CMA Club Model (Fixed Resistance): This model is a fixed resistance version of the CM model and is designed to be 50% easier to use while offering “unparalleled versatility”. Heart rate monitoring is included. There’s also voice guidance and a feedback module display. Fixed resistance means you cannot adjust the resistance – the faster you go, the harder your workout will be.
-SMA Sport Model (Fixed Resistance): The SMA includes all of the same features as the SM model, just with fixed resistance. It claims to be ideal for sprint training or workouts that require no resistance. Heart rate monitoring is included, along with voice guidance and a feedback module display.
-LX: The LX VersaClimber is the classic VersaClimber model, built with double-welded steel construction so it’s “tough and built to last”. Key features include the quick release straight hand grips and variable control resistance (0 to 500 pounds).
-LXP: The LXP is identical to the LX, but adds heart rate monitoring. All other features are identical.
-ALX: The ALX is the fixed-resistance version of the LX. It has all of the same features as the LX VersaClimber, but users are not able to control the tension. Again, you control the intensity of your workout by how fast you want to go.
-SRM (Sports Rehab Model): The SRM version of the VersaClimber promises to provide three phases of rehab, including non, partial, and full weight bearing exercise. It includes an adjustable seat, lower limb isolator, and other features specifically designed to accommodate rehabilitation treatments.
Who Makes VersaClimber?
VersaClimber is made by a Santa Ana, California-based company named Heart Rate Inc. That company makes a wide range of fitness and rehabilitation products.
You can contact Heart Rate Inc. by phone at 1-800-237-2271 or by email at [email protected].
In addition to the popular VersaClimber, Heart Rate Inc. sells other fitness products like the VersaPulley, VersaRower, and Exervibe (vibration machine).
You can buy all Heart Rate Inc. products through the VersaClimber online store.
VersaClimber Pricing
The VersaClimber H is priced at $2095 from the Heart Rate Inc. online store, while the HP is priced at $2195.
Prices go up from there. Typically, you can expect to spend $2,000 to $3,000 on your VersaClimber model.
What Do Customers Have to Say About the VersaClimber?
The VersaClimber is generally well-reviewed by customers and the fitness community in general. A quick search online shows that the VersaClimber is praised by everyone from MMA enthusiasts to rehabilitation specialists.
Here are a few of the notable reviews we found online about the VersaClimber:
-Mark Sisson, of MarksDailyApple.com, calls it “the greatest piece of exercise equipment ever invented” in his review. Mark actually set the (unofficial) world record for the fastest mile climb on a VersaClimber, a record he set back in 1992. He climbed 5,280 feet in 22 minutes, 40 seconds (a 232 feet per minute average). As Mark has gotten older, he’s turned back to his VersaClimber as a low-impact workout. He claims it’s better than a Stairmaster because it waits for you to initiate movement. On a Stairmaster, you have to keep up with the stairs. On the VersaClimber, it’s your job to push yourself and set the pace. You can read Mark’s full review here.
-Men’s Fitness wrote a review of the VersaClimber. That article cited Jason Walsh, C.S.C.S., a personal trainer who claims that the VersaClimber “burns more calories than anything else out there”. Jason teaches cardio classes exclusively with the VersaClimber and estimates they burn 600 to 800 calories in each 30 minute session. Jason praised the machine for being a no-impact workout, which is great for joint relief. He also liked that the machine has no speed limits or lag: the pedals and handles move as fast as you can push.
-Stack.com called the VersaClimber “the next big thing in training equipment” (despite the fact that it’s been out for 30 years). Stack’s reviewer claimed that VersaClimber beats the trend of cardio training being boring and repetitive. With the VersaClimber, you get a shorter, high-intensity workout. That’s something that’s attractive to anyone struggling to fit effective workouts into their busy modern lives.
-How did Peyton Manning win a Super Bowl at age 39? Manning’s in-season cardio machine of choice was the VersaClimber, according to this report from The Denver Post.
VersaClimber Review Summary
The VersaClimber isn’t as popular as treadmills, ellipticals, or bikes for cardio. However, it certainly has its niche enthusiasts.
The machine places the user at a 75 degree angle while you “climb”, moving the left and right sides of your body up and down, alternately.
The VersaClimber isn’t an easy workout: one personal trainer who runs a VersaClimber cardio class claims people burn 600 to 800 calories in each half hour session.
Most cardio workouts burn 600 to 800 calories in one full hour – which makes the VersaClimber’s intensity look very impressive (of course, you can adjust the workout and go more slowly if you like; you set your own pace).
There’s also the fact that the VersaClimber was the preferred in-season cardio machine of Peyton Manning. Obviously, that worked out well for Peyton, as he retired a Super Bowl champion at age 39.
Overall, the VersaClimber is well-reviewed online. It’s also priced competitively and tends to be more affordable than, say treadmills. You can find VersaClimbers available online or in-store for between $2000 and $2500.
