By Paul Kendrick, Cardio & Endurance Editor · Updated 22 September 2026
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This never affects our ratings.
Folding cross trainers are rarer than folding treadmills or rowers, and for a good reason: the linkage that makes an elliptical move naturally is long and awkward to hinge. Most machines that claim to fold only tip up on their wheels. The pooboo frame actually folds, and at £349.99 it's one of the more affordable ways to get a full-size elliptical that disappears into a corner between sessions (YOSUDA sells a compact folding model for about £270, but it takes up far less space because it is a much smaller machine).
That's the reason to buy it. The rest of the spec sheet is average for the price, and the Amazon listing has some problems we'll get to, including two different weight limits.
How we review
This review is based on the manufacturer's Amazon UK specification, verified owner reviews, and comparison against the other sub-£500 cross trainers we've covered. Where the listing contradicts itself, we've said which figure we trust and why.
Someone in a flat or a small house who wants low-impact cardio and can't give up a permanent 1.25m by 0.75m patch of floor to a machine. If the spare room also has to work as an office or a guest room, a folding frame is the difference between owning a cross trainer and not.
Low impact is the whole argument for an elliptical over a treadmill. Your feet stay on the pedals, and research on elliptical training found the foot carried roughly 70 to 81 percent of body weight even at higher resistance and incline (study on elliptical trainer parameters), whereas every running footstrike loads the leg with a multiple of body weight.
Check price on Amazon£349.99The frame folds down to a much smaller upright footprint, and transport wheels let you tip it and roll it into a corner. Pooboo doesn't publish a folded size, which is an annoying omission, so allow for roughly the full 158cm height and about half the length. It's a heavy machine and this is a job for flat floors rather than stairs, but it's a fold you can do every day rather than a one-off storage feature, and that's what you're paying for.
The frame uses thickened steel tube, and it's a rear-drive design: the flywheel sits behind you, which usually gives a flatter, more walking-like pedal path than front-drive machines at this price. The 7.3kg flywheel isn't heavy, but it's enough to carry the pedals through the top and bottom of each stride without a dead spot at moderate cadence.
| Stride length | 39 cm / 15.5 in |
|---|---|
| Flywheel | 7.3 kg / 16 lb |
| Resistance | 16 levels, magnetic, manual knob |
| Drive | Rear drive |
| User weight | 350 lb / 159 kg (title claims 400 lb) |
| Unfolded size | Approx 125 x 76 x 158 cm |
| Folding | Yes, with transport wheels |
| Console | LCD: time, speed, calories |
| Apps | Kinomap, ZT Smart Fitness (Bluetooth) |
| Power | None required |
A 39cm stride is where folding costs you. Non-folding rivals at a similar price reach 42cm (the Aeriflo M100) or 47cm (the MERACH long stride), and that extra length changes how the machine feels, because the hip has to extend further and the glutes do more of the work.
Pooboo says the machine suits users up to 6ft 5in. We don't believe a 6ft 5in person will enjoy a 15.5in stride. A normal walking step for someone that tall is far longer than 39cm, so the pedal path cuts it short and the motion turns into a shuffle. At 5ft 8in or below, it's fine.
We mention the translation because it matters for a £350 purchase. Pooboo's Amazon description drifts into German (you'll see "Senioren" and "Fortgeschrittene" in the bullets), and the weight capacity reads 400lb in the title and 350lb twice in the body. None of that changes how the machine rides, but it suggests the brand hasn't put much effort into its UK presence, and after-sales support is where that usually shows. Keep the box for the first 30 days so you can use Amazon's returns window if anything is wrong.
If you have the floor space permanently, the Aeriflo M100 is the better machine for less money, with a longer stride and a heavier 8kg flywheel. The Dripex 3-in-1 adds climber modes but doesn't fold. If you're choosing between cardio machines generally and space is the deciding factor, a folding rower packs smaller still; we compare the two in rowing machine versus cross trainer. The whole category is ranked in our best cross trainer UK guide.
Check price on Amazon£349.99The Amazon listing contradicts itself. The title says 400 lbs, while the detailed description twice says 350 lbs (about 159kg, or 25 stone). Treat 350 lbs as the real limit, because the lower figure is the safer one and it's the one repeated in the specification text.
Yes, which is the main reason to buy it. The frame folds upright and integrated transport wheels let you tip it and roll it to a corner. Unfolded it measures roughly 125 x 76 x 158cm, so check you have that footprint plus clearance for the moving handles before ordering.
For users up to about 5ft 8in it feels natural. The listing claims it suits people up to 6ft 5in, but a 15.5in (39cm) stride will feel clipped for anyone over about 5ft 10in. Taller users should look for 46cm or more, which in practice means a non-folding machine.
No. Pooboo says it needs no external power, and the magnetic resistance is set by hand, so you can put it anywhere in the house without an extension lead.
Pooboo lists Kinomap and ZT Smart Fitness over Bluetooth. They record your session and show scenic routes, but resistance is set on the machine, so the apps cannot change your level during a workout.
The machine arrives around 80 percent pre-assembled and pooboo quotes about 30 minutes to finish it. The box is heavy, so get a second person to help move it before you start.
Five cross trainer workouts with exact timings and resistance cues, from a 20 minute beginner session to intervals and a reverse-stride glute session, plus form tips and common mistakes.
An honest Aeriflo M100 elliptical cross trainer review covering the 42cm stride, 8kg flywheel, 16 magnetic levels, 150kg capacity, Kinomap and Zwift support and who it suits.
An honest, in-depth review of the Reebok ZR8 cross trainer covering build quality, resistance, console, who it's for, and whether it's worth the money in 2026.
An honest Viavito Sina elliptical cross trainer review covering the 9kg flywheel, 15 inch stride, 32 resistance levels, real assembly effort and who it suits.
Best Exercise is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. This comes at no extra cost to you and never influences our independent reviews or rankings.