FED Fitness Stair Climber Machine Ultra: My Honest Review

Destini Moody
Jul 11
4 min read

Recently, I received the incredibly generous gift of a FED Fitness SC2 Stair Climber Machine Ultra to have in my home. If I'm being honest, I was a little reluctant to accept such a gift in my 800-square-foot home, but was so surprised by my experience and I'm excited to share with you all what I found. Below, you'll find my thoughts and rating on my very first home fitness machine!

Delivery & Assembly

I was shocked when we got this thing put together in literally under an hour. I had set so much time aside in preparation for it to take half the day, but we didn't come anywhere close due to most of the machine being pre-assembled upon arrival.

Please note though, it is VERY heavy upon delivery. I was not home when it was delivered, and it requires a lift machine to move around, so getting it into the house was a bit of a challenge.

We ended up taking the individual pieces out of the box and carrying them inside individually which eventually got the job done. So, you would do well to let the delivery guys bring it in while you're home to save yourself the trouble. Once that part's over, getting it put together was quite simple, especially for a gal that struggles with things as remedial as IKEA nightstands.

Delivery & Assembly Rating: 9/10

Ease of Use

My almost immediate impression of using the Stair Climber Machine was how few buttons there were to decode...which is a good thing! Many stair climbers in the gym have multiple settings, make you put in demographic information like your gender and weight before you can even begin, and make the workout a confusing experience rather than relaxing.

I also love how there's a USB port on the side of the screen in case you want to charge your phone or other electronics. And the emergency stop button is super visible and immediately effective which would be perfect for moms that hear that sudden silence coming from their kids in the other room.

With FED's machine you can get the workout started almost instantly with setting adjustments that are easy to find. I had zero issues getting going!

Ease of Use Rating: 10/10

Noise Level

This is typically a concern with home gym machines, especially if they are placed in common areas like the living room (like mine is!) If you keep the setting relatively low, which is about the speed of a leisurely climb, then the sound the machine makes isn't super noticable. However, as it starts to get to an intensity you may reach if you want to break a nice sweat, it gets quite loud.

This wasn't a huge issue, but I did prefer to use mine while I watched TV which resulted in me having to turn the volume up a good amount to hear over the sound of the machine. I would keep this in mind when you're deciding where to place the equipment in your home.

Noise Level Rating: 7/10

Space Utilization

This is what was the most pleasant surprise. I love stair climbers, but never thought my home could accomodate such a thing. I thought that was reserved for the ultra elite who had massive 10-bedroom homes with super high ceilings. However, it fit perfectly even in my modest home without making my living room feel cramped or crowded.

I'm 5'3'', but even if I was a foot taller I'd still be able to use the machine without being too close to the ceiling. I've also got it tucked in the corner where I can still see the TV without it being in the way of the foot traffic of the family room, even with two pets running around.

Space Utilization Rating: 9.5/10

Value for Price

As I said, I always filed home gym equipment in the category of "not nearly rich enough for all that, but dream big, kid!" So, I couldn't believe the accessibility of the price of this thing! I was honestly floored. And the low price doesn't mean low quality.

I believe the price is so accessible because there aren't all the bells and whistles you typically see with these machines that aren't always even necessary to get a good workout in. To be honest, I got the same quality workout with this non-professsionally installed machine than I would if I had gone to the gym.

That said, the price could definitely still be out of reach for some budgets, but for the permanence and quality of this stair climber, you would be hard pressed to find a better deal.

Value for Price Rating: 9/10

Overall Rating: 8.9/10

I have kettlebells and free weights at home that I use here and there, but nothing close to a home gym. With this stairclimber, now I feel I can tell others I practically have one! I'll be honest, I'm a gym rat at heart and love my little trips to my local LA Fitness, but this stair climber was a welcome addition to my home for its convenience alone. Try out FED Fitness SC2 Stair Climber Machine Ultra and see for yourself!