The MaxiClimber Classic is a low-impact vertical climber that facilitates a full-body workout. It weighs 33 pounds and arrives 90% assembled. Along with it comes a user manual and an assembly kit.
This vertical climber lets you address three areas of fitness simultaneously. It’s good for aerobic exercise, muscle toning, and resistance training, which involves using your body as the main form of resistance.
It engages all major muscle groups but has very little impact on your joints. Therefore, it is safe to use even if you have a history of knee or ankle problems.
The MaxiClimber Classic comes with a fitness companion, the MaxiClimber Companion Fitness App. This app allows you to digitally track your progress and gives you access to training programs, meal plans, and recipes. Even with its compact, apartment-friendly design, which includes wheels and a folding mechanism, the MaxiClimber Classic can still support up to 240 pounds.
In this review, we decide once and for all whether this vertical climber deserves a spot in your home gym.
Maxiclimber Classic Vertical Climber
Specifications
- Weight: 33 pounds
- Dimensions (folded): 28.3 × 15.35 inches
- Dimensions (unfolded): 28.3 x 35.82 inches
- Height: 5.5 feet (folded); 7.21 feet (unfolded)
- Max. user weight: 240 pounds
- Max. user height: 6’2”
- Other specs: Adjustable height, electronic fitness monitor, LR44 battery, companion fitness app.
Accessories:
Aside from the user manual, the assembly kit, and the LR44 battery that powers its fitness monitor, the MaxiClimber Classic does not come with accessories.
Warranty:
The MaxiClimber Classic comes with a 12-month limited warranty that covers defective parts.
Maxi Climber Pros and Cons
Pros
- Affordable
- Space-saving design
- Easy to set up
- Highly portable
- Easy on joints
- Offers access to training programs, tutorials, meal plans, and recipes
- Automatically records usage
- Decent customer service
Cons
- Poorly positioned fitness monitor
- Rollers are vulnerable when the climber is used improperly
Is The Maxi Climber Worth It?
The MaxiClimber Classic offers decent value for money to the home fitness enthusiast. In terms of how it’s made and what it can do, it’s a fitness device that’s worth investing in.
Its compact design makes it ideal for small spaces. It can go in the garage, basement, or attic with ease. Its ability to fold makes it even easier to store away. It’s clear that the MaxiClimber Classic is made to stay out of the way until it’s needed.
When paired with the app, the MaxiClimber Classic becomes very beginner-friendly. Not only does it offer step-by-step video tutorials and progressive challenges, but also meal plans and over 80 recipes. It does most of the prep work for you, which is what makes it ideal for people who have just begun their first fitness routine.
With all that in mind, who is this vertical climber best for?
Who should use the Maxi Climber, and why is it important?
Who is it for:
· For beginners – Full-body workouts sound intimidating when you don’t have a clue what to do. On a superficial level, the MaxiClimber Classic solves that issue by boiling down your activities into just one: climbing.
Climbing engages all the major muscle groups in your body, including the back, core, legs, arms, and shoulders. With adjustable resistance, you can perform cardio, tone your body, or even build muscle mass using nothing more than a vertical climber. As a bonus, you also get guided challenges, meal plans, and recipes because eating right is just as important as getting enough exercise.
· For people with bad joints – One of the reasons a vertical climber is recommended for everyone is because it’s easy on the joints. If you have bad knees or weak ankles, you can still use the MaxiClimber Classic to maximum effect without harming your joints.
· For busy people – It takes 45 – 60 minutes to get in a full-body workout, and that doesn’t include the time spent switching from one piece of equipment to the next.
People who barely have time to go to the gym will find this vertical climber very useful. A 15-minute session on the MaxiClimber Classic burns roughly twice as many calories as a session on a treadmill or stationary bike. Therefore, you can burn significantly more calories on this vertical climber than on any single piece of equipment at your gym.
Who is it NOT for:
· NOT for people with chronic joint pain – If climbing puts too much pressure on your knees, then the chances are good that the MaxiClimber Classic will do the same. Do not use a vertical climber if you have chronic bone problems like arthritis, as you could cause more damage to already weakened ligaments.
· NOT for people targeting single muscle groups – A full-body workout balances your muscle distribution and tone. However, if you’re only interested in toning your biceps, or training your quads singularly, then perhaps you’d be better off with equipment such as dumbbells and barbells. The MaxiClimber Classic targets all the major muscle groups, so you can’t focus on your arms or shoulders individually.
Maxiclimber Alternative
Sportsroyals Stair Stepper
The Sportsroyals Stair Stepper features a super stable triangular frame made from frosted steel, five height adjustment settings, and a 300-pound weight limit.
Compared to the MaxiClimber Classic, it appears more robust and reliable. The catch, however, is that it costs over $100 more.
Functionality
Both workout machines facilitate a full-body workout by simulating natural climbing. Both provide the same form of aerobic training and muscle toning. Both are easy on the knees and ankles, but only the Sportsroyals Stair Stepper explains its use of steel springs to lower its impact on joints.
Build Quality
On paper, these vertical climbers are nearly identical. However, the Sportsroyals stair stepper is slightly better due to its excellent build quality. Its robustness extends to its wear-resistant pulleys, which work noiselessly and far more smoothly for longer.
The MaxiClimber Classic glides smoothly and noiselessly too, but a lot of negative reviews suggest that its rollers are usually the first to break down.
Curiously, even though the MaxiClimber weighs a pound more than the Sportsroyals Stair Stepper, which weighs 32 pounds, it is the latter device that supports more weight. The stair stepper can support up to 300 pounds, sixty pounds more than the MaxiClimber Classic.
Features
Even with its sub-par rollers, MaxiClimber’s vertical climber has some significant perks. For example, its companion app, the MaxiClimber Fitness, makes life a lot easier for newbies and people in need of some direction.
That’s something that the stair stepper lacks but makes up for with a very detailed LCD display. It shows exercise time, calorie consumption, your climbing speed, and distance covered. The MaxiClimber’s display only shows the duration spent on the device. All the other stats must be fished for in the app.
Which is Better?
If you have less to spend, you’re obviously eyeing the MaxiClimber Classic, which is still excellent value for money. But, for $100 more, the Sportsroyals Stair Stepper seems to be the better choice, at least as far as longevity is concerned. It is built solidly, caters to the whole body, and protects the lower joints (knees and ankles).
The MaxiClimber Classic is still the better option for beginners since it comes with tons of guidance, tips, and tools to get your fitness regimen off the ground.
RELIFE REBUILD YOUR LIFE Vertical Climber
Even though these two vertical climbers function almost identically, the RELIFE REBUILD YOUR LIFE Vertical Climber has a much larger footprint. It measures 37.5 × 28 inches and is 85 inches tall. What’s more, it weighs 43 pounds—ten pounds more than the MaxiClimber Classic—but only supports 260 pounds max, which isn’t much of an upgrade.
Build Quality
The heavier RELIFE vertical climber offers reinforced components, including a thickened step plate and foot support rod. The package includes a tub of grease for its moving parts. The MaxiClimber Classic could also benefit from periodic roller maintenance, so it’s unlucky that it doesn’t ship with grease.
Functionality
The RELIFE vertical climber features more than one stabilizing mechanism. The first comprises two pairs of metal rail guides, and the second is the slightly inclined pedal that lowers the user’s center of gravity. These two systems keep it super stable when you exercise.
The most glaring difference in the design of these two vertical climbers is the lack of adjustable resistance on the MaxiClimber Classic. The RELIFE climber offers five levels of resistance: level 1&2 simulate stair-climbing, level 3&4 simulate hiking, and level 5 simulate rock climbing. Adjusting the resistance level has a notable effect on your workout.
Portability
Both climbers feature a foldable frame, which allows them to fit in tight storage spaces. The RELIFE climber will be heavier to lug around, but that’s only because it’s built from reinforced steel.
Which is Better?
Even though the RELIFE climber allows you to exercise more intensely, you’ll miss the convenience of a stat-tracking app such as the MaxiClimber Fitness App, which also equips you with training programs and tutorials. The supplemental training assistance provided by MaxiClimber is invaluable to fitness newcomers who want to do the right thing.
To that end, the MaxiClimber Classic is the better vertical climber by miles.
What Sets The MaxiClimber Apart From The Rest
Burns twice as many calories per workout
The MaxiClimber Classic uses your body weight as resistance to provide full-body workouts. Climbing engages pretty much all of your major muscle groups, including the all-important core and lower-back muscles.
The smooth gliding action allows you to maintain a consistent climbing pace to work up a sweat. It may not look like it, but this vertical climber is an excellent tool for aerobics and cardio exercises. Most users report feeling the burn after 5 – 10 minutes of working out. The intense cardio you get from using the MaxiClimber Classic is enough to help you shed weight consistently for as long as you use it.
Its compact design is a huge benefit as it is small enough for you to set up in front of the TV. Working out to your favorite shows or instep to music is a great way to liven up your exercise sessions. Since it only weighs 33 pounds, it’s not a hassle to move it aside when you’re done. If you’re looking to stay fit doing low-impact exercises from the comfort of your living room, the MaxiClimber Classic is one of the most affordable all-in-one home gyms to consider.
It has a low impact on the knees and ankles
The MaxiClimber’s smooth gliding mechanism plays an important role: it eliminates undue stress on your knees and ankles. Painful joints can make it impossible to work out, and it’s not advisable to exacerbate joint issues with high-impact exercises.
This vertical climber protects your lower joints from impact stress. It allows you to exert your major muscle groups to the max in a healthy, productive way without placing undue stress on weak joints.
Building muscle strength significantly reduces joint issues, so the MaxiClimber Classic can help you nurse bad joints back into good health. Older individuals will find that it has a more gentle start than most vertical climbers, which allows them to pick up the intensity at a safe, gradual pace.
Arrives pre-assembled (mostly)
Setting up the MaxiClimber Classic is a simple process. It arrives 90% pre-assembled, and in the box, you’ll find a compatible assembly kit and a user manual.
It takes less than five minutes to screw on the remaining 10% of the vertical climber with the provided tools. You don’t need professional help or hour-long tutorials to figure it out.
This design means that you can get to exercising almost right out of the box and that if anything breaks, you’ll know where to start looking.
It folds down conveniently for storage
Even though it fits comfortably in small condos and apartments, the MaxiClimber Classic can get even smaller thanks to its nifty folding mechanism.
Folding the climber shaves about 20 inches from its footprint and 2 feet from its height. It locks into place when folded, so you can secure it onto vertical storage devices if you’re short on space.
This compact design is complemented by its manageable 33-pound weight. It makes it easy to move around, so even if you have to set it up every morning, it won’t feel like a chore.
Can support fairly large individuals
The MaxiClimber Classic can support individuals weighing up to 240 pounds and measuring up to 6’2” in height. It’s important to get workout equipment that can comfortably support you. This vertical climber will comfortably support relatively big people, but it’s vital that you don’t push its weight limit.
The device’s weight capacity also ensures that it stays stable through vigorous exercise. It’s not safe to use an unstable vertical climber, especially if you’re trying to avoid damage to your knees and joints.
Comes with the MaxiClimber Fitness App
The MaxiClimber Fitness App is definitely the cherry on top, the one feature that makes this vertical climber unique from others in its price range.
With the app, you can access:
- High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) programs: these special cardio exercises allow you to burn great amounts of calories in very little time.
- Progress tracking: keep up with your most important stats, including steps taken, time spent on the climber, and calories burned per session.
- 21-Day Maxi Challenge: take part in a community-wide fitness challenge designed for whole-body fitness and get guidance from tutorials and workout enthusiasts.
- Meal plan: learn how to eat well in order to stay fit or build muscle mass with this tailored meal plan.
- 80+ recipes: get all the help you need to reach your fitness goals, including over 80 recipes for delicious meals, snacks, and smoothies to keep your body fueled.
- Customized routines: once you conquer the 21-day challenge, you can access up to four customized routines and work out the way you want.
- Fitness coach on-demand: you can access on-demand video coaching through the companion app, a useful feature for beginners that need lots of guidance when getting started.
It’s quite helpful to have an app like this when it’s your first time using equipment like a vertical climber.
Bottom Line
Once you get lost in the technical details and features of exercise equipment, it’s easy to forget that the number one consideration for most people is cost.
Owing to its pleasantly low price tag, you’ll find it easy to ignore other MaxiClimber alternatives if you lack a flexible budget. It gives you the same full-body workout you’d get from slightly more expensive exercise equipment and all the guidance you need when starting out.
It equips you with workout programs, some of which are customizable, meal plans, recipes, and an on-demand trainer. When all is said and done, the value imparted by this vertical climber exceeds its price tag, making it a sound purchase for first-time buyers of full-body fitness equipment.
If you’re wondering if the MaxiClimber Classic is a good fit for you, consider its user-friendly design and the helpful app it comes with. Even a complete beginner can quickly learn how to make full use of its affordable but reliable functionality.