Fitness: The equipment

Ab Lounge XL ($210, 1-800-376-8924, www.fitnessquest.com). The mesh chair mimics the motion of a jackknife sit-up. The DVD has an 8-minute low-impact aerobic warmup and then 12 minutes of ab exercises and stretches. CR says a full jackknife done on the floor provides a better workout. A good range of motion but not much better than a floor mat.

Urban Rebounder ($150, 1-800-927-1662, www.urban rebounding.com). A mini-trampoline for bouncing, aerobics and running in place. A removable safety bar is included. CR says the Rebounder offers a good cardiovascular workout, although it recommends a 45-minute regimen three times a week, not the 15-minute regimen suggested by Urban Rebounder.

Leg Magic Professional ($180, 1-800-421-6011, www.buylegmagic.com). A horizontal sliding track to work the butt and thighs. The DVD workout includes 1-minute bursts on Leg Magic as well as lunges and crunches. CR's testers felt the burn inside their thighs but nowhere else. Most said they wouldn't buy it.

TREADMILLS

The top-rated nonfolding treadmill is the Landice L7 Cardio Trainer ($3,000, 1-800-526-3423, www.landice.com). The Vision Fitness T9200 Simple, pictured, ($1,300, 1-800-335-4348, www.visionfitness.com) was rated a "best buy" for quality and price. A folding treadmill called the Epic View 550 ($1,300, 1-888-308-9625, www.epicfit.com) was also a "best buy."

ELLIPTICALS

The top-rated elliptical is the Precor 5.31 ($3,700, 1-800-347-4404, www.precor.com). The NordicTrack AudioStrider 990, pictured, ($1,000, 1-888-308-9616, www.nordictrack.com) was rated a "best buy."

JOHN EWOLDT