Side by Side Comparison of: Exerpeutic vs Amazon

It does the job, I read all the reviews before I purchased it. On of the complaints was poor packaging. Sure enough once it arrived I opened the box, the product inside was all over the place and the backing of the main board was ripped. I called the manufacturer, they said I had to call Amazon. I did, they where helpful even though the rep was out of the Philipines which at times language is a barrier or customs on how we deal with complaints in the USA. After a long back and forth, they wanted to send me a replacement board, I thought that was nuts. The shipping costs would be higher, that what I was asking as a credit. After i don't know how long, the person on the other end of the line agreed to give me a partial credit, and credited my account. I was satisfied with the result. Now to the product.I have used it for several weeks, and the only challenge I have with this while hanging upside down, the pressure on my feet gets pretty intense. I only do it for 10 minutes. But really hurts my foot since it is holding my total weight. I wish the padding was better. But for the price, I was not willing to purchased a unit that was 300 or 400 dollars more, and accomplishing the same results, which is to release some of the pressure on my spinal cord. That part is doing well. I am glad I bought this. So, the company was eager and willing to send me a replacement board no questions asked, and I thought cost wise it did not make sense to me. I wish the packaging gets improved and this hassle would not have taken place. Thanks to all of you who write reviews. They are very valuable for the final decisions and hopefully the manufacturer will review them to help them in the future.

Let me preface this review by saying the following:
This quick fact review will be about the table itself, not the benefits of inversion (You aren't reading this for no reason, you've decided to purchase an inversion table).

-This was fairly easy to assemble. I was intimidated upon opening the box, but it's fairly simple and all tools needed are supplied. This was a worry for me, but don't let it be what keeps you from buying this table.
-This take really is as sturdy as other reviews claim. I was worried that at this price point I would end up with something I didn't trust (and you need to trust this thing 100%), but I am confident that this is a solid and durable machine. Everything fit together perfectly.
-Doesn't take up nearly as much room as I thought it would. Sits by my bed in a small 1 bedroom apartment and I can use it there no problem . It does fold up to a certain extent, and fairly easily, but seeing as how most people will want to use this multiple time a day, I think the fact that it doesn't need a whole lot of space completely set up is more important. But it would fit in a small closet or under a bed of needed.
-Padding seems high quality. Like a vinyl wrapped weight bench with padding under it. Very comfortable.
-I don't have anything else else to compare it to, but the bar/ankle support seems like it's a lot more comfortable than it could have been I'd this were lower quality. You will need does with this though, or you will lose circulation in your feet. I was able to relax my legs and ankles all the way, if kind of wedges your feet in place. This was nice because as soon as I did I felt a better more full stretch run down my back.

All in all I have no complaints! Please see attached pictures. I tried to highlight how compact the unit was, the foot/ankle holders, and a glimpse of the solid build quality. Please click below if you found this review helpful!

Ok, so I searched everywhere for an inversion table being tired of constant back pain. I searched online at a popular listing site my friend Craig made, hint hint, and basically used ones ran between $80 and $250 dollars. My girlfriend suggested a popular sporting goods store and I found this same unit with some good reviews so I quickly went to amazon.com to read more/all about it. What's there to say? Amazon had it at the same price as the popular sporting goods SALE price and both had to be ordered by mail so I went the amazon way with free 2 day shipping. It arrived 3 days after I ordered it.

Before I get into the review, I used it for 5 minutes, pain left! I used it again, it left again. I just finished it and im so excited im doing this review. I'm going to use it regularly and I'm sure I will continue to improve.

1) Extremely well built. Rock solid large square steel tubing, why get one made with thin 1" tubing? Notice the round tubing models have squared plactic corners riveted on. When the pop rivets get loose and plastic corners wear and pop off, you will regret it.

2) $109.00 delivered, why buy a used one made of round tubing?

3) Nice padded table not cheap fabric or plastic.

4) Extremely well packed. Took me 25 min to assemble. Very easy. 10 bolts with nuts and washers.

Assembly in short!

Pull the frame out, open it, slip in the removable lock pin to lock it in place. This pin is the one you pul later out to fold it. Pop in two rubber bumpers.

Slide in the left handle bar, two bolts & nuts, right handle bar, do same.

Pop the table on, 4 bolts nuts washers. One person can do it. Just have two bolts ready. Slide table on, insert bolt on one side, forget the nut and washer, it's just temporary to hold it in place. Wiggle table to get bolt in other side, pop that in place. Now put the remaining bolts in completely and securely with nuts and washers. Go back and put the first two bolts in with washers and nuts.

Pull out the foot rest, pull out the t bar and turn 1/4 way aligning the lock holes with lock pin and pop back down. Slide foot rest bar which slides in and is held in with 1 bolt nut and washer. Slide ankle bar and again 1 bolt nut washer and spacer. Slip ankle rests till it snaps in its groove, lock tabs outwards. Slide foam pads and pop in plastic end caps. Now slide completed assembly into the table and lock.

That's it!

Now , should the pop in plastic buttons that keep the foam rollers from sliding out come off, the foam rolless can slide out causing foot to come out. The foam fits snug but in time can loosen. If you wrap the tube with cloth friction tape (hardware store) then slip the foam rollers, I can assure you they never will slip off. When you pop your feet in, use sneakers, pull pin and pop the foam rolllers down tight! To release it, pull the lock pin and tilt your feet up as if you are trying to tip toe, this will easily pull the foam rollers away since they are spring loaded, then release the lock pin holding them away. Slide feet out!

In response to another reader and his comments of not going fully inverted, here is my response.

If you built it wrong by putting the handle bars and table backwards yes, it won't go inverted, heck no where near inverted. I don't think you did that. But sorry, correctly built the table does go 180. Now the bar is needed simply because if it weren't there, and the foot height set up incorrectly, putting the user too high on the table, then it could swing fast, way past inverted which would cause the user to swing past 180, dropping lower and hit his head causing injury. So the bar is needed for safety. Now could it have been designed to go just a few degrees past fully inverted, yes, is it needed, NO! At full inversion I can twist fine, the table slightly touches my back but that makes no difference in the way it helps or workout. You cutting that bar and reweld in it made the table potentially unsafe if set up wrong and you basically hacked it. You're picky and basically foolish on an otherwise perfect table. The strap is not needed as I don't want to stop before going inverted. Again set up right, you can limit how much you swing by moving your arms. The foam slip on pads can slide off when worn or should the plastic end caps pop off, wrapping some sticky friction tape on the bar before sliding the foam pads on will definately prevent this.

My first thought was that these things are stupid. I had a friend tell me for years that his inversion board, chirocrippler, and dead chicken ceremony were the greatest thing ever. I ignored him. Then my doctor actually started telling me to use an inversion table. I ignored him for a year too, but finally broke down. Laying there on the bed hurting again all I could think was, well I guess I could try it. I grabbed my handy iPad, read some reviews, and hit the super duper send it silly fast button.

Big box arrived on time and in good condition. It was heavy too. I thought that was somewhat ironic, but hey better that than a box full of plastic. Opening it up I had some trepidation having just spent an eternity putting together a shed with half a billion screws, bolts, and pieces and the worst instructions known to man (like the one on the last page that says, "NOTICE: Before doing anything else..."). The device lay there in the box all wrapped in plastic, cardboard, and foam. In fact it was probably the best wrapped product I bought in a long time. None of the metal parts were rubbing against anything. The one place where metal was likely to rub they had carefully inserted a 1-inch square of cardboard to keep that from happening! Everything was well sealed and put into the package in a way that pieces wouldn't slide around. Obviously this is a company that actually cares about how the product looks when it gets to the customer.

The instruction manual was (mercifully) thin and not printed in 18 dialects from inner Papua New Guinea. My sense of dread grew knowing that thin manuals usually mean frustration. A package of tools, screws, and bolts also came out of the box. Interestingly enough the tools were not the cheap pot metal tools so typical for installation. You know the kind, the bolt "wrench" becomes a "bent" and the hex tool strips and becomes a round tool on the second bolt. Nope, these are actually good steel. Moreover the screws and bolts were not just thrown in a bag together. Rather they were in separate compartments marked with which step they were to be used! Hmmm...could it be?

Yep. Following the manual was simple and straight forward. The device went together quickly and without any missing parts, mis-fitting parts, or blood loss. More importantly to me I never once put a bolt or screw in and then found myself pulling it back out again because the directions misdirected me. Everything came with washers and the appropriate nuts had nylon inserts to keep them in place. The drawings in the manual were simple, but not too simple. At one point I commented to my son that we must have been doing something wrong because it all seemed to be going well. Once all the parts were on I adjusted the safety strap (intelligently designed to allow you to limit how far the device inverts), tightened the bolts, and got ready to climb on.

Now here's the deal. I am a big guy. 6'4" and 270 pounds (but I've been on a slow weight loss plan for the last few decades...). The specifications for the device said it would handle me and being that I would prefer not breaking my back again I double checked everything to be sure it was going to hold. No worries. Solid steel, strong bolts, good design. I adjusted the foot rest (a very simple process) and proceeded to climb on and invert. The balance was good and the oversize handles were really appreciated. I went slowly not wanting to experience throwing up while upside down (think about it...). I experienced only minor dizziness and that only because I was laughing like an idiot while my son was making fun of my incredibly red face while all the blood flooded to my head.

Coming back up to vertical was smooth, simple, and safe. No problems there either. I made a few more adjustments and started playing around with what would work best. A few observations: First, wear socks and preferably shoes. A towel set up to help cushion your feet might be helpful too. Hey, your feet aren't designed to hold you that way and the pressure can be uncomfortable. A little adjusting and working with it and you'll be fine. Second, go SLOW. Flipping up and down is good for a laugh (or a screech) but unless you are a 4-foot olympic gymnast you will not be used to it. Take your time. Third, similarly, when you come back up give your ears a half minute or so at vertical again before wandering around. Fourth, you do not have to go completely inverted to get the benefit of the device. You can go 20 degrees or 45 degrees for a week or two and still get a good stretch and a lot of benefit. I like to invert for a minute or so and then work back to a less severe angle which allows me to stay on the table longer. Fifth, if you just ate a huge spaghetti dinner (diet? what diet?) you may experience a tad bit of indigestion as your entire digestive track is turned upside down. Waiting an hour after eating before flipping upside down seems a wise precaution.

So does it work? Well that depends. First, not all back problems are the same and so no treatment is a one-size fits all solution. If your doctor says it will work for you give it a shot. If you're making a wild shot in the dark then for the price it may be worth it for you. I have disc problems and muscle problems. In my case it's simply an issue of traction and fighting gravity to help relax the muscles, realign the bones, and let things slide back to where they belong. The board doesn't "fix" the problem for me, but it definitely helps alleviate the problem. I feel much better using it and it is destined to become part of my daily routine for the rest of my life. In my case a bit in the morning helps straighten me out and relax the muscles after a long night and another session in the evening helps make up for a day of abuse. I'd also say it's important to do basic exercises. There's an old book called "The Bad Back Book" which I'd recommend picking up that covers the exercises well without a lot of garbage.

Last night was one of the big tests for me. I dread impending storms since apparently I am now a walking barometer. A storm was coming in and I jumped on the board for a 20-minute session hoping that I could keep from limping around for a day. Sure enough it snowed last night and this morning I feel amazingly well after my morning session.

I can't imagine a better purchase. The price was one of the best. The features were all there. The company obviously cares about their product. It works for me. Honestly, I thought I would have paid twice as much for this good of a product. In case you're wondering, no I will not be performing the dead chicken ceremony too...

I wanted to write a review because I'm sure there are people, like me, who already know how awesome inversion tables are and just want a review on the table itself and not the outcome of using it. I did my research on over 15 different tables between $90-120. I have to say my research paid off with this table. It came packaged well, fit neatly in the back seat of my 2009 Acura TSX (had it delivered to my work since I live in an apartment) and took about 45 minutes for my boyfriend to put together. It feels very sturdy and the backboard is made of memory foam as advertised (comfortable). The feet holders are comfortable as can be (you will almost always have ankle pain with any inversion table with all the weight put on them-just put padding around the ankles). Also, adjusting height/ankle width is very smooth (I've used ones where it sticks and you need a helping hand). Overall, the most important thing to me is it feels really sturdy and is overall very good quality equipment for the price. I'm really happy with this table!!

This inversion table is lightweight and easy to put together. Some of the connections are a bit loose and rattle a bit (the handlebars and foot support), even when tightened all the way, some rubber grommets might help that(?). The markings on the height adjustment are inaccurate, I am 5'2" and find that I have to set it for 5'4" or my head would hang off. It does invert smoothly and I can teeter easily and slowly once I got the hang of it. There are no angle markings anywhere so to set the angle, you just eyeball it. The only way to lock the angle you want to invert at is via the strap under the board, which is a bit of a pain to get it adjusted and you have to do it before you get on it. It does the job I got it for, and it does not take up a lot of space and can easily be folded to get it out of the way, which is the other reason I chose this one. It says it has a weight capacity of 300 lbs, it seems sturdy enough, but might be narrow for larger people. For less than 100$ it seems to be a good buy so far. I use it daily and it serves the purpose. If you are looking for more bells and whistles this would not be for you.

High quality inversion table. The set up instructions are fairly clear. A second person was necessary for me to set it up. This incredible table seems well built and balanced. The ankle holders are comfortable. My only complaint is that I wish there was more head rest space for support when inverted, but this does not impact function significantly

I purchased this product to help with low back stretching/ inversion. I've been told pros and cons to traction and the cost of an inversion table appeared such that it was worth a try. I'm 6'2" and a medium build. The table fits my needs just fine. The only complaint I've managed to find about the quality, construction or use stems from the carabiners. The one linked at the top sometimes fails to fall properly when returning to an upright position and thus the table structure will rest against it instead of the rubber stopper. It's a very minor inconvenience but worth noting if they had included like a ring instead of the carabiner to link the adjustable strap, it would have taken care of this issue. I've had much shorter people try the table with ease in adjustment and function. Lastly, of note, my head does hang slightly off of the table despite having the unit set for my height. This appears to be intentional by design but thought it may be comfortable for a longer time with proper head/ neck support. For the money, it's a good buy and I'd buy it again. Good luck with your needs and I hope this review helps.

I've only used my table a few times so wont comment on whether it has helped my condition significantly at this time (Spinal stenosis) which causes lower back leg and calf pain as well as causing me to limp when I walk.

The table however is a really good product for the price, it is sturdy and quite comfortable to use. The handles are excellent and provides an easy way to feel secure that you wont be stuck with no way of pulling yourself up. I'm not great with assembly but my son (grown in his 20's) did it for me relatively quickly, we weren't rushing. I was sure to test while he was around which is recommended, but I would have managed easily either way. This is my first inversion table and I really didn't want to purchase some expensive, this is a product I would buy again anyway. Not many bells and whistles but who needs that, the board has comfortable foam padding. Be sure to adjust to your height correctly, a good feature and adjust the foot bar to hold you securely. I was able to almost let go and relax my foot (i.e not actively hold my foot to the bar), keep at least a hold on the handle to be safe though.
Everyone adjusts to the experience differently, I had very little issue going all the way but I did it the first time gradually, I am able to stay for about 4 -5 minutes and come back and repeat. I will continue and hope it helps my condition, if it does I will write again.

This is a lot of table for the money. Very sturdy, good welds, easy to put assemble. I go t this primarily to help with sciatic pain.
Cons: I snapped a bolt during assembly. Would have preferred better quality hardware.
Table will not fully invert. Gets you to about 150 deg, you can then push yourself to about 170 deg but your back will still be resting against the table.
Foot rest isn't stable but doesn't seem like it will break.
The handles mount is a somewhat loose fit cradle. I noticed this during assembly and realized a simple shim would stiffen them up. Any 1/8" shim material will work 1.5" X 2.75". You don't really need this but it will prevent the handles from loosening during use.
More expensive tables might be very useful if you need the extra features, like quick locking tilt and arch support. But those cost at least 4 times more.
Real test will be if I am still using this in 6 months, if the pain is controlled or if I notice any other benefits.

Update: 6 mo later and I use this every day. Why didn't I buy one of these 20 years ago. Wrapping towels around the foam ankle supports makes them more comfortable.

Very clear instructions for assembly. Went together easily. Having a lot of trouble finding the balancing point. Struggle to get back up when inverted. Instructions say to adjust height, which I have done in both directions, but it still will not balance. Whole body slips 4-5 inches when going from standing to inverted.

The biggest down side to this table is the lack of a head rest. My head sits about halfway over the top, and I'm only 5'9". That makes it uncomfortable to use for more than about 10 minutes. Foot pads are not very comfortable, need to be padded better. It is well built and sturdy.

Heavy and awkward for a "foldable" table Need two people to move and use due to bulk and heaviness. Disappointed in purchase!

You get what you pay for. This table gets the job done, but it is certainly lacking in some qualities. I feel like my 3-star rating is pretty fair and I'll try to explain why.

The main sticking point for me is the part where the feet go in. First, the bar that I stand on is wobbly, no matter how well I tighten the bolts. I feel confident that it won't break off or anything, it's just kind of annoying. Secondly, the padded bar that goes across the tops of my feet just doesn't have enough padding. The tops of my feet get quite sore from hanging upside for even a few minutes. I feel like there could be a much better design to strap in a person's feet, and even the shin area. I don't think the ankle joint is meant to hold a person's entire body weight as they hang upside down. There are times that I have to keep my feet flexed while I'm hanging, because if I relax completely my ankles get sore. This issue should be fixed with a better way of strapping in the feet to allow a person to completely relax without putting so much pressure on their ankles/tops of feet. If a person has to flex their feet, then part of their body is still tense, and they're not getting the full benefit.

That being said, this is one of the lowest priced options for inversion tables. I believe that decompression therapy is very helpful, and this table does it's basic job of allowing a person to safely hang upside down and decompress, just don't expect to be very comfortable while doing it. I recommend wearing tall socks, and even adding some extra padding to the bar that goes across the top of the feet. I simply duct taped a folded towel and it helped.

Bottom line: This inversion table has been helping my back pain, and I will continue to use it with my added padding to help with the foot/ankle pain.

First off, I will not let the fact that the product showed up in a box that looked like badgers had been attacking it. This also resulted in some parts being damaged. I am still awaiting feedback and replacement from the manufacturer. So now the review. Went together very easy; directions were straight forward. I suggest you use your own tools, the ones provided are like all of the other ones in these types of products, ok, but good tools work best. Got it together in 15 minutes all by myself. Works well, my only area that is an issue is the ankle comfort. This in my experience with most of these inversion tables. For the money it works good and it does the job.

LOTS of little bits of styrofoam all over the inside of the box upon opening (a real pain to clean up). Lots of pieces to put together but not a difficult build. Use your own tools as the ones provided make things go a lot slower. THE ONE REAL PROBLEM: The screws used to hold the back board onto the frame; two of the four BROKE off while tightening. What? Are you kidding me?? That's what holds this together! So, we had to replace with our own screws. Did all fours as we didn't trust the other two to stay in one piece. NOT what you want to worry about when you're hanging upside down!

It's also REALLY awkward to move and the "folding down" doesn't really fold down all that much so it's a space hog. Probably should have thought twice about this buy. Hoping my back feeling better will make up for the minuses involved.

It's an imitation of teeter hang-ups, but it does not give full 100% inversion, basically making your back to rest on the support-bench. Only full-inversion actually gives the required stretch. Returned it.

It doesn't rotate to a full vertical position - what kind of inversion table is that?

Find difficult to adjust to it. Takes some time. Hopefully I"ll get it figured out. John

This inversion table hurts my feet/ankles when I hang because it doesn't provide enough contact. I regret buying this table. If I ever buy another one, I will be sure to find out about the quality of the mechanism that holds my feet. The quality of the rest of the table is top notch. It feels very stable and easily supports my 210lbs. I do have a muscular build. The directions could have been a little better but nothing too horrible.

Edited: Received message (see below) from manufacturer saying they would replace broken bolts (read the other reviews guys, the bolts are an issue). After some back and forth and jumping through hoops the most recent email from them says I am no longer under warranty but I could purchase the repair pack!!! Wow! Really?

Originally we loved this product. Very easy to put together and use. My daughter has had two back injuries and it helped her during the recovery periods. Unfortunately one of the bolts broke (the head came off) within a few days. Just last night another bolt broke. Now, she only weighs 117lbs and I weigh 140lbs, so weight wasn't the issue. Now I'm stuck trying to find bolts that will work. I can forgive one broken bolt, but two shows inadequate hardware.

Was very happy to receive quickly & immediately opened & began to put together. First, plastic piece on foot bar was cracked & pieces in bag with it - couldn't of happened in shipping. Not too hard to assemble...when ready to put last part together - the FREAKING ADJUSTABLE BOOM KNOB WILL NOT BUDGE ''. Now what??

This was delivered damaged. I got it from the warehouse and didn't expect manufacturer packaging but I did expect the pieces to be in tack and not just rolling around in the bottom of the box all broken. There were no directions included either. Unfortunately it was so damaged that we didn't even get it together to try it out. I'm sure it would have been a great machine but I wasn't impressed enough to order another one.

The low resting feet part was badly rusted, paints was fell off out the box, I took the picture if you like to see them. All accessories were completed

The Exerpeutic Inversion Table arrived inadequately packaged, it's flimsy cardboard box showing daylight through it. As I assembled it, I found more and more scratches and gouges from shipping. Had I seen this in a store in this condition, of course I wouldn't have bought it, at any price. As for the performance: it is well built, sturdy, and strong. But it's weak link is the ankle holders. They are improperly aligned, so that when you invert to the table's full capacity (not quite fully inverted, by the way) this design literally starts to dislocate ones ankles. The people who have mentioned their own painful experience with this in their reviews are telling the truth. My advice is to save your money until you can afford the good one, that one on TV with the older guy leaping in the air with youthful vigor. I have tried his machine since this debacle, and it is worth every penny if you are serious about long term inversion.