Best Balance Board Reviews

Are you looking for the best balance board that can help you become fitter and stronger or get better at the sports you participate in? If so, you’ll appreciate the balance board reviews and tips we have here so that you can get the most appropriate balance training equipment for your money.

A balance board is a panel you step on, and underneath it is a fulcrum that challenges you to maintain your balance. Physiotherapists have long known that using this can help patients recover from injuries and back pain, while many athletes incorporate its use in their advanced training regimen.

A quick comparison and overview of the products that we`ll discuss today!

  1. Fitter First 20″ Pro Rocker Board: It’s a mid-range priced balance board that is designed for newbies as it’s easy to use. It can most likely support your weight with its 400-pound capacity.
  2. Revolution FIT 3-in-1 Balance Board: It’s one of the latest products by Revolution. It’s made in the US and highly rated by users. It can be used by newbies to advanced users.
  3. Isokinetics Inc. Deluxe Balance Board: This is an affordable balance board that strong enough to support up to 300 pounds. It’s also more challenging because it offers 360 degrees of tilt and not just from side to side.
  4. Yes4All Non-slip Wooden Balance Board: This is also an economical option and it’s made of wood, not plastic. It also offers a 360-degree tilt that makes it more of challenge.
  5. Indo Board Balance Board: It’s the most expensive balance board in this list, but it sure is well-made, attractive, and effective. However, the 275-pound weight limit may be an issue for some folks.

With our reviews and tips, you can find out how to how to choose a balance board that will match your current skill level.

Reviews of the Best Balance Boards

This is one of the more popular tools that some PT experts recommend to get better after suffering from a broken foot or ankle.

Broken ankles are quite common due to sports, and every year about 260,000 people in the US are treated for broken ankles.

You can also this to help you start improving your balance, boost your reflexes, strengthen you core muscles, and challenge your focus. Despite the “Pro” in the name, it’s actually designed for beginners.

It’s a bit on the pricey side as balance boards go, but many who have used it consider it money well spent. Whether you’re going on rehab or trying to become fitter and better at your sport, this serves as a great introductory tool to the world of balance board exercises.

The rectangular board has 2 half-sphere fulcrums at the bottom that’s easy enough to adjust for different difficulty levels. It measures 20 square inches, so you get enough space for your feet.

Pro's

  • The board is heft and certainly well-built, and it can probably last for a very long time.
  •  It’s made in Canada, where the build quality standards are similar to the US.
  • It has a nonslip surface so that you won’t slip off. You can go on it with your bare feet.
  • It’s suitable for use by users weighing up to 400 pounds.
  • It’s extremely easy to pick an angle for the half-sphere’s on the bottom and to tighten them. It shouldn’t take you more than a few seconds, tops.
  • Lots of PT clinics recommend this, because lots of their patients don’t have any experience with balance boards. Great for seniors, users who are undergoing rehabilitation for knee, ankle and other leg injuries.

Con's

  • Since it’s also designed for beginners, athletes who want to use a balance board for advanced training may find this not challenging enough.
  • You may want to use this on a nonslip yoga mat instead of on your wooden floors directly. The board may slip on those wood floors if you’re not careful.

Need more details?

This comes with a board that resembles a skateboard, except there are no wheels. Instead, it comes with a roller, a cushion and a rocker.

For beginners, you can use the most stable option, the rocker to test out new exercises before increasing the difficulty level. The wobble cushion provides a 360 degree motion and it can be easily inflated. It’s difficult level depends on how much air there is in it. The rocker is the most challenging but great for advanced users.

The board is tough and durable, as it’s made from really strong hardwood. The top deck features a “Dura-Soft” grip that comfortably keeps your feet in place, even if you’re barefoot, wearing socks, or wearing shoes.

This one is more expensive than the previous recommendation as it’s made in the US. Besides, it’s made from topnotch premium natural materials as well.

Pro's

  • It’s designed to be easy to use for users of all levels. 
  • This is well made and will last for a very long time.
  • The weight limit is 350 pounds so it can take quite a bit of weight.
  • It features bombproof urethane roller stops on the base so you won’t have your board slip off while using.
  • It actually looks nice.

Con's

  • It looks like an oversized skateboard and a few users felt that it was too bulky to bring around.

Need more details?

This balance board resembles an upside-down UFO, or a Frisbee with a dome in the center. You stand on the disk, and the dome in the middle is on the ground acting as a fulcrum while you try to keep your balance.

 

This is a bit more challenging, since you now have to deal with 360 degrees of motion. You’re no longer limited to just balancing from side to side.

Also, you get an extra adapter half-sphere that can increase the difficulty level. The default angle is 10 degrees, but with the adapter it becomes 15 degrees for a greater degree of instability.

It comes with a 1-year warranty, which is somewhat surprising since it’s so affordable.

Pro's

  • The price is fantastic.
  • The hard plastic it’s made from is very durable.
  • The surface is quite grippy.
  • If you’re a beginner to balance boards, you may find it challenging, but not discouragingly so.
  • It’s very portable.

Con's

  • It’s not made in the US. Hence, its affordability.
  • A few may still find the “easy” angle still too difficult.
  • It supposedly has a 300-pound limit, but the plastic isn’t as strong as hardwood.

Need more details?

This is the most affordable balance board on the list, but it has received lots of rave reviews for its fine qualities.

Again, this looks like a Frisbee with a dome in the center. The dome is the apart that touches the floor, while you stand atop it trying to keep your balance while you’re 3 inches up.

While you can use this for rehab or for balance improvement, the design also makes it an effective accessory for strength building. You can rest your feet on this as you do sit-ups, or grasp the sides with your hands as you do pushups.

Pro's

  • It can actually support as much as 300 pounds. Many users whose weights approach this level confirm that the balance board really does hold up.
  • Despite its strength, the wooden board only weighs about 3 pounds. It’s certainly portable, since it doesn’t come in separate pieces.
  • The non-slip surface allows you to go barefoot on the board without slipping off.It can be used for lots of different exercises.
  • It’s affordable but the quality isn’t cheap.

Con's

  • The diameter of the board is only 15.75 inches.
  • There’s no way to increase the level of difficulty.
  • The plastic dome in the middle may damage your wooden floor. You may want to use this on a rug or a yoga mat instead.

Need more details?

Now this is the most expensive balance board on this list. However, this original board is the most versatile board in the Indo Board range.

Part of the reason for that is that the brand is famous, as it has been used by athletes since 1998. Long before the use of balance board became general knowledge in the general fitness community, athletes have been using it to improve their balance and reflexes.

What contributes to the cost is that Indo has made it that their balance boards look great. It comes in a wide variety of hip and cool designs that skateboarders, surfers, and snowboarders will appreciate.

It may even come blank, so you can design it yourself using paint pens or paint. Your purchase will come with a grip spray can that protects the art and also provides the grip for the top surface.

Pro's

  • Your purchase includes more than just the deck and the roller. You also get a 14-inch cushion, a workout poster, and an instructional DVD.
  • You have a choice of putting either the roller or the cushion beneath the deck board. One of these may have the level of instability that matches your current balance training skill level.
  • It has a rail on both ends of the board so your board doesn’t slip off the end of the roller.
  • It’s very long-lasting. Some users have had the same board for more than 10 years.

Con's

  • The weight limit is only for 275 pounds. Somebody at Indo needs to realize that the average weight of adults today has risen considerably since then, and that more men are heavier than 275 pounds.
  • It’s not easy for many beginners.
  • It’s expensive for users who just want to “try it out”.

Need more details?

The Case for Balance Boards

Perhaps you’re still not convinced about the real balance board benefits. That’s especially true if you already have a bosu ball. In the balance board vs. bosu ball matchup, both are similar.

So Why Pick a Balance Board over a Bosu Ball?

However, if you’re picking one or the other, you may want to consider the balance board instead. No, it’s not just because the balance board looks way cooler.

It’s because balance boards can be much more affordable. You can buy a good one for just $30, while a good bosu ball starts at about $80.

Also, balance boards are more portable. Bosu balls are just too bulky.

That’s where the looks come in. A balance board looks cool and hip, even if senior citizens are using it.

Benefits of Balance Boards

Here are some very good reasons why you need to consider using a balance board:

  • It improves your balance, so that you’re less likely to get a balance-related injury. For activities like skateboarding, this improvement comes rather handy.
  • It strengthens your joints so you’re less like to get an ankle sprain.
  • It improves your ability to control your body. This has a tremendous impact on your sports performance.
  • It helps develop your core muscles.
  • It can make you stronger.

Our Best Balance Board Recommendations

Any of these models can help you gain your balance back and boost your athletic performance. But which one is the best?

Our vote goes to the ​Fitter First 20″ Pro Rocker Board if you are a senior, beginner or using the balance board for rehab. It is a great starting board with 3 adjustable settings.

If you are looking for a balance board that you can use for long time, the Revolution FIT 3-in-1 Balance Boardis a great choice. It has everything you need: reliable durability, different levels of difficulty, and a non-slip grip on a sizable surface.  

If you need a good multipurpose board that athletes love, why not consider the Indo Board Original Balance Board? You can use it with the roller or cushion to match your fitness level. And it is great for cross training for surfing or board sports.

Photo credit: "DAYBREAKER SPORT PARTY. BALANCE BOARD" by Egor Slizyak / CC BY 2.0

Share this guide - and help somebody today!

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Pinterest

Fresh Marketplace Updates in your Inbox.

We don’t spam. This is 100% Goodies!