Sunday, 11 July 2010
Fitness Ball - ball chair, stability ball
I had a shipping problem with my ball, and I also ended up with the wrong size. Max Fitness went the extra mile and met all of my needs with 100% integrity. They were pro-active and gracious.
I also love the ball. One qualification for those of you considering getting a ball. The size of the ball may depend on not only your height but what you are using it for. In my case, I'm 6' tall and I use the ball to do Core Exercises as taught by Gunnar Peterson and the 65 cm ball is definately too small for me. The 75 cm ball works for me, and I'm completely satisfied both with it's quality and the excellent service I received from Max Fitness in the process.
You can't go wrong with these folks. Max Fitness 75cm Exercise Ball with Foot Pump (Black)
I bought this item to use as a chair replacement, which means it likely gets used more often than if for exercise. I bought this items a month ago and have used it almost daily since. To date I have not had to reinflate the ball and it has been sturdy and comfortable. The enclosed pump didn't inspire a lot of confidence but actually worked just fine, and given the fact that it may not require a lot of use, should be suitable for the life of the ball.
I like this ball now that I have it set up- it's great for stretching and even as a chair. However, when it arrived it had an oily residue all over it accompanied by a terrible chemical smell- maybe I'm just oversensitive to these things, but it was really overpowering. I washed it as best I could, and the smell has faded over time, but avoid this product if you have any sensitivity to smells or chemical.s
The rubber in this exercise ball is much thicker than others I've purchased, so I can see why it's listed as anti-burst. The included pump was helpful as well. As indicated in the instructions, the ball didn't seem to blow up that much initially, but after letting it sit overnight, I was able to add more air. So far I'm very pleased with it.
I used a standing bicycle pump to pump up the balls -- still took about 15 minutes per ball. I also sprayed them down with soap and put them in the shower for 10 minutes in an attempt to remove the plastic smell, which worked. I let them hang out for a day at 3/4 full and then pumped more air into them to reach 75 cm. I alternate between the ball and my chair at my desk which works well. It took a little tweaking to get it to the right height.
This thing holds up to my weight which is 318lbs w/o flinching. I lift weights on it, so its really holding a lot more than that. It is quite strong. The pump they give you with it though makes it take a LONG time and a lot of energy to fill up, its nice if you have your own pump.
I've been using this ball as a computer chair since it arrived a few days ago. Really feeling it from my abs down to the tips of my toes.
Two not so great things about the ball are (1) the material it's made of bonds to paint if it touches a painted surface for a few hours and (2) it is extremely difficult to remove the air plug when you need/want to adjust the air pressure. The latter especially is a design flaw I hope the company addresses.
Just received this a couple of days ago. I did not notice an odor as other reviews mentioned. The ball is made well and I'm not worried about it bursting. It is hard to get the plug out to refill. The pump works too.
I've ordered and returned 2 other stability balls, but I'm keeping this one.
I was very pleased overall with the ball I received, as it was easy to inflate with the included pump, surprisingly sturdy, and came as advertised.
However, as a few other users have noted, the ball has a VERY strong chemical smell after it's been taken out of its packaging. I closed it up in another room with the windows open for a couple days, then washed the whole inflated ball in the shower with dishwashing liquid, and those two steps reduced the smell by about 90%. Hopefully in time it will disappear completely -- I wouldn't have used the ball at all if the smell hadn't gotten better gradually. It makes me wonder what kind of chemicals the thing is outgassing and if they're safe. MaxFitness should either deal with this issue by de-scenting or washing the balls before they're shipped, or by addressing the issue in their instructions.
Other than the smell, the ball has been great and everything I hoped for. - Fitness - Stability Ball - Ball Chair - Exercise'
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