Customer Reviews

Teeter Hang Ups Gravity Boots

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I tried a couple of inversion tables but found that they weren't very comfortable on my ankles. Note: It is important to only buckle these gravity boots as loosely as you can without slipping out of them for maximum comfort (transfers pressure off achiles tendon and onto heal bone.) You can use these gravity boots with some inversion tables, but If you have the strength/coordination you may find that hanging from a bar (teeters brand) allows for more options (more hip/body movement.) Scientific studies have shown that traction is of questionable benefit, so I never bothered to persue inversion as the mechanism at play is obviously traction. However, recently, after many many years of back pain, I've started a program of inversion. I find that out of all the things I have tried (of which there are a great many), the inversion is probably the most beneficial. It hasn't cured me by any means, but it has provided some improvement. I think one thing to stress is that it is not sufficient to simply invert and lay still. Rather, it is probably much more beneficial to alternately contract the abdominals in a way that shortens your spinal length by aprox an inch or two. As if you are trying to pull your belly button up into your pelvis. or pelvic bone down into your belly button, perhaps? Do this every five or ten seconds. Not only will this strengthen your abs, but it will also fatiuge your stabalizing muscels so as to more fully stretch the spine (the abs, if not fatiuged, probably limit the stretch, as they are trying to protect the spine and hold it in place.) Also, by contracting and relexing the abs, you are likely expanding and contracting the disc space, moving fluid around the connective tissue (which has no real blood vessels of thier own.) Lastly, by doing these contractions, you may in effect be loading and unloading the spinal ligaments, which might strengthen them the way a bicep is strengthened by contracting and relaxing through bicep curls. There are many people, myself included, who believe that weak ligaments are the primary culprit in many lower back problems (even if bad discs are present....ie, many people have bad discs without problems, as shown by MRI studies.) In my case I believe it is my Sacroiliac joint ligament (si joint dysfunction.) I'm quite convinced that my improvments are not placebo in origin, as I was quite pessimistic about trying this (due to studies on traction that had me convinced this was fairly futile.) In addition to the abdominal contractions, I'd also reccomend do full inverted situps, hula type hip rotations while inverted, try to stretch the front of your hips (flexors) while inverted, and also twisting and side bending motion. It is probable that all this motion and stretching while inverted ads flexibility and elasticity to the connective tissue as well as moves fluid around. I invert twice a day for ten minutes each time.

Being a bodybuilder, I hoist heavy weights all the time; a major stress especially when it comes to squats. I ordered the boots when I realized I had shrunk to 5'10.5" from being 6'0.5". I was thusly very happy when after approximately 5 weeks of hanging (5 times a week, 10-15 min intervals) that I am nearly back to my original height (6' 0.25"). I highly suggest this product as a supplement to good [emphasis on good] chiropractic care.
To those who have/will order this product, don't be discouraged if it seems to hurt your back at first; that's totally normal because your back is trying to readjust while the discs [which cushion the vertebrate] start rehydrating. Also, it will take some time to find the strap tightness that's right for your legs. Generally, tighter on the top strap and looser on the bottom is a good combination.
p.s. Hang from a real pull-up bar and make sure you have someone to spot you if you are not strong enough to pull yourself back up the bar to unlatch yourself.

I bought these about a year ago when I threw my back and was in bed for almost a week.

I found information about Vax-D Therapy where they put you on a modern day rack system to stretch your back. I was getting ready to schedule an appointment when I found other people saying to save your money and buy an inversion table.

The Vax-D was prohibitively expensive so I started looking into Inversion Tables. I was trying to figure out where to put an inversion table when I remembered the old "Gravity Boots" from the 1980's.

Space was an issue so I decided to try these boots instead of the table.

I ordered them shipped Next-Day because I was desperate.

I used them 3 times a day and the next day I already felt better. I felt so much better that I thought the boss would think that I made up the bad back story to miss some days at work.

In about 3 days I was almost back to normal.

Working a desk job, I really should use them every day and I only remember to use them when my back starts hurting again.

I don't use the "Removable calf loops" anymore, but they were great when my back was out, since I actually held on to them to pull myself back up.

This is not for the Faint-Hearted so people who whine about them not being safe should just buy an inversion bed. This would be much gentler for them and much easier to use too.

Don't let the plastic construction fool you. These things are very sturdy, very comfortable and very safe. -- I've never felt that they would give out, break or come loose on me.

I highly recommend buying the Inversion Rack -> Teeter Hang Ups EZ Up Inversion Rack

I kicked myself for getting it -- You don't want to go through the trouble of finding an alternative way to hang from when this you could've bought that rack in the first place.

I took the time to write this review because I'd like other back pain sufferers to know about this option that they can do at home at their own time.

Again, if you're not scared and you still have the stamina to pull yourself back up when you're done, these are Highly Recommended.

If you're scared, get an inversion table and save yourself the doctor or chiropractor bills.

I got these along with the conversion bar for use with my teeter inversion table. I am getting over a broken foot so the stock method that the teeter inversion tables use just hurt my foot too much to use so I figured the boots were the way to go and so far I'm not disappointed.

First off these things are very comfortable. Ive used a body-solid brand of boots and these are far more cushioned and comfortable than they were. The key is to get them adjusted right when you use them. They don't need to be tight at all, just snug and they are great. So for comfort they get an A+.

Ive seen reviews that say these boots don't fit larger than average lower legs. I really don't get this, I have decent sized calves and they fit easily. I cant imagine how big your lower legs would have to be to make these too small but I will just point out that there's a weight limit on these and if they are too small you might want to check out the scale and make sure you can use these safely at your weight.

A few negatives. First off the things sort of feel cheap. They are just plastic and I guess to hang upside down Id of felt a little better to see some metal parts on there. The body-solid boots seem a lot more durable in that regard, the hooks and the fasteners are both metal and it gives more confidence in the durability. On these the hooks are plastic, the body is plastic, the fasteners, they just don't inspire a lot of confidence. I'm sure they will hold up because they aren't going to sell something that wouldn't but Id just say there's more durable options out there.

Overall I'm happy with them, they are comfortable enough to feel no discomfort while inverting and that's the idea. I use them with an inversion table with the conversion bar but I'm sure they are just as good with any of the bars they sell to hang on.

I bought a pair of these in 1992 for training purposes. They worked great until last year when one broke. No big deal since they lasted as long as they did under extensive use, ~15 years! I am 6'2" 220lbs. and these babies survived a lot of punishment for a while.

I just recently purchased a new pair because there is nothing like inverted crunches to chisel your abdominals. The other plus is that they really help to decompress my spine after workouts. Great simple tools that last a long time are always good in my book. Enjoy!

Boots looked like they would work well and were made well. They do not work with the EP-950 however. I noticed small print in manual after I had purchased them that declared that. I tried everything I could think of to get them to work but to no avail. According to the manual the conversion bar won't work either. I did find that karate foot pads work great to ease the pressure on the feet. Glad I kept them around over the last 20 years.

I do upside down situps with a 50 pound vest on and a 25 pound dumbell in each hand. I weigh 185 pounds. No creaks bends or falls, great product

These boots work well enough after you get them on, but they are a real pain to put on. The boots are made of very sturdy and relatively comfortable material, but the clasps are poorly designed and positioned. You really need three hands to put these boots on. It is so frustrating that it almost takes the enjoyment out of hanging upside down.

The biggest problem with these boots is that in order for the clasps to properly latch down you have to make sure that the boot sleeve (around your ankle) is properly overlapped or the clasps will not engage fully. To make matters worse, it seems that the boot sleeves automatically want to go into the wrong position by default. This is where the third hand is needed. I'm getting angry just typing about how stupid this design is. The manufacturers could solve this problem by simply making the boot sleeve a bit longer so that it does not default to the "jam" position. I know that this is probably difficult to visualize if you have never used these boots, but trust me, if you buy these boots, you will want to throw them in the trash every time you have to put them on.

Sadly, they do work well, and they are sturdy, they are just a freaking nightmare to put on. I would not recommend these boots to anybody, and I'm looking for a replacement.

I tried these just after I purchased my inversion table. My ankles would hurt while hanging upside down, so I thought this might alleviate that problem. These were way too awkward and clumsy. I went back to not using the gravity boots and just decreasing the amount the table tilts to lessen the pressure on my ankles.

I got this brand because they sounded like they were the most comfortable, and they did not disappoint me. I am over 6'2 and 215 lbs and I was comfortable. (There is a listed max weight limit of 250lbs.)
It was a little freaky at first, but then enjoyable. I felt a great stretch in my hips and my spine really stretched out. Then I tried some exercise. I consider myself to have strong abs and I was only able to do 3 sets of five. I also threw in what they called reverse squats - oh my dog! I am going to have fun getting stronger with these.
I use them with my squat rack, though I the manufacturer says to only use with there products.