In this article we’ll break down the best balance board and wobble boards in easy to digest reviews. The most important part is to get the right type of balance board so you can improve your core strength appropriately.
Balance boards are a great way to improve your balance for sports like surfing, skateboarding, or snowboarding, and also a great exercise for building core strength. Beyond those two points they are just plain fun to mess around on, and enjoyable to improve at. There are quite a few different types of balance boards so the aim of this article is to help you find the best balance board for your needs by breaking down the features that make a board good, and breaking them down by price and experience required.
Best Balance Boards Review Table
Let’s start off by presenting the options in a simple review table:
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What Makes the Best Balance Board?
Construction
Here you want a durable construction that will last for a long time as depending on what kind of board you get, it will experience a fair bit of wear on the board top and fulcrum.
Grip
You don’t want to be slipping all over that board, some boards have built in grip systems to make sure you can make the most out of training on your balanced board. However a less grippy board may present a challenge for experienced roller boarders and they make seek it out specifically. Of course you can control what kind of grip is on the surface much like a skateboard using adhesives, or keeping your board clear.
Balance Board Difficulty Selection
The next section where I’ll go over the different types of wobble boards is arguably the most important. You want to select a difficulty that you can actually use, and improve on. Really be honest with yourself here – and maybe select a multi-difficulty board like one of the package sets with different types so you can improve and always have a product to use.
Types of Balance & Wobble Boards
To get you started here’s a pretty solid list of balance and wobble board exercises to get you started and familiar with the boards and what they do. You’ll see there are a few types of balance boards to go over. Not all of them are exactly “boards” which is why I call them balance and wobble boards.
Rocker Board
First off you have the basic rocker board that’s essentially half of a cylinder with a board on top that allows you to ‘rock’ back and forth on top of the flat board while attempting to maintain your balance.
Wobble Board
Wobble boards are similar to the rocker but with half of a sphere on the bottom and often a circular plate on top – so now you can rotate in every single direction providing an extra dimension and challenge.
Cylinder Roller Board
This is where the name comes from – a traditional roller board will be a small board, often shaped like a small surfboard that will come with a roller or tube that you’re supposed to balance on with the small board. This is absolutely the most challenging device to master on this list and I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners.
Sphere Roller Board
The next step up from the cylinder roller board, and the final stop on the difficulty train when it comes to balance boards is the spherical roller – this is essentially a ball that you’ll balance on top of with your board. This is absolutely the most difficult version on this list and once you master it, you’ll truly be a pro. A lot of expert snowboarders, surfers, and other board-sport pros use it for cross training to take their balance to the next levels. Warning: not for beginners…
Best Balance Board Reviews
Now that we have an idea of the types of rockers and wobblers out there, let’s get into a list of the best ones right now. I’ll post a few from each category and also provide options for every budget range.
Yes4All Balance Pad [usr 3]
Starting really basic here, we didn’t cover this in the types of rocker boards because well, it’s not really a rocker board. This is a squishy piece of foam they call a balance pad that is at the very very very beginning of this balance journey. This may be a great place to start for the physically inactive looking to adventure into the fitness world and start making some positive health changes. Check out the balance pad for standing, and performing basic exercises on for a challenging beginner exercise routine. The balance pad may also be used as a stepping stone if you have been injured and are in rehab and need to start slow.
- Best balance board for absolute beginners, or those in rehab.
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Stability Wobble Cushion [usr 3.5]
The next stepping stone past the balance pad is what’s known as a wobble cushion, this is a great beginner device for standing on, or even sitting on which can help to develop core stability and strengthen joints. Inflate it to the desired hardness – less air means more of a challenge and more air is easier to balance on as it will be more solid and stable. It comes with a hand pump to inflate it. Think of the wobble cushion as a step between the balance pad and the rocker board or wobble boards which will be presented as the next options.
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Fitter First 20″ Pro Rocker Board Review [usr 3.5]
Here’s the basic square platform, fixed fulcrum, two way motion rocker board that every beginner looking to improve their balance should start with. This features a durable wood top, and composite cylindrical fulcrum on the bottom that will challenge you to improve your stability, core strength, and balance each time you hop on it. This is a great pick for the best balance board on a budget that you can do a lot for core strength and stability with.
- Basic “rocker” board, budget friendly
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Yes4All Wobble Board Review [usr 4]
Next step up the ladder is the Yes4All wobble board with a circular platform and an attached spherical fulcrum that will allow you movement in every single direction due to the spherical fulcrum. Now it will start to get challenging and you can push yourself further to improve your balance and rehab any potential injuries you have with this balance board. From simply standing on it, to performing squats, push ups, and more – this balance board can help you improve your core strength and health.
- Best wobble board, great for beginners – good price
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Isokinetics Balance Board [usr 4]
Here’s a budget option wobble board that actually competes quite fiercely with the Yes4All wobble board despite it’s price. The Isokinetics wobbler has a removable fulcrum providing two levels of difficulty which is a really nice feature for someone looking to improve their balance. You can start with the less challenging level and move your way up to attaching the fulcrum and improving your balance even further. Best rocker board for the price right here.
- Best value wobble board, since it’s adjustable
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3B Scientific Balance Rocker Board [usr 3.5]
Here’s my top budget pick for the first rocker board on this list. This 3D Scientific product features a solid wood construction with a rubber cover for grip. With high quality construction and a comfortably sized and finished board this is a great starter rocker board for a great price.
- The first real ‘roller’ board on thsi list, great grip and construction
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Indo Board Balance Trainer Review [usr 4]
If you’ve read about balance trainers before, you’ve probably heard about the Indo Board. Originally created for surfers, this board and roller combo has proved effective for improving core strength, balance, posture, stability, all while having a blast shredding on the roller. This is one of the highest quality items on this list and the price reflects that. This product I would say is for the advanced level balance boarder looking for a challenge and a board that will last them for many years.
- High-quality balance board for advanced trainees, expensive
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Revolution FIT 3-in-1 Balance Board Training System Review [usr 4.5]
Finally I want to present a package deal that’s a wobble board, rocker board, and rocker roller in one. I love these sort of packages because they can take you from beginner to expert with a variety of exercise options and it’s often for quite a good deal. This 3 in 1 system provides you with versatile training so when you’re first starting out and working on your balance, you’ll have options, and after a few months of balance training when you’re a pro you can shred it out on the roller! The products are well built and all coated with grip where it’s needed – this is my pick for the best balance board and wobble board system for sure.
- My pick for the best balance board/wobble board/rocker board since the kit has everything. Great value.
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Best Wobble & Balance Boards Wrap Up
As you can see there are quite a few different types of balance and wobble boards out there for every skill type and budget. I always recommend starting slow with the skill requirements and allow yourself a chance to build up core strength, stability, and balance. My most recommended product if you’re looking to start using balance training equipment is the 3-in-1 set talked about earlier. You get all of the equipment needed to go from absolute beginner to pro, and it’s for a really reasonable price considering how much each of the items would cost individually.
Hopefully our reviews of the best balance boards and wobble boards was helpful for you – if you have any experience to share with these balance devices put a comment below! We’d love to hear from you.
Jimmy Blakeney says
Hi Ryan,
Great article, thought you and your readers may be interested in a new balance board my friend and I created. We’re now 180% funded on Kickstarter:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jimmyblakeney/kumoboard-a-versatile-inflatable-balance-board-for