Ironman LXT850 Locking Inversion System

An extremely painful bout of sciatica lead me to research inversion tables as a relief mechanism. I read many reviews on inversion tables before deciding on this particular one. What drew me to it is the locking mechanism. On most tables you are free floating in all but the 100% inverted position. This one, along with several other of the ironman models, lets you lock in 10 different positions. After using it, I will say that I can't imagine that a table would be a nice without having this feature. It lets you lock the table and relax. It also lets you do some exercises that you would not otherwise be able to do. You can do inverted sit-up or crunches at several angles plus I even have some light weights I keep by the machine and use in an incline position. The ironman units also appear to have a superior ankle locking mechanism than other brands. I find the ankles very comfortable when inverted at up to around 60 degrees. At full inversion, it takes some mind control to deal with uncomfortable ankles. Your body just wasn't meant to hang by your ankles. Overstock had the best deal on this particular model. In addition to the locking mechanism, I chose this model because it had a padded board and will fold (though not well). The table arrived quickly and the box was in good condition with all needed parts. Putting the table together wasn't too bad though it would have been easier if the nuts and bolts had been labeled. The table is very study. I feel quite confident being upside down on it. The locking mechanism works great and the table is pretty nicely balanced when using it in the free mode. I didn't really have any problems going fully inverted the first time I used it. I have a tough time staying fully inverted for more than a couple of minutes however; I stay at a 45 degree angle for 10 minutes or so with no trouble. You really don't need to spend too much time on it in order to get relief from back pain. The effects on my back were immediate. It definitely gives a nice stretch and provides relief to my back pain and sciatica. After being on it, my back felt more relaxed and I seemed to sit up straighter. It seems that no matter what table you look at, people swear that these things work. I have only had the table 5 days so I can't yet comment on the long term benefits. I do look forward to getting on the table, the minute I get home from work. It's not like most exercise equipment where I have to convince myself to workout. I really like using this. One of the reasons I got this table was because it folds. Well, don't think you are going to be able to easily fold it and place it against a wall or store it under a bed. The table part makes it pretty difficult to fold up after use against a wall. It's also very heavy as one piece and difficult to fold by yourself. One could separate the table from the base to store it a little more easily. To do that, you would need to remove 4 bolts. Right now I've got it set up in my family room so that I use it consistently. Ironman makes a couple of similar units that are a little heavier and do not fold. I can't imagine that those units would be any more stable than this one. I can tell I'm not going to be folding this unit and putting it against the wall every day like I hoped I might be able to do. On the other hand, if I have company, I would be able to take the unit apart fairly easily, fold it and probably put it in my garage that is next to the family room. In two parts, the weight would be much easier for me to handle as well. I do believe that some units fold more easily. If you need to be able to fold it every day, this model is not for you.