The chair arrived with a broken back pad. I called the customer service number found in the instructions. I was pleasently surprised to find out that they were located in America and staffed by Americans. They were quick and professional. A week later the replacement part arrived and it did not cost me a penny.
I have tried inversion tables before, but did not like them. The tables support your weight mostly by the ankles. I always had to keep my legs tense which prevented my lower back muscles from stretching. The chair does not have that problem. Most of your weight is supported by a seat belt. Some weight can be supported by the ankle pads. The chair does not invert completly verticle, so some weight is supported by the back pad. To sum it up, the chair is comfortable to use.
This is a very sturdy chair. I am 220 pounds and it can handle me easily. I never feel like I am going to topple over. After a 10 minute session, I notice a definite stretch in my lower back. I have only been using this chair for about a week, so I cannot review its effectiveness in helping my back problems. I will write another review in 60 days.