The Best Back Stretchers

Camtoa Back Stretcher

Accessible Alignment for All

This stretcher extends the middle of your back at varying heights to stop tight muscles in their tracks.

Best Overall

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Camtoa’s Back Stretcher is an adjustable device that makes quick work of pressure points and tight muscles with short daily use. The wide board that makes up the bulk of the unit is littered with small nubs for an acupuncture-like treatment on the rest of the back while the spinal region is thoroughly padded. If your problems go beyond simple muscle soreness, a ten-minute session on this stretcher in the morning and before bed can help gently loosen your compressed vertebrae. For those of us who are open to magnetic therapy, Camtoa’s board has ten magnetic points to add an extra element to an already stacked product.

Pros:

• Three traction settings
• Chair strap included
• Great value for the price

Cons:

• The acupuncture points can be uncomfortable if you’re not used to that type of therapy

Kinper Back Stretcher

Kick Out the Kinks

If your goal is to eliminate knots and undo the damage from years of slouching, this is a great place to start.

Best Value

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When back pain goes unaddressed, the side effects can be devastating. Kinper’s Back Stretcher helps stop the onset of worse spinal conditions by providing spine separating traction for optimal realignment. This unit is suited for all body types with an astonishing 330-pound weight limit and foam vertebrae guard. Whether you’re looking for an exercise device or add-on to your chair, Kinper’s Stretcher is adept at both and doesn’t slide around easily. While the device won’t cure persistent injuries, if you’re afflicted with temporary back pain brought on by a sedentary lifestyle, a combo of exercise and stretching with Kinper can boost your mood and help you stand tall.

Pros:

• Great for beginners and advanced users alike
• Appropriate for users of any height
• Highly durable and lightweight construction

Cons:

• The cushion pad detaches easily

Butyce Back Stretcher

Bend With the Best of Them

This back stretcher's varying intensity and minuscule footprint make it a favorite of working professionals with limited time to exercise.

Easiest to Store

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Butyce’s Back Stretcher is an intuitive, versatile, and ultimately comfortable contraption that takes the edge off when you’ve been sitting for too long. Butyce’s goal is to mimic the curvature of the spine, and with a maximum setting of 4½”, this stretcher can slowly work you up to a new level of flexibility. The primary ailment Butyce’s product specializes in addressing is excessive flexion. This act of bending forward is part and parcel of office life, but gardeners, contractors, drivers, and many other occupations deal with this issue as well. Building healthy work habits can be challenging, but Butyce will be there for you to assist on breaks or all day at your desk.

Pros:

• Seamlessly stored under beds and couches
• Center padding reinforced with silica gel
• Can reinvigorate your back arch with continued use

Cons:

• It can aggravate pre-existing back injuries with overuse

Plexus Chirp Wheel

In Your Wheelhouse

This wheel can help you knead out muscle tightness and cut back on stress over every square inch of your back.

Best for Targeted Therapy

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While back stretching boards are great, their use case is somewhat limited. While they excel at spinal decompression, getting a back massage in multiple regions with one device requires a different touch. Chirp’s Plexus Wheel delivers deep tissue therapy up and down the spine to immediately release tension throughout the body. Chirp works by running a narrow, circular strip across your spine that penetrates muscle groups and flattens knots over time. The device’s padding thick, too, so no need to worry about soreness or bruising. Athletes and couch potatoes alike can see overnight improvements in their posture and productivity thanks to Plexus’s heads-up design that puts your safety first.

Pros:

• Patented “canal” shape won’t press uncomfortably into the backbone
• 500-pound weight limit
• No assembly required

Cons:

• Both options are relatively expensive but long-lasting

Innova Inversion Table

Hang in There

This back stretcher uses gravity to your advantage to evenly elongate your spine.

Best Inversion Table

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If you want to take the effort out of stretching, Innova’s Inversion Table can lengthen your back without making you break a sweat. Inversion tables are nifty gadgets that let gravity do the work when you need comprehensive back pain therapy. The unit works by strapping your feet into the ankle locks, choosing an angle setting, and gripping the handles to coax your body backward. We’re a big fan of this product because of its six angle options, fully adjustable height, and luxurious lining. While this will take up more space than the competition, and the price is a little steep, Innova’s Inversion Table gives you unmatched control over your stretches and won’t dig into bony pressure points.

Pros:

• Sturdily built and balanced
• Ankle padding prevents blisters and irritation
• Top-notch customer service team

Cons:

• Assembly takes quite a lot of time

Frequently Asked Questions

What injuries are back stretchers best suited to address?

Back stretchers are primarily concerned with lengthening the spine in response to excessive slouching or other injuries related to a curved upper back. When you abstain from proper posture for long enough, excessive flexion, or hyperflexion, can occur in the back muscles. This type of muscle movement results in the spine’s compression because you are effectively lessening the curve of your lower back by bending forward. While back stretchers will not be able to fix the conditions that result from hyperflexions, like herniated discs or fused vertebrae, they can help strengthen your muscles and encourage better posture.

Are back stretchers safe?

Back stretchers’ safety depends on countless factors, including weight, pre-existing conditions, and understanding of the product. For example, most back stretchers that have to be properly aligned are not centered on the lumbar vertebrae. In fact, lower back relief is usually done by lengthening and curving the thoracic vertebrae. This is because the middle of the back has more muscle and is not as close to less-protected major organs. But in general, back stretchers are completely safe when used as instructed and with a medical professional’s advice.