The Ab Coaster is one of the most popular ab machines in the fitness equipment industry, but is it really effective? Many of the products you see on TV have appeared in recent years, each claiming to be the best ab exercise, such as the ab roller, ab lounge, ab rocket, etc. Honestly, most of the aforementioned ab trainers were disappointing and users quickly started leaving negative reviews. I don’t like buying products that don’t work, and I don’t think people want to spend money on ab exercise equipment that doesn’t really work. So I set out to provide a complete and unbiased review of the Ab Coaster Pro and its various models.
The device is designed to mimic the effects of performing hanging leg raises, widely considered one of the best total abdominal exercises. The problem with hanging leg raises is that they are difficult to perform. You should be able to stay suspended in the air and lift your legs up to your chest for several repetitions. Or even more challenging, twist your legs to the side as you raise them to work your obliques. The ab coaster has been designed with a seat that is directionally adjustable to allow you to perform both a forward knee raise movement and a lateral raise movement, effectively hitting all of your core muscles. The unit has also been designed with extra strength in mind by allowing the user to add weight plates to the seat base. This means that as your core gets stronger, you can easily increase the challenge of the exercise by adding more weight. All units also include casters at the front to make it easy to move around and all come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The first thing you’ll notice about the Ab Coaster is that it’s much more expensive than anything that came before it with a base price of $399. I have to say that the price of this unit is quite justified by its robust construction and its usefulness. Remember, quality usually comes at a price! For those who think the ab coaster is too expensive, I would advise trying to find comparable equipment on the market for less than $500. The truth is, you simply can’t because none exist.
As for the specifics of the unit, it comes in a few different flavors. The Ab Coaster PS500, formerly known as the Ab Coaster Pro, is the base model and should get the job done for just about everyone. It has a 300 lb user weight limit, can hold an additional 20 lbs of weight plates for added strength, and is made of steel construction. The most expensive “personal” model, the PS750, has stainless steel rails and polyurethane wheels on the underside of the seat, but costs an extra $100. These units weigh approximately 69 pounds shipped and are fairly easy to assemble with all the included tools and hardware. One note, when you start to remove the entire piece, make sure you DO NOT cut the plastic ties that hold the seat in place before you have fully assembled the unit. If you cut them too soon the seat will slide all over the place while you are trying to put it together!
The sturdiest commercial models start at $900 and go as high as $1,500; these are the models you’ll see at big-name gyms like Gold’s Gym and 24 Hour Fitness. I haven’t seen any of these personally, but from what I can tell they hold heavier users, allow more weight to be added for increased resistance, and have slightly better build quality with things like adjustable handgrips. I think most home users will stick with the personal models.
In conclusion, if you are looking to purchase this product, you can take comfort in the fact that the majority of consumer reviews for coasters have been positive and with the money back guarantee, you don’t have much to lose by giving it a try. If price is still something that concerns you, you can try looking for a used abs coaster on Craigslist or eBay.