As long as you don't have a severe back injury, Chirp Wheels can offer significant relief at various points along the spine. They're easy to use once you've had a little practice, and the combination of physical relief and that audible cracking sound can easily become addictive (in a good way). Their quality construction and added spine protection make them a superior choice to less expensive yoga wheels and foam rollers.
Back pain affects a significant percentage of Americans, with nearly 65 million people reporting recent incidents of pain and roughly 16 million reporting chronic pain. And back pain is caused by many things, including poor posture, sedentary lifestyles, injury, and more.
You can take steps to alleviate back pain, like chiropractic treatment, posture correctors, and — in extreme cases — surgery. But one of the most enjoyable and least expensive options is to use a Chirp Wheel.
Chirp Wheels differentiate themselves from basic yoga wheels by better protecting your spine while offering significant relief along the majority of your spinal column. In this review, we'll look at how they work, how safe they are, and if they're right for you.
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A Chirp Wheel is a back pain relief tool with a unique cutout designed to protect your spine while you use it. Chirp Wheels come in various sizes that act slightly differently on your back. Some can gently stretch the vertebrae to help elongate the spine, while others massage the musculature along the spinal column. The company also sells various accessories to improve or enhance your rolling experience.
There are four sizes of Chirp Wheel, each with benefits and drawbacks. The intensity of pressure on your back increases as the size of the wheels gets smaller:
Chirp Wheels are great for mild-to-moderate back pain, especially in the mid-back and upper back. They're also easier to use if you're at least relatively active and have good balance. Balancing on Chirp Wheels is pretty challenging at first. Even though it gets easier quickly, those with poor balance and coordination might have difficulty adjusting.
Chirp Wheels are designed to be safer than any other back rollers on the market. They achieve this distinction thanks to a dip carved into the center of the wheel that prevents your spine from compressing as you roll.
That said, Chirp Wheels share some of the same dangers as other rollers. Specifically, the lack of musculoskeletal support around the lower vertebrae makes rolling along the lowest portion of your back somewhat dangerous.
Certain breathing techniques can extend the safe range of your roll by expanding your diaphragm, but even with those, you can't go all the way down.
Before you ever try to use a Chirp Wheel on the floor, we highly recommend you take the company's advice and use the largest wheel you ordered in a doorway or against a wall. By getting used to the wheel against your back while in a standing position, you have a lot more control over the intensity of the pressure against your back.
When you eventually transition to the floor, Here are the steps you should follow:
Chirp Wheels are available individually or in sets. Buying in sets can save you money, and some combinations include extra products that can help with posture and back pain.
Here's a breakdown of available Chirp Wheels alone and in combination:
Other products available from Chirp Wheel include:
Chirp Clouds are similar to inflatable exercise balls, but their shape allows them to traction the spine gently. They're ideal for people with intense back injuries or those recovering from surgery. You get two sizes of cloud and a pump in the package.
A non-slip combination of rubber and polyurethane, the Chirp Stretch mat creates a slip-free surface for your rolling needs. It can double as a yoga mat as well, measuring 72 inches long and 26.8 inches wide.
The Chirp Base serves beginners as well as it does advanced rollers. Its track fits a Chirp Wheel perfectly, adding stability to newcomers who struggle to maintain their balance. You can also grab hold of the frame to push your body against the wheel with force greater than your bodyweight alone.
This case can fit all four Chirp Wheels at once. If you only own one or two smaller wheels, it might not be worth it, but it's great if you own at least one of the larger wheels.
This posture corrector can help you catch yourself slouching and force yourself into an upright position. It works well and is well-made, but frankly, there are similar products on the market for less.
This soothing cream contains a blend of nine essential oils that provide a cooling sensation on the skin and a relaxing sensation when you breathe them in. It's also available in a 1oz tube for $6.99.
Chirp generously offers a 15% discount for certain groups, including:
Chirp accepts payment from major credit cards, Amazon Pay, and PayPal. Shipping is free on all orders over $75.
Chirp has a 60-day money-back guarantee that will refund you your entire purchase price if you're not satisfied with your Chirp Wheels after two months. That excludes any initial shipping charges.
For most back pain sufferers, Chirp Wheels are very much worth it. This is especially true when you compare their cost to an average chiropractor's visit. And since so few insurance plans offer much (or any) chiropractic coverage, being able to put your care in your own hands is a big plus.
Our testers almost uniformly found a moment in the early stages of using a Chirp Wheel where they felt they’d never be able to balance properly. However, every tester was perfectly comfortable balancing on the 12-inch wheel within three sessions, and most moved up to the 10-inch wheel in under a week.
Chirp only collects personal information related to purchases, and they never sell or rent any of this information. Non-identifying information like device type, browser, or referring website is a different story. They'll aggregate that information to study site performance and coordinate marketing activities. This is in line with most website practices, so it shouldn't concern you too much.
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User-friendliness: How intuitive and user-friendly is the service? Does the device, program, app, or website achieve a good degree of user-friendliness for its customers?
Value: Are you getting your money's worth? Are there any hidden costs or charges? Does the company offer discounts?
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