Chirp Wheel Reviews

With their flexible cores and spinal protection channel, Chirp Wheels might be able to relieve back pain safely. But are they right for you? Our team finds out.

by
Last updated: Jan 18th, 2023
Innerbody is independent and reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn More
Chirp Wheel Reviews

Our Findings

Editor's Rating4.00

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.

Pros

  • Good spine protection
  • Stackable for easy storage
  • Produces immediate relief
  • Convenient carrying case with some packages
  • Neck roller available

Cons

  • Only one color option
  • 10-inch wheel seems less effective
  • Pricier than yoga wheels and foam rollers
  • Misuse may lead to injury
  • Wheels can snag your clothes

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.

Our Top Picks

Why you should trust us

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.

We extensively test each health service or product we review. Our content provides you, our readers, with an unbiased exploration of at-home health options, free of marketing jargon or gimmicks. We evaluate products and services based on their adherence to quality and the latest medical evidence and health standards. We ask ourselves two simple questions: Would we buy the product or service ourselves if it weren't part of our job? Would we recommend it to family and friends?

Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this review was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.

What is a Chirp Wheel?

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:

  • 12-inch: Best place to begin. It stretches the spine, but you may grow out of it quickly.
  • 10-inch: Gentle combination of stretch and massage, but not enough of either for some.
  • 6-inch: Deep tissue massager. It doesn't stretch the spine much. Not for beginners.
  • 4-inch: Extremely intense on the back, but can gently massage and elongate the neck.

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.

Are Chirp Wheels safe?

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.

How do you use a Chirp Wheel?

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:

  1. Sit against the wheel without rising up on it at first.
  2. Slowly raise your hips and move backward with your hands on the floor to aid in balance and support your weight.
  3. Gradually remove your hands from the floor, but don't begin to roll.
  4. Get used to the feeling of your body weight against the wheel.
  5. Rock gently to feel how moving will affect your balance.
  6. With your hands close to the floor to catch you, begin rolling up and down your spine.
  7. Adjust the speed and placement of your roll to target any areas of tension.
  8. Repeat steps 1-7 whenever you upgrade to a smaller, more intense wheel.

Chirp Wheel products and pricing

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: $59.99

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.

Chirp Stretch Mat: $79.99

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.

Chirp Base: $99.99

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.

Chirp Wheel Case: $24.99

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.

Upper Back Posture Corrector: $24.99

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.

Relieviate Muscle Cream 4oz.: $14.99

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:

  • Military: active duty, veterans, and dependents
  • First responders: police, fire, and EMTs
  • Medical workers: Nurses, doctors, and other medical personnel
  • Teachers: Pre-K, K-12, and professors

Payment, shipping, and returns

Chirp accepts payment from major credit cards, Amazon Pay, and PayPal. Shipping is free on all orders over $75.

60-day money-back guarantee

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.

Are Chirp Wheels worth it?

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.

Privacy considerations

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.

How we evaluate home health products and services

At Innerbody Research, we customize our evaluation criteria depending on the type and nature of the health-related service or product. For health products and services, we have five areas that we use for our evaluations, including:

Quality: How well does the company deliver its core service(s) to the customer? For testing services, does the company adhere to the latest and most advanced testing technologies and achieve a very high degree of accuracy? For non-testing telehealth services, is the quality of the service high enough that we would recommend it to loved ones without hesitation? If not, why not?

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?

Privacy: If health data is stored, will your data be stored securely? Are payments secure?

Customer support: Particularly in situations where 'one size fits all' doesn't make sense, how well does the company help to make the service ideal for you?