What’s the best vibration plate for home use?
While there is a range of prices from less than £100 to over £1000, they are not evenly spread. In fact, a quick look at the bestselling Vibration machines on Amazon, for example, you will see that most of them are under £250.
Whatever you have to spend, here’s some guidance in finding the best vibration plate for you.
If you haven’t already done so, you should read this guide to what vibration plates do and also what health benefits vibration plates can bring.
Judging by Amazon Customer Qs & As, there is a high degree of misunderstanding on that point.
As a rule of thumb, if the machine is not too expensive and it doesn’t specify which type of vibration, it is highly likely to be the oscillating type, not the vertical type.
N.B. The classifications (mid-price etc.) refer to vibration plates for the home user and ignores the very high prices of professional machines.
Mini Vibration Plates
Perhaps due to the fact that these vibration plates are portable and can be hidden away when not in use, the column-less machines are now overwhelmingly the more popular type of vibration platform.
While not perhaps offering the support of the handles, it does leave more room for various exercises.
Budget Choice
Wonder Core Rock N Fit Vibration Plate & Exercise Seat
For those who would like to give vibration training a try but don’t want to splash out too much cash, this Wonder Core Rock N Fit Vibration Plate & Exercise Seat might be just what you want and looks to be decent value for money.
It is advertised as being reduced from £199.99. I don’t know if and when it was actually sold at that price but it was £139.99 at the start of 2022.
Nonetheless, it offers 20 speed settings, 5 pre-set calorie-burning programmes, plus Manual Mode to create your own
Changing the intensity of the workout is achieved by the low-tech method of moving your feet to a different position!
- centre for the lowest intensity,
- middle for medium intensity, or
- wider for maximum oscillation and calorie burning results.
Dimensions: 61.5 x 37 x 13.8 cm; 14.58 Kilograms
The machine come with a padded exercise seat, a pair of resistance bands which attach to the side and 4 bonus videos which you receive as an email link when you buy the machine.
Mini Vibration Plates – £100-£250
**Top Choices**
Bluefin or LifePro
There are dearer options for both the Bluefin and LifePro vibration trainers – the slightly more expensive variants further down have add vibrations in different planes – e.g. vertically up and down, not just oscillating.
See What do Vibration Plates do? for what difference that makes.
Bluefin Fitness Ultra Slim Vibration Plate with Bluetooth Speakers
This has been one of the most popular vibration platform on Amazon for some time and is the mini equivalent of the full size Bluefin machine shown below.
It is also the one I bought for my elderly parents to help preserve muscle strength and reduce the likelihood of falls.
It has a silent ‘vibe’ drive motor providing vibration massage and oscillation functions.
The Bluefin has 180 incremental speed settings and 5 built-in programs. The first three are aimed at fat loss, with the other two aimed at toning and reducing cellulite.
It weighs a substantial 15kg, so you still need to be careful when lifting it to move it, and has a maximum user weight of 150 Kg.
The Bluefin has a bluetooth speaker which you can use if your mp3 player (or phone etc.) has Bluetooth connectivity.
This machine, too, comes with a remote control to control vibration type, intensity, program and time.
You can monitor your workout on the digital display.
Resistance cords are also included along with a workout poster and nutrition guide.
This slightly earlier model I bought had an oscillating motion as shown in the video though. confusingly, some of the photos say it has a linear vertical motion.
Dimensions are:
Height: 15cm / 5.9in
Width: 68cm / 26.8″
Depth: 40cm / 15.7″
The Bluefin NOW COMES WITH A FULL LIFETIME WARRANTY, so you can be confident of its quality and you won’t have to shell out to have it repaired.
Alternative:
LifePro Vibration Plate Exercise Machine
LifePro have developed a series of vibration plates which challenge the Bluefin and have also become very popular.
Available either in black or a vibrant blue, it comes with a trainer manual, e-book and “access to free online workout videos that offer instructions and ideas from professional coaches that will help you along the way to get fit lose weight and recover from injuries.”
It offers 99 speed levels from a 200W motor.
Max user weight: 120Kg | 264lbs, (though one American reviewer over 330lbs suggested it’s still useful if you sit on a bed or chair with your feet on the plate.
Dimensions: 69.34 x 38.86 x 14.99 cm | 27.3″ x 15.3″ x 5.9″
Item weight: 14.99 Kilograms
Life-Pro are confident enough to offer a 100% Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee.
3D Vibration Upgrades
Bluefin Fitness Dual Motor Vibration Plate
Oscillation, Vibration + 3D motion
This is an upgrade from the Ultra Slim 1000. It is essentially the with the addition of another motor bringing true vertical vibration, considered by many experts to be the most effective vibration type for general fitness and increasing muscle mass.
This is as well as the oscillating vibration provided by the Ultra Slim. The 3D also has the ability to combine both at the same time in what Bluefin call 3D motion.
With this, it is claimed that you can lose weight, reduce cellulite, increase bone density, improve blood circulation and increase muscle all at the same time.
Of course it still has all the functionality of its cheaper counterpart such as integrated bluetooth speakers etc.
LifePro Turbo 3D Vibration Plate Exercise Machine
This is essentially the same as the LifePro machine describes above but with Dual Motor Oscillation, Pulsation or both together. However this one seems to be only available in black. It is a little wider and takes a heavier max user weight.
It offers 99 speed levels from a 200W motor.
Max user weight: 150Kg | 330lbs
Dimensions: 77.5 x 38.8 x 14.7 cm | 30.5″ x 15.3″ x 5.8″
Item weight: 15Kg | 33lbs
Life-Pro are confident enough to offer a 100% Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee.
Mid-Price Vibration Plates £250-£500
Initially, having a smaller vibration plates, minus a column, was a way of making a cheaper machine, but things have moved on and these machines now dominate the mid-range price category.
Bluefin 4D Triple Motor Vibration Plate
If dual drive, 3D motion isn’t enough for you, take a look at this 4D machine from Bluefin.
- Bluefin’s 4D vibration plate gives 4D Motion: 3 silent drive motors deliver
- Vibration
- Oscillation, and
- Micro Vibration
separately, together, or all three at the same time!
Just 10 minutes on your fitness plate is sufficient for a full 4D workout.
- Reflexology-type foot massage as well as fitness workout.
- Magnetic bead therapy via micro-oscillators
- Stimulate feet and leg blood flow circulation and soothe tired muscles.
- Curved surface for comfortable & safe, non-skid contact.
- Ultra bright Red, Orange and Green LEDs tell you, at a glance, how intense your plate is working
- Intelligent workout Options:
- 3 carefully designed program options and
- 7 challenging manual combinations.
- Easy to use control panel & settings
- Ergonomic + wearable remote control,
- Bluetooth 4.0 speakers for crisp & clear sound
As with the previous models, the 4D comes with workout sheet, , nutrition guide and resistance cords.
Upper-Price Vibration Plates >£1000
There are probably some people who are wealthy enough that they won’t consider anything under £1000 so, because there are some, her are a couple of models to consider.
Power Plate
Power Plate were the brand who first popularised the vibration platform and. like Hoover, the brand was used incorrectly by some as a generic term.
Nonetheless they remain a force at the top end of the category so here are a couple of examples to consider.
The specifications aren’t mind-blowing and you may wonder what they offer that justifies such a price difference (apart from brand snobbery). That’s hard to answer but you can expect a high quality machine that could take a great deal of use in its stride.
Power Plate Personal, 71-PT1-3200 (black)
The vibration frequency is set at 35Hz.
Time selection: 30 or 60 Seconds
Vibration amplitude: Low or High
Dimensions:
69.85 x 47.5 x 15.75 cm | 27.5″ x 18.7″ x 6.2″
Max user weight: 120Kg | 264lbs
Item weight: 18.2Kg | 40lbs
Power Plate MOVE; 71-MOVE-3100 (black) / 3600 (red)
Frequency Range: 30-40Hz, Low/High
Time Selections: counts up from 0-9 minutes;
:30 and :60 second presets accessible via the remote control
Vibration amplitude: Low or High
PrecisionWave Technology: High-quality harmonic vibration system
Dimensions: 77cm x 61 x 23cm | 30in x 24in x 9in
Full size Vibration Machines
Bluefin Fitness Vibration Plate | Pro Model
A few years ago, most of the vibration trainers available were of this type, with an upright column and hand bars. Now, apart from the top end models, they have been almost entirely replaced by the smaller type. This Bluefin is the last which is still in Amazon’s top 20.
It is the equivalent of the Ultra-Slim (see above) but with some differences beyond the addition of a column and grab handles.
Comfortable arm supports enable you to lower body action and has BMI guide technology via sensors on the handles.
- 2000W motor (providing 3900W Peak output)
- 10 workout programs
- and 180 intensity levels from Bluefin’s Silent drive motors
- Display shows
- Mode
- Calories / BMI
- Pulse
- Speed
- Time
- 360º Hip rotation
- Powerful bluetooth speakers,
- Diet & Nutrition guides created by vibration fitness experts,
- resistance cables
Conclusion – Which vibration plate should you buy?
Vibration trainers are a great addition to a home gym as they can increase the intensity of your workout and therefore shorten it.
They also have other benefits, such as recuperation from surgery or helping improve and sustain bone-density and stem the onset of osteoporosis.
I had a problem with my knees feeling weak so if I bent them and sat on my haunches, I had trouble standing up again.
A series of workouts on the vibration trainer, gradually bending my knees incrementally and I can now do a traditional Russian dance! Ok, slight exaggeration.
But which one you buy depends, of course, on what you want from it, your available space and available funds.
I hope this guide has helped you find the best vibration plate for you. Whether it’s a relatively economical oscillating device which can be fine for helping toning and weight-loss (in conjunction with an appropriate diet), to the commercial standard Tri-Plane Pro-50 – suitable for anyone from the slightly overweight to elite athletes – all of the machines listed above have strong positive feedback from users so, in a way, you probably can’t go too far wrong.
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