The headstand is the ultimate yoga posture that you should practice because it offers a lot of benefits, like tranquility and focus. Of course, you’ll need a good headstand bench for that pose if you don’t want to injure your head and shoulders. The best yoga headstand bench should be stable, thickly cushioned, and ergonomically designed to support the whole body upside down.
Doing the headstand is one difficult task, but buying a yoga headstand bench is similarly hard. If you don’t have any idea about the best brands in town, here’s a helpful guide that you can follow.
Quick Answer:
Here are our top three brands for the best yoga headstand benches out there.
1. Restrial Life Yoga Headstand Bench
If you like a multifunctional headstand stool, the Restrial Life might be your best choice. This yoga headstand bench not only helps you do an easy headstand, but it can also help you perform other yoga exercises like waist exercise and a lot of yoga poses. You can put your shoulders and head at ease when standing upside down with its U-shaped pads and removable t-pads.
2. Sisyama Fitness Yoga Chair Inversion Bench
The Sisyama Fitness Inversion Bench is designed with self-locking hooks for convenient fold-away storage. Besides doing the headstand comfortably, you can use this bench to do the Pigeon, Warriors, and other yoga poses. It’s very solid, which is what you would need in a stool that’s holding you upside down.
3. Evolution Health Original Bodylift Yoga Headstand
Do you want a trusted brand that offers a long warranty? If so, the Evolution Health Original Bodylift Yoga Headstand might be your best bet. It offers a 10-year guarantee and the safety that you might need in holding the headstand position.
Editor’s Pick: Best Yoga Headstand Benches
Yoga Headstand Bench
Buying Guide
A headstand bench allows you to lift yourself upside down without pressure on your neck, shoulders, and head. It’s also very helpful in doing other yoga activities like block exercises, leg exercises, and waist exercises. If you want to buy a headstand bench for your home or elsewhere, here are a few things you need to know.
Benefits of a Headstand
1. Treats hair loss
Going upside down increases blood flow to your head and offers nutrients to the scalp, hence reducing hair fall.
2. Calms the mind
The inverted position increases blood flow to the brain, thereby stimulating the pituitary gland to help calm your brain. Together with heavy breathing, the headstand can help relieve stress, sleep problems, and depression.
3. Improves focus
With increased blood flow, you enhance your mental function and elevate your mental clarity.
4. Prevents headaches
Turning upside down can help strengthen your brain’s blood vessels and increase nutrients in your brain, thereby preventing headaches and migraines.
5. Other benefits
A headstand can also help strengthen your arms and shoulders, enhance digestion, fight diabetes, and treat varicose veins.
What to Look For
1. Comfort
Turning upside down isn’t easy, so you’ll need a headstand bench that offers maximum comfort. You might want to check the cushion if it fully eases out the pressure from your neck and shoulders.
2. Stability
For your safety, you’ll want the headstand bench to be very stable. The legs should be sturdy and shouldn’t wobble with a slight movement. Some of the best benches have non-slip pads to keep them stable on the floor.
3. Bearing Weight
When looking for the best headstand bench for your regular yoga routine, check the maximum bearing weight if it supports your actual weight. Make sure that the maximum bearing weight of the bench is less than your actual weight.
4. Material
The framework of headstand benches is usually made of either metal or wood. Both metal and wood are durable, but if you want something more environment-friendly, opt for wood. Wood also doesn’t ruin your wooden floors like metal does.
5 Best Yoga Headstand Benches Review
1. Restrial Life Yoga Headstand Bench
The Restrial Life Yoga Headstand Bench is everything you’ll ever need in your yoga studio, bedroom, or gym. Its unique professional design allows you to easily stand upside down as well as perform other yoga exercises like a leg exercise, you can also use it as a shoe replacement stool. The frame is made of solid Beechwood while the cushion is created from high-density PU and sponge.
When standing upside down, remove the t-pads and let your shoulders rest on the U-shaped pads. This ergonomic bench is available in four colors; black, blue, red, and white. It’s 5.2 kg weight can bear a maximum weight of 150 kg or 330 pounds. Restrial Life is so confident with the durable construction of its headstand bench that it offers an astounding 5-year warranty and a 2-year replacement guarantee.
PROS:
- Multifunctional; shoe replacement stool, sofa, helps in yoga exercises, etc
- 5-year warranty and a 2-year guarantee
- Ergonomically designed
- Comes at a reasonable price
- Large bearing weight (150 kg)
- Great cushion and support
CONS:
- Doesn’t come with assembly instructions
Best For:
The Restrial Life Headstand Bench is great for beginners because of its simple structure. It’s also best for people who are looking for more stability and support. It’s catered for people that weigh less than 330 lbs.
2. Sisyama Fitness Yoga Chair Inversion Bench
The Sisyama Fitness Inversion Bench allows you to do many yoga poses, including Side Plank, Pigeon, and of course the headstand. It’s developed with self-locking hooks that allow you to fold the bench for compact storage. The frame is made of metal while the cushion is made of sponge and PU.
The chair feels very sturdy and can be placed in the middle of the room. If you’re a beginner, you may need to position it against a wall for more safety. The weight capacity of this bench is almost 300 lbs. or 136 kg.
PROS:
- Solid and sturdy construction
- Easily opens and folds
- No assembly needed
- Great cushion support
- Just the right size and weight
CONS:
- less cushion
Best For:
The Sisyama Fitness Inversion Bench is great for those who have limited space. It’s made of self-locking hooks which allow for easy fold-away storage. It’s ideal for people that weigh less than 300 lbs.
3. Evolution Health Original Bodylift Yoga Headstand
The Evolution Health is the original Bodylift that you see on the shows of Martha Stewart and The Doctors. This original yoga headstand comes with a seat insert and detailed instructions for assembly under it. It offers a 10-year guarantee to ensure the quality of the material and craftsmanship.
You can assemble this bench in two minutes without any problem. You can easily carry it anywhere as it only weighs around 11 lbs. The legs are made of metal while the cushion is made of molded foam to provide more comfort.
PROS:
- World-renowned brand
- 10-year guarantee
- Looks pretty well made
- Easy to use
- Has great stability and balance
CONS:
- A bit hard to assemble
Best For:
The Evolution Health Original Bodylift Yoga Headstand is perfect for inversions and core strength-building exercises. It’s ideal for people who weigh less than 250 lbs.
4. WonderView Yoga Inversion Chair
Build your core strength and do your inversions safely with the WonderView Yoga Inversion Chair. This chair is made of aluminum legs and a PU material with a 4-cm thick sponge. There’s a non-slip pad on each leg to keep the chair still while you do your different yoga poses, including the much-reveled headstand.
The size of this inversion chair is 43 x 43 x 37 cm. The weight limit is around 200 kg or 440 lbs. Like the Restrial Life Yoga Headstand Bench, the WonderView is pretty multifunctional because you can use it for yoga practices and as a footstool or even a coffee table.
PROS:
- Very affordable
- Thick cushioned
- Can bear a lot of weight (440 lbs)
- Feels sturdy and durable
- Serves various purposes
CONS:
- A bit hard to assemble with some misaligned holes
Best For:
The WonderView Yoga Inversion Chair is great for plus-sized people, it can bear a maximum weight of 440 lbs.
5. FeetUp Trainer
The FeetUp Trainer is another trusted brand when it comes to yoga. It’s designed in Germany to give you the highest quality for maximum safety. It includes an Asana Poster showing more than 100 yoga and fitness exercises for your daily routine.
What makes FeetUp Trainer special is its use of sustainable materials like wood, vegan leather, and recycled foam. Its size is 64 x 40 x 40 cm and it can bear the maximum weight of 250 lbs. or 114 kg. It’s available in five colors; chocolate black, chocolate white, classic black, classic violet, and classic white.
PROS:
- Made of sustainable materials
- Sturdy and well-made
- Easy to assemble
- Includes a helpful guide for the first inversion.
CONS:
- Small weight limit
Best For:
The FeetUp Trainer best suits people that weigh less than 250 lbs. It’s good for beginners as it offers easy assembly and an Asana poster showing more than 100 yoga poses.
FAQs:
Q: Are headstands hazardous to your health?
Not at all, as long as you perform it properly. A properly executed headstand is very beneficial to your health. It can help enhance upper body strength, digestion, and flexibility.
Q: How long should I hold a headstand?
The maximum duration for keeping the headstand position varies from one teacher to another. Some recommend holding the headstand for two minutes while others recommend 3-5 minutes. But the consensus is that you can hold the headstand for any length of time as long as you’re comfortable. If your neck and arms begin to get tired, then it’s time to come down.
Q: How do I perform the headstand properly with the headstand bench?
Before you do the headstand, make sure that your stomach is empty for 2-3 minutes. Do a proper warm-up and proceed with the headstand by following these steps:
- Put the bench against the wall or in the middle of the room with the U-shaped pad in front of you.
- Insert your head into the opening with your shoulders resting on the cushion.
- With your hands grasping the arm rails, straighten your knees and walk towards the inversion chair.
- Carefully kick your feet up and start balancing your whole body upside down. Breathe slowly as you hold the posture for as long as you can.
Conclusion
Our top pick as the best yoga headstand bench is the Restrial Life Yoga Headstand Bench because it’s ergonomically designed to provide great support for your head and shoulders. It’s one of the few benches that use solid wood, making it more stable and durable. The t-shaped pads can be removed to give you more functionality and comfort.
A good alternative is the Sisyama Fitness Inversion Bench because it is also multifunctional. This bench has self-locking hooks that make folding for storage easy. It’s very sturdy, which is what you need from a bench that will hold you upside down.
Allen Wei is someone who believes in living his best life, focusing on balance, happiness, and relaxation. He fosters a positive lifestyle in terms of his body, mind, and environment, and he is a huge proponent of learning to be balanced via relaxation techniques integrated into our busy lives.
