Weight capacity is one of the first questions we are asked. This article explains what FeetUp tested, what the number means, and why we publish a tested load rather than a "maximum user weight".
What was the FeetUp Trainer tested to?
A static load of 900 kg / 2,000 lb, applied to the assembled frame in a laboratory in Germany, with no sign of breaking or structural degradation at that load. The test figure is printed in the manual and on the product specification, and it is the figure our customer service quotes. We do not quote a "recommended user weight" because any human figure would be arbitrary: the frame does not care whether you weigh 55 kg or 150 kg.
| Specification | FeetUp Trainer |
|---|---|
| Tested static load | 900 kg / 2,000 lb, lab test in Germany |
| Frame | Solid beech wood, A+ grade |
| Frame weight | about 5 kg (The Original), about 7 kg (Upgraded) |
| Footprint | 64 × 40 cm; height 40 cm |
| Feet | Patented anti-slip rubber pads |
| Stable directions | Forward, backward, downward (vertical stack) |
| Heaviest daily user known to us | About 120 kg (260 lb) |
| Warranty | 1 year; 3 years with FeetUp Care |
Why test to 900 kg if nobody weighs that?
Because static weight is not the load that matters. When you mount, dismount, wobble or catch yourself, the force on the frame spikes well above your body weight for a fraction of a second. Engineers call it dynamic loading, and a safe structure is designed with a multiple of the expected load, not the expected load itself. A frame tested to more than seven times the heaviest realistic user has that margin built in, and it shows up as a frame that stays silent and square for years.
Testing to failure also tells you where a structure fails. The Trainer's two U-shaped beech halves are joined by a cross structure that puts every load path through solid hardwood in compression, which is the direction wood is strongest.
What does a static load test actually involve?
A static test applies a known weight to the assembled product and holds it, then increases the load in steps while inspecting for cracks, joint movement, permanent bending or any change in how the frame sits. The figure we publish, 900 kg, is the load at which the FeetUp Trainer frame still showed no sign of breaking or structural degradation. It is not a prediction of where it would eventually fail, and it is not a "recommended" weight; it is the point to which the structure was taken and remained sound.
Two details of the frame explain the result. The load from your shoulders enters the two top rails and travels down the four legs in compression, the direction in which beech is strongest. And the cross structure that joins the two U-shaped halves resists the racking force that would otherwise try to fold the frame forward or back during a mount. Neither detail is visible in a product photo, which is why we describe the test rather than the look.
How long does the frame last with daily use?
Longer than most of the furniture in the same room. Beech does not fatigue the way glued laminates and plastics do, so a frame that is kept dry and retightened once a season behaves the same in year five as in week one. Owners write to us about Trainers in daily use for years: "My wife and I have been using ours for years, great prop!" The finish will pick up the marks of use, and the cushion is the part that eventually wears, which is why it is replaceable and, on the Upgraded model, clicks off in seconds.
Three things shorten a frame's life, and none of them is body weight: standing water on the wood, storage next to a radiator or in direct sun, and screws left loose for months so the joints work against each other. Avoid those and the one-year warranty, extendable to three years with FeetUp Care, is very unlikely to be needed.
Does the FeetUp Trainer wobble or tip?
Forward, backward and straight down it does not move: those are the directions of mounting, dismounting and holding, and the frame is built for them. Side to side it will tilt if your hips drift off centre, and this is deliberate. Lateral feedback is how you learn vertical alignment. For the first weeks, put the back of the frame against a wall so an overshoot ends with your heels on the wall. Used on a flat surface and against a wall, it is virtually impossible to tip over when used correctly, at any body weight.
Is there a minimum or maximum body size?
The only requirement is a shoulder span of at least 25 cm (10 in), so the shoulders fit comfortably across the cushion. Height changes how far your feet are from the wall, not how the frame behaves. Users from under 1.55 m to over 1.95 m, and from 50 kg to around 120 kg, use the same frame. One customer summed it up: "I am 6'02" and 225 lbs, have a bad back, two metal knees, and zero natural balance", and then described his first successful inversion.
What should I check if the frame creaks?
Wood moves slightly with humidity. If you hear a creak, tighten each screw a quarter turn, in a cross pattern, and check that the Trainer sits flat on the floor without rocking. If it still rocks after retightening, loosen all screws, press the frame flat and retighten. A creak that persists after that is a warranty question: email us with a photo and your order number. The Trainer carries a one-year warranty, extendable to three years with FeetUp Care, and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Why do some FeetUp listings say 250 lb?
Some retailer product-data fields, including on Amazon, carry a "maximum weight recommendation" of 250 lb or 150 kg. Those fields were filled in by retailer templates and do not reflect the lab test; we are correcting them. The tested figure is 900 kg, and that is the one to rely on.
Not sure the Trainer is for you? The two-minute FeetUp quiz asks about your body and your starting point and gives an honest answer. The FeetUp Trainer ships in 2–7 business days with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FeetUp Trainer's weight limit?
The frame was lab-tested to a static load of 900 kg (2,000 lb) before showing any sign of structural damage. No human body weight approaches that, so FeetUp does not publish a separate user-weight limit.
Why do some listings say 250 lb for the FeetUp Trainer?
Retailer product-data fields on some marketplaces were filled from templates and show 250 lb or 150 kg. They do not reflect the lab test, which is 900 kg; FeetUp is correcting them.
Is the FeetUp Trainer safe for a heavy person?
Yes. The heaviest daily user known to FeetUp is about 120 kg (260 lb). The only size requirement is a shoulder span of at least 25 cm (10 in).
Last updated 2026-11-04. Written by the FeetUp Team; facts checked against the FeetUp product manual, the live product specification and the sources linked in the text.
