Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Update April 14, 2019: After a couple weeks of airing out the bench, because of the strong noxious odors, I have raised my review from 3 to 4 stars. It is well built, although I would caution anyone considering purchasing this ab bench to be careful of the plastic pedals that are supposed to aid in feet leverage. I tried using the plastic orange foot rests under my feet, only to have them slide out from under me, they are not only useless, but dangerous as well. First of all, when I first opened the box, which had no straps securing the lid to the bottom, the overwhelming chemical smell knocked me off my feet. It took a few days to off-gas, but eventually the smell mostly went away, but I still don't like the thought of breathing toxic fumes. Second of all, it is sturdy. I'm 6 foot tall and 230 lbs, the bench portion is 39 inches long and my head does not touch the floor, although it is close. I am impressed with it's sturdy build, and it didn't take that long to assemble. That said, here are the two major issues, besides the toxic smell: 1. The Supporting Pad Tube is difficult to adjust (up/down), and can even get stuck. One major problem is the pull-knob, which is initially assembled by threading it into the Front Supporting Tube. If the pull-knob is screwed into the tube all the way, the threads will actually protrude inside the tube, thus acting like a brake, or even a stop for the sliding Supporting Pad Tube. Upon initial assembly, this problem is not apparent, and can lead to a struggle in trying to adjust the height of the Supporting Pad Tube. 2. Although there are no images or promised videos of how this bench is supposed to be used, it does look like abdominal crunches can be performed while laying on the bench and placing your knees over the Supporting Pad. Well, this is easier said than done. At 6 foot tall, I could barely lay my knees over the Supporting Pad and have my feet hook the "Swing Tub" - yes, they call it "tub", not tube (the circular pads). I did find that reversing the Supporting Pad Tube allowed me to hook the Swing Tube much easier, but the lack of cushion was harder on the back of my knees. I did see that the manufacturer responded to another reviewer, that they are working on a new design. They also promised to produce professional videos as to how to use the bench, but easier said than done.