bwestman's Full Review: Balt 61710: Rolax Roller Ball Footrest
I work at an old fashioned desk that isn't adjustable like many of the more modern workstations. Unfortunately, my height just isn't right for the desk, from an ergonomic perspective. I have my chair adjusted upward and therefore require the use of a footstool to be comfortable. I purchased the Balt Rolax Roller Ball Footrest because I liked the idea of the massaging balls in the middle. I often kick my shoes off under my desk and thought that would be a nice feature.
And it was...for as long as it lasted.
When my product arrived from Staples delivery, I realized that some assembly was required. Ugh. Oh well...so I trotted over to the Engineering department for a crosstip screwdriver. Out of the box, you get four metal tubular pieces, and four screws to put them together. Then you also have the main board/footrest with the rollerballs already installed. There are then four glides for the board to slide along the frame for proper positioning.
As soon as I began installation, I knew I wasn't going to be happy. The pre-drilled holes in the metal tubes were misaligned and not quite large enough for the included screws. Additionally, the metal tubes are thickly powder coated, making fitting very challenging. I almost NEVER got the pieces to fit together so I could put the screws in. After much banging and swearing, I got the frame together. What should have taken 15 minutes, took over 2 hours (with frustration breaks to maintain sanity).
Once the frame was together, I screwed the gliders onto the base and set it on the frame. I then took my shoes off for a much needed foot massage. Admittedly, the roller balls were VERY nice to my feet and *almost* made all the frustration worthwhile.
I work 5 days a week, but not always in my office. So it's fair to say that the footrest probably saw my attention 3-4 days a week for 6-8 hours a day. For about 6 weeks...then it broke.
And when this baby breaks, it's broke. The base is carpet covered cheezy particle board. Apparently it is a very low grade particle board, unsubstantial for the weight of human feet. At no time did I ever stress the footrest by standing on it, pushing my weight against it, etc. I merely rested my feet on it...usually without my shoes (because that part was good).
But over a short period of time, the particle board gave way and broke, causing the gliders to fall off. Without the gliders, there is no support on the frame and the whole things just crumbles. Since the board is now stripped away, there is no way to repair it short of completely replacing the main footrest.
In other words, its trash. For $40, I really expected it to last much longer than it did. This product is poorly made on every level. Construction is shoddy and the assembly was nerve-wrackkng. I will probably steer clear of Balt in general after this experience.
Desk Accessories --- Roll and relax...multi-positioning for optimum relief of foot and back fatigue. Plush padded, comfortable surface designed for in...More at PC Furniture Store
Give your tired feet a welcome break with the soothing Rolax footrest. Featuring textured plastic roller balls to bring massaging relief to sore and w...More at ComfortChannel .com
Fantastic prices with ease & c...(Stock status: N/A)
Roll fatigue away during your workday! Easily adjusts for optimum relief of foot and back fatigue. Padded surface is designed for individual comfort ...More at Amazon Marketplace
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.