FluidStance The Plane Balance Board Review

[Editors’ Note – This product model seems to be no longer available from the manufacturer. We will keep this review up for future reference and comparison.]

FluidStance has made it its mission to bring additional movement into the office and quickly became a balance board industry leader thanks to The Level, a motion platform for standing desks. However, addressing potential customers’ pricing concerns on the first model, FluidStance created a more affordable balance board packaged in a sleek contemporary style—The Plane Cloud. See our separate review of the Plane Cloud (spoiler alert: we totally love it).

Now there’s an even more affordable alternative, the FluidStance Plane, which comes in at $159.

How Does The FluidStance Plane Differ From The Plane Cloud?

It’s all about the surface. While the Plane Cloud comes with a textured foam top to add some cushion, the Plane has a harder, rubber top deck. Why is this important? If you’re using your balance board with shoes and for a short time, it probably isn’t. If you’re using your balance board without shoes or for a long time, it’s a big deal because the Plane’s surface will start to hurt your feet before too long.

Both boards have the same dimensions, at 24” x 12” x 2.5”. Both have the same weight capacity of 250 lbs.

The Plane Cloud comes in two color variations, while the Plane has just one. It’s a black surface with white speckles. It’s also worth noting that FluidStance makes the rubber top deck from 100% recycled low-emitting tire threads.

And, as you might expect, the Plane ($159) is $30 cheaper than the Plane Cloud ($189).

The FluidStance Plane Performance

From one perspective, the Plane performs very well for those who want to stand on a balance board while working because it isn’t very challenging, leaving more of your mental energy for your work. Other than the iMovR Gymba—which pegs the needle on usability at an ergonomic standing desk—the FluidStance boards consistently rank at the top on this criteria.

If you plan on never using the board without shoes and not using it for overly long stretches, it’s probably a fine alternative to the Plane Cloud if you want to save $30.

But if you plan to use the board without shoes or for long stretches, the hard surface will cause your feet to hurt. We do appreciate how grippy the surface is, even while wearing socks.

The Takeaway

Unless you’re in a fairly narrow slice of users, those who will only use the board with shoes and only for short periods of time, we don’t see the $30 discount to be nearly enough incentive to pick the FluidStance Plane over the FluidStance Plane Cloud. It will simply be too hard on your feet.

We do appreciate that the rubber top surface is grippy and made with recycled materials. You’re also getting the excellent fit and finish that FluidStance provides with all of its products.

Check out all our other balance board reviews along with our detailed comparison review of the top standing desk balance boards. Also, you might want to explore the related categories of standing desk mats, including the newfangled calculated terrain standing mats.

If you’re interested in exercising with your balance board, we’ve put together a list of our favorite balance board exercises.

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