4. Slendertone Flex Go! Abdominal Toning System Belt

The commercials for this unique tech product are geared towards those wanting fabulous abs  without all the work associated with working out. Buff models are shown “working out” their abs with this handy belt that stimulates your muscles to contract, thus exercising them in a more stress-free way than a traditional crunch or pull up. But does the Slendertone really work the muscle in the same way? And is the process comfortable–or even safe? We tried out the Flex belt for men and women over the course of a week to see if it did what it claimed.

What You Get:

For about $90, you can order the Slendertone Ab Belt kit, complete with the belt, a storage case, a set of batteries, three gel pads, and an instructional booklet. In addition, our kit, ordered from Walmart.com, came with an additional two gel pad sets. (You need three pads at a time.) Similar offerings may include just the belt and pads or pads designed specifically for a man or a woman, but the way the Slendertone Flex models operate are the same from all retailers.

Getting Started/Operation:

This is one of those products that comes with a small quick-start leaflet and another separate user manual. Since many of the warnings and cautions for correct usage are included in the manual, it is recommended you use it for your directions. Reading through the three pages of caveats can be a bit daunting. There are limitations on who should use the product, and specifically, who should not use it, such as pregnant women, women who have had a c-section delivery within the past three months, anyone with recent scarring or injury to the abdominal area where the belt will be placed, those with a pacemaker, users who may have an adverse reaction to the gel product used with the belt, and anyone else who may not take well to having electrical muscle stimulation on a daily basis.

Once we established that it was indeed safe to use the product, we followed the Quick Start guide to begin our first session. It was a breeze to insert the batteries, attach the unit to the belt, and determine our size from among the three recommended circumferences offered. It was time to fix the gel pads over the metal area, which proved to be a challenge. The directions were simple enough: remove the backing from the gel pads, place them on the belt, and then remove the coverings from the front side of the gel pads.  But after attaching them to the belt, the front coverings did not want to peel off gently. There was a bit of a tussle as fingernails and goo came together to remove it completely.

Strapping the belt around the waist was like putting on a fanny pack and a simple On button started it up. The instructions recommend that you continue increasing the power until it is working, but not to the point that it hurts. This may be difficult to determine at first. The sensation of the belt is best described as a thousand tiny little needle pokes, without the pain (just the pressure.) It tingles, tickles, and can be annoying at times, but it does get the muscles to contract. Sessions last about 25 minutes, with a built-in warm-up and cool-down component.  After use, the belt can be removed, the gel pads covered up again, and the entire belt folded up into the storage case. (Note: If more than one user will wear the belt, it is suggested that the gel pads not be shared.)