Vibratrim VT400

Vibratrim VT400 Review

The VT400 by VibraTrim is capable of delivering oscillation and spiral vibration (they call it orbital) motions all in one unit. It is similar if not identical in style to the Vmax Fitness Trio or Triflex but the Trio does come with a few more upgrades relative to the VT400. The VT400 operates on a dual motor vibration system, powered by a 500W motor for oscillation, and 300W motor for spiral vibration. A third mode, which is a combination of the two vibrations when they operate simultaneously, is called DualVib. For dual motor systems, you definitely feel the difference compared to that of a single vibration WBV machines.  More of your muscles get engaged since the platform is moving in every direction you can think of.  Your blood circulation will be significantly increased and you can feel your muscles tire out faster and turn warmer very quickly.

Machine Assembly

Assembling the VT400 vibration machine took under 15 minutes and wasn’t too hard to say the least. All the screws are pre-installed into its appropriate threaded hole and its a matter of removing them, mounting the pole, and reinserting the screws. The pole mounted to the base unit and is held by 6 bolts in the back and is surprisingly sturdy. The handlebars are mounted on the side with 4 screws and come with a heart sensor and speed up and speed down buttons on each side. Buttons on the left handlebar is for controlling the oscillation vibration, and the buttons on the right handlebar is for controlling the spiral vibration.

Platform Size

The platform plate has a maximum lifting power for users upto 330 lbs and that should be more then enough for most people but if you are heavier, I do suggest an alternative machine. You have to make sure to include your body weight in addition to any free weights you may be using in order to calculate the proper weight capacity you require. The platform size is 27″ wide by 20″ deep. However, the ends of the platform has a bezel that slopes down, so you do lose about 1.5″ on each side. The usable space on the platform is reduced. You can assume a lot of different positions on it without running your feet off the platform. It’s still fairly generous in terms of the size and quite comfortable in all standing positions. You’ll definitely have no problems doing dynamic exercises on this platform and keeping your feet on the platform even though the platform size is actually smaller than 27″ wide.

Display and Control Panel

The base and column is made of steel with a chrome accent strip at the neck of the control panel. An acrylic board covers the front and gives the machine a glossy and elegant look. There are about 11 buttons on the panel and controlling the oscillation vibration is a matter of pressing the big up and down buttons on the left, and the spiral using the big up and down buttons on the right. The machine also has speed control buttons on the handle bars so you don’t have to lift a finger if you decide you want to adjust the speed.  One complaint on the panel–it is a fingerprint magnet! Its best to have a towel handy to wipe the prints off.
The start and stop button is smack dab in the center with the PROG, MODE, Time up, Time down, and Pause button right below. A special feature about the VT-400 is that it comes with a USB stick and software that allows you to make your own pre-programmed exercise routines. You are allowed to create and have upto 6 personal routines to use with the vibration machine, and it works well when we tried it out. The interface of the software may look intimidating at first, but its just a matter of setting the different speed steps over 10 or 20 minutes. It actually gets fairly easy to use once you experiment with it. The VT400 allows you to adjust the vibration session from 1 through 20 minutes, so if you think 10 minutes is too much or too little, you can always increase or decrease the time.

Frame and Operation

The VibraTrim VT400 is sturdy but it feels a little soft when I stepped onto the vibrating platform–probably due to the plastic cover. The vibration machine is made mainly of heavy gauged steel, even the pole. The base consists of 4 adjustable levelers that allows you ensure the machine is horizontal and flat.  I actually let the machine run for like 5 minutes by itself and see if it will jump up and down across the room. It moved around at the higher speeds and I had to hold it in place to make sure it doesn’t go farther then I wanted it to. This issue can be corrected with suction cups for the levelers (some other manufacturers have these so the machines don’t move) and making the base platform heavier (currently machine sits at about 124 lbs).

Final Thoughts

Unless you are a training athlete, the Vibratrim VT400 should be more then sufficient to provide you with the full benefits of Whole Body Vibration. The vibration machine comes with 3 pre-set exercise routines and 6 user-programmable exercise routines so you can set it and forget it while you exercise. The VibraTrim VT400 is a good dual vibration machine that has a few extra features compared to that of other similar offerings but some deficiencies that needs to be addressed.