I got this roller hoping that it would be softer than my surprisingly firm Exervo white 18" roller (Level 3 out of 5 firmness--Exervo's scale)...I lucked out, as this roller has some soft initial cushion of about 1/2 an inch of compression or so, and then the firmness kicks in. Still, on the whole, not the super-dense, near-hard roller I could have expected.
The texture is very different than any roller I have ever used; rather than having exposed compressed foam beads (like the black rollers you'll see) or a slippery white foam PVC coating, this one is covered with some sort of suede-like, micro-fibre coating. It is not a cover, but part of the roller itself; I wonder about it's long-term durability primarily due to this coating, but I take good care of my stuff, so I'm good with it. I will say, however, that this is probably not suitable for commercial use--with people sweating all over it, etc...The sweat would almost surely soak into this coating, and it'd be rather disgusting in no time. I can't imaging how to clean it, so I'd go with a cover if you plan on getting it wet or having multiple people/clients/gym rats using it. That's about it. I'm a picky guy, and this passes my test, but I deduct a star due to lack of advertised firmness."..." Read more
- Jason the Trainer in New Orleans, LA