Fluidstance Plane Cloud Balance Board Review: the Standing Desk’s Best Friend

I recently got my first standing desk. I was sitting most of the day for work, so I knew making the switch would be good for me. But my feet started to ache, and the standing mats weren’t cutting it, as I tend to fidget. That’s where the Fluidstance Plane Cloud Balance Board saved the day.

RELATEDThe Fluidstance Level Balance Board Makes My Standing Desk Even Better

The Plane Cloud is pretty similar to the Fluidstance Level, which we previously reviewed, with just a few key differences. It’s more affordable to start. But with that lower price comes different materials. Instead of the aluminum base and bamboo top of the Level, you get a recycled plastic base and textured foam top. It’s also smaller than the Level, about two inches shorter, and holds less weight (250 pounds compared to the Level’s 300).

But some of those differences might be exactly why you should consider the Plane Cloud if you’re thinking about a balance board.

It Wibbles and Wobbles

If you haven’t seen a balance board before, the idea is pretty simple. Think of a small surfboard, only with an extremely curved bottom. You stand on it, and it will have a tendency to lean left or right. Thus you’ll have to engage your legs and core to keep balance. Fluidstance says the Plane Cloud has a “360-degree-tilt geometry,” and that’s true in that I can easily tilt and spin the thing in a complete circle. It’s a balancing trick and kind of fun.

If you don’t have a good sense of balance, it will probably take you a while to adjust to any balance board. I do have a good sense of balance, and to me, it feels a bit like balancing a skateboard on a rail—only a lot easier and less scary. I took to using the board almost instantly. I’m a fidgeter by nature, and so the Plane Cloud actually fits into my tendencies naturally, it “rolls” with my fidgeting, and my working almost becomes a bit of a dance.

A Soft Top for Your Feet

I’m lucky enough to work from home. That means most of the day, I don’t have to wear shoes. At most, I wear some slippers because the wood floors in my office are hard on my feet. One of the downsides to the Fluidstance Level is the bamboo top. Sure, it looks amazing. But just like my wood floors, bamboo (a dense grass) is hard on your feet. It’s the kind of balance board that call for shoes.

The Cloud Plane, though, is (as the name suggests) like standing on a cloud. Ok, maybe that’s overstating things, but the foam top does feel great to my feet. I can get away with socks or wear my slippers. I particularly like the texture as well. Even with socks, I feel like the board grips my feet, and I have no worries about slipping. That’s a nice feeling when you’re balancing on a wobbly board.

You Might Want the B+Ground Mat Accessory

When Fluidstance sent this balance board, they also included an optional $129 B+Ground anti-fatigue mat. I’m actually glad they sent it along. I have hardwood floors in my office, and to protect them, I naturally have a chair mat—made of bamboo. It’s pretty obvious, though, that if I used a balance board like this directly on my floor, it’d mark it up. Even my bamboo floor mat would probably look worse for the wear, for that matter. And if you have carpet, I can only imagine a balance board would cause wear and tear.

The B+ Ground does double duty as both a comfortable standing mat and a protective base for your balance board. In the center, you’ll find a wooden circle to support your balance board Around that is a soft sponge material, partially made from athletic shoe scraps. Fluidstance says that 85% of the mat comes from recycled material and that it’s made in a solar-powered factory.

I was worried that it would smell, given the rubber-like material involved, but it really didn’t when it arrived. Just a slight hint of “tires” when I first got it out, which quickly disappeared. My wife, who normally is sensitive to smells, never even complained, which says a lot.

As for the mat, it’s very comfortable. And I like having it with the balance board. Most of the time, I fidget, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I want to stand but not balance. And in that scenario, i slide the Cloud Plane to the side and just use the mat, and my feet thank me for the extra padding.

A Good Balance Board That Won’t Hurt Your Feet

It’s pretty easy to like Fluidstance as a company, especially with the focus on things that matter, like ergonomics and sustainability. But none of that matters if the products don’t actually deliver, and I’m pleased to say that the Plane Cloud does what it should.

It’s the right amount of wobble without being distracted. With a little practice, you’ll find yourself balanced just as well as you would be on flat ground. But when you feel the need to fidget, it lets you do that easily. If you frequently have visitors to your space, the ability to “spin” so easily is a nice bonus to having face-to-face conversations.

Just be aware that the balance board will make you taller, even more so if you spring for the B+Ground mat. My standing desk has four memory positions, and I’ve dedicated two of them to standing with the board on the mat and just standing on the mat. The combined height is tall enough that I actually don’t feel comfortable using my keyboard in that position without the balance board.

In theory, if your standing desk has four saved positions, you could dedicate one to standing on flat ground for when you don’t want the board or the mat. But while I did exactly that, I quickly discovered I never use that setting. Standing is far more comfortable with a mat and board. The only thing I do at this point is skip my shoes altogether.

If you prefer shoes, I’d recommend getting the Fluidstance Level. Something about the spongey top of the Cloud Plane doesn’t quite agree with my shoes, and my feet ache with them. But they feel amazing without shoes on the Cloud Plane. It probably just depends on where you work.

If you work from home, or at least in some space where you don’t mind slipping off your shoes, the Cloud Plane is practically made for you. Don’t skip out; your feet will thank you.