Just after my son was born I decided I needed to lose weight, to be honest I'd never lost the weight I put on while pregnant with his (now) four year old sister so now was my chance to put things right. I don't *do* the gym so needed to buy myself some equipment I could use at home, preferably finding some bargains as me and exercise don't get on so I didn't want to lay out a huge amount of money only to have it all sitting there neglected after a couple of weeks when I got bored.  This step was and wasn't a bargain; it was because the price had been drastically reduced in a New Year sale, it wasn't because £50 is still more than I should really have paid for a plastic step.

Mine is a different colour to the step in the piccie Dooyoo have got up, the top is council-toilet blue and it's definitely not the most attractive item I have in my home!

The height of the step adjusts by way of four removable feet, the basic height is 11cm but with the feet attached it rises up to an impressive 21cm. The fact that the feet are removable is a nuisance, I've lost one and when I came to look on the Fitness Mad stockist page I saw that it will cost a whopping £14 to replace. Which is a bit over the top in my (lazy) opinion. The fact that I haven't bought this replacement probably shows I don't use the step too much now!

Both the base and top of the step are made from a high density polyethylene, making it strong and sturdy but also comfortable to use even in bare feet. The base and all four feet have rubber pads on the bottom which prevent it slipping even when used on wooden flooring - I've noticed it gets a bit excited when I use it on the fluffy rug in our bedroom, but for me that's just another excuse to not use it!

The top of the step is also suitably non-slip, obviously you should be wearing trainers with a decent sole while exercising but this will also keep you safe if you choose to forego footwear altogether. Although I'm sure if you decided to just wear socks your face would soon meet the floor, just a feeling I have!

The feet attach easily to the base of the step, it's a simple case of clipping them into place and they'll automatically fall into a snug and secure position. Just make sure you put them away when not in use as you don't want the cost of replacing one!

The step came with a short sheet of suitable exercises, personally I thought they were a bit basic so went online for a more interesting work out - although there's only so much even the best personal trainer can do to make a static step exciting! At the basic 11cm this step will give you a pretty energetic work out, much sweatier than you imagine it's going to be as 11cm looks very low - but when you spend a few minutes stepping up and down at that height it definitely makes your legs ache!  Adding the feet (and thereby raising it to 21cm) makes it a painful exercise session, whether that's due to me being short or lazy I have no idea but it's definitely knackering!

I like the stepper and do use it (occasionally).  I could see a difference in the appearance of my legs quite quickly when I started using it regularly and the burn in my thighs tells me it's doing me some good in that area.  I don't really get to use it too often as there just aren't enough hours in the day. In fact it now has a second life sitting next to the sofa where I use it to put my cup of coffee and other bits and pieces instead of reaching over to the coffee table. So not precisely a waste of money then.

This stepper can hold a person who weighs up to 200kg, that's roughly 32 stones so I'd say it's just about suitable for anyone who is still capable of exercising!  I'm going to probably sound a bit mean here, but very big people could probably find a better exercise anyway as stepping puts a huge amount on your knees and ankles which would just be amplified the heavier you are. I have an old knee injury and find it can get painful quite quickly during a stepping session so again I'd be very wary of embarking upon a stepping regime if you suffer with any of your lower joints.