Last Christmas my mum purchases the wii balance board along with wii fir plus for my present. I had already had my wii for around two years and had been thinking about buying a balance board to go with it but was always a little put off by the price and whether or not I would actually use it much. However, my mum took this decision out of my hands!

The wii balance board comes in a big cardboard box and is very securely packaged with polystyrene so it cannot move around in the box when being transported. When you remove all the packaging you are left with a large white plastic board which is around 60cm by 40cm at a guess!

On the balance board there is a line going down the middle of the board which literally separates the board in half so you have a half for each one of your feet. There is also an area on each half which is full of circular little bumps. This is the area you are supposed to place your feet when using the board.

On the back of the board there is a battery compartment and the board requires four AA batteries to provide it with power. I would recommend strong batteries or rechargeable ones rather than cheaper brands as you will need to replace them less regularly. In the battery compartment there is a sync button which you need to press along with the sync button on the actual wii console so that the two will work together. Once you have done this you can press the power switch on the front of the wii and the wii balance board. When you do this a solid green light will come on and you know that it is ready to be used.

The wii balance board can take a maximum weight of 150kg or 23 stones and 8 pounds and you should not use the balance board if you are over this weight. There are a few other warnings to take note of when using the board and these include:
-always use the board on a flat surface
-use the board with bare feet only
-do not move excessively or jump whilst on the board
-watch your balance on the board
-make sure you always have adequate space to use the board
-always supervise children on the board

The wii balance board cost my mum around £100 and this came with the wii fit plus game. Whilst the balance board can be used with some other games as well I feel you will get the most benefit from it by using it with the wii fit games as you can monitor your weight, posture and balance as well as doing all the various exercise activities within the game.

I have had the balance board for around nine months now and I do get it out from time to time but sadly I do not use it anywhere near as much as when I first received it. The board is currently stored behind my television and so does not take up much room which is a positive thing for me as I really hate clutter! I would imagine it could also be stored under some sofas.

I have found the wii balance board to be quite accurate when I have used it to measure my weight and such like although I seem to have this habit where I cannot keep fully still and then the board tells me to stop moving as it cannot read my data properly! It does seem to be quite a sensitive piece of equipment in this sense but I am getting better at not wriggling so much!

I do think the balance board is a good addition to your wii collection despite the fact that I haven't used it hugely over the past few months. I like the fact that it is there and is something I can use when I want to. I feel it is a good way of doing some low impact exercise at home-especially for people who wouldn't like to go to the gym. I would imagine that as time goes on more and more games will be released which will include use of the balance board too which will only enhance it further!

Thank you for reading my review!