The reason is that contour abs does not dislpay the total price of the ab belt very clearly, and just mentions the ‘free trial’ price of $14.95. Its very strange to call it a free trial and then charge you $14.95.

The secret trick is that you sign up for a ‘free trial’, they ship you the contour abs very slowly so your ‘free’ trial is almost expired before you even get the ab belt.

Then, because you didn’t send the contour abs back quick enough, they charge your credit card 4 payments of $49.95, one each month. So, what started out as a ‘free’ trial, ends up costing you over $225!

This is almost to the level of being a scam as many people don’t realise when they order that they’re going to get charged another $200 starting pretty much as soon as they receive their order.

The contour abs is not good value for money, the quality is poor, the shipping time is very slow (sometimes up to 4 or 5 WEEKS), and the customer service is very poor.

For these reasons we recommend the flex belt ab toner, there are no hidden costs, the belt ships fast (4-5 working days normally), they have a 60 day money back guarantee, and a 2 year warranty. Overall quality is also much better than contour abs with flex belt using medical grade components.

Read our abs belt review before you buy an ab toning belt, and then you can make up your own mind which one is best value and will be best for your needs. Or, visit the flex belt official site and see for yourself why this ab belt is so highly rated by everyone who uses it.

The answer is yes, you can buy some of the slendertone models in stores, and also some cheaper poor quality brands. The two most popular and effective ab toning belts are the flexbelt and the contour abs – both of these brands you can only buy directly from the manufacturers official websites.

Which is better out of the contour abs and the flex belt though? Well you should read online reviews before you decide to buy, but the flex belt is proven to be effective for everyone and has excellent customer service if you should ever have a problem. The contour abs unfortunately has more complaints about it online from people who fell for the hype of their infomercials.

Our recommendation is the flex belt ab toner, as it is proven to be good quality and works for everyone. Importantly, the flex belt also ships very quickly – normally you will receive your ab belt by courier in as little as 3-4 working days from when you order it.

Visit the official flex belt website and order your flex belt today!

Visit the official flex belt site »

How did the Flex Belt do vs. the contour ab belt? Read our full ab belt review

Visit the official flex belt website »

How did the Flex Belt do vs. the competition? Read our full ab belt review

Read our full review of the Flex Belt, and see how it rated overall in our ab belt review »

the contour abs belt

It is available from the manufacturer online, but is also available through their infomercials seen on TV.  The ContourAbs is roughly the same price as the FlexBelt and the Flex Enervive at $199.80, however users have to pay an additional $14.95 in order to receive the 14 day trial.

Unlike the other reviewed products, the ContourAbs uses patented ‘SwissWave technology’ as well as EMS . This technology actually mimics the control of the muscles by the brain causing them to contract and as a result become more toned.  The manufacturers of the Contour belt claim that it that its results include strengthening, tightening, firming and recovering muscles.

Unlike the other EMS products we have looked at, the Contour Belt did not give any information on clinical trials carried out with the product, so this did cause us to be a little skeptical.

Another point that we noted is that unlike the other products that came with the additional assurance of a 60 day money back guarantee, the Contour Belt only offered a ‘14 day trial’ money back offer, which comes across as a lack in confidence in the product by the manufacturer as opposed to the manufacturers of the other products. The company seems slow at dispatching orders, and there have been numerous cases of the Contour belt arriving after the free trial period has expired!

Also, the Contour Abs only comes with a one year warranty rather than the two year warranty found with products such as the FlexBelt. This again does not give consumers much confidence in what they are buying.

As mentioned, there is no information on any clinical trials and their reported results with the Contour belt, however there are a number of testimonials on the site from happy customers. One guarantee made by the Contour Belt is the claim that you can lose “up to” 3 inches in two weeks.

The use of the words ‘up to’ leave room for doubt as this could mean anywhere between 0-3 inches and is not guaranteeing any real results. Bearing in mind that an ab belt alone will not make you lose weight, this claim seems a little strange.

The manufacturing of the Contour Abs also seemed to be of a poorer quality than the other products we have tested, which is particularly worrying due to the limited time available to claim your money back and the short warranty period.

We found that the ContourAbs Belt did produce results but not at the same speed as the other belts out there for similar prices. The pulse strength felt weaker than the other products, as well as the contractions.  It was also a little uncomfortable compared to the FlexBelt which is similarly priced and produced better results.

Another negative compared with both the Flex Belt and Flex Enervive is that the Contour Abs runs on 4 AAA batteries and not a rechargeable power supply. This will be particularly frustrating if you will be using your belt on a daily basis as they may need replaced regularly!

In short, the Contour Abs did not match up to the standards of its most similar-priced rival the FlexBelt in terms of quality, performance, ease of use, customer satisfaction and service so we do not feel we can recommend this product.

See a direct comparison of the Contour Abs vs FlexBelt and also how it did when compared to the three other leading EMS ab toning belts – read the full ab belt review here. Visit the official Flex Belt website.

The Flex Belt works like other ab toning belts on the market through the use of Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS). The EMS unit sends signals to the targeted nerves which in turn send them through to all the abdominal muscles, not just those muscles under the gel pads. The pulse strength and frequency range is adjustable to  suit all users.

The design of the Flex Belt means that the 4 gel pads used are pre-positioned in the ab belt so they cover the central abdominal muscles and the external obliques. This ensures consistency when using the Flex belt and also produces the best results.

The Flex Belt retails at $199.99 and comes with a guarantee of visible results in 4 weeks or else a 60 day money back guarantee along with a 2 year warranty. This proved to us that the Flex belt does achieve results and they are also seriously dedicated to keeping their customers happy.

The Flex Belt is only available to buy on-line direct from the manufacturer. For $199.99 the Flex Belt package includes the Flex Ab Belt and Gel Pads, a rechargeable power supply unit, a belt extension, a carry case, and an instruction manual. The fact that the belt can extend means that the Flex belt is also available for use by people with a waist over 44 inches. The power supply unit can also be used with the other Flex products available which can come in useful.

The fact that the Flex Belt is the only FDA approved ab toning belt on the market also impressed us.

The Flex Belt is the first Electrical Muscle Stimulator (EMS) ab belt product of this kind to be cleared by the FDA as a Class II medical device for direct sales to consumers.

Due to the use of clinically proven patented medical-grade technology, the Flex Belt is proven to deliver firmer, stronger and more toned abdominal muscles when used daily for 30 minutes.

In fact, after a clinical study which lasted 6 weeks an amazing 100% of those people taking part reported firmer more toned abs. Flex Belt also reported that 93% of their users reported achieving firmer abs after a period of daily use, and with over 2 million users worldwide this is a very impressive statistic, unlike the contour abs which has no trials. Flex also makes the ‘Flex Enervive‘, a next generation EMS toner that is able to target any muscle group – read our full review.

Another plus with the Flex Belt is that it is aimed at and is suitable for both men and women unlike some belts which are gender specific. In fact the Flex Belt has become so popular amongst both genders that it can be seen in magazines from Cosmopolitan and Glamour to Men’s Fitness. The Flex Belt ab toner is also endorsed by various major league sports stars such as Jerry Rice.

We felt that the high quality design and manufacturing which goes in to the Flex Belt from a company with over 40 years proven experience in EMS technology produced better results faster than the other toning belts we have tested. And with the customer guarantees that come as standard, the Flex Belt is definitely the best value for money.

Visit the official Flex Belt website – click here »

See how the Flex Belt did against the competiton in our ab belt review »

**Update**

Is the Flex Belt better than the Contour Abs belt? Read the Flexbelt vs. Contour abs comparison.

One point worth noting is that from all the various electrical toning devices available on the market, those focused on the abdomen are the most popular amongst consumers.

It is also often the case that people who are working out or are trying to tone up often focus on their abdominal muscles. This is partly due to the style of a lot of today’s clothing which is often tailored to show off your abs.

The main reason for wanting toned abs however is often because of the feelings it can result in when achieved. Having toned abs can improve your self esteem incredibly and makes you feel better about yourself due to the increased confidence it will produce.

Whilst excess weight around your stomach can be unattractive, it can also be dangerous. Excess weight increases the chance of illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure amongst others.

It can also cause muscle problems and cause people to feel lethargic and lazy making it harder to motivate yourself to get fitter and more toned.

While using an toning belt will not result in weight loss, it will help you achieve a more toned stomach. When you can visibly see the results achieved through the toning belt it will motivate you further and it may be easier for you to continue with your exercise or diet routine.

If you have no excess weight around your stomach then the results of using a toning belt will be even more apparent as the muscles will not be hidden under any stomach fat.

Muscles in your abdomen (or indeed any part of your body) are hidden by any excess weight you may carry, so no matter how toned your muscles may be, they will not be visible. If you want to achieve the best results for your abs then it is recommended that you carry out some form of exercise routine which will result in weight loss and a sensible eating plan.

The ab belt can then be used as an alternative to abdominal exercises such as crunches or sit-ups to supplement your exercise regime and achieve faster results.

Due to the design of ab toning belts it is easier now than it has ever been to incorporate their use into your everyday routine. The electronic abdominal toning belts wrap around your stomach and hold gel pads over your core muscles. The electrical muscle stimulators (EMS) used in the belt then pass through to the nerves in your muscles causing them to expand and contract at a rate unmatched by regular abdominal exercises.

Because the belt holds the gel pads in place, it can be worn under your clothes enabling you to carry out everyday activities without getting in the way. As you can carry out activities unhindered such as walking, watching TV, working, using the computer etc you are more likely to keep using your toning belt daily, therefore achieving the best results possible!

Ab  belts will however strengthen, build and tone the muscles already there in the same way conventional abdominal workouts will.

It is also advisable to stick to a healthy and balanced diet and keep an eye on what you drink. The way the body works means that if you have any fat, it will sit on top of your muscles and conceal them. So whilst you may have toned muscles, these will be hidden by any excess weight on your body, and in this case around your stomach.

This is why a gym or home exercise routine of cardiovascular/aerobic exercises to lose weight is recommended, along with weights and toning exercises to tone and strengthen your muscles.

The beauty of an abdominal toning belt is that it removes the need to carry out the toning exercises for your abs, giving you both faster results and more time for other activities. Many people who use toning belts also feel that using the belt encourages them to exercise more as they can spend more time focusing on exercises that burn fat, while the belt will concentrate on toning.

The desire to get the most from your results also encourages some users to work out more so as the muscle definition achieved with their toning belt will not be hidden by excess weight on their abdomen.

A common misconception of ab toning belts is that they are a miracle form of weight loss or a quick fix to achieve a ’six-pack’. This has resulted in some bad reviews and has caused people to be sceptical of electronic toning devices.

It is important that people understand that electronic toning appliances are not an alternative to a sensible diet and a healthy lifestyle and exercise routine. However, they can be used as an alternative to toning exercises for the area of the body they will be used on – most commonly the abs.

This is why the best results will be achieved from your toning belt if you also stick to healthy eating and some sort of exercise regime that will result in weight loss. This will enable you to make the most of your toned abdominal muscles by ensuring they aren’t concealed by fat, making them more visible.

If you are serious about achieving toned muscles from your electric toning belt then it is also a good idea to try to use it on a daily basis and stick to your routine. This has been made even easier to do due to the design used by the majority of toning belts.

The most common design of toning belts means that they wrap around your stomach holding the conductive gel pads in place which cause the electric stimulation which works the underlying muscle.

This design means that the toning belt can be worn under your clothes, which in turn means it can be used while carrying out everyday chores, so there is no excuse not to use your toning belt everyday which will speed up the results you see!