Valor Fitness CA-27 Leg Stretch Machine
Valor Fitness CA-27 is a modern design, sturdy, durable and comfortable leg stretch machine with a solid 12-gauge steel frame. The leg section opens up to 180 degrees for more efficient stretching. It is rated 3.8 out of 5 stars by 99 customers as of today. And you may want to check out the many answered questions at Amazon.com.
Valor Stretch Machine weighs 49 pounds and measures 48.5 x 14.5 x 21 inches and will not occupy too much space in your home gym area. The seat with a thick pad measures 15 x 13 inches and the back part is 15 x 11 inches and can be used at two angles. The leg pad is also adjustable to two positions and you will feel comfortable overall during your workouts. With the turning wheel and gear assembly and the solid nylon wheels you will get a proper, full and gradual and smooth stretch.
There is also the great quality upholstered vinyl on the legs, seat and the back pads. You just turn the crank that is driven by the gear and the extensions will be wider. The way you use it is when you reach a challenging but comfy position you hold it and feel the nice stretch. Then you get back to your original starting position. The optimal duration of stretching to get the most benefit is about half a minute. And you can decrease the angle a little for relaxing and increase it to a few degrees more than your previous 30-second one and hold it.
This is a geared unit that doesn’t have the ratchet and you just turn the wheels a bit each time. It is nice to stretch the hips but you may feel some pain on the 
hip flexor if you are older or if you suffer from hip problems. But hip stretching is certainly good for pretty much anyone. If you feel that you’re feeling pain on hips, you just lower the degree and hold the stretch longer. Some people find the gear on gear movement not very natural or smooth.
If you are capable of doing it you can actually extend your legs beyond the 180 degrees. When you open your legs for a stretch it won’t move unless you turn the tension wheel to open or close it. There is nothing that measures or shows the angle of the stretch. But please note that it is about 10 degrees per each full crank. You won’t get a workout regimen with it but is pretty straightforward. As you can see in the photos, you can adjust the leg pads to sit close if you have shorter legs and six inches further in the second position if you have longer legs.
This way you’ll feel more comfortable when stretching. You just do what works best for you and what you can handle without feeling much pain: Stretch and hold, relax at a few degrees less, then go back to the original angle or a bit more by time and repeat it a few times. As simple maintenance you need to lube the gears and jack screws. If the lube that comes in the package is not enough you can get some more on Amazon.com. Valor Stretch Machine is very easy to assemble and operate and has a robust construction that should last a long time. It is a great quality product that comes with a warranty of two years for the pads and three years for the frame. It is a good stretching machine overall for the price.