Do inversion tables make you taller?
Last updated 2026-10-23 · Written by Inversion Guide editorial team
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For information only. This page is general product information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or physiotherapist before using an inversion table.
Inversion tables are not for everyone. Read who should not use one first.
Why adult height does not change
Healthline explains that near the end of puberty, hormonal changes cause the growth plates to harden, or "close," and the bones stop lengthening. It says this happens around age 16 in women and between ages 14 and 19 in men. It also notes that most people's height will not increase after age 18 to 20.
An inversion table does not touch the growth plates. Hanging upside down cannot restart bone growth.
Why you are taller in the morning
Healthline says height varies through the day because of slight compression of the discs in your spine. It says the loss of height during the day may be up to about half an inch (1.5 cm). Overnight, the compression eases and you regain it.
That is a swing in the same body, not a change in how tall you are.
What happens if you hang upside down
Healthline's height article names hanging and using an inversion table among the activities people claim can make you taller, and says there is no good evidence for those claims. It adds that decompressing the discs could temporarily raise your height "to a very small extent", but that this is not a real change because any change is quickly reversed. We could not find a source that gives a size or a duration for the effect after inversion, so we do not give one here.
| Claim | What the sources support |
|---|---|
| "Inversion makes you permanently taller" | No. Adult height is set once growth plates close. |
| "You are a bit taller after hanging" | Possibly, briefly. Healthline says the effect reverses quickly. |
| "Gravity boots work better than a table" | We found no source for a height difference between them. |
Is a short-term change a benefit?
Do not treat a brief change in height as a health result. Healthline's inversion article says studies are inconclusive about whether inversion therapy works and that there is little evidence of long-term relief. It also says the Mayo Clinic found most well-designed studies ineffective. For what the research does and does not show, see inversion table benefits.
How to measure honestly
If you want to track your height, measure at the same time of day, ideally just after you get up, and in the same spot. Because height shifts through the day, a reading taken after hanging or in the evening will not match one from the morning. A difference between two readings taken at different times is not a sign that anything has changed.
Common questions
Will inversion tables make you taller?
Not lasting. Adults stop growing after the growth plates close, and any change after hanging reverses quickly, according to Healthline.
Does gravity boots make you taller?
No. Boots and tables both just hold you upside down. They do not act on bone growth. See gravity boots vs inversion table.
Why am I shorter at night than in the morning?
Healthline attributes it to slight compression of the spinal discs during the day, up to about 1.5 cm.
Can I grow taller after 18?
Healthline says most people do not grow after age 18 to 20. A doctor can answer questions about your own growth.
If you still want a table
Buy one only if you want to try inversion for its own sake, knowing the evidence is limited, and only after talking to your doctor. Our best inversion tables roundup compares options, including the Teeter FitSpine X3.
Gear that helps
Teeter FitSpine X3 Inversion Table
Best for: Most people who want a proven, easy-to-use table within 300 lb and 4'8" to 6'6"
- Max user 300 lb
- Height 4'8"–6'6"
- Max angle 180°
- Folds
- Mid-range
Prices change often. Check the current price on Amazon.
Sources
Related
- Inversion table benefits: what the evidence saysWhat people say inversion tables do, what health sources say the research shows, and who should ask a doctor first.
- How long to use an inversion tableSession lengths and frequency suggested by Teeter's manual, WebMD and Cleveland Clinic, and why you should start with seconds, not minutes.
- Gravity boots vs inversion tableHow gravity boots and inversion tables differ on angle control, getting on and off, the bar you need and weight limits, using Teeter's published specs.
- Who should not use an inversion tableWho should talk to a doctor before trying an inversion table, when to stop, and how to start carefully. Written from health sources and the makers' own manuals.
- Best inversion tablesSeven inversion tables chosen from the makers' published specs: who each suits, weight and height limits, warranties, and who should not invert.