Not only do Hamster Exercise Balls provide great exercise for your little furry friend, but also give you the opportunity to keep your hamster safely occupied whilst you clean and maintain their home.
Getting your hamster out of the cage once or twice a week is a great way to satisfy their sense of exploring, letting them free to roam in the safety of an enclosed ball.
So what are the best Hamster exercise balls available, and what should you look for?
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Hamster exercise balls – What are they?
Pop into any pet store and you’ll see hamster exercise balls on the shelves. These clear plastic balls have been a common accessory for years and come with a host of benefits for you and your hamster.
They are designed so that you can put your hamster into the ball, secure, and free to roam around the room. Much like a wheel, they have grip so that as your hamster runs, the ball will follow. But, unlike wheels, they are not normally on a stand, so will scoot around the room letting your hamster explore to its heart’s content.
Mainly made from tough plastic, they come with either a small opening or will twist to unlock and come apart in half.
They all come with air holes that provide adequate ventilation but are designed so that their tiny toes cannot get stuck.
Exercise balls featured in this review post:
- Kaytee Run-about 7inch Exercise Ball
- Lee's Kritter Krawler Standard Exercise Ball
- Kaytee Run-About Ball Mega
- Savic Runner Exercise Balls for Small Animals
- Kaytee Critter Cruiser
Note: Clicking the above links will take you to further information, current prices, and customer reviews on Amazon.
Best Hamster Exercise Balls for smaller hamsters
Looking for an exercise ball for your small Hamster? Then take a look below at some of the market leaders.
Kaytee Run-about 7inch Exercise Ball
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The Run-about ball provides the perfect outlet for your pet’s excess energy. Run-about balls also make a great temporary area to keep your furry friend while you are cleaning their cage. For added safety, use your Run-about ball on super pet’s Hamtrac Raceway and provide your pet with a controlled exercise environment.
The fastening clips provide a secure lock so your hamster is unable to escape even if there is a collision. On the flip side, these clips can make it quite difficult to undo and therefore you’ll need to have a strong grip to undo it.
There’s plenty of air vents as you would expect, and the gaps are small enough to not be an issue for your hamster tiny little paws.
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- Encourage healthy exercise in a secure and safe way
- Makes a great temporary holding area to keep your furry friend while you clean their home
- 7-Inch diameter
- Provides interactive fun for the pet and the pet owner
- For hamsters, gerbils, or other small animals
Pros
- Good build quality and strong
- Good size for a small hamster like a dwarf or Robo
- Clips fasten solid so hard for your buddy to escape
- Hamtrac raceway compatible
Cons
- Can be quite tough to open because of the close fitting clips
- Not suitable for a larger hamster – get a bigger version!
Lee’s Kritter Krawler Standard Exercise Ball
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Lee’s Kritter Krawler Exercise Balls provide stimulating aerobic exercise for your small animals. The Kritter Krawlers allow pets the freedom to roam while being safely confined. Your pets quickly learn how to maneuver around common household obstacles with ease. Great fun to watch. The lid is a bit loose compared to other competitors, which can make it a little too easy for your furry friend to perform the great escape. However, we did prefer the screwed in halves, opposed to plastic clips which seem to be more robust.
Which color you will end up with is also a bit of a lottery. don’t assume you will get a bright pink one! not that your hamster should really care.
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- Ribs inside to provide better gripping power for pets
- Designed for use by hamsters, gerbils and other small animals
- Size: 7-inch diameter standard, colored, made of shatter-resistant plastic
Pros
- Screw construction makes for a sturdy join
- Bright colors (although you may not actually get a pink one)
- Cheaper than competitor models
- Perfect size for a smaller hammy
Cons
- The Lid is quite loose. Could make for breakout attempts!
- Inside of the ball has a lip where the halves are screwed together, which can be problematic for tiny guys and girls when running.
Best hamster exercise balls for larger hamsters
Is your Hamster on the larger side? Have no fear there are plenty of options available for the larger critter
Kaytee Run-About Ball Mega
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The Kaytee Run-About Mega Ball is one of the largest balls on the market, so more suited to strong large breed Hamsters. Big enough to be used for small rats.
Again, this balls is compatible with the Hamtrac Raceway
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- Encourage healthy exercise in a secure and safe way
- Makes a great temporary holding area to keep your furry friend while you clean their home
- 13-Inch diameter
- For pet rats or chinchillas
- Fits perfectly with the Hamtrac raceway
Pros
- Its Big
- Most users are happy with the construction quailty
- Hamtrac raceway compatible
Cons
- Its BIG!
- Not suitable for a small hamster – Would be way to heavy – Go for the smaller 7 inch version if for a dwarf breed
Savic Runner Exercise Balls for Small Animals
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A little smaller than the MEGA Kaytee, but still a respectable 10inches. More than big enough for the largest Syrian Hamster
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- GOING FOR A WALK: Savic Runner Balls are the perfect accessory to give your small pets exercise. Runner balls are a great way to play with your pet and gives them a safe way to burn off excess energy. They also provide a convenient place to safely place your pet while cleaning their cage.
- THE PERFECT SIZE: The Large Runner Ball measures approximately 10 inches and is perfect for Rats hedgehogs, and smaller chinchillas.
- EASY TO CLEAN: Along with the side access door Savic Runner Balls can be disassembled in the center for easy cleaning.
- QUALITY CONSTRUCTION: Savic Runner balls are made in Belgium using quality materials
- Age range description: All Life Stages
Pros
- Perfect for a large breed of hamster
Cons
- Some users reported having difficulty putting it together
Best Hamster exercise ball alternatives
Perhaps your hamster is becoming a little bored of the daily grind out in the hamster exercise ball? Looking for something a little quirky that will mix up the routine? Take a look below at a great alternative to a hamster exercise ball.
Kaytee Critter Cruiser
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The Critter cruiser is a great alternative to a hamster ball, especially if your furry friend has always dreamt of owning his or her own vehicle
There are 3 settings, which make for a great range of play time. There’s a stationary position when your buddy will use it more like a wheel… just looks cooler. The second setting allows the hamster to power his way around your front room in his very own sports car! Setting 3 allows you to attach the car to the Hamtrac system for a more controlled, yet still fun work out!
Manufacturers Specs and Features
- Exciting pet powered exercise car for hamsters and gerbils
- Makes a great temporary holding area to keep your furry friend while you clean their home
- Pet-powered exercise vehicle for your small animal
- Adjustable racing wheel lets car work in 3 different ways: stationary, mobile, or on a hamtrac
- Not recommended for pet mice or dwarf hamster breeds
Pros
- Great alternative to a conventional ball
- 3 settings allow you to change the way in which your friend works out settings allow you to change the way in which your friend works out
- Hamtrac integration
Cons
- Colors are random unless you specify!
- Quite a squeeze for a bigger hamster so be careful of back arching
Benefits of a Hamster exercise ball
Exercise
As we all know, Hamsters love to run. Giving your hamster 20 minutes in a ball will give them plenty of time to run, explore and burn off some energy.
Change of scenery
Whilst your hamster will feel safe and secure in their home, they do love to have a little exploration. Let them freely in a room in their exercise ball and they’ll find their way into every little corner to have a sniff around.
Housekeeping
Whilst your Hamster is busy checking out its surroundings, you can get on with cleaning its cage, making its bed, or topping up its food and water.
How to use a hamster exercise ball safely
A hamster ball is a great way for your little pal to get exercise, but care and common sense are required.
Hamster balls are dangerous if used incorrectly
Here is our guide to using your exercise ball safely:
- Don’t leave your hamster in its hamster ball for any longer than twenty minutes
- Never let your hamster roam alone in its ball; always keep watch.
- Do not put baby Hamsters in a ball. They are designed for adult hamsters only baby hamsters’ tiny feet could get stuck in the ventilation holes.
- Never let your hamster play in its ball when there are other pets in the room. Dogs and Cats will be especially interested in the furry little friend as he enjoys his freedom.
- Only let your hamster run in its ball on a carpeted floor; balls move too fast on a wooden floor or tiles.
- Make sure you clean the ball after every use.
- Don’t let your hamster explore in a room where there are stairs or any other obstacles for the ball to fall off. Close doors or use a stair gate.
- Choose the correct size ball for your hamster. Syrian Hamsters will require a larger ball that would be too heavy for a Dwarf Hamster breed.
