Both of my knees have sustained trauma in past injuries, and I now have moderate arthritis in both of them. I read in the description that it can accommodate heavier people compared to other similar products out there. Other positive reviews stating how this machine forces you to have proper squat form, and how it's easy on your knees are what led me to buy this. Glad I did. Setup was easy. My experience with this machine is yes, it IS easy on your knees and yes it does encourage you to have proper squat form. I appreciate that it uses bodyweight, but you can add resistance by looping the bands on. When I'm doing squats on this machine, I truly feel the burn in my quads, and hardly have any crackling sounds (from the arthritis) coming from my knees. I feel this purchase is well worth it.