Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
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General product information only, not medical advice. Which band to use, and how, is a decision for the person’s clinician or therapist.
Therapy band colors are a resistance code: each color marks a heavier or lighter band within one manufacturer’s range. The best-documented order, from the Thera-Band manufacturer, runs Tan, Yellow, Red, Green, Blue, Black, Silver, Gold. The colors are not an industry standard, so a color only means something when you read it against the chart of the company that made that band. This page shows the order, how big each step is, and what to confirm on a label.
Therapy band colors in order
The Thera-Band Resistance Band and Tubing Instruction Manual (The Hygenic Corporation, 22136 REV 1 5/12) says its natural rubber latex bands are “easily recognized by the trademark Thera-Band colors – Tan, Yellow, Red, Green, Blue, Black, Silver and Gold.” The same order, least to greatest resistance, appears in Performance Health’s listing for its CanDo exercise bands.
| Position | Color | Step over the previous color (manufacturer’s description) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tan | Lightest in the range |
| 2 | Yellow | 25% |
| 3 | Red | 25% |
| 4 | Green | 25% |
| 5 | Blue | 25% |
| 6 | Black | 25% |
| 7 | Silver | 40% |
| 8 | Gold | 40% |
The manual states that each step is “a consistent pull force increase of 25% in the clinical range (Tan through Black) and 40% in the advanced range (Silver through Gold).” Its chart carries the note “Represents typical values. All products not available in all colors.” For the pound values behind each color, see the TheraBand color chart at 100% and 200% stretch.
What the colors mean
Exercise band color code and resistance band colors: one idea, many brands
Searches such as exercise band color code, resistance band colour meaning or band colors all point at the same thing: a color-to-resistance key. The manual describes Thera-Band, the Color Pyramid and the associated colors as trademarks owned by The Hygenic Corporation or its affiliates. That means the colors belong to one maker’s system. The needle hub colors in ISO 6009 apply to needles, not bands, so there is no shared standard to rely on here.
In practice, a “red” band from another maker is not guaranteed to match Thera-Band Red. Use the chart from the company that made the band in your hand, and treat a color name on its own as incomplete information.
Colors compare only at the same stretch
Force depends on how far the band is stretched. The manual’s example: a 2 ft Green band stretched to 4 ft (100% elongation) gives 4.6 lb, and stretched to 6 ft (200% elongation) gives 6.7 lb. So a color chart is only meaningful with its elongation basis stated, and a figure at 100% cannot be set beside a figure at 200%. Background on stretch and force is in how resistance bands work.
How big is each step
Because the manufacturer’s steps are percentages, the pound increase grows as the band gets heavier. The first five steps are each 25% over the previous color at 100% elongation (Performance Health, “What TheraBand resistance band should I buy, and more FAQ”). From Silver the steps become 40%, so the top of the range jumps more than the bottom. Performance Health also lists a High Resistance range extending the levels from 15 to 50 pounds of resistance.
Latex and non-latex bands
The manual says Thera-Band Latex Free Resistance Bands are available for people with latex allergies. Performance Health describes its non-latex and CLX bands as made of synthetic rubber and offers them for latex-free facilities. Color-to-level mappings should not be assumed identical across latex, non-latex, loop and tubing lines, so read the chart for the specific line. For latex context, see latex-free materials explained.
Checklist: what to confirm on a label or product page
- The manufacturer’s own color chart for this exact product line.
- The elongation basis of the chart (for example 100% or 200%).
- Whether the band is natural rubber latex or a latex-free synthetic line.
- Whether the product is a flat band, loop or tubing.
- Which colors the product is actually made in; the manufacturer notes that not all products are available in all colors.
Check your product’s labelling: the pack, box or the chart supplied with it is the authority for that band. For wider equipment context, see the physical therapy equipment list and the physical therapy clinic supply checklist.
FAQ
What do exercise band colors mean?
They show relative resistance within a single brand’s range, from light to heavy. For Thera-Band the order is Tan, Yellow, Red, Green, Blue, Black, Silver, Gold, with 25% steps through Black and 40% steps after.
Are resistance band colours the same across brands?
Do not assume so. The Thera-Band colors are the manufacturer’s trademarked system, and ISO 6009 covers needle hubs, not bands. Use the chart from the band’s maker.
Is there a resistance band color code for light, medium and heavy?
Makers publish their own. Thera-Band’s range runs from Tan (lightest) to Gold (heaviest), and another brand may order or name its colors differently.
Why does the same color give different force?
Because force rises with stretch. The manual’s 2 ft Green example gives 4.6 lb at 100% elongation and 6.7 lb at 200%.
Sources
- The Hygenic Corporation, Thera-Band Resistance Band and Tubing Instruction Manual, 22136 REV 1 5/12 (PDF copy of the manual; the manufacturer’s own listing is at performancehealth.com/thera-band-instr-manual), checked 2026-11-01.
- Performance Health, “What TheraBand resistance band should I buy, and more FAQ”, checked 2026-11-01.
- Performance Health support, CanDo bands 100-yard roll exercise band twin paks, checked 2026-11-01.
