Hyperpolarized 129Xe imaging is increasingly viewed as a viable tool for assessing lung structure and function. An asymmetrical whole-body xenon birdcage design for homogeneous transmit performance, previously evaluated through electromagnetic field simulations, was constructed. Coil homogeneity was evaluated with a high-pressure thermally polarized xenon Boltzmann cylinder phantom and hyperpolarized 129Xe gas. MR images of the phantom and the hyperpolarized gas confirmed homogeneous excitation.