Homedics SBM-200H Therapist Select Shiatsu Massaging Cushion with Heat
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List Price: Our Price: $74.65 You Save: $45.34 (38%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Homedics SBM-200H Therapist Select Shiatsu Massaging Cushion with Heat
Customer Review: This maturity thing is overrated
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Admittedly, this short intro has little to do with evaluation of the product however I think it assists in placing my exuberance for it in context. I rate it less than 5 stars due of a couple of factors that will be addressed below.
As is probably recognized by anyone reading this review, Vine participants receive products for evaluation at no cost. In this instance, I originally selected a different product but for reasons still not entirely clear to me, it turned out that item was no longer available. During the interim, two things occurred: I injured my lower back to the point where actions as benign as putting on socks or stooping to pick up a newspaper caused excruciating pain; and this massage cushion became available once again.
This episode is my first encounter with any sort of back pain and I now have experiential appreciation of the aches and pain so many others I know have endured. I found myself taking unnecessary car trips just to sit on the heated seats. Whether synchronicity or coincidence, the Homedics SBM-200H Therapist Select Shiatsu Massaging Cushion with Heat turned out to be nearly exactly what the doctor I refused to visit would have ordered. Let's be honest here, if I was going out to buy it, I would have chosen the SBM-400H with the rolling feature as well as the Shiatsu feature, but this unit is a utilitarian compromise.
The rollers work in a kneading fashion, moving progressively from the lower back to approximately mid-shoulder blade, and after a brief pause reverses direction. In order reach the upper muscles, you have to slump in the chair, and for someone with lower back pain like me that's not the best position. The user has the option of massage only or massage with heat. Personally, I would have preferred the ability to adjust the amount of pressure or tension exerted by the mechanism as it seemed to dissipate in the lower back region.
With the expandable straps, it can be placed in just about any chair although the instruction manual cautions against use in a wooden one. In my opinion that's nothing more than manufacturer's legalese since they claim the warning is due to the possibility of damage being caused by a barley noticeable,shielded nylon zipper running the length of the back of the upper cushion.
The unit has three preset programs; Full back, upper back and lower back although with this unit it is not possible to pause at the massage mechanism and concentrate on a problem area as is the case with more expensive models.
Customer Review: Help for your sore back
Summary: 5 Stars
The Shiatsu massaging cushion is shaped like a chair pad. It is portable and can be placed in any type of chair, including, I would assume, the front seat of a car. You'd need the proper plug adapter, though, because it works by plugging into an outlet, not by batteries. The only caveat for what chair you can place it in comes from the product's manual. It says to be careful of upholstery, so I put a towel over my padded recliner when I placed the cushion on it. That chair, by the way, was a great choice for using the cushion because I could recline while being massaged. To add to the relaxation experience, the cushion has a convenient, hand-held control which allows you to access with the touch of a finger the three different massage programs the cushion offers: (1) shiatsu spot massage, (2) regular shiatsu massage, and (3) rolling massage. When you choose the latter two programs, you can select movement up and down the full length of your back, or have the cushion focus on your lower or upper back. For all three programs, you can add heat, which amplifies the healing effects. You can also control the width of the massage so it conforms to your particular body size. There is also an automatic timer within the cushion that shuts it off after 20 minutes, but it feels so good, I did it for a full hour the first night. Be careful, though, that you don't do it too long. The automatic 20 minutes are about right for most people, because you can get, as the saying goes, "too much of a good thing," and give yourself a pain flare the next day if you have the cushion massage you too long.
I rate this product 5 stars for ease of use and portability, 5 stars for looks, 5 stars for how good it feels, and definitely 5 stars for value for the money. While a simple, electric cushion like this can't take the place of a human masseuse, I found it felt almost as good as a very expensive, electric massage table I have used in my chiropractor's office--and a comparable 20-minute treatment by that table costs almost as much as the price of this cushion.
By the way, you don't have to have a chronic back problem to find good use for this cushion. It would make a great gift for most of the adults on your Christmas list. I plan to give one to both of my children. At ages 19 and 22, they don't have the middle-aged aches my husband and I suffer, but they periodically get acute back pain from overdoing it in sports.
Customer Review: Ahhhhh!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I have wanted one of these massaging chairs for a very long time! I'm one of those people that jump into the chairs in the mall and goes thru 2 or 3 rounds of massage before allowing anyone else the joy!! I also have back troubles requiring the help of a chiropractor and a massage therapist - so I know relief when I feel it!
This is a portable massage cushion meant for most chairs in your home. (There is also a warning about not putting this in your car ... can you really drive and use one of these anyway!?! That's a recipe for an accident!!) Anyway, I was able to take this over to my neighbor's house with ease so that they could try it out too! The consensus was, "Can you leave this here?" Of course, my answer was, "No!"
The Shiatsu Massaging action is done by the rolling of balls inside the cushion in a deep kneading circular pattern moving up and down your back. (My only complaint here is that it doesn't go high enough on my back. Most of my pain comes from between my shoulder blades and up to my neck - and this only gets right to mid-shoulder blade. I'm average height at 5'7", so it would be ideal for someone about 5'5".)
The control features a "demo" button for a brief demonstration each function, and then automatically turns off. There is a button for heat while the massage is on, you can select/ deselect it as you prefer. It then has buttons for Full back (up & down the entire back), Upper back (focusing on the mid to upper back), and Lower back (focusing on the mid to lower back). You can also select/deselect these buttons as you prefer.
The unit has an automatic 15 minute shut off. It is recommended that you not use the unit for more than 15 minutes at a time. Other recommendations are not to use if you are pregnant, diabetic, have a pacemaker, or have any concerns regarding your health. It also recommends not using it before bed, as it has a stimulating effect and can delay sleep.
Overall I found this very useful and loved the massage! I am hoping this will put more time between the need for chiropractor and massage therapy visits!
- 1smileycat :-)
Customer Review: Not bad, but definitely not one size fits all ...
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I've tried a lot of massage chairs, from the kind you pay a dollar to sit in at the mall to deluxe home models to little portable cushions, more or less like this one. One thing you won't ever get with even the high end models is something that truly resembles the actual experience of being massaged by a human being. Massage, and especially the therapeutic technique known as "shiatsu," is an art form and little roller balls following a preprogrammed pattern will never give the experience of being kneaded by hands (or massage balls wielded by competent hands) that can adjust to the contours of your back, accommodate the different levels of tension and stress in your various muscles, and most importantly adjust their approach to your specific body type.
Given this major drawback for all electronic massage chairs, this one doesn't do a bad job and does a better job than some I've tried. The roller balls, which can be heated or not according to your preference, simply go around in little circles up and down your back. You can have them go up your entire back or halfway up from the bottom or halfway down from the top, according to your preferences. There is no percussion or vibration possible on this model -- those are features on some of the more advanced models of this chair -- but the warm rolling and kneading motion does work the muscles around your vertebrae.
The biggest drawback as far as I am concerned is that there are no adjustments possible in the overall pattern of motion of the roller balls. I'm a very tall and large man and it feels like this was made for someone smaller. On certain parts of my back the balls roll too tightly for my comfort -- my wife, however, had no complaints and the motions seemed just right for her smaller frame. My overall assessment is that for the medium sized average user who is primarily interested in the kneading of roller balls, this would be an economic alternative to a higher end more versatile model that I would prefer.
Customer Review: An interesting experience, but could be better
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Perhaps this is because this model isn't the 'best' out of the others that are being offered, but I have to say I was a bit let down by the experience. I came home and quickly opened up the packaging, took out the cushion, set it up and turned it on, immediately I hear a weird noise, one that I know shouldn't be there. I immediately turn it off and read through all the instructions (I know, should have done that before hand), and come across a screw that I was supposed to take out. Let this be a warning to others, a small screw on the back of the cushion has to be removed (it comes with a small tool with which to remove it, so no worries there).
After that was over I sat down and let it do it's thing! First thing I noticed is that you have to be sitting straight back in order for it to get to all the parts of your back, I'm 5'9" and unless my head is against the back of my chair I won't be feeling the rollers on my upper back. Second, is the fact that at some points these rollers are very HARD and will be poking into your back, which is the major reason for me giving this 4 stars out of 5. The company recommends putting a towel in between your back and the cushion, which I think I'll be doing from now on. Otherwise, I think for the money, this massager is pretty good. I think it works best for the lower back, you'll notice yourself moving with it as it literally goes into your back while moving up and down in circular motions, but again, these are hard motions with little cushioning. The middle of the back is when it starts to almost hurt!
I will say that having sat in one of those recliners, at sharper image, the difference is day and night. There is much more comfort in them, which probably explains the $2,000 price tag, than with this cushion which I think is actually lacking some 'cushion' for your back. Unless you like HARD massages, and I do mean HARD, I'd recommend looking elsewhere or at least getting a towel or two ready.