Homedics SBM-300H Therapist Select Shiatsu PLUS Massaging Cushion with Heat
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Our Price: $179.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Homedics SBM-300H Therapist Select Shiatsu PLUS Massaging Cushion with Heat
Customer Review: Good for what it is
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I was a bit skeptical concerning this product when I received it and that skepticism remains, to a certain degree after a few weeks of use. This particular massaging cushion comes with two modes, a rolling massage and a shiatsu massage. To cut to the chase: the shiatsu portion is great; the rolling...not so much.
Not knowing exactly what shiatsu massages were, I went with the rolling to begin with. It basically does what it says it does...it rolls up and down your back. You do have the option to set it to lower, upper or full back and you can also change the width of the massage which is a nice feature. Unfortunately, this mode didn't really do anything for my back. It felt more like a rolling pin was being rolled along my back, as if I were some cookie dough being rolled out. But not as enjoyable (...I think...) and pretty boring, really. Additionally, as I got more use out of the cushion, I found the rolling selection to make an exceedinly annoying noise like it was grinding and/or breaking even at the gentlest touches (placing my hand gently against it caused it do so as well). This is something that showed up with a few weeks of use behind it.
However, the saving grace is the shiatsu massage portion of the cushion and it's this that I use every other night or so...that is, after I learned what Shiatsu meant. According to the Japanese medical department of the Ministry of Welfare, the Shiatsu technique refers to "the use of fingers and palm of one's hand to apply pressure to particular sections on the surface of the body for the purpose of correcting the imbalances of the body, and for maintaining and promoting health." Obviously, this cushion doesn't provide the exact same benefits as a licensed purveyor of Shiatsu will, but that doesn't mean it doesn't feel good.
This shiatsu massage basically amounts to three balls that circulate along your spine and the sides and, like the rolling massage, you can set it to massage your lower, upper or entire back. Additionally, you can turn on the heat and focus on a specific area of your back, freezing the rolling balls in a spot for a nice rub. When I first used this, I didn't care for it and my back didn't care for it; but, I kept trying it (mostly for review purposes) and I have to say that my back feels a lot better than before I used it.
That said, I do have a few complaints on top of the rolling massage portion that keep it from being excellent. The first is the length of the cushion. I understand that the cushion is made as a one-size-fits all and we all know that's not the case, but I'm a 5'10" guy and it stops working at my shoulder blades, unless I slouch which kind of defeats the purpose. Figuring in the fact that you can have detrimental effects if Shiatsu is used on someone's neck, I can understand the desire and need to have the device smaller rather than larger, but I feel like I'm missing out.
My second complaint is the noise. Obviously, when you're working with a mechanical device, you have to expect some noise. So, this is really a minor quibble, but it's still kind of noisy, particularly the rolling selection. Overall, though, this is a great, comfortable massager that will never replace an actual massage but is good enough for your home. I'd recommend checking it out.
Customer Review: Ahhh! I feel good
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Familiar with my in-law's $2,000 Sharper Image massage chair, I was skeptical this could possibly be more than a waste of time.
It's better than I thought.
In a straight up position I still feel the rollers as they knead my sore back to a relaxed state. The heat setting is a huge plus that not even the Smarte Image unit has.
My desk chair can lean back, which puts more pressure on the gizmo and increases the intensity.
This thing is very quiet as trucks along giving a deep penetrating feel. If my wife was sleeping, I'm confident I could run this without waking her.
I'm 5'9" so the rollers only extend from my lowerback to lower part of my shoulder blades. It would be nice if it went up higher to tops of my shoulder blades to work the shoulders some, but for the price I can live without that part.
The main unit is 25" tall and the rollers start 6" from the bottom to 6" from the top, covering a one foot length of back.
Again. . .one foot isn't great, especially if you have a longer torso, so I knocked this down a star rating because of it.
It does have a velcro, elastic strap to help hold it to the chair.
It comes with a padded bottom that is 16" wide and 15" long. So if you put the unit on a wooden chair it should be comfortable enough for most body sizes.
In Roller mode, it's a fairly gentle up & down movement. For me to get anything out of that setting I add the heat.
For a bit more "umph!", I run it in Shiatsu mode.
The heat can get to be bit much after a while, but I'm sure in winter when things cool off the heat will be even more welcome. The unit has a warning sticker to not run it for more than 3 minutes in one spot.
Yes, you can set it in Shiatsu (kneading) or Roller mode (up & down).
Each mode can be set to Full, which moves up and down a one foot range.
You can also set it to work the upper back (several inch area towards the top of the unit to mid-back) or lower back (several inch from bottom to mid-back area).
You can also move the roller to the exact height you want it to be and leave it there.
It has a automatic 15 minute shut off at which point you can turn it back on for another round io need be. It also has an 8' power cord. The controller has a slip case on the side you can store it in. The buttons on the panel are kinda cheap with a plastic overlay. It doesn't feel quality like the rest of the unit, but it works.
I'm letting it run as I write this. For someone like myself who spends 10+ hours a day behind a computer this is a great item. Its light and easily portable so I could in theory take it to and from work.
No car adapter or any other feature to take it on the road while travelling, which would be a nice upgrade. For only $20-$30 more I would imagine the 400 series model with 4 rollers is even better.
Otherwise a great purchase/gift that almost anyone can benefit from. Also, from box to working on your back is less than a five minute process.
Customer Review: Homedics has hit it out of the park with this one!
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
Since developing a bulging disk (now under control, thankfully) a few years ago, I have gone through two of Homedics' Shiatsu massagers. I wore the first one out, and still have the second. While both of the previous models performed wonderfully where the Shiatsu massage was concerned, I felt that Homedics' missed the boat by not including a heat function in those early versions of the chair massager.
But that was in the past. Homedics has hit the ball out of the park with their new chair massager offerings! Not only do the newer models have a heat function, but the massagers can perform either a Shiatsu massage or a rolling massage. I confess to not being very excited about the rolling massage when I read about it. I was convinced I would test it only for the purpose of reviewing this device, and then stick to the Shiatsu massage. Having tried both, I have to say I am more than impressed with the rolling massage and find myself giving both massage styles equal time. The variety proves even more effective than the strict Shiatsu did before, something I didn't anticipate, but makes sense now.
I said before that my bulging disk issue subsided some time ago, but I still have a flare up with my Sciatic nerve periodically, and I definitely hold a lot of tension in my back. My job in the IT industry as a Systems Engineer has me in front of a computer all day during the work week, and often in server rooms where the keyboard, mouse, and monitor position is decidedly not ergonomic. In fact, I am often standing in front of a rack-mounted server to work, with a keyboard positioned for a man instead of my 5'5" height. Needless to say, the job creates a great bit of tension in my back.
The Homedics massagers serve very well to reduce the tension in my back. The new model, SBM-300H Therapist Select Shiatsu PLUS Massaging Cushion with Heat, shows a vast improvement over a device that already worked very well. The adjustable rollers allow the massager to hit any spot on your back while using the rolling function, whereas previously you had to reposition your body on the massager to accomplish this. The pause feature is another I've wanted for years. This allows you to temporarily pause the massagers to work out a particular spot that needs more attention. The heat function is everything I hoped for - covering the whole of the back, it works better than a standard heating pad does, but with a more gentle heat. Although the temperature is not adjustable, it is set at a level that is both effective and comfortable.
The price on this device is more than fair, considering the benefit received from its numerous functions. Using the Homedics SBM-300H Therapist Select Shiatsu PLUS Massaging Cushion with Heat regularly prevents me needing to visit a professional masseuse frequently, keeping my back more relaxed and agile and maintaining a quality of life and physical comfort that I could not do without.
Customer Review: Help for your sore back
Summary: 5 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
The Homedics SBM-300H Therapist Select Shiatsu PLUS Massaging Cushion with Heat 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 gift list. I have given one to both of my children. At ages 19 and 23, 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: Not Perfect, But a Good Value...
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
I recently got this Homedics Shiatsu Massaging Cushion not quite knowing what to expect. I let my friend try it first, during which he screamed in shock: "Ahhh, It's crushing my spine!" I quickly discovered that this chair cushion knows how to give a back massage, and it does it hard.
I live on a college campus, so I was able to get many people's opinions on this chair cushion. One of my friends, who plays on the rugby team and is considerably larger than I, thought it felt wonderful, but complained that the cushion did not go up far enough to reach his neck (he's about average height). Most people I let try it agreed that it was pretty good, but it would be nice if there was a sensitivity control, so it would not massage so rigorously.
There is a heat function, which provided noticeable heat, but wasn't a warm as I expected it to be. The heat comes from the moving rollers and moves with the massage instead of being evenly distributed over the whole chair. However, when the heat is turned on, you can see the rollers glow red through the chair, which looks kind of cool.
The shiatsu massage allows you to vertically position the rollers in a specific spot, so you can work a particular area, which is a nice feature. The rolling massage allows you to position how widely spaced the two rollers are, which is also a nice control. Both types of massages allow you to choose either full, lower, or upper back massages.
The chair is not particularly uncomfortable to sit in, but you can definitely feel the two vertical bars in the back. This means it's probably not a chair you would want to sit in unless you are actually using it for a massage. Fortunately, the cushion is very easy to set up and remove (there's an elastic velcro back strap for attaching the cushion to a chair). The power cord is very long, which is helpful. The chair is noisier than I expected it to be, but not too bad.
Although this may seem like a fairly negative review, I do feel that this chair is a pretty good option for its price, considering how expensive massage chairs can be. Although I think the cushion massages too hard, I am starting to get used to it the more I use it. Also, putting a thick blanket over the cushion really solves this problem. Overall, I believe this to be a pretty good value for a massage chair cushion.