Getting a professional massage is something I typically only enjoy while on vacation. I know I can walk into any of the thousands of massage parlors in New York City whenever I want, but for some reason, I view a massage less as a must for my health and fitness and more as an indulgence. And to be fair, for most people, it kind of is. A single deep-tissue massage can run upwards of $100 or more, so developing that into a weekly habit can be expensive.
But then I was introduced to this $50 heated shiatsu massager, a product that delivers satisfying neck and back massages with the simple press of a button. It’s a clunky-to-wear, somewhat awkward device, but it functions well enough that those are nothing more than minor nitpicks. And although it may not replace the sensation of an actual massage, it gets quite close.
It may not replicate a real-life deep-tissue massage but this Shiatsu massager is the next best thing. It has three intensity settings that do well to deliver a strong kneading massage, and it even doles out a little heat for an added sensation. It’s also just $50 — you can’t beat that.
What we liked about it
It delivers a legit massage
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little skeptical when unboxing this massager. It came with no owner’s manual but did have instructions printed on the outside of the box. This was an odd first impression. But once I figured out how to use it (I just plugged it in), I started to sing a different tune.
The two massage heads immediately started moving in opposite counter- and clockwise directions and the red heating lamp turned on. That was my cue to put the thing on my neck and let it get to work. After I fumbled with the straddling arms, it was easy to situate the massage nodes on my neck in the right places.
From there, I let the massager do its thing. I did adjust the intensity every few minutes, going from a quicker, less intense motion to a slow, deeper massage cadence. There’s no illusion of it being a real massage but it does deliver a satisfying experience that helped relieve some tension and pain.
It has three different intensity levels (and they’re all great)
As mentioned above, the massager can move at three different speeds. There’s a slow pace that does a good job of delivering a deeper, more intense massage, a fast option that trades that deep massage for something more rhythmic and soothing and then a medium speed that’s a happy blend of both.
When I first used it, I thought I’d have a speed setting I preferred. Maybe if I felt tense in my neck or shoulders, I’d opt for the slow speed, or if I just wanted some quick pain relief, the fast cadence would be my go-to. Over time, I realized I actually enjoyed using each one equally. I’d spend a few minutes on the fast speed, then dial it down so it could dig into my muscles a little deeper.
The heating component is subtle but nice
Although the massager features an infrared heating function, I found the heat slightly muted. It was there, sure, but it never felt hot — which is likely a good thing for some folks. You don’t want this to be too hot, especially if you’re using it in warmer climates or tend to overheat easily.
And while I can’t accurately speak to how well the infrared heater worked to ease any tension or stress, I can say it did feel generally nice to use. In the same way a warm washcloth or hot stone might feel at the spa, the minimal amount of heat it did churn out was comforting.
What we didn’t like about it
It’s very weird to wear
The biggest learning curve for using this massager is getting over just how odd the design is. The big massager head is attached to two arms that are supposed to drape or fold over your front, and the pictures on the box make it look much easier to wear than it is.
It’s not that it’s hard to use by any means, just awkward. To be fair, the arms do help keep the massage head in place and even allow you to dig the massager deeper into wherever it’s positioned if you like. Once I got the hang of how to use the arms, the overall weird feeling went away.
It needs to be plugged in the entire time
I don’t know if I just didn’t realize it when I ordered it, or maybe I didn’t pay attention to the product description, but this massager is not cordless. I plugged it into an outlet as soon as I unboxed it, waited a few hours and then unplugged it, ready for it to melt away my stress and tension.
But when I pushed the power button, nothing happened. I thought perhaps I needed to hold down the power button for a few seconds, so I tried that. Nothing. Is there a light that turns on, or anything to signal that it’s working? Not that I could see.
So, I plugged it back in, thinking maybe it just wasn’t fully charged. Instead of leaving it to amass some juice, I pushed the power button to see what happened. It turned on. After a few more troubleshooting tests (unplugging it again, pushing the power button again, it not turning on again), I figured out that, yes, it needs to be plugged in.
This is largely fine aside from the fact it wasn’t super clear this was the case. I will say, however, that needing to be near an outlet to use this thing isn’t ideal. My apartment has plenty of outlets, so it never was a problem, but I can see how this could be a pain for folks who don’t have abundant power access.
Bottom line
I wasn’t expecting to like a funky neck and back massager as much as I liked this one. After seeing just how awkwardly designed it was and that it needs to be plugged in to use, I thought I’d try it a few times and be done with it.
But I was wrong. Not only do I use it far more than I anticipated but it provides actual relief. I keep it plugged in near my desk at home and it’s incredibly easy to just throw it on my neck for a few minutes during the day to get a quick massage.
While it may not supplant the feeling of getting an actual deep-tissue massage, it does an excellent job of temporarily scratching that itch. And since I rarely get massages, and when I do it’s while on vacation, this is a nice way to indulge in some muscle relief from the comfort of my home.
