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401 of 403 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just try it once and you'll be hooked!, January 3, 2004
This review is from: HoMedics Therapist Select Shiatsu Back Massager (Health and Beauty)
I just had to go and find this remarkable little gadget after trying it at my brother's house. He bought it after trying it at his in-laws. It is THAT good, try it once, and you will be hooked. Two little balls go up and down your spine like little fingers. It is a very intense experience. I was sore for a day afterwards until I took a nice hot shower. Then, I had to buy my own unit. It is like visiting your own personal massage therapist whenever you want. Basically, the shiatsu balls work the lower thru upper back and the cushions vibrate in different ways to invigorate your thighs. But make no mistake, this little baby is about getting those stubborn knots out of your back. A little bit of heaven on my couch. Ahhh.........
3/11/04- An update here, do NOT use this product on a recliner. I was reclined and leaned to the side..SNAP...it broke. 3 weeks later my brother plopped down on his reclined chair and broke his too. I sent it off for repairs and am dying to get it back. WARNING- If you do buy this, use a straight back chair, like a kitchen chair. My brothers inlaws use a straightback chair and have had no problems. Don't use it in a recliner!
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207 of 209 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Evaluate the other Homedics models before you buy, November 1, 2005
This review is from: HoMedics Therapist Select Shiatsu Back Massager (Health and Beauty)
I bought the SBM-200 as a gift for my wife after she tried it at a local store and loved it. After getting it and using it, I noted a few things about these units to be aware of.
The upper back and lower back programs also massage the mid back. I wish there was a way to limit the movement to only the lower or upper back, and have a separate program for mid back instead of the demo mode button.
There are 3 zippers on the back near the upper and lower seat fold, and 1 zipper on the seat bottom. Unfortunately, the zipper bodies have sharp metal edges and the seat cover does not have flaps to cover them, so they might damage the upholstery of your chair. The instruction manual warns of this, and says not to use it on wooden chair surfaces. I placed a folded towel underneath the unit to protect my leather recliner. This slightly adds to the height and further reduces the depth of the seating area.
The seat bottom does nothing at all except for being a cushion and a holder for the wired handheld remote.
The unit is not comfortable to sit on when not in use. However it is somewhat clunky to remove, transport, and store with the 12 ft of power cable, transformer (which sits on the floor), and the various seat fastening straps.
Given these facts, the slightly shorter SBM-100 might be a better and more economical choice. Since the SBM-100 does not have a bottom seat cushion, it offers some leeway in positioning the unit against your back.
Homedics also offers the slightly more expensive SBM-300 and QRM-400 which feature rolling massage, adjustable massage width, and the ability to hold the massage heads at a specific point. The SBM-300 also has vibrating seat massage while the QRM-400 has 4 heads. Adjustable width is nice as I feel the SBM-200 massages too close to my spine.
Note that all of these units have the sharp zipper bodies. Homedics should really redesign them to use velcro or position the zippers on the sides and top where it won't contact and damage the chair.
They should also try to package the power transformer into the back cushion to make it easier to transport and store.
I opened the zippers and took a peek inside the back. It is mostly plastic. A single motor rides on a track and simultaneously drives the 2 rotating nylon heads. The gears are nylon. Limit switches on the track determine the points at which the motor reverses for each of the programs. Each head has two "nubs" which do the massaging. The heads rotate against a thin nylon cover. A vinyl flap covers the nylon cover. The massage action feels pretty good, but it is hardly "state of the art" and I hope it lasts. The manual warns against putting your weight on the heads while they're in motion.
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224 of 230 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
effective for light use; smells tolerable, April 8, 2004
This review is from: HoMedics Therapist Select Shiatsu Back Massager (Health and Beauty)
For the $ you spend, this is a good, practical massager for a home or office environment. Everyone who has tried it in my office said "WOW" -- mainly because of the rollers that travel up and down your back. Much more effective than any other chair that merely vibrates. The rollers can be quite strong - for skinny people, a towel or two would be quite good. Or you can learn to lean less against it when it starts to hurt.
I would love for it to travel even higher to help with my neck, but I'll settle for the range that it currently provides. It does have a strong gasoline-like smell - initially, after closing off my office for the weekend, Monday morning can be a bit hard due to the strong smell that has built up. But it has either faded somewhat or I have gotten more used to it (which is not too good for me).
Overall, a solid performer for light use - a few times a day, when your back really feels tight.
EDITS on 12/1/2004: After using it for 8 months I still like it a lot. The smell is all gone after a couple of months' use. I mainly use the back rollers (sitting in front of a computer most of the time), and can tell the difference after a 15-minute or so session - my back muscles are much loosened. I don't use the seat massage too much, but when I do I really like it as well. My favorite is the "side-to-side" mode. Makes the thighs relax.
EDITS in July 2007: It is finally broken. Nothing happens now when connected except that the power button on the remote keeps blinking. Too bad.
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