Customer Reviews

Homedics BRF-2L Foldable Massaging Back Rest with LED Light, Beige

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Like the previous reviewer's husband, I found it too short to support my back. And I'm not tall at 5'9". The head/neck rest only reaches about 6" below my shoulders. The photo on the box is actually pretty accurate. I then gave it to my mom, who is 5'3", and she loves it. The arm rest offers adequate support when she feels like leaning sideways on her elbow. The foam is very firm and provides good support.

The vibrating massager is unexpectedly strong and somewhat noisy. With such power, I don't expect the 4 AA batteries to last too long. It's disappointing that it can't use an AC adapter to save on batteries. And I agree with the previous reviewer: The 3 LED light is useless. The photo on the box shows a woman holding a book about 2 1/2 feet away. In reality, there's barely enough light only 6" away. And yes, my batteries were fresh (as indicated by the powerful massage) and the massage unit was not on. In fact, my single LED keychain flashlight is much brighter. You can't stare at it for more than a second. These 3 LEDs are so dim that staring at them caused no discomfort. No wonder the woman on the box had her room lights on as well!

My suggestion is to go for the previous model without the light since it's about $20 less. The light is useless and everything else seems the same. And it helps to be short.

Pros:
- Strong vibrating massage
- Firm foam
- Folds away for easy storage
- Side pockets are handy for remote controls
- Plush chenille fabric is comfortable

Cons:
- Neck rest only reaches 6" below my shoulders
- Massager somewhat noisy
- Massage button is on arm rest and can be hit accidentally by elbows; they should have put it on the side
- LED light is too dim to be useful; my keychain and booklights are MUCH brighter
- Can't use AC adapter
- No zippered storage bag to protect from dirt

I am using it to work in bed. It allows me to sit up straight but in a confortable way. I'm 6'tall and don't feel is too small like other reviewer suggested. The light is totally worth the extra $20 bucks. It is an LED light with the perfecr brightness so you don't bother your spouse. The massager is a very nice feature but I don't use it that much (al all). The material is def. good quality and the color very neutral. Folds nicely just as advertised. The only thing I would probably improve is the cup holder: covering it with a softer layer of "cushy" material. I rather use my night-table for drinks mainly because this cup holder is too close to my shoulder and elbow. Sometime my elbow tends to get there and it is not exactly confortable.

I really like this massaging back rest. I bought it for my husband but I ended up using it! My husband is average height,this back rest is really for someone who is short, like me. He didn't care for it because the back doesn't come up far enough. I wish that it was an electric massage instead of batteries. All in all, it's pretty good.

This product offers a lot of comfort from the design and is easy to set up and put up. I don't believe that the cup holder is really usable because it is located too close to the back and the light is a nice thought, but I find that we use an external light source 99.9 percent of the time. We don't really use the back massager but may in the future, over all this is a good product.

I own several homedics products, and I've been happy with all of them; but this product is cheap trash.

The arms fold up and down for storage, but they only rotate 90 degrees, so you can't recline it in the slightest. The back and arms are hard and uncomfortable, and the fabric is cheap scratchy polyester. You need to wear layers to keep it from itching through your shirt. The cup holder is extremely shallow, so it doesn't hold a normal sized glass well. The "massager" is just a battery powered vibrator that annoys more than it massages. It actually runs on AA batteries!

The highest quality component in the back rest is the flexible metal arm that holds the reading light. Of course, the light itself doesn't produce enough light to read by, and the arm is positioned such that it will scratch and damage the headboard or wall it rests against.

Item is comfortable and best yet in proper angle for TV viewing and reading. Folds and stores very easily.

Only negative is that reading light is too dim.

Since I'm short (5'4) I thought I'd take a chance on this even though it had mixed reviews. I find it to be too firm and not good for bed (which is where it is intended to be used?) because the bed sinks under your weight but the backrest stays in the same place. The arms are sturdy enough to lean on, but the plastic cupholder is in an odd place and is leaving marks on my left arm. I can't imagine how I could have a drink in their and not either be uncomfortable or knock it over. I do like that it folds up. In all, this is likely to go into the next garage sale pile.

I bought this as a gift for my girlfriend because she loves to read. The back rest is very short and very stiff. It was so uncomfortable that she insisted I send it back. The light also does not stay in place and it is very dim. The massager just kind of vibrates your whole body including your head which I would think would be very distracting while reading. I sent it back only to find that the seller did not reimburse shipping cost and it cost me about half of what I paid to ship it back. I won't be buying from this seller again.

The material is really soft, but the cushion for the back is a little hard and I feel it does not have great neck support. Also the the cup holder is totally on your elbow, needs to be move up just a bit. The light works really well.

You can buy this same pillow at bed bath & beyond for $50...so don't waste your money buying it here!