Customer Reviews

Homedics QRM-400H Therapist Select Quad-Roller Massaging Cushion with Heat

5 star:		(58)
4 star:		(62)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Length:: 2:17 Mins

The Quad-Roller Massaging Cushion is easy to set up and begin operating. You just prop it on a chair or couch (there are straps you can use to tie it in place if your chair allows) and plug it in. There is a remote control pocket attached to the chair on the right. The remote is attached to the chair by a cord: in other words, it won't be joining other remotes in your couch cushions, which is great. The remote control itself is laid out very sensibly, so that it's very easy to operate.

There are two types of massage, shiatsu and rolling, either of which can be used with or without heat. Shiatsu massage is a deeper massage and feels like a knobby ball is being rolled around your back. Rolling massage is gentler and feels like wheels are rolling up and down alongside your spine, which is pretty much just what's happening: there are two rollers on either side of the chair. The horizontal distance between them can be adjusted using the width button. (There is a demo feature on the remote which gives a quick run-through of all the cushion's settings.)

Both types of massage, shiatsu and rolling, can be concentrated on the upper or lower back or set to massage the full back. In addition, in the shiatsu mode you can concentrate the massage on a single spot, adjusting it using up and down buttons.

I haven't tried other massage cushions/chairs, so I can't compare this product with the competition. Nor can I speak to the product's endurance, as I haven't used it yet for a long time. But these are the cushion's pros and cons as I see them:

PROS:
-- Easy to operate
-- Sensibly designed remote control
-- Remote can't get lost
-- Light weight
-- Auto shut-off after 15 minutes
-- It feels pretty darn good

CONS:
-- The rollers don't go up high enough to reach my shoulders (I'm 5'9"). People with upper back problems may not find this cushion helpful.

I used to wake up every morning with a stiff back, feeling like my spine would splinter if I twisted at all. That doesn't happen anymore, but boy would I have wanted this chair then, particularly the rolling full-back massage.

The video should give you a good sense of how the chair operates. Enjoy.

-- Debra Hamel

This is a great product if you don't want to spend too much but want a "real" massage each time. The massage cushions don't seem like they would give such a strong massage but as soon as you turn on the power you know this is a cushion that means business. If you lean back too hard it becomes actually painful.

Having tried out some massage chairs such as iJoy and others which come with hefty price tags, I think Homedics is a great option if you don't want to spend too much and still get a decent massage. Added to that the cushion gives you the flexibility to use any chair you like as your massage chair. However, the best feature about these new models from Homedics is the HEAT...(oh yes!) which you will not get even in most expensive massage chairs.

Aaah! The heat makes such a difference! The four rollers move up and down your back to give you a strong massage, but when you turn on the heat the same rollers feel so much better. The wonderful warmth just relaxes your tense back. Let me caution you however, the massage from this cushion can be too intense for if you just want a comforting light massage in front of the TV. These rollers literally dig into your back, especially if you have a very bony back. So you can either wear a light cotton jacket or just put a towel over the cushion. I prefer to put on a light jersey jacket to get my massage as putting a towel over the rollers (discouraged by the manufacturer) can mar their efficiency. It may also heat up the cushion too much and may damage it.

Each time I've used the heat feature on this cushion, I've been lulled into sleep despite the uncomfortable cushion. The rollers thankfully stop after 15 minutes on their own or I'd wake up with a burned and sore back. Even after the massage stops the cushion stays warm for some time due to the heat, and I don't want to get out of the chair. It just feels so good!

Other reviews have illustrated how the chair works very well so I won't go too much into detail here. It gives you an up and down Rolling massage where rollers move in a straight line up and down. In this mode, you can adjust the width of the rollers. The other mode is Shiatsu in which rollers move in a circular pattern up and down your back and you stop them where you like by using the "spot" feature. Usually, you'll want the shiatsu to get those kinks in your back. Which is why you should also consider the Homedics SBM-300H Therapist Select Shiatsu PLUS Massaging Cushion with Heat cushion made by Homedics.

Although the SBM-300H only has 2 rollers (and therefore is a little cheaper)it also gives the rollers the freedom to spiral up and down in a circular motion during a shiatsu. In the quad cushion, although there are 4 rollers, the 2 on each side are joined together and when they move up and down for the shiatsu they move more in a zig-zag kind of pattern compared to the circular spiral of the 2 rollers in the SBM-300H. The 4 rollers also don't go up as high on your back as the 2 rollers in the SBM300H. Some reviewers in the past (for earlier models without heat feature)have commented that the SBM-300 delivers a more effective shiatsu than the quad QRM-400, which I agree with. To check out how the rollers move up and down in the new models look at the video reviews of both (in the spotlight reviews). They give a fairly good idea of the movement of these rollers and will help you make your decision.

Whichever Homedics cushion you choose, this is a great product at a very reasonable price (cost of 3 massages or less!) The only negative is that the rollers don't go further up your back up to the neck (in SBM-300 they seem to go a little higher than this cushion). Usually, I slide down further into the chair to address that problem. This is perhaps the only point where the massage chairs win over the Homedics cushions. However, given the price difference between a full blown massage chair and the Homedics massage cushions with the wonderful heat function, my vote is for the Homedics cushions!

I opened this baby the moment I received it. I was really looking forward to using this massaging cushion. I read all the scary instructions with a LOT of cautions. Do not use if you are: pregnant, have a pacemaker, diabetic, or have any concerns regarding your health. I attempted to attach the cushion to my chair with the velcro straps provided but they were not long enough (this should have been my first clue). No matter, it fit nicely in my chair with no sliding. The remote is attached to the cushion and has a easy slot, clever little idea. Finally, I plugged the cushion in and pushed the rolling full back massage button. Ahhhh. It felt good on my lower back but when it got to the middle OUCH and then a distinctive CRACK was heard and I jumped off the cushion. There now was a tear in the upper back portion of the cushion and a slight burning smell. This cannot be good. My attempt at relaxation by using this product lasted for about 20 seconds. I am not a happy camper, perhaps the warranty and/or customer service for Homedics will change my view?

Spoke to Homedics representative who stated that this cushion is ONLY TO BE USED ON AN OFFICE CHAIR. They have it displayed this way in-store but there is no way of knowing this if bought online. They were very helpful and told me to mail it back (at my cost) with the authorization code given for a replacement. Replacement received and it works great. I use this cushion often and there have been no problems. I LOVE THIS THING! It's nice to know that this company stands behind their products!!

UPDATE 6/4/10: 3 years later and this massage pad still works nicely. I use in on a leather office chair around 2-3x per month.

I have been a buyer of the three models of Homedics Massaging cushions.
This means that I have experienced the 200, 300 and 400 different models.
The last one-400 with no heat- was delivered June 2007 and finally broke down and stopped operating in March 2008.
The three Homedics cushions showed the same failure. The plastic vertical guide through which the massaging device goes up and down broke in the same place after about one year use. This means that this weak piece was never tried to be made with a stronger material or different design.
As I live in Argentina I have no ways of returning the massage machine to be replaced within warranty limits. Conclusion: These Homedics massagers can only be bought in the USA. Final comment: The three models perform beautifully while they last but Homedics never made a small effort to correct the defective parts of the three models cushions.

I bought this massager couple of days back...SRM 300H and 200H are much more soothing than this one.. Sometimes I feel like its shurting my back more than the pain I am having. It doesnt reaches the upper back as the others do. SO, I prefer to jump back to SRM300H or 200H.

I have long looked at items like this and wondered how they would feel. I suppose I would go so far as to say I coveted them...I grew up in a house that regularly traded "back scratchings" & my spouse isn't always willing. However, products like this have always been outside the range allowed by my wallet. I have used it now for two weeks. Bottom line of the review before I get into the particulars: I like it, but I don't love it.

First the good: It is very simple to set up. Basically, you slap it in your chair & plug it in. It has a couple straps to hold it in place. We watch television from small cushiony things on the floor called "back jacks" you can get those on Amazon too. This attached easily to my back jack. If it can do that, it can do any chair.

It's also very simple to use. The buttons are all self explanatory. It runs through a cycle of massage and then shuts itself off, so you can fall asleep on it without fearing being massaged black & blue (though you are warned by the small accompanying booklet not to do so especially with the heat on. You can tell when the heat is on by the color of the lights on the rollers (blue cool/red hot)...it looks nice & the smell (very stinky at first) does go away in a day.

Now the not so good: If you have a cat, the mesh fabric that covers the massaging rollers just screams "scratching post" So you'll have to put it away after every use.

The "upper back" setting actually only hits the mid back and the "lower back" doesn't go that low. My shoulders were barely approached & I am not a tall boy. The rolling massage width setting button didn't seem to go wide enough and I am not a wide boy either.

It's kind of loud. I don't like to use it when we are watching television or a movie for fear of covering the sounds of quiet scenes. I only used it when playing my Playstation, so I let it run through a whole shiatsu each time I used it...and though it felt kind of nice, it wasn't quite as wonderful as I was hoping. I do agree with some of the other reviewers that it hurt. I guess nothing beats the hands of a masseur...though I can't say that for sure since they're outta my price range too.

When I first tried out this massage cushion, I was expecting to be pummeled, but instead my muscles were gently rolled from lower back to just below shoulder level.

I can't compare it to a real massage, having never had one of those, but it certainly loosened up my back muscles.

One small problem: The more relaxed my back became, the tighter my neck felt. It's certainly not the cushion's fault, but now I feel like I need to combine it with some sort of Shiatsu neck massager to get all my stress points.

Speaking of Shiatsu, that is the second setting on this cushion. It's just as good as the roller... It gently kneads along your spine. I just wouldn't let the Shiatsu run as long as the roller.

Both settings can be adjusted to massage your lower back, upper back, or entire back. All three settings have their advantages. I could stand it much longer when just my lower back is getting the royal treatment. Also, I can actually type and get things done at my desk. With the full back treatment, don't expect to get any work accomplished. You'll want to just sit back in your chair and zone out for 5 to 10 minutes.

Also, this is not the sort of cushion I would leave in my chair. It's uncomfortable and awkward when not in use, so you'll want to have a safe place to store it when you don't need a massage.

Basically, this cushion does its job. It's perfect for strapping into your chair at the end of a long day for a little loosening up of your back muscles. It's especially effective on the lower back when you turn on the heat function!

I received this massage cushion about two weeks ago, unpacked and set it up, and immediately sat down to use it.

Bad idea.

I had no idea about how to ease into the use of a massage cushion, and I came away from my first session with a back so sore that I felt pain for the next five days.

Once the pain subsided, I began to use the cushion again, this time for shorter periods of time.

Ahhhh, Relief!

Yes, it does work, and, yes, it does ease my aching back. The heat setting are relaxing, so, now it's a pleasure to use.

What to do?

I suggest that Homedics revise and expand their instruction booklet. I needed to know not only how to set up the cushion but how to get started using it without so much discomfort. If that information had been available in the booklet, I might have been using it successfully much earlier.

Overall, this is a good product that eases the knots out of my back, but the instructions clearly need to be revised.

UPDATE: November 17, 2007

While it worked, it provided a good massage. I had to learn to take it easy and not jump into a full Shiatsu massage at once, but after I conquered the learning curve (about two weeks), I was happy.

Or at least for a week I was happy.

Toward the end of the third week, it died.

Dead.

Just like the saying goes, the lights were on but no one was home.

Yes, it's guaranteed. Yes, I sent it back. And, yes, I expect to get a replacement.

But if the next one breaks, I'll probably just give up. Repacking the machine and lugging it down to UPS is enough of a bother and expense that I won't do it again.

This machine could be a big help for consumers with tired and sore backs. But it's not a throw-away investment, so, without an improvement in quality, I cannot now recommend it. If my experience is typical, Homedics should include a shipping-paid replacement guarantee with this cushion.

Let me start off by saying that I was interested in trying this cushion because I have sat in a friends massage chair (that costs thousands of dollars) and I wanted to see the difference. Over the last 10 days I have used this about 15 times. I just finished building a fence in my backyard this weekend and I put this cushion to use.

Setup for the cushion is a no-brainer. It is all one piece so there are no cables to connect or straps to attach. Just place the cushion on top of a comfortable chair and you are ready to go.

If you have never sat in a massage chair the cushion might feel odd at first. You will feel the rolling mechanism in the small of your back. At first this may take some time to get use to because you can't just let yourself sink into the cushion. This is one downside to this cushion compared to a massage chair. Most chairs allow you to fully relax while the massage rollers move up and down your back. This one takes some getting use to.

Of the two programs (shiatsu and rolling) I found the shiatsu the most relaxing. It seemed to do the best for me when my back was tight. I like that I can control where the focus of the massage will be (upper or lower back) and I like that I can control the width of the rollers.

The heating mechanism heats up gently, but quickly. If I have one complaint about the heat is that it takes a while for it to cool back down.

The final issue with this cushion, and it is one I think many people with have, is its limited range of height. I am 6' tall and the rollers on this cushion just touch the bottom of my shoulder blades when I am trying to massage my upper back. My wife is only 5' 3" and she said that when she sat on the cushion that the rollers actually pushed on her neck and were pinching her. So ideally it looks like the optimum height range for this cushion is about 5' 5" to 5' 10".

All in all this cushion gave a good massage. I enjoy using it and I like its portability. I can use it watching TV or when I am using the computer. Compared to the chairs that are 20x this price I think this product stacks up well. For the money it is hard to beat.

If there was some type of height adjustment I would have given this cushion 5 stars and would think you could charge another twenty to fourty dollars.

I have used recliners that had built-in massage features before and been very disappointed. While those typically had simple vibrate functionality, this massaging cushion is the real deal.

It is a very simple to use product. It comes with a short and straightforward instruction book (yes, you should read it before use). That is where you find that there is a screw that you need to remove prior to usage. You also will find the warnings for 15 minute total usage and 3 minute max on a single spot. Other than that, it is a breeze.

There are two styles of message that you can choose from (Shiatsu and Rolling). Within these, you can choose from full back, upper back, or lower back massages. There is also optional heat. I found the rolling massage to be too gentle; therefore, it did not make much difference to me. However, if Shiatsu is too strong for your taste, this might be just the setting. I loved the Shiatsu setting with heat. My back really feels loosened up after a full 15 minutes. I have also used a concentrated lower back and individual concentrated massage. I was pleased with the results in all cases. I have a desk job, and I start each morning with a full 15 minute Shiatsu massage with heat. It has certainly been a nice addition to my morning routine.

There are a couple of drawbacks to this product that keep it from being a five star item. When not in use, it is not comfortable to have against my back so I have to store it out of the way when not in use. This is minor, but you might want to consider this if you are tight on space. The buttons on the control are a little stiff. Again, this is not a show stopper, but it is a bit annoying. Finally, I am 6' 2", and I would like the cushion to be about three or four inches taller. However, I need it more for my lower back so this is not a major issue either.

Overall, this is a very good product. What sets it apart from the other two models from Homedics is the quad roller system. To me the SBM-200H and SBM-300H would be like getting only half a massage after using the QRM-400H. I think it is worth the difference in price.