Does Shiatsu Neck and Back Massagers Deliver Different Pressure
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The Best Electric Back Massagers on Amazon, According to Hyperenthusiastic Reviewers
Whether you're sore from sitting all day or you're just more stressed than usual, an electric back massager can provide near-instant relief, but it can be hard to know which one to buy. To help ease the pain of looking for the right one, we've scoured Amazon to find the best of the best, according to the most enthusiastic reviewers. And if you're looking for more massage tools, we've written about massage chairs and recliners, foot massagers (both manual and electric), and a percussive massage device beloved by professional athletes.
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A favorite of both Amazon reviewers and Strategist readers (it's been one of our best-selling products after appearing in several gift guides), this shiatsu massager relieves back pain with heat and kneading. One reviewer calls it "maybe my best Amazon purchase of the year! Bought it for my husband for Christmas but everyone in our family fights over it. The massage pressure is perfect and the heat option takes it over the top!" Another writes, "This little massager is incredible in working out the pain for me. It has helped every area of my back — and in between my shoulder blades, which is so difficult to get to."
Lots of reviewers like how it's cheaper and more convenient than getting regular massages. "While I thoroughly enjoy full-body massages, my massage therapist moved to another state about a year ago and since then I haven't found the 'right' one for me yet," writes a reviewer. "So, with pain in my shoulders, neck and upper back, I resorted to spending some of my Christmas money and get this massager as a gift for myself. First let me say, I wasn't expecting much, but boy was I pleasantly surprised. It works so well that it has become my nightly ritual to sit with this massager on my back and shoulders for 30 mins as I settle down before bed. I feel like a noodle when I get done, often so relaxed I sometimes catch myself dozing off while this thing is on." And this reviewer adds, "this product has been amazing in helping me with my sleep and general quality of life — not to mention the money I would pay for a professional massage therapist."
Nearly one-fifth of reviewers affectionately describe this massager as "little," and they appreciate the controlled and targeted massage experience. "This helps to push out the tight spots and provide some comfort," says one reviewer recovering from knee surgery, adding, "Good handling operation. Three prong but can use one at a time to concentrate on a troublesome spot or all together for the greater area covered." And due to its size, it provides a mild vibration, which makes it "Comfortable in the hand and gives a nice vibration enough to ease kinks and sore muscles but not so hard that it beats you up," according to another reviewer. And while people find this provides comfort on their neck, back, and legs, some have found more creative uses for it. One reviewer who swears they aren't a crazy cat lady writes, "Believe it or not I bought this for my cat. He enjoys it when I run it up and down his spine and especially behind his ears."
Reviewers suffering from chronic pain call this handheld massager "heaven" and "the best ever." "THIS THING WORKS MIRACLES ON MY BACK PAIN," writes one reviewer, who says it has "saved me from going to the chiropractor every week." Another reviewer reports that this massager "saved my wife's aching teacher feet," as the percussion action "really does 'pound your muscles into submission. I'm not kidding, we use the lowest and medium settings — the highest is almost like a jackhammer!" And another reviewer tried five different massagers to treat sciatica before coming upon this one. The reviewer now owns several, keeping "one in each of our cars and even in different rooms in the house."
This Toloco percussion massager comes with ten different head attachments — twice as many as are included with the above Wahl model. Nearly 800 five-star reviewers call this out, including one who says the attachments are "molded to provide precision and comfort to every part of the body," and so effective that they feel "no need to go to a masseuse every week anymore … it is comfortable, easy to hold, and very light compared to others." Another reviewer who uses Toloco on their shoulders, neck, and arms says that each of the attachments "has a unique feel and provides a different type of relief" and that the machine itself has a long-lasting battery. A third reviewer says the different speeds and multiple heads "let me relieve stress and many kinds of discomfort associated with aging: tiredness, headaches, tight muscles, and deep tissue pain" and appreciates that it's cordless. "It is, overall, a wonderful product," they write. "I made a mistake lending it to my girlfriend. Now I need to order another one. You live and learn."
"I have bought moist heat pads, inversion table, lumbar braces, etc., but this is by far the best item for relieving discomfort," writes one experienced shopper. "I started using this every night on my buttocks and hips and sides and obtained so much relief that it was unbelievable." Another reviewer, who gave this to a "nun with leg cramps," says, "Along with potassium and some sodium, she loves this massager for eliminating the leg cramps." One reviewer thinks this is effective because the device itself is heavy: "The weight of the product seriously helped with the pressure, and I was able to roll out my muscles easily and with a lot of comfort." Another praises the handle, which lets them "grip it from two different angles because of the oval handle," so it offers a little more versatility. This massager also has a number of modes, and the heat setting is praised my more than 10 percent of users. Many note it's not as intense as they expected it would be, but it is a nice touch. And overall, "The massaging is like vibrating your muscles into total meltdown," especially with the heat.
Despite the relatively low price, one reviewer attests, "This is not a low budget model." They explain, "It is well built and really penetrates deep into the muscles giving instant relief to aching muscles." And though it's so powerful, more than a dozen reviewers love that it is also "lightweight, so your arm doesn't break while you're using it." One customer says, "I love that you can adjust the intensity and that it comes with multiple massager caps." It comes with three different sets, one to simulate acupuncture, a shiatsu massage, and an air cushion stick for a Swedish massage, which make this massager even more versatile, and more than one reviewer reports using this on other parts of their body. "I love the spiky add ons, especially on my face," one reviewer reports.
Unlike the other handheld back massagers on here, this one's rechargeable, which means no need to mess with cords or stock up on batteries. And its "charge lasts a long time" according to reviewers, including one who says it "lasts multiple sessions, especially if you just want five to ten minutes of relief while you watch a movie." One reviewer with fibromyalgia and "really tight and painful neck and back muscles" says, "This helps tremendously! The handle isn't too big either. It fits well in a smaller hand and the angle of the handle makes it easy to use on my neck without causing arm pain." And another reviewer who was eyeing percussive massagers bought this instead, explaining, "It's dang powerful and thanks to the long handle, it's one-hand operational and I can reach every spot on my back. At first use I was immediately in heaven."
Instead of forcing you to contort yourself into a pretzel, this over-the-shoulder back massager employs a unique design that makes it easy to hit the hard-to-reach spots on your body. "This thing has nice thick straps that fit around your forearms, and you're able to guide the knobby spinners to that one little spot that you're dying to lean into with your elbow," writes one reviewer. "As soon as I strapped it on I was hooked … It will get some interesting noises out of you." The sensation is close enough to a real massage, according to at least one other reviewer. It feels like "someone is standing behind you and squeezing your muscles … This is not some vibrator. It literally rotates and squeezes your neck and massages your back." Another reviewer says they've preaching the gospel of this massager to their entire social circle: "I took it to work to show some friends who have pesky spots that nothing seems to help … the reaction was unanimous. It is amazing. Four of my co-workers have already purchased their own, and I'm ordering another as a gift."
With nearly 4,000 five-star reviews, this electric massage pillow has a small size that belies its surprising power. "A lifesaver!" writes one reviewer who was unable to visit a massage therapist during the pandemic. "Extra hours sitting at a desk in front of a screen has wreaked havoc on my back, neck, and shoulders. Thank goodness for this! Best part is being able to sit or lie down while it works its magic." Another reviewer says this pillow "gives an intense massage that really get the tension and knots to loosen. Be careful because it can leave you very sore, but for me the temporary 'pain' is worth it to alleviate long-term issues with my back and shoulders." And a third reviewer who "typically [carries] stress and tension in their upper back" says this massager "does the trick" and "hits all the right spots." Their 14-year-old son, who is "an athlete and often lifts weights," also loves it, and they plan to get another one for him for Christmas.
"After weeks of back and neck pain from the stress of everything going on in the world, I found this amazing piece of therapeutic equipment," begins one five-star reviewer of this electric back-massager chair pad. Despite being short, the reviewer says this massager "hit all the achy spots up and down my neck and back." Because this massage chair automatically adjusts to height, taller reviewers praise the massager, too, including a six-three reviewer who says it was able to "reach all the way up my back and massage my neck." They add that there "are lots of easy to understand functions to personalize your experience," including a full back option and spot function that allows you to concentrate the kneading nodes on specific areas. Other reviewers appreciate that it comes with a heat option that's an "enjoyable warmth, [unlike] some others I have tried that practically burn you," according to one. "The comfortable seat cushion vibrates at two different intensities, and the neck massage can even go in reverse!" they continue. "With this awesome chair massager, I'm not sure I'll even want to leave my house again!"
This particular Renpho massage chair comes with an AC adapter, meaning it can be used and charged in the car. "It's like a dream to drive now. All the traffic and worries are gone," writes one reviewer. "The Renpho really works out tightness and knots … I find myself sitting in my garage when I return home because I don't want it to stop!" Another reviewer who mentions the AC adapter appreciates that the settings target specific areas at different intensities. "I especially liked the spot-massage feature, allowing me to pinpoint the area I needed massaged." And a third reviewer who says it's "awesome for long trips" reports that the massage "feels wonderful, especially on the upper back, and the heat helps to loosen up the muscles."
"It's the Goldilocks pillow," writes one reviewer who thinks this massager is just right. "The kneading massagers are far enough apart that you aren't going to get your spine massaged, it perfectly cradles your spine, and the heat is great." This massager is so refreshing that many reviewers actually put it in their cars (it comes with a car charger). It came in handy for one reviewer who ran into traffic on a Thanksgiving road trip: "A 2.5-hour trip back home turned into almost six hours. I was able to attach it to the driver's seat and plug it in, so that was really convenient. And while I was sitting at a dead stop on 95, I was able to get a massage."
All of the electric back massagers that we've included here have more than 100 reviews and an average rating of at least 4.1 stars and are fulfilled by Amazon. That means that Amazon, not a third-party seller, will handle customer service and product returns if anything isn't to your liking. Our best-rated pick is the electric massager with the most reviews overall, and our best-rated (less expensive) pick is the one that meets all of our criteria at the lowest price in the category, in case you are looking for a massager that will provide quick relief but don't want to spend too much money. The rest of the products are categorized based on what users are looking for and what reviewers are raving about.
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Does Shiatsu Neck and Back Massagers Deliver Different Pressure
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