Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Review : Homedics Shiatsu Massager SBM-300HA



Bought this from Asda in January for £40 (presumably overstock from Christmas)
Overall score : 7.5/10
Score per value (£40) : 9/10

Features :
Wide and comfy
Folds up
Professional handheld control panel

Does Shiatsu, Rolling and heat massaging
Only does the main part of the back
2 main rollers
Width of rollers only adjustable for rolling (not shiatsu)
Can pause the rollers at a certain spot in shiatsu

A good quality mid-range model for the back only, far better quality than the SBM-179H but I think really you need to start with a Homedics '4' model (eg sbm-4xxx) or even really go for a '5' model for total satisfaction. I regard shoulder massage as essential (i.e. 4 rollers).

This is a good quality 'back-only' massager that I got from Asda for £40 in January (presumably overstock. RRP £190). Comparing it to the SBM-179H it is far superior. The back rest is wide and comfy (can't feel the hardboard), the massage seems more powerful (not sure if it is fact, power states 25W but my monitor seemed to suggest 50W). It doesn't seem to catch on my spine like the 179H (maybe I have some scoliosis). The control is handheld and easy to use (cable is slightly short). The rolling option is quite comfy. The shiatsu is pretty thorough. The 'manual' setting means you can stop the shiatsu rollers at a certain point as anytime (but not for rolling), which is quite nice. With the rolling option, you can adjust the width of the rollers.

Gripes : Main gripes are that it doesn't go far enough up or down the back, which is the main reason I think a '4' model should be the starting point for buying a Homedics massager ('4' seems to go higher up the back). Really I think '5' is the place to start. I thought I could widen the shiatsu rollers as well, but it turns out this can only be done for rolling.

Conclusion : Get a Homedics '6' or '5' model, or '4' if short of cash. Don't go any lower than a '3' model.

current Homedics massager models (UK)
Homedics massagers comparison
homedics massager amazon search
Suggested minimum model on amazon : HoMedics SBM-500HA-3GB

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