Homedics SBM-500H Therapist Select Shiatsu1 Massaging Cushion with Heat

OMG, I absolutely **LOVE** this Massager!!!!!! If you're looking for a massager that actually works then the Homedics SBM-500H is for you. I had been wanting a back massager for a few years now but could never find one that actually felt nice short of the $1,500+ chairs they sold at Sharper Image or Brookstone until I found this one at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I tried all 4 of the ones they had on display and was instantly in LOVE with this one for $199 as the other ones hardly did anything or else they hurt on certain areas of my back. I wanted it so bad that I had to wait until my birthday to receive it from my fiance' and I have to say its the one of the best presents I've EVER received!!! I use this massager everyday since it sits atop my computer chair which I'm on my computer every few hours so it always helps with any stress and back pain. A lot of times in the past I've woken up with pain in the small of my back area due to sleeping which I ended up having to buy a memory foam bed topper which helped a lot but lets just say since I received this in September I haven't had any back pain whatsoever. This massager is very relaxing, works so well on getting the knots out and its great to have the back massager with heat as well as the neck massager w/heat working at the same time. I also love how nice & toasty the heat works as it works great for when I'm cold and works especially nice together with the massager. I know you won't be disappointed in this massager. : )

I was able to sit on this in a local store and found that -- while the shoulder massage feature is nice and not even available on other massage cushions -- there is a gap between the mechanism for the shoulders and the mechanism for the back. In other words, this product does not massage the upper back between the shoulder blades, which was a deal-breaker for us. See the two grey patches on the upholstery? The zone that this cushion does not massage is the region between them. So, on the one hand, this focuses on the shoulders which no other cushion seems to do. On the other hand, it misses that upper back area between the shoulder blades which is a pretty important zone if you have shoulder tension. After sitting on this and two other cushions, I chose a different one: "HoMedics Therapist Select Quad-Roller Massaging Cushion with Heat." That cushion has adjustable width and reaches between the shoulder blades -- though it doesn't go as high as I'd like. That's the price we pay for buying a cushion to do a massage therapist's job. Happy cushion hunting, everyone!

I suffer from frequent shoulder and neck pain. Its not as nice as getting an hour massage but it definetly helps me on those days I am in a lot of pain. A little pricer than normal homedics models I am use to seeing but again, its worth every penny.

Every few months I wake up with a really stiff, burning muscle in my lower neck or shoulders. I have found that, if I can enlist someone to do so, a strong kneading of the affected area brings immediate and often lasting relief. But -- here's the rub -- my significant other travels a lot so I am sometimes left to my own devices. On more than one occasion I have driven to the mall to sit in one of the $2,000 Sharper Image massage chairs for relief (seems I can never book a short-notice "real" massage). So, this weekend, when I woke up with a stiff, burning muscle in my right shoulder blade, I started researching more affordable massage cushions (I already have an easy chair) which led me to buy the SBM-500H. After my first hour of use I'm ready to say it was worth the money. Most cushions do not go high enough to massage your shoulders but this model has a seperate upper pad for that area. Those rollers can be raised or lowered via the remote control (but not widened or narrowed, which would be nice too). Because the back of the pad is rather tall (even for my 6'1" frame) my head hits it which makes it harder to press my sholders into the upper massage rollers. But I managed to do so. The lower rollers do a good job on the main back area. Both upper and lower have seperate heat functions, which work well. While not as good as the expensive chairs, at one-tenth the price it did the trick (no more neck ache!). As for price I am a HUGE Amazon fan but did buy this model at Linen's & Things (Bed, Bath & Beyond has them too) using one of their ubiquitous discount coupons.