Holy Shiatsu that feels good! (Homedics SBM-500H-3GB)

Member Name: Bardley

Product:	Homedics SBM-500H-3GB
Date:	10/01/09 (275 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Gives a good massage and covers shoulders and full back

Disadvantages: Quite expensive

This shiatsu massager from Homedics is the latest model in the range. Previous models have came with or without heat, with the heat version costing slightly more, you can tell the two model versions apart due to the H at the end of the model name. The 500 only comes with heat and has two separate sets of rolling massagers compared to the single set on the older models. The two sets of rollers cover separate parts of your back, the shoulders and the rest of your back, this ensures that you can focus on the particular part of your back you want to focus on. The wired control unit is pretty self explanatory, but if you are not sure, the manual explains it all well. There is a little pocket attached to the side of the bottom part of the massager so there is a place to keep it rather than it just laying about.

It is quite a large unit so comes in a large box. Taking it out of the box was simple and didn't need much effort to get it set up and giving me a massage. There are 2 screws on the back which have big notices on, these state that they must be removed before you use the product, these screws must keep the massage rollers in place during transit. The back of the seat is quite tall and would cover even the tallest of people, I am 6"4 and the shoulder massage rollers on their highest setting are nowhere near my shoulders, they aren't far off keeping my ears warm.

Between the shoulder and back massagers there is obviously a small space which won't get touched but this isn't that big a space and you don't really miss it. You can make the massage feel more or less intense by the amount of pressure you put onto the back of the seat. The top part of your back where your spine curves outwards and towards the chair the massage can feel very intense up to the point where if you have too much pressure on it, it may hurt. I find that the lower part of the massage wasn't really doing a lot but I could readjust my position slightly and it would get to that part too.

There are two types of massage for the main back section, you can either have it doing the typical Shiatsu massage, this is where the rollers move up and down whilst going round in circles, you also have the option of heat which makes the massage feel a lot more soothing. There is also a rolling massage where the rollers just go up and down your back, this gives the feeling that your muscles are being stretched out and it feels good to have a combination of both, although strangely you have to change it yourself rather than it cycling through the 2 alternatively on its own. It does go through all the settings when in demo mode, but this as the name suggests is just a demo of what the product can do so only lasts a few minutes. Whatever type of massage you have, it lasts 15 minutes before it turns off automatically and the rollers return to there original positions, you can of course stop it before the 15 minutes is up or start again if you wish, it only turns off as a safety precaution.

The instruction booklet does mention that the unit should not be used before bed as it stimulates and can cause you to not be able to sleep. I find that it has the complete opposite effect on me and always thought massages were suppose to be a relaxing thing which should help you sleep. maybe it's just an individual thing.

At the time of writing this, the older models are around £50-£120 depending on model and whether it comes with heat. This model is around £175, I haven't used any other models so I can't compare, but the heat is nice to have but if you have two layers of clothing on I wouldn't have thought you would feel much of it anyway. The second set of rollers on your shoulders is something you would have to decide on a personal level, I find that I ache in the shoulder area so having a shoulder massage included is a big bonus, if you mainly want just your back massaged then one of the older, cheaper models might suit you better.

Summary: Gives an impressive massage, I can't compare it with the real thing, as I have never had one.