Gideon Shiatsu Seat Cushion Massager for Neck and Full Back With Heat Review

The All-time Neck & Shoulder Massagers

After more than 40 hours of testing with our 10-person focus group and conversations with nationally recognized research doctors, we determined that the RESTECK – Shiatsu Neck and Dorsum Massager is the best neck massager on the market place. Its premium build quality, simple performance, and effective pain relief make information technology a potent winner. If you want a hands-gratis massager, the Mynt – Shiatsu Massage Pillow is small, portable, and suitable for the car, bed, or office. We besides recommend the InvoSpa – Shiatsu Kneading Massager as a dandy alternative for relieving drawn neck and shoulder muscles.

Our Top Choices

Best Overall

RESTECK

Cervix Massager

Most Portable

Mynt

Massage Pillow

Also Corking

InvoSpa

Kneading Shiatsu

After more than twoscore hours of testing with our 10-person focus grouping and conversations with nationally recognized inquiry doctors, nosotros determined that the RESTECK – Shiatsu Cervix and Back Massager is the best cervix massager on the marketplace. Its premium build quality, simple operation, and effective pain relief brand it a stiff winner. If you lot want a hands-free massager, the Mynt – Shiatsu Massage Pillow is small, portable, and suitable for the car, bed, or office. Nosotros also recommend the InvoSpa – Shiatsu Kneading Massager every bit a groovy alternative for relieving fatigued cervix and shoulder muscles.

The 9 neck & shoulder massagers we tested
1. Best overall: RESTECK – Shiatsu
ii. Virtually portable: Mynt – Shiatsu Massage Pillow
3. Also neat: InvoSpa – Shiatsu Kneading Massager
Other finalists we tested
How we selected
How we tested
Focus group test results
What to know before buying
The bottom line

The 9 neck & shoulder massagers we tested

(Editor's note: We recently learned that several products nosotros tested and reviewed were discontinued in 2020. For this update, we tested two other cervix and shoulder massagers, and our reviews follow below.)

Product	Price	Pain Relief	Blueprint	User-Friendly
1. RESTECK	$$$$	☆☆☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆
ii. Mynt - Massage Pillow	$$$$	☆☆☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆
3. InvoSpa	$$$	☆☆☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆
four. Naipo	$$$	☆☆☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆
five. Nekteck	$$$	☆☆☆	☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆
6. Zyllion	$$$	☆☆☆	☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆
7. LiBa (Discontinued)	$$$	☆☆☆	☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆☆
8. PurePulse (Discontinued)	$$	☆☆☆☆	☆☆	☆☆
9. Gideon - Massage Pillow (Discontinued)	$$	☆☆☆	☆☆☆	☆☆☆☆

1. Best overall: RESTECK – Shiatsu

The RESTECK – Shiatsu Cervix and Back Massager is our elevation pick overall. In addition to feeling like the most "premium" production amidst the finalists, the versatility of the massager, alongside the simplicity of its operation, made the RESTECK an approachable and effective tool.

The overall consensus from our focus grouping was that our winning model gives the most natural-feeling massage and feels the nigh like homo affect. The heating component on the RESTECK besides warms more than quickly and is more penetrating than the other models. The combination of the node placement and heating chemical element resulted in the well-nigh effective and relaxing massage.

One of the things nosotros liked most about this model was the ability to direct command where the massager was working and the precise intensity on our muscles. It tin can be placed anywhere along the cervix, shoulder or back, and allowed for much more than precise and fluid control than models with similar capabilities.

That added control means we could likewise target very specific muscles on our neck and dorsum. This was ideal for focusing on tough knots that would otherwise exist hard — if non impossible — to accomplish.

Top Option: RESTECK - Shiatsu Neck Massager

The RESTECK offered the most effective massage, thanks to node placements that mimic human touch and more penetrating heat.

While the Nekteck earned the highest ratings in aesthetics (vii.7) for its sleek black leather-like fabric, the RESTECK was a close 2nd at 7.5. It also comes with a conveying example in matching material, which gives it a more premium expect as well as makes it more than portable.

The controls of this model were very simple. There are four buttons on the left side:

1 to turn the massager on and off
one to turn the oestrus on and off
one to choose the stimulation mode
one to opposite the direction of the shiatsu nodes

That beingness said, it's worth noting that all of our finalists were essentially as like shooting fish in a barrel to operate.

While the RESTECK was easily-downward the best product nosotros tested, we would have liked the cord itself to be a little longer. We found that using a surge strip or extension string in conjunction with massager fabricated things much easier.

Our focus group largely matched our own analysis and testing of the RESTECK. The about notable numbers in the focus grouping were the "convenient" and "hurting relief" scores, which were 8.8 and 8.6 out of 10, respectively.

On the convenient metric, individuals in our focus group liked that there weren't lots of buttons or settings and no one needed to read the instruction manual that came with the massager. The three icons are cocky-explanatory and universal as well.

For pain relief, which is, of class, the unmarried most important metric, users in our focus group idea the kneading shiatsu-mode massage did a particularly great job of loosening and relaxing the shoulder and neck muscles.

The RESTECK as well did a solid task in the mid and lower back surface area, however, both our focus group and our ain testing indicated that the massager performed best in the neck and shoulder expanse.

Central takeaways:

The RESTECK is the most effective massager nosotros tested, with a massage that feels closest to human being touch.
The build quality of the RESTECK exceeded about of the other massagers with like models.
This model is not wireless, but it does come with a car adapter for route travel.
For those who are elderly or take a medical condition, the RESTECK massager requires moderate arm mobility and strength (as did similarly styled models).

2. Virtually portable: Mynt – Massage Pillow

At first glance, the Mynt – Shiatsu Massage Pillow might announced to be exactly the aforementioned as other massage pillows. Information technology has the same lozenge shape and 4 revolving nodes with heat control. But that'due south where the similarities finish. The Mynt's award-winning design includes flattened nodules that don't poke painfully in your neck, shoulder, and back.

Its main competitor, Zyllion (meet our review beneath), is encased in hard plastic, while the Mynt'southward casing is instead made of retention foam, which makes it pliant on the spine and shoulder blades. The honeycomb-patterned fabric embrace that stretches over the nodules is a polyester-Spandex blend, and the fabric feels soft and soothing against bare skin.

But what truly makes the Mynt unique is that it'southward cordless. Information technology charges in nigh an hr and gives you two hours of vigorous massage. Once you've charged the Mynt, you lot can literally relish a massage anywhere without having to search for an electrical outlet to plug information technology in.

Most Portable: Mynt - Shiatsu Massage Pillow

This unique pillow massager is cordless and so it can be used anywhere. Its fantastic design with flattened nodules and soft Spandex textile soothes and invigorates sore neck and shoulder muscles.

Another unusual feature that no other pillow massager has is a pocket on the back of the massager. It'south designed for your mitt so you can concord the Mynt against any musculus on your body. Our testers found the Mynt to be especially constructive not only for neck and shoulder muscles, merely as well for massaging tired feet. Information technology's also ane of the few massagers we tested that actually felt like a masseur/masseuse's hands rather than a mechanized simulation.

The Mynt is just slightly more expensive than the Zyllion, but it is by far a much ameliorate product and one of the all-time neck and back massagers on the market place today.

Central takeaways:

The Mynt is a cordless massage pillow, and can be used anywhere for massaging sore neck and shoulder muscles.
Its casing is made of memory foam, so it'south pliable, and its stretchy polyester/Spandex textile alloy is soft on bare skin.
For such a well-made, well-designed massage pillow, the Mynt is surprisingly affordable.

3. Also Keen: InvoSpa – Shiatsu Kneading Massager

The InvoSpa – Shiatsu Kneading Massager has the most bonny blueprint of this blazon of massager that we tested, and its performance is quite similar to the RESTEK. The InvoSpa has viii massage nodes — four big and four pocket-size — that closely simulate a Shiatsu massage given by a masseur. It works especially well on cervix muscles because the massager's blueprint allows the nodes to work the muscles on either side of the tiptop of your spine and only below the base of your skull. Past tugging down on the massager'southward handles yous tin can increase or reduce the intensity of the massage.

Our testers found the InvoSpa to exist all-time for massaging the cervix. To access shoulder and mid- to lower-dorsum muscles, it took some trial and error to find the right spot. Because of the size of the larger nodes, we found it best to use the massager on dorsum muscles past standing up. Our testers held on to the straps and lowered the massager chip by scrap to precisely find and hit sore muscles. Afterwards testing, our squad agreed that the InvoSpa was good for relieving fatigued muscles and slightly less effective on pulled or strained muscles.

Likewise Great: InvoSpa - Shiatsu Kneading Massager

An excellent culling to our top pick, the InvoSpa delivers a vibrant massage to neck and shoulder muscles. Also included are two power cords and an attractive, matching carrying pocketbook.

The InvoSpa'southward charger has a generous vii-human foot cord, and a charger for your car'south 12-volt outlet (with a 5-human foot power cord) is included as well. We did examination the InvoSpa in the car, and it was great for cervix muscles, but it was a flake bulky for a dorsum massage while we were in the commuter's seat. If yous're a passenger, it won't exist a problem.

The massager folds up compactly to fit in its matching teal-and-black carrying case — about the size of a minor gym pocketbook — although we had a little trouble fitting the chargers in the bag when the massager is packed within.

The only issue that our squad had was the placement of the InvoSpa's control buttons. They're aligned in a row loftier up on the strap where it sits on the shoulder, which makes the buttons awkward to reach. RESTEK's buttons are in a curve on the strap and easier to access. Only this is a minor complaint considering the InvoSpa – Shiatsu Kneading Massager is a keen culling to the slightly more than expensive RESTEK.

Cardinal takeaways:

The InvoSpa – Shiatsu Kneading Massager has a smart pattern that allows you to work all of your neck muscles on either side of the spine.
Different other electric massagers, the power cords for both chargers are long and then you can use the massager without worrying they will disconnect.
The InvoSpa'southward control buttons are a little awkwardly placed and tricky to access.

Other finalists we tested

Naipo

The Naipo ranked the 2d highest in pain relief by our focus group, which is about likely the chief consideration when choosing a massager. Its iv-push functioning is laid out nearly identical to our top pick, the RESTECK; the only difference is the lodge of the buttons. It besides marks the heat button with cerise, which makes information technology very clear to plow the heat on and off.

While this model closely resembles our top pick, it doesn't sit likewise on the shoulders as the RESTECK due to the placement of the nodes. This ways you have to spend a few minutes adjusting the massager after turning information technology on to get the right position.

The Naipo earned good marks in all the categories, but when it came down to the question of using it again, it only received a 7.3. One time you get the Naipo into a comfortable position, it delivers an effective massage, only it left our users feeling lukewarm about purchasing one themselves.

Nekteck

The Nekteck massager is built similarly to the RESTECK, but its shiatsu nodes are larger. The terminate result of the larger nodes was a less effective massage and fifty-fifty discomfort for some of the users.

Our focus group did find the sleek black fake leather to the most stylish, earning information technology the highest rating (7.7) in terms of aesthetics. The design rated much lower (5.7) due to the ineffectiveness of the larger shiatsu rollers. Like the Naipo, it feels bulky when placed on the shoulder in comparing to the RESTECK.

Zyllion

The Zyllion is one of the most popular items on Amazon, and information technology's quite similar to the Gideon massage pillow (now discontinued). The Zyllion is sturdy and well made, and its 4 revolving nodules hold up to a person's full trunk weight. Its hard plastic case, even so, tin be painful on bony areas, like the shoulders and back, and should only be used on muscles.

Another drawback is that the Zyllion has a short ability cord — only three anxiety — and during testing, it frequently broke gratuitous from its connector. Overall, for convenience and pain relief, we preferred the more than portable Mynt – Shiatsu Massage Pillow.

LiBa (Discontinued)

The LiBa neck massager was a budget-priced option that had poor build quality. During testing, when our team applied pressure by pulling the arm straps, the massage rollers often got stuck and twisted the leather casing. We and then had to manually realign the rollers dorsum into position. The shiatsu nodes in the LiBa weren't as effective every bit the RESTECK'due south, and its shoddy quality was revealed at the end of our testing period when the LiBa looked worn, and we doubted how long it would concluding. As it turns out, afterward viii months, wires came loose, and the LiBa stopped working altogether.

Gideon – Massage Pillow (Discontinued)

The Gideon – Massage Pillow scored well but not outstanding with our focus group. Its strongest score was user-friendliness, which is particularly noteworthy for those who are less technologically-savvy or for the elderly who adopt simple electronics. The Gideon is controlled by a unproblematic switch located about halfway downwards the power cord with three options for intensity and heat. While the Gideon works well, it wasn't able to penetrate as deeply or precisely as the RESTECK.

1 of the biggest downsides to our top selection, the RESTECK, is that its ability cord is only nigh iii anxiety long. The Gideon massager, on the other manus, has a much longer power string (about vii feet long) and also comes with a car-charging adapter.

This, along with the Gideon'south smaller size, makes the Gideon far more portable in do. The Gideon is best for those who want to have a neck massager exterior of the home — especially in the machine and office — and its pillow shape is well-suited for lying downward on a sofa or bed. The Gideon, with its "pillow" shape, is also well-suited for use while laying down.

PurePulse (Discontinued)

The PurePulse was the nearly unique production nosotros tested. Unlike the other neck massagers nosotros tested, the PurePulse massager used electric pulses to stimulate the muscles, which in turn essentially "resets" the muscle, allowing them to relax. The PurePulse was FDA-canonical and many massage therapists and chiropractors frequently used it on their patients.

The PurePulse was adequately inexpensive and was the most portable — the four AA batteries the massager used lasted several hours during our testing. However, there were several negatives about the PurePulse. Its agglutinative pads needed to be replaced from time to time, and our focus grouping plant the PurePulse the least user friendly. A few testers found the massage itself disconcerting, since the PurePulse'due south electrical pulses caused muscles to tense up and then loosen without conscious control from the tester.

How we selected

While researching neck massagers, we discovered that there isn't a defining industry leader or even a group of brand names that are strongly associated with the category. On superlative of that, in that location are literally hundreds of options available on Amazon and other stores. For someone with lots of muscle aches and pains, the selection tin be overwhelming.

We've reviewed other tools for unlike musculus groups, such as the all-time back massager, all-time leg massager, best cream roller, best human foot massager, best percussive massage gun and best handheld massager.

In society to narrow down the list of neck and shoulder massagers, we first eliminated any massagers that didn't have at to the lowest degree a four-star rating on Amazon. We also looked for massagers that were positively reviewed by at least a few websites, including Consumer Reports and others.

We also decided whether to limit the finalists to electric massagers or include one of the many "manual" massagers available as well. After speaking to several doctors, including Dr. Rapaport of Emory Academy, we decided to stick with electric massagers only.

There were a few reasons that led us to this decision. Ultimately, it was the fact that high-quality electric massagers will produce the therapeutic and medical benefits of a neck massage more consistently. Manual massagers, on the other hand, require the user to accept force, flexibility and at least some noesis of technique.

Plus, having an electrical massager is only more than relaxing in general.

How we tested

Whatever time nosotros test a product that has 1 master purpose, the most of import metric is, of course, how well information technology performs that task. While that was also true for neck massagers, measuring "hurting relief" can exist difficult to quantify. One person'south rating of a muscle ache or pain could be completely different than the side by side person's.

In club to make our data more qualitative and to command for the multifariousness of ways that people rank muscle aches and pains, we gathered a grouping of x different people, with a range of ages and other demographics, as an ad-hoc focus group.

Along with the focus group we looked at the functionality of each massager, how like shooting fish in a barrel they were to prepare up and ship, too as the materials used and overall build quality of each massager.

Focus group test results

We took an in-depth look into each of our v finalists. However, determining a "all-time" neck massager can be subjective, since everyone'south opinion on what constitutes a "good" neck massage tin differ.

We used the feedback from our focus group participants aslope our own assay and testing of the products to determine the all-time option available.

I of the principal benefits of using a neck massager is the fact that, unlike a professional massage therapist, it can be used whatsoever time. Daily or weekly apply of a neck massager is key to maximizing the health benefits of cervix massage in general, so our focus group questions were oriented effectually metrics that would indicate (and encourage) regular apply of the product.

We wanted to know how much better (or worse) their muscles felt before and later on using each massager and whether their overall pain level was reduced in a meaning way.

These are the results of our focus grouping:

Aesthetics and manner

While the appearance of each neck massager is certainly non the most important measurement used when picking a product, it still makes a difference in the purchasing process.

If the product owner thinks the item looks tacky, more often than not it'll end up in the closet or a drawer somewhere and will probably be used less often. If, on the other manus, a massager is well-designed, it'll be more likely to stay in the sleeping room or living room, where it will probably be used more often to reduce muscle aches and pains.

Several of the finalists we tested had virtually the same await and fashion, but the Necktek won over our focus group with its faux leather end. Information technology rated highest with a score of 7.7. Our pinnacle choice, the RESTECK, slightly edged out our peak portable pick, the Gideon, with respective scores of seven.5 and 7.

User friendliness

When we selected our 5 cervix & shoulder massager finalists, nosotros made a point of selecting products that were elementary and straightforward to operate to assistance salvage some pain without causing functioning pains.

The but exception, the PurePulse, is however fairly simple to operate once you lot've read the instructions. However, it is certainly more complicated to operate than the other finalists. This was ultimately reflected in the score the PurePulse received amongst our focus group participants.

In this category, our top portable pick, the Gideon, slightly crush out the RESTECK with scores of nine and eight.viii. The Naipo was another highly rated model, with a score of viii.eight.

Blueprint

We asked each of our focus group participants to rate the overall blueprint of each massager. Unlike the "aesthetics and mode" question, pattern is more closely linked to general usability, as well as the ergonomics and layout of the neck massager itself. In this category, the RESTECK was far ahead of the pack with a score of 8.5. The PurePulse, on the other hand, only achieved a score of 3.8.

Pain relief

Pain relief is, of course, the well-nigh important measurement when rating cervix massagers. For the purposes of our focus group, we asked our participants to group annihilation that could be considered "pain relief" — including relaxation, muscle ache reduction, decreases in muscle tension, improved blood apportionment, sense of well-being, and reduction in any pain they had before using the massager — into this category.

All of our finalists fared reasonably well in this category, but the RESTECK (our top choice) was hands-down the standout.

Would you use information technology again?

This question is somewhat redundant to the rest of the questions we asked, only nosotros really wanted to drive home the point that a neck massager is just beneficial if it is really used. In one case again, the RESTECK led with a score of 8.5. In comparison, the PurePulse only earned a score of five.6.

Important features to consider

Neck massagers can exist used but as a bones relaxation tool. If you aren't looking for specific wellness benefits, you lot can choose any high-quality option and likely exist satisfied with a pain and stress-relieving neck massage.

However, if you are interested specifically in the health benefits of cervix massage or accept other wellness problems that may limit which massagers you're able to utilise effectively, it's important to cull a product that is suitable for you lot.

One of the nearly important considerations when choosing a neck and shoulder massager is deciding how you want the pressure applied to the muscles themselves. Among our finalists, there were three different methods: arm forcefulness, body weight and electrical power.

Several of our massagers—the RESTECK, InvoSpa, Naipo, LiBa, and Nekteck—apply arm force to generate pressure. While each of these massagers has rotating shiatsu-fashion nodes, the majority of the pressure is generated by pulling downwards on the massager using your arms.

For those who are able to properly utilize this pattern, information technology offers pregnant flexibility, both in the amount and the specific location that pressure is applied. All the same, individuals who don't accept the necessary arm strength or dexterity or who only don't want to have to pull while receiving a massage, should probably consider a unlike option.

The second method of generating pressure level is body weight. Both the Mynt and the Zyllion use this method.

Another important consideration is portability. If product use will exist limited to the dwelling house, then any of our finalists are viable options. If y'all plan on using the neck massager at piece of work or in the auto, portability becomes a more important gene.

If you work at a desk, you probably won't be able to use a massager dependent on arm strength, since it requires your artillery to be used to utilize pressure on your neck. While you could certainly take a break from work to utilise the RESTECK, using the Mynt (our top portable massager) is easier and will allow you to proceed working at the same time.

The significant health benefits of massage

In that location is a growing body of research on the many benefits of massages and the latest research indicates that there are substantial benefits directly associated with massages — neck massages in particular.

Of course, non everyone has the means or fourth dimension, to visit a massage therapist one or more times each week. Fortunately, according to the doctors nosotros spoke to, neck massagers (such as the ones we are reviewing hither) provide many of the same benefits.

The reason for this is fairly straightforward: Inside the neck, there is something known as the "neurovascular bundle." Stimulating this package, for example with a shiatsu-style neck massager, leads to reduced stress levels, increased relaxation and decreases in inflammation, among other benefits.

Massage benefits for specific health weather condition

Nosotros spoke with several medical experts. Most notable was our conversation with Dr. Marking Rapaport, a Chairman at the Emory Academy School of Medicine who has published more than than 180 peer-reviewed studies for a variety of prominent publications. Our conversation with Dr. Rapaport was also instrumental in conducting our review of the best foot massagers likewise.

In addition to providing health benefits to generally healthy individuals, neck massages also provide significant health benefits for a wide diverseness of health conditions.

Practiced Consulted:

Dr. Mark Rapaport

Chairman - Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University Schoolhouse of Medicine

Our chat with Dr. Rapaport educated us to the fact that individuals with a generalized anxiety disorder were recorded to have dramatically lower cortisol and stress levels, with increases in oxytocin levels and a full general sense of well-being, after receiving a neck massage.

Some other first-class example of how neck massages can provide wellness benefits comes from the studies which indicate that massages lead to decreased stress levels in women who take recently undergone a C-section. The corresponding decrease in cortisol levels and increased levels of oxytocin are fantabulous both for the mother and her newborn child.

There is also a growing trunk of research indicating that massages can have a pregnant touch on on inflammatory markers. This helps reduce the time needed to heal from injuries or surgery and could potentially have dramatic benefits for individuals suffering from autoimmune disorders such equally arthritis, Crohn's affliction and even allergies. Dr. Thomas Best of Ohio Land University is i of the leading researchers in this field.

While the specific benefits are still beingness researched, one thing is clear: Cervix massages offer meaning benefits both for salubrious individuals and those suffering from a wide range of medical conditions.

The bottom line

The benefits of a neck massager are numerous and the RESTECK – Shiatsu Shoulder & Neck Massager offers the all-time combination of pain relief, blood circulation, relaxed muscles, ease of employ and value from the five finalists we tested. If you desire a high-quality product that volition complement visits to a massage therapist, the RESTECK is a potent selection.

If y'all're looking for a more portable massager that is easier for those with express arm force and mobility to use, the cordless Mynt – Massage Pillow is an fantabulous choice. It's unique amid massage pillows in that it was designed for condolement and convenience.

Another good option that's like to the RESTECK is the InvoSpa – Kneading Massager. It's especially effective in massaging the neck and shoulder musculus groups.

Meridian Pick: RESTECK - Shiatsu Neck Massager

The RESTECK is the all-around all-time option for those who desire to maximize hurting relief and the wellness benefits of a cervix massage.

Bryan Vu, Editor

Bryan is our cooking and kitchen skilful, with more than 15 years of feel of cooking and testing kitchen products. When outside of the kitchen, he enjoys woodworking, photography, videography and figuring out how to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle. He thoroughly enjoys discovering the best, whether it's ingredients or equipment, and finding products that tin can stand the rigors of daily employ.

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