8 Best Handheld Massager And Ultimate Guide About Massaging

Are you looking for the best handheld massager? That’s a sensible device to have, in today’s stressful world. Now you can enjoy the therapeutic and soothing benefits of a massage. Yet you don’t have to deal with the various inconveniences of getting a massage from a professional.

Sure, there are benefits to arranging for a massage session at a spa or having a pro visit you at your home. But those services aren’t as immediate as having and using a handheld massager whenever you wish. Also, having a pro massage can be rather expensive especially if you do it regularly.

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Editor's Rating

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HealthmateForever YK15AB

5 out of 5

Pure-Wave CM7 Cordless Massager

5 out of 5

Nursal TENS Mini Massager

4.5 out of 5

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RENPHO Cordless Percussion Massager

4.5 out of 5

Pure-Wave CM5 Extreme Cordless Percussion Massager

4 out of 5

Points to Consider

When you’re looking for a great handheld massager, it’s crucial that you don’t stop your search for information with just the advertising copy. The facts and specs they may offer may be informative, but they may not give you the full picture.

Instead, look to the customer reviews to see a more objective view. It’s better if you see thousands of customer reviews than just a few dozen, as you get a bigger and more accurate sample. In addition, the handheld massager is probably really good if it’s that popular and widely liked.

But if you’re going to use one, just make sure you learn how to use one properly. There’s no point blaming the massager if you don’t get the results you want, if you don’t even bother trying to learn how to use one right.

8 Best Handheld Massagers

If you’re in hurry and just want a list of the best handheld massagers you can choose from, here’s a good start for your search:

1. HealthmateForever YK15AB

This looks like a TV remote, but you don’t use it like a wand to poke at your sore areas. Instead, you attach wires connected to pads that you apply on various body areas.

After that, you can just massage the various body parts you need to soothe. The massager has various buttons with clear labels like “hip”, “knee”, “elbow”, “back, “shoulders”, and “neck”. It also features an LCD screen with info as to which type of massage you’re using.

You can pick among 15 modes of massages to use, and you can adjust the intensity of the pressure. You have 6 therapeutic methods available: knead, acupuncture, tapping, cupping, scraping, and random. There are also 9 auto-stimulation programs you can use.

This offers both TENS (Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) for pain relief, as well as EMS (Electrical muscle stimulation). The electrical load doesn’t transfer from one wire to another, or divvied up among the 8 wires. You’ll get the same intensity regardless.

This uses 3 AAA batteries, and there’s a belt clip for the “no hands” approach. There’s also a timer, and it shuts down automatically when time’s up. You can buy replacement pads if the original ones wear out, though you can always just clean them properly. It offers durable and reliable performance, and it’s very affordable. No wonder it garners customer reviews by the thousands and most of them give it perfect scores.

However, do be careful as it does offer electrical jolts. These can lead to skin irritation or even burns, though these happen very rarely.

2. Pure-Wave CM7 Cordless Massager

This comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, so you can use it without cords. You can get it fully charged in just an hour, and that can give you 3 full hours of service. If you just use it 20 to 30 minutes a day, then it can probably last for about a week.

This handheld unit isn’t very heavy at just 1.75 pounds, and you can use it for muscles, joints, and even your face. It offers both percussion for muscles, and micro-vibration therapy for facial massages, jaw pain, and headaches.

It’s somewhat curved to let you reach various parts of your body more easily, and it co6es with 6 different attachments. You can use this with body creams and lotions for maximum effect. It feels right in your hand with its ergonomic design.

Many have used this for various purposes, such as muscle pains after workouts, back aches, and even painful feet due to plantar fasciitis. It really does work as thousands of people have confirmed. It’s also small enough at just 16.5 inches long to fit into a gym bag.

The main drawback is while it can give you 3 hours of use after a full charge, on average it will just probably give you an hour or so of use before you need to recharge it. Its percussive methods may also be a bit too aggressive for overly sensitive people.

3. Nursal TENS Mini Massager

This also comes with electrode pads, but they’re connected to a really small central gadget. It’s in fact smaller than your average smartphone, though almost the whole front side is a screen. The screen gives you the info you need, such as the mode you’re using. You can pick among 16 modes.

This also comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This time, it promises up to 10 hours of continuous use with a single full charge. Obviously you’re not supposed to get massages for that long, but most people do say it can last for a couple of hours without any trouble.

As this also uses electricity, you need to be very careful. You have to plug the wires to the unit before you turn it on. Then you have to turn it off first before your remove the pads and disconnect the wires. You also don’t want the wires to disconnect when you use it, as then the electrical load will be transferred to your other wires and make them more intense.

4. RENPHO Cordless Percussion Massager

This is another massager powered by a rechargeable battery, and it comes with its own docking station. Its percussion power can be used for various parts of your body, with the sole exception of your face. It comes with 5 massages heads so you have various therapy options to choose from.

This is lightweight at only 1.8 pounds, and it’s not too long either at 15.5 inches. It should reach the body parts you’re aiming for and yet be small enough for travel.

The full charge gives you 140 minutes of continuous use, but you’re limited to just 20 minutes of use at one time. Its timer automatically shuts the massager off to keep the motor from overheating. You can use it after it shuts down, but you need to wait for it to cool down first.

5. Pure-Wave CM5 Extreme Cordless Percussion Massager

This is the more basic model compared to the CM7, and it only comes with 3 massage attachment tips. But if you only use your favorite massage tips anyway, then this saves you money.

Another difference is that it’s not as large, as its length is only 14.75 inches. It’s also lighter than the CM7 at 1.65 pounds.

Again, its rechargeable battery can get a full charge in just one hour. That can also supposedly give you 3 hours of continuous use, but you may want to limit your use to just half an hour or so anyway. It’s a cordless unit, so there’s no cord that can be annoying to maneuver with.

Its speed for the percussion is adjustable, and it can be used for the knees, wrists, ankles, shins, shoulder joints, and shoulder blades. You can use it on your legs and feet as well.

6. VIKTOR JURGEN Double Head Handheld Percussion Massager

Unlike the other models here with a single head on the tip of the massager, this time it has a double head. It mimics how a real masseuse would massage your body, since they would most likely use 2 hands.

It also comes with 3 pairs of massage heads so you can choose the massaging option you want. The options are for acupuncture, deep shiatsu, and the air cushion therapy which is great for your feet.

This is a corded unit, which makes sense when you’re concentrating on a single area to massage for 20 minutes or so. You don’t have to worry about buying new batteries or recharging the battery. The cord is also quite long at 71 inches so you don’t have to stay too close to a power outlet.

The attachments used here vibrate, but they don’t turn or knead the muscles. If that’s the only option you actually want, then this is your baby.  The power of the vibration can be adjusted to suit your needs. It’s also actually not as noisy as some of the other models.

On the other hand, take note that there’s no kneading function, it has a cord, there’s no heating function, and because of the double head design it’s a bit heavy at 3 pounds. However, that’s a weight you can still comfortably use if you don’t massage your body for more than an hour at a time.

7. TheraRub Massager Percussion Double Head Electric Massager

Yes, it’s also corded. But then the cord is 14 feet, so you can lie down on your bed and use this to relax while it’s plugged into a wall socket. The handle is rubberized, so you can get a nice secure grip.

This also uses a double head design, and it has 3 sets of massage heads for you to choose from. The speed of the vibration can also be adjusted.

Again, this is a bit heavy at 2.6 pounds. Its 14-inch length may also make it somewhat more difficult for you to reach certain areas on your back. It’s a bit basic, but it works. However, there are reports of unreliable durability, and its warranty is only good for 6 months.

8. Pure Wave By Pado CM7

This is just the same as the Pure-Wave CM7 Cordless Massager we’ve reviewed earlier on this list. It’s just that this time it isn’t white but black. Aside from that, it’s exactly the same. So just read the review on the other one.

Reasons To Buy A Handheld Massager

If you’re still on the fence about buying a handheld massager, consider these reasons:

  1. Massages make you feel better after a hard day at work.
  2. Massages also help you maintain your health.
  3. If at any time you feel some sort of body ache or twinge, you can just whip out the massager right away.
  4. You can also hit the precise spot where you want to be massaged.
  5. It’s easy enough to temper the strength of the massage.
  6. It’s very affordable. It’s much more expensive that getting a professional massage, and high tech massage chairs can also be very expensive.
  7. These things are very portable, so you can bring them to work or to the gym.
  8. If you have another person massaging you, they can use the massager too.

Benefits of Massages

Reasons To Buy A Handheld Massager

The many benefits of massages are well known:

  • It helps to reduce your stress and tension, which can then lead to much more serious medical conditions.
  • It can help you get a better quality of sleep during the night. Even if you have the massage during the day, come night time it seems to be much easier to fall asleep quickly.
  • It helps with various body aches and muscle pains. You may find that if you’re suffering from painful joints and sore muscles, a massage can make you feel much better.
  • This can help with your posture. A massage can reduce the pressure on your spine and disc.
  • Massages have cardiovascular benefits because they improve blood flow.

Who Should Get Massages?

The short answer to this question is everyone, unless they have a medical condition that may not allow massage therapy. But here are the people who will especially benefit from massages:

  • People whose work in stressful environments
  • Those who sit still for long periods of time, like office workers and drivers
  • People who suffer from sleep problems
  • Athletes and those who spend time in the gym
  • Those who suffer from constant body aches
  • Those who don’t have full range of motion
  • People who have chronic pain

Different Types of Personal Massagers

Different Types of Personal Massagers

Wand-Style

The style is pretty much described by its name. It’s also the most common design for personal massagers. It’s easy to use to reach all sorts of spots on the body, and it’s often able to use different attachments for special effects.

Some are straight, but others are curved so that you’re able to reach areas more easily. As this is the standard design, you may enjoy various features such as adjustable intensity levels and alternating rhythm patterns.

Cordless

You may find it a bit awkward to deal with an electrical cord on your personal massager, so a cordless type may be more convenient to use. This means that you can use these in places where there are no convenient power outlets, like on the beach, the park, or your hiking camp. You need batteries for these, though you can use rechargeable batteries so you don’t need to buy new ones too frequently.

Hands-Free

Some personal massagers don’t even require you to use your hand to guide the massagers to the right spots. Hands-free massagers are great when your hands are busy, such as when you’re at your desk or trying to read a book. You can really relax too, since even your hands and arms can be rested. The massage can even continue even while you fall asleep. This is also the option you’ll want if you’re too week to use your arms actively.

Neck Pillow Massager

This is a special type of hands-free massager that works very well when you want to relieve tension in your neck, shoulders, and upper back. You just wear it around your neck, and its weigh is sufficient to provide the necessary pressure for the massage.

Types of Massage Motions

The personal massager can offer a specific type of massage option, though more advanced models may offer you a choice between options.

Vibration

This offers a super-quick shaking of your muscles. It helps to loosen your ligaments and improve your blood circulation. It can be both rejuvenating and soothing. However, the vibrations work best for healthy muscles and its use should be avoided for bony parts of your body.

Percussion

This feels like someone’s tapping drumsticks or the side of their hands on your body. This kind of massage is very popular for athletes especially before workouts. If you’ve seen a boxing match on TV, you’ll find trainers using percussion massage techniques on their fighters. It can really loosen your muscles. It also stimulates blood circulation and promotes the healing of sore areas.

Kneading

When you have kneading motions from your massager, your soft tissues are compressed, squeezed, and rolled. This type of motion can reduce muscle tightness, relieve body aches, and enhance your range of motion.

Rolling

A rolling motion reduces tension and relaxes muscles. It can loosen your tight muscles, boost the flexibility of your muscles, and reduce body pains.

How to Choose the Best Handheld Massager?

How to Choose the Best Handheld Massager

Here are the factors you need to consider when you’re reading reviews and specs of various handheld massagers.

Power Source Options and Portability

Personal massagers are generally either powered by an electrical cord or they use batteries. Corded massagers do save you the trouble of constantly buying new batteries, but they may not be used in areas without a nearby power outlet. In addition, it can be a bit annoying having to deal with the cord when you’re trying to get a relaxing massage.

Your best bet is to use rechargeable batteries, so you don’t have to worry about the cord. At the same time, you won’t have to buy batteries constantly either.

Versatility

How many different attachments can you use on it? The more attachments and special effects for your massager you can get, the more versatile your massager is.

Heating options

Not everyone enjoys the same level of heat on their body parts. What seems nice and warm for some may feel like a burning sensation for another. Thus, it’s important that if your massager has a heating option it should be adjustable. You may even want to do without heating in some instances.

Focus area

On which parts of your body can you use your personal massager? It’s great if you can use it for any part of your body. Some can’t be used for some parts, like your shoulders and other bony areas. Other massagers may be limited to just the areas around your neck. There are those that you can even use on your face.

Cost

Obviously, as a responsible consumer you can’t just not care about the price. However, it also doesn’t mean that you should just get the cheapest one there is. It may be cheap because it’s a piece of crap. A good personal massager must provide the relief you need while it also should be affordable.

Weight

Whether you’re wearing the massager or maneuvering it with your hand, its weight is an important factor to consider. If it’s too heavy, it may become too uncomfortable to wear or to maneuver for long. In addition, a lighter personal massager is easier to bring with your to various locations.

Durability

It should obviously last long enough for you to get full value for your money. Look to the warranty period, and read the long-term customer reviews to get a better idea of a massager’s durability.

Multi-Purpose

Some massages are designed for a specific purpose, such as to reduce back pain or to relieve sore muscles. Others may be used for multiple purposes.

Nature of Work

The design of the massager defines how it’s supposed to work, and it can limit the areas on which it can be used. However, if you’re allowed to switch to using other attachments then it may work differently and for different body areas to suit your needs.

Performance

How well does it work? Does it give you the benefit you’re looking for, such as relaxed muscles and alleviated pain? If the massager performs well, then it should provide the benefits you expected (and the manufacturer promised).

The Lesser Known Health Benefits of Massage

The Lesser Known Health Benefits of Massage

The main benefits of receiving a massage are fairly well-known. That’s why massages are so popular after all. But they also offer surprising benefits that not very many people know about:

  • It can make you look younger. This is a consequence of improved blood flow, which also removes toxins out of cells to make way for nutrients. The rubbing and kneading of the skin also plumps up slack skin so they have this glow of vitality.
  • Do you sometimes get migraines? Then massages may help. University of Auckland researchers found that out when they found that people who suffered from terrible migraines regularly reported fewer migraine attacks when they received regular massages for a few weeks.
  • That same study also found that these people enjoyed more restful sleep when they received regular massages.
  • Are you depressed? Even if you’re not medically depressed but you’re constantly unhappy, you may feel better (and happier) with regular massages. A study published in the International Journal of neuroscience discovered with depressed patients who received a couple of 40-minute massage sessions each week for 5 weeks.
  • It also helps women with PMS. This was discovered by researchers from the Touch Research Institute and University of Miami Medical School. Massages reduce the symptoms of PMS for women from ages 19 to 45.
  • Massages also offer relief for those with cancer. A study in Boston found that receiving massages offered an overall better quality of life for metastatic cancer patients, as they enjoyed reduced pain and better sleep. Another study conducted by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City discovered how massage therapy reduced the severity of cancer symptoms. These include pain, fatigue, nausea, stress, and depression.

A Brief History of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy has a very long history, as it has been in existence for thousands of years. The ancient cultures of Greece, Egypt, Japan, China, and India practiced it. It was even known during the time of the Romans.

The evidence for the long history of massage therapy is indisputable. It has been mentioned in texts dating back to 2,700 BC. That means it’s been around for at least 4,700 years and many experts say that it’s at least 5,000 years old.

Its practice endured in Asia, and the West rediscovered the practice as their explorers and colonizers traveled through the East. The Swedish massage was became the first Western practice and it was started in the 1800s.

The popularity of massages increased after World War II, as soldiers found out how these practices were done in countries like China and Japan. Of course, it didn’t take long for the Westerners to come up with technological devices that provided massage therapy for its users.

All these gadgets may seem like high tech backscratchers to you, but they’re a lot more than that. If you constantly suffer from body aches, the relief they can bring can truly make the purchase worth your money. It can provide you with a good morning if you’re not feeling well. It can soothe your tired body after a hard day’s work. The best handheld massagers are great for your health and your psyche—pick one and you’ll find out for yourself.

Billy L. Osorio
 

My name is Billy. I am a computer engineer by profession. So, most of my work is on the desk. In my past days, I had many back pain issues due to a long time sitting, eating, working habit. I did a lot of studies and consulting for overcoming my problem. Now, I am trying to share my knowledge.

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