Since the Mini Massager from HoMedics didn’t suit my needs, I had to move up to their PA-100 Professional Massager! This is another hand-held personal massager, but it’s bigger, more powerful, and packed with features.

My friend had one of these, and she used it on my back one day when I was really sore, and I swear it made my back good as new! The next day I ordered one from Amazon.com for just $30. (Looking at it, I thought it would be closer to $100, but luckily I guessed wrong!)

Features, Functionality, and Versatility

This massager really shines in the functionality department. Once you turn it on, you can use the sliding button to pick out just the right speed setting - I always use the highest setting, but if you want a real light massage, you can do that too. Then, to change the spacing between the massage heads, just hold down the bottom button until the heads are positioned where you want them. You can even change the massage head covers between the soft, medium, and hard covers (all included.)

The various speed settings and massage head options make this very versatile - you can use it on your legs, back, shoulders, and even your shins and forearms. (The key point there is that you can use this on your own legs, and it’s about the only way I know of to give yourself a back massage.)

Just don’t use it while watching TV. When this massager is running, it creates a ton of static on the TV due to whatever electrostatic or electromagnetic force it is exerting.

Portability (Ease of Transport)

The drawback with this full-size, electric model is the lack of portability. Sure, you can take it to a friend’s house, but it won’t do you any good somewhere without an electrical outlet.

In other words, don’t plan to use this in the race parking lot.

The Massage

Now for the important stuff - the massage itself.

For the most part, this provides a comfortable, enjoyable massage. The drawback is that it is the exact same massage, every time and everywhere, whether it’s on your back, shoulders, or feet. It just can’t compete with the versatility of a human hand.

I have found the best use is for back massages, especially if you have a sore back. You can spread the heads to the farthest setting, set the speed to the highest setting, and run it up and down your back to soothe any aches and pains. The drawback here is that it’s inconvenient to twist your arms around to run this on your own back.

Despite the nice back massage, it didn’t do much for my quads. If you have muscular, cyclist quads, this will probably just tickle you! But if your legs are really sore from a hard ride, it’s easy to use and it helps somewhat.

Tip: You’re not supposed to push on the massager, but to get a worthwhile massage, I put quite a bit of pressure on it. I don’t know if that’s a good idea, but without that extra pressure, it feels like I’m being tickled.

One final drawback is the 15 minute time limit on each use. It says not to run the massager for longer than 15 minutes each time, and don’t use it in the same spot for more than 3 minutes.

What about a real massage?

A real massage feels amazing and totally blows away the massages from this.

But keep in mind that a real massage will probably cost you $30 for half an hour, while this gives you virtually unlimited massages for a single $30 payment. In that respect it’s a great value.

My final verdict is…

I’m not overly impressed with this massager, because it doesn’t feel all that special, and it gets old after a while (since it’s the exact same feeling no matter what.)

But it does help recover from injuries or stiff, sore muscles, and it never says “no, I don’t feel like giving you a massage.”

If you’re sore all the time, this will be great for you. It’s much cheaper than going to a real masseuse, and it’s even cheaper than The Stick, so it’s a relatively good value.

In the end, it’s worth the $30.

Official website: www.HoMedics.com

Buy online: at Amazon.com

In my search for something that would help soothe my sore muscles (other than getting a professional massage each day,) I came across two neat hand-held massagers from HoMedics. The one I’m reviewing here is the HoMedics PM-30BX On-The-Go Battery Operated Mini 3 Node Massager, because it looked like something I could carry around to my races.

Actually it looks more like a UFO than anything, but it’s called a massager, so I’ll take their word for it.

This is just a cheap little massager that you hold in your hand and glide over your body, letting it do all the work. Or so I thought.

Functionality

It looks like a novelty item, so I wasn’t expecting a miracle… but I was expecting it to work. It does move, but it is more of a vibration than a massage. I couldn’t even feel it on my quads and calves. (There’s only one speed, so you can’t change it to a harder setting.)

Even worse, the vibration really wears out your hand. So your muscles get no relief and your hand gets sore.

It’s not very flexible either. For example, if you use it on your feet or forearms, it sucks because only one or two pods hit at one time. The three “pods” are only good on a surface like your back or hamstrings, but there is not enough power to do anything to those areas anyway.

It is quiet, though. A vibrating cell phone is louder than this.

Portability

As for transporting it, that’s not a problem. I can throw it in my car or gear bag and leave it there, ready to be used after I finish a race. It doesn’t take up much space, and it’s battery operated, so you can use it anywhere.

It’s not small enough that you can carry it in your pocket, though.

Price

I got mine at Amazon.com for $10, although some of my friends have seen it for $5 at discount retailers like Big Lots, Building 19, etc.

Possible uses

While you don’t feel much at all on your muscles, this thing does vibrate your head or face. Perhaps it would soothe a headache? And maybe it would work for children. Maybe.

My final verdict is…

This wasn’t worth the $10. I don’t think it would have been worth $5, as it isn’t even close to being a massage.

If you’re looking for a real massage for your sore muscles, try something else. Only buy this if you are looking for a scalp massager.

Official website: www.HoMedics.com

Buy online: at Amazon.com (somehow it is getting good user reviews at Amazon)