Receiving a good massage can be an excellent tool for promoting recovery, relaxation, and relieving stress; however, for those with busy schedules, it’s not always the most convenient option. The best massage chairs enable users to experience the benefits of massage from the comfort of their own homes, providing soothing relaxation with the simple push of a button.
While many popular massage chairs can cost thousands of dollars, there are affordable options on the market, such as the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II. This budget-friendly, portable cushion can turn any comfortable sofa or chair in your home into a relaxing massage experience, but we wanted to know if it felt like using a regular massage chair.
Our testers spent a considerable amount of time trying out the various features, and in this Homedics massage chair review, I’ll explain the pros, cons, and various features to help you decide if this affordable massage cushion is worth adding to your home recovery arsenal.
Olympian-Tested and Approved
Every review we publish is based on extensive hands-on experience from our team of expert testers, which includes certified personal trainers, certified nutrition coaches, gym owners, and a wide range of fitness enthusiasts.
For this review, our primary tester was GGR Senior Staff Writer Caine Wilkes, OLY, CNC, USAW-L1, a weightlifter who represented Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and has over 15 years of experience in lifting, coaching, and using recovery tools.
Bojana Galic, CNC, managing editor, tried this massage chair pad in our Charlotte office and shared her feedback for the review as well.
After using the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II massage cushion, Caine calculated a final score using our equipment testing methodology. This rates each product on a scale of 1 to 5 for the most important categories, including:
- Materials and durability
- Portability
- Ergnomics
- Comfort
- Customer experience
For anyone who wants the benefits of a massage chair without having to make room for a new bulky recliner, the Homedics Elite Shiatsu II may be your solution. This inexpensive back massager can be secured onto most any chair and used to massage your back, neck, and shoulders. With a few preset modes, and the ability to adjust the height and width of certain massage nodes, there’s good functionality packed in a compact massager.
What our tester says:
“It massaged the spots in my back pretty well and felt powerful enough to get a decent massage. It’s a little short due to my taller frame, however, as it only gets to my upper back and not quite my neck or shoulders.”
A Quick Look at the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II
Homedics is a wellness company that specializes in health and recovery products, including air purifiers, massagers, saunas, fragrance diffusers, and more. For this review, we tested the Shiatsu Elite II, a portable cushion that turns any chair into a massage chair. Homedics also offers a Shiatsu massage cushion, a Shiatsu massage pillow, a Shiatsu foot massager, and plenty of other massage options.
Unlike most bulky massage chairs, the Shiatsu Elite II is both budget-friendly and portable, offering excellent versatility at a low price point. It’s an upper-body massage cushion designed to provide a deep tissue massage to the neck, shoulders, and both the upper and lower back. For a full-body experience, you can always pair it with something like the Hyperice Normatec Elite boots to cover your legs.
In addition to delivering a powerful massage to your upper body, it has various heat options to help further relax your muscles.
Regular massage chair use has been shown1 to provide several benefits, including improved cognitive function, reduced stress and mental fatigue, decreased muscle stiffness, pain relief, and potential improvements in quality of life. If you don’t want to buy a full-sized massage chair, this is an excellent option to experience many of the same benefits.
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While it may not feel exactly like using a full massage chair, it’s also a fraction of the price, making this an affordable option for anyone who wants to relieve a sore back without breaking the bank.
Before You Buy
- The Shiatsu Elite II offers Shiatsu, rolling, and spot massage options, along with optional soothing heat therapy.
- It’s designed to be portable, which means it’s relatively small and may not provide full neck and shoulder coverage for all users.
- While it’s affordable, our tester had concerns about the long-term durability and materials used.
Is the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II Worth It?
The Shiatsu Elite II is the most affordable massage chair option we’ve tested, but it’s not the perfect fit for all users. Here’s who we think should buy this cushion, and who should avoid it.
Great for:
- Anyone looking for recovery on a budget
- Smaller-framed individuals
- Those primarily looking to relieve back pain and stress
Not recommended for:
- Those who want a full-body massage
- People looking for a massage chair that’s built to last for years
- Individuals with a taller or wider-than-average frame
Homedics Shiatsu Elite II Specs
| Dimensions | 30″ L x 19.63″ W x 7.75″ H |
| Weight | 1 lb |
| Material | Leather |
| Weight capacity | N/A |
| Massage roller tracks | N/A |
| Rated voltage | 120 V |
| Color options | Grey |
| Warranty | 2 years |
Experience Using the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II
Our tester, Caine Wilkes, OLY, CNC, USAW-L1, used the portable massage cushion in his home and was pleasantly surprised, especially given its low cost and portable design.
It certainly doesn’t deliver the same experience as some of the more expensive massage chairs on the market, which can easily cost thousands of dollars. However, it’s surprisingly powerful for such a low price, providing a deep kneading back and shoulder massage.
“I was surprised at the power of this massage cushion, since it’s a budget-priced option,” says Caine. “It hit the spots in my back pretty well, and feels powerful enough to get a decent massage.”
However, he added that the cushion doesn’t reach his neck, only his back and shoulders. Caine is 6 feet, 3 inches, but he added that most users will be fine.
If you’re expecting a futuristic, full-body massage chair with all the latest bells and whistles, this isn’t it. However, if you’re primarily looking to relieve a sore back at the end of a long day, this is a great massage cushion that’s priced to fit nearly any budget.
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Footprint and Portability
The biggest selling point of the Homemedics massage chair, aside from its price, is the lightweight design, which earns 5 out of 5 stars for its footprint and portability.
Caine said, “You literally just set it up on whatever chair or recliner you have at your home. This is very much the main selling point of this massage cushion: that it’s taking up far less space than a normal massage chair.”
Of course, you’ll still need to have a cushioned chair or couch to use this on, as it’s not meant to be draped over a hard surface. This means that while this massage seat is light enough to take to work, it may not be too comfortable depending on your office chair.
Materials and Durability
The durability and construction of a massage chair are important considerations, especially when it will receive regular use. For materials and durability, Caine gave the Shiatsu Elite II a rating of 3 out of 5 stars.
“It’s made of a leather material that doesn’t feel the most durable, but it doesn’t need to be, since it’s just resting on a chair,” Caine explains. “On a cushioned chair, this should last for a good bit, but I’d still worry about its longevity over time.”
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and for a massage cushion that costs under $200, we wouldn’t expect it to last forever. Still, with proper care, it should last for quite some time, and Homedics offers a two-year warranty.
Ergonomics
While the footprint and materials are important, we also need to consider how the massage cushion feels when in use. For this category, Caine and Bojana gave it a rating of 3 out of 5.
The first thing to point out is the size. With dimensions of 30 inches long by 19.63 inches wide by x 7.75 inches high, it’s a decently sized product; however, larger or taller individuals may have difficulty covering their entire back, shoulders, and neck.
Caine said, “At my height of 6 feet, 3 inches, it reached my upper back and traps at best, and never really quite reached my neck. Most people will be fine with the size of this, however.”
He added that the cushion you’re sitting on has a big impact on how it feels. If you have a favorite recliner or couch in your home, you’ll likely find this massage cushion to be very comfortable, but draping it over a hard chair wouldn’t have the same effect.
Bojana Galic, CNC, agreed that the massage quality is surprisingly good for the cost.
“This one doesn’t have a ton of features, but I was shocked by the massage quality,” says Bojana. “For a small, compact unit, this one is pretty powerful. I could sit on it for hours.”
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Technology Benefits and Conveniences
For technology benefits and conveniences, the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II earns a 2 out of 5.
It’s certainly not bad, especially for the price, but if you’re used to trying high-end massage chairs, this is much more limited. It features three massage modes, including Shiatsu, rolling, and spot massage.
The spot massage may not be as precise as using one of the best massage guns, but it’s a cool feature to see, especially in such an affordable product. You can use the remote control to choose a preset program and let the cushion take over, or use the spot massage setting, which activates only specific massage nodes.
It also has an optional heat setting, so you won’t need a separate heating pad to warm up sore muscles.
While the heat works well, Caine had one callout, noting that you can’t change the temperature in some of the preset modes. He said, “I wasn’t a fan of how the heat was automatically turned on in some of the preset modes. I’d rather turn it on myself when I want the added heat.”
Homedics Shiatsu Elite II vs Synca Wellness CirC Massage Chair
The CirC Massage Chair from Synca Wellness is a compact and budget-friendly massage chair that features SL-tracking from the neck to the buttocks. It can support users from 4 feet and nine inches tall to 6 feet and 2 inches tall; however, the weight limit is a little low at 250 pounds. Still, with ambient side lighting and heating options, this can be a nice inexpensive massage chair that could fit into most people’s budgets. If not, financing options are available.
What our tester says:
“This chair would be perfect for a small space. It weighs only 70 pounds, so you could move it on your own easily enough, plus it’s compact overall at about 21 inches wide and 37 inches tall.”
Comparing the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II to any other standard massage chair is like comparing apples to oranges, as most massage chairs are significantly larger, packed with more features, and cost thousands of dollars.
However, the most affordable standard massage chair we’ve tested so far is the Synca Wellness CirC Massage Chair, which is priced around $1,000, though it periodically goes on sale for under $1,000.
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Similar to the Homedics massage cushion, the Synca Wellness chair is designed to be compact and portable. Even though it’s a full-size massage chair, it’s smaller than most, and it may not fully reach the neck and upper shoulders.
Despite its smaller size, it still manages to provide more features than the Homedics cushion, including lumbar heat, air compression around the hips and sides, and ambient lighting.
Overall, if you’re looking to get a massage chair on a budget, you can’t go wrong with either. The Homedics Shiatsu Elite II is best suited for those seeking the most portable and affordable option we’ve tested, while the Synca Wellness Massage Chair is better for those who want to invest a little more to get an actual massage chair, even if it’s on the smaller side.
| Homedics Shiatsu Elite II | Synca Wellness CirC Massage Chair | |
| Dimensions | 30″ L x 19.63″ W x 7.75″ H | 39″ L x 21.6″ W x 37″ H |
| Weight | 1 lb | 70 lbs |
| Material | Leather | Synthetic leather, metal |
| Weight capacity | N/A | 250 lbs |
| Massage roller tracks | N/A | 34” L track |
| Rated voltage | 120 V | 120 V |
| Color options | Grey | Beige, Burnt Coffee, Wine |
| Warranty | 2 years | 1 year on parts and labor |
Customer Experience
Homedics earns 4 out of 5 stars for the customer experience.
Caine placed his order through Amazon, noting that Amazon offers a 30-day return policy, financing options, and the massage chair comes with a 2-year warranty from Homedics.
If you order directly from Homedics, you can also return it within 30 days, but you’ll need to pay for return shipping and handling.
Ordering and Assembling the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II
The ordering and assembly process couldn’t be easier, earning 5 out of 5 stars. There’s no bulky packaging or assembly required, and your massage cushion will be ready to go out of the box.
As Caine said, “No assembly needed–just strap it to your chair, and get to massaging.”
When ordering from Amazon, you may be able to receive free Prime shipping, while orders placed on Homedics.com only receive free shipping to the contiguous 48 states when you spend over $99.
Customer Reviews
At the time of writing, the Shiatsu Elite II has 428 customer reviews on Amazon with an average score of 4 out of 5 stars.
Many of the customers shared our opinion: the massage cushion is very powerful, but there may be some durability concerns with long-term use.
Final Verdict of Our Homedics Shiatsu Elite II Review
If you’re looking for a portable massage cushion that can turn any chair into a massage chair, you can’t go wrong with the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II. It’s lightweight, portable, and surprisingly powerful, all for a fraction of the cost of a typical massage chair.
As Caine said, “This has super value at under $200. It doesn’t have the fanciest modes or features, but for people looking for compact solutions or budget options, this is very good value.”
Those who want a full-body massage chair may need to spend a little more, but for anyone looking for an affordable option to keep at home, we highly recommend the Homedics Shiatsu Elite II.
Full Rating
Homedics Shiatsu Elite II
For anyone who wants the benefits of a massage chair without having to make room for a new bulky recliner, the Homedics Elite Shiatsu II may be your solution. This inexpensive back massager can be secured onto most any chair and used to massage your back, neck, and shoulders. With a few preset modes, and the ability to adjust the height and width of certain massage nodes, there’s good functionality packed in a compact massager.
Product Brand: Homedics
Product Currency: USD
Product Price: 159.99
Product In-Stock: InStock
4.1
Homedics Shiatsu Elite II: FAQs
Where are Homedics products made?
Most Homedics products are produced in China.
What is Shiatsu massage?
Shiatsu massage is traditionally performed with the hands, elbows, and feet, applying pressure to specific points along the body that are believed to channel energy. Shiatsu massage is meant to promote relaxation, circulation, and overall well-being.
Is the Homedics Shiatsu Massage chair good?
Yes. It’s not as durable as some of the more expensive massage chairs, but for the price, it provides a powerful massage. It’s also portable and can be used on any chair or couch in your home, so you don’t need to buy a full massage chair.
References
- Youn, B. Y., Cho, H., Joo, S., Kim, H. J., & Kim, J. Y. (2024). Utilization of massage chairs for promoting overall health and wellness: A rapid scoping review. Explore (New York, N.Y.), 20(3), 285–297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2023.10.002
