Being that we work our poor old feet so much, it only makes sense to give them a well-deserved rest along with a massage now and then. The benefits of a foot massage are many. It helps ease foot pain, relieves stress and tension, and, if you believe in Zone Reflex Therapy, a foot massage can do wonders for your internal parts. I received one of these devices as a gift, so here’s my Homedics SoleSalvation™ Portable Foot Massager product review!
Price and Availability
This brand and style of portable foot massager is available at Wal-Mart and many drugstores. I believe it costs around $15.00.
Product Description
The Homedics SoleSalvation™ Portable Foot Massager looks like a small pillow with a cloth on the top that’s divided into two pouches. This is where you slip your feet into. There’s an on/off switch on the side. It’s battery-operated and takes a couple of “D” batteries. It’s size and the fact it takes batteries is what makes it “portable”, I would guess. This device has a one-year warranty.
Test Results
I must say I was rather skeptical when I put batteries (which are not included) in the Homedics SoleSalvation™ Portable Foot Massager and just turned it on. It made a loud vibrating noise that made two of my cats that were nearby, scatter quickly. When I placed my hand in the divided pouches, I could feel a vibration. There’s no low/high adjustment switch on this device, just one speed.
The real test was placing my feet in the device; so I did. Again, I could feel the vibration. Not much else, but the Homedics SoleSalvation™ Portable Foot Massager did jiggle my feet some.
The instruction “manual” consists of three single pages in English. There are also four single pages in Spanish. I wondered how long you should “massage” your feet, and what the specific instructions to using this device were. There’s a small section titled “Instructions for Use”, so I read them. It told me how to install the batteries, to place your feet in the pouches and how to turn the massager on/off. Period. So I left the portable foot massager on until the noise annoyed me enough. Upon removing my feet from the pouches, they didn’t feel much different than before.
Conclusion
I understand the Homedics SoleSalvation™ Portable Foot Massager comes in more than one color. Mine is in the black and white cow hide pattern. The fabric is soft and warm, and it feels nice on your feet. But, according to the instructions, it can only be cleaned by wiping it off with a slightly damp cloth. This means, after some use, your foot massager is going to start smelling like sweaty feet. Not an appealing thought, is it? So that’s one con I have against it.
As for being battery-operated: I don’t know how long this massager runs on two “D” batteries. If you used it on a daily basis, though, I can imagine they wouldn’t last long. Too bad the Homedics SoleSalvation™ Portable Foot Massager doesn’t come with an adapter so you could use batteries or plug it into an electrical outlet.
Most importantly, does this device work? Not too well. My feet fit into the pouches. But if you have large feet, you’re going to have problems sticking them in. There’s no way to adjust the sizes of the pouches.
Next, if you place your feet in this portable foot massager and lean back, you’re not going to feel much vibration. If you lean forward or press down so that the soles of your feet can actually feel something, the device bogs down. Not wanting to wear the motor out or burn it up, I immediately leaned back again.
I don’t recommend buying one of these devices. I can get a more effective foot massage by rubbing them with my own hands than I can with the Homedics SoleSalvation™ Portable Foot Massager.
