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Whether you’re getting older, staying active, or just live a busy life, everyone suffers from aches and pains at some time. With a growing number of people spending all day in front of a computer screen, more people participating in different types of exercise, and sleeping or laying incorrectly in a bed or on a couch, neck pain is a pretty common occurrence in men and women of all ages. It may even be due to a chronic condition or serious injury.
Instead of suffering in pain or taking medication that can have some pretty terrible side effects, you can relieve your pain easily in the comfort of your own home with one of our picks for Best Neck Massager.
Compare: The 10 Best Neck Massagers of 2019
| Picture | Name | Brand | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Brookstone Shiatsu  | Brookstone | $$$ | 4.9 |
 | Zyllion ZMA-13-BK Shiatsu | Zyllion | $$ | 4.8 |
 | The Happy Company Happy Massager | The Happy Company Happy Soother | $ | 4.7 |
 | truMedic Instashiatsu Plus | truMedic | $$$$ | 4.6 |
 | LiBa Shiatsu Back Massager | LiBa | $$ | 4.6 |
 | Gideon Shiatsu Massage Pillow with Heat | Gideon | $$ | 4.6 |
 | Prospera Kneading Massage Cushion | Prospera Corporation | $$ | 4.5 |
 | HoMedics NMS-375 Shiatsu | Homedics | $$ | 4.5 |
 | LiBa Shiatsu Neck & Back Massager Pillow | LiBa | $$ | 4.5 |
 | Homedics NMS-230-THP | Homedics | $$ | 4.5 |
| Picture | Name | Brand | Price | Rating |
The Basics: What is a Neck Massager?
Contents
A neck massager is a device that is used to help relax away the aches and pains in your neck. Like a massage performed in your local spa, these massagers help work out the kinks and knots that may be found in your neck due to an injury, illness, or a strain from daily activity. For those who suffer from extreme pain, these devices can provide relief.
What are the Advantages?
The primary advantage of a neck massager is that you can soothe aches and pains. Using one of these devices can help you relax, which is especially important if you just can’t get comfortable to sleep at night. If you don’t have a partner at home to massage your neck or you don’t want to spend a fortune in a spa, this is a great option. These can be used anytime, anywhere, and they’re great for use in the privacy of your own home.
Do I Need To Worry About My Neck Massager Being Safe?
No, you don’t need to worry about the safety of your neck massager. Most neck massagers are constructed from hypoallergenic material, which means that you won’t have any skin reactions to using them.
Likewise, neck massagers aren’t meant to be invasive, so there isn’t much chance they can cause damage to the muscles of your neck. Use your body as a guide, however. If your neck massager is making you feel uncomfortable, stop using it.
For most people, neck massagers simply won’t pose any safety risks or discomforts when you use them as they are intended to be used. If you notice your electric neck massager getting too hot, you may want to get it checked out to make sure that it isn’t going to burn you.
What are the Different Types of Neck Massagers?
If you’re tired of suffering with neck pain and you don’t want to spend a lot of money on professional massages, a neck massager is a great alternative. It’s also a good way to get away from medication, which can cause some pretty negative side effects. This is a natural and easy way to relieve pain. Once you’ve made the decision to be pain-free by using one of these devices, you need to determine which type best fits your needs.
Handheld
These are the smallest and they can be held with just one hand. You can use it on yourself or someone else can use it on you. These come in manual models that you move around your neck, while many are battery operated and vibrate wherever you place them.
Neck and shoulder
These are made with a firm material that is overlayed with a soft cover. You simply wrap this around the back of your neck, and each side goes over your shoulder. These battery-operated units knead, vibrate, and may even heat to provide added relief.
All-in-one
These may come with multiple attachments that provide varying degrees of pressure and different relaxation techniques. These can not only be used on the neck, but they can also be used on other places of the body including the back.
Pillow
These may be shaped like traditional bed pillows or they may form a U-shape that wraps around the back of your neck. These have massaging units placed inside of the soft cover to provide you with ultimate relaxation.
Which Neck Massagers are the Best on the Market in 2019?
The Happy Company Happy Massager
You don’t have to spend a fortune to feel like a million bucks, as you’ll discover just seconds after using this affordable massager. It has an adorable design which is very simple but extremely effective. And it doesn’t just work on the neck, either – you can use it anywhere.
Zyllion ZMA-13-BK Shiatsu Massage Pillow with Heat
Ease your aches and pains and soothe tight muscles just by lying down with this massage pillow, which has an ergonomic design. This affordable unit has multiple options, including heat for added relief and comfort.
Brookstone Shiatsu Neck & Back Massager
You won’t need another person to help you hit those hard-to-reach areas including your shoulder blades and neck with this massager from Brookstone. This model has several different functions and heating to help you feel completely relaxed.
Features to Consider Before You Buy
If you want to effectively relieve your neck pain, you have to buy the right massager. You don’t want to spend money on something that will just sit in a shelf on your closet. This is why you need to do a little bit of research prior to shopping. By looking at these four features, you can narrow down your options to choose the perfect unit that will help you feel more relaxed than ever.
Price
Massagers range in price from around $10 for a manual model to several hundred for one that is loaded with features and has an innovative design. You want to stick with something you can afford, but you should never sacrifice quality for a cheaper price. Make sure the unit you choose not only has a desirable price but also has the features you’re looking for.
Settings
Everyone suffers from different types of pain, and even within a short period of time, your pain can move to a different location or increase or decrease in intensity. This is when a unit with lots of different settings really comes in handy. This is more versatile and ensures you’ll get plenty more use out of it.
Other Uses
A neck massager is great to have, but you may ache on other parts of your body as well. Many modern units are designed to massage other areas of the body, so to get the most bang for your buck, look for a unit that can be used from head to toe.
Warranty
If you have an electronic unit, you might have to worry about problems arising in the future. However, you should expect to get a reasonable amount of use out of your unit before you have to repair or replace it. With a warranty in place, you won’t have to worry about defects putting your product out of commission.
Price
Happy Massager
This product is very affordable, making it a great choice for the budget-minded.
Zyllion ZMA-13-BK
You can purchase this product at a mid-level price point.
Brookstone Shiatsu Massager
With the highest price tag of the group, this is one of the more expensive units on the market.
Settings
Happy Massager
This is a manual model that does not have any settings.
Zyllion ZMA-13-BK
This has two different settings, one with heat and one without heat.
Brookstone Shiatsu Massager
This has two different massage settings and heated and unheated options.
Other Uses
Happy Massager
This can be used anywhere on the body from head to toe.
Zyllion ZMA-13-BK
The design allows you to use this on your neck, lower back, legs, and more.
Brookstone Shiatsu Massager
This is primarily used for the neck, back, and shoulders.
Warranty
Happy Massager
This unit does not come backed with a warranty.
Zyllion ZMA-13-BK
This product does not come backed with a warranty.
Brookstone Shiatsu Massager
This is backed with a 1-year manufacturer’s limited warranty.
Our Neck Massager Reviews
Best Affordable: Happy Massager
This Happy Massager is designed to make you happy by relaxing you from head to toe. Unwind and de-stress easily with this massager, which is easy to use and doesn’t even require batteries. This unique design can be used anywhere on the body, including your neck, so you can soothe away those aches and pains right in your own home. It’s easy to use, glides smoothly over skin, and mimics a professional massage at a fraction of the price.
The design is meant to prevent your hand from cramping or getting tired while massaging yourself or a loved one. This is one of the best selling products in this category, and it’s because it is ideal for everyday aches and pains, acupressure, natural childbirth, and more.
Pros:
- It is very affordable
- Easy to use
- Portable
- Doesn’t require batteries or power
- It works for deep muscle knots and other aches and pains
- Comfortable to hold
- It makes a great gift
- It can be used all over the body
Cons:
- The logs may fall off over time but can easily be repaired with wood glue
- This is a manual massager that requires you to move it around yourself
Best Value: Zyllion ZMA-13-BK
Sit back, relax, and let these pillow knead away all of your stress, tension, and pain. This unique pillow is the perfect way to relax and refresh your body without having to do any of the work or pay hundreds of dollars for a professional massage.
This unit is equipped with four nodes to cover your entire neck, and the thin and lightweight design makes it very portable. It is equipped with a strap so you can hook it to your chair while you kick back and watch TV or read a book. It has two different modes: heated and unheated. This unit also reverses directions while in use to provide you with the most effective massage. This is a very affordable unit that has an ergonomic design that can be used on other areas of the body, making this a great value.
Pros:
- It has a heat option
- Comfortable, ergonomic design
- Promotes blood circulation
- It can be used on other areas of the body
- Reverses directions for a more effective massage
- It is affordable
- It has a 20-minute auto shutoff for safety
- Comes with a household and travel charger
- You don’t have to worry about replacing batteries
Cons:
- The DC connector doesn’t fit quite right, so it can be a hassle
- It is a bit noisy
- Doesn’t provide a very deep massage
Overall Best: Brookstone Shiatsu Massager
Hit just the right spots with this massager from Brookstone, which is designed to reach the hard-to-reach areas of your back and neck. You can relax in comfort and forget about your aches and pains when you put on this product, which has eight different massaging nodes to cover a larger area.
You can raise or lower this unit to hit the right spots without needing assistance. An added heat mode helps relax your muscles and lets you take full advantage of your massage. It has two different modes to choose from. You can have it massage in one direction or use rotational mode to switch directions and change things up. This unit plugs into the wall and doesn’t require batteries, is lightweight, very portable, and designed to help knead out the deepest knots and kinks in your neck, shoulders, and back.
Pros:
- Two different modes
- It has a heat setting for added relaxation
- It’s very easy to use
- It’s portable
- Massages deeply for the worst aches and pains
- Can be raised or lowered to make it more comfortable to wear
Cons:
- It is expensive
- You must have a power source to use it since it doesn’t take batteries
All in All
If your pained neck is making you stay indoors, treat it right at home with a neck massager. Not only will you be able to soothe your pain, but you’ll be able to save thousands of dollars by not having to seek out professional massages, lotions and ointments, and medications that you use to try to find relief.
If you want to give your entire neck a full massage comparable to your local spa, the Brookstone Shiatsu Massager is up for the task. This product has multiple modes and settings, is easy to wear and is adjustable, and it works hard to knead out those deep knots to help you live a pain-free life.