Taking off your shoes once you arrive home after spending a long day at work is arguably one of the most satisfying sensations ever. But going home to a relaxing foot massage every single night (or day)? Now that’s a dream come true!
One way of living this fantasy is by owning a foot massager. It’s like having a personal masseuse waiting for you to get back – minus the weird part.
However, buying a foot massager can be a confusing task, especially with all the different models and features out there.
Today, thanks to our list of the best foot massagers and detailed buying guide, we’ll be helping you find the best foot massager that’s right for you! So without further ado, let’s get started!
In a Hurry? Here’s our Top Pick!
Benefits of Foot Massage and Owning a Foot Massager
If you think foot massages are only good for making you more relaxed or your feet less sore, then you’d be pleasantly surprised to know that owning a foot massager can actually bring you several health benefits aiming to improve the overall quality of your life.
If the term Reflexology rings any bells, then you may be familiar with a few of these benefits. Reflexology is the practice of applying certain amounts of pressure to specific points on the feet and other body parts to affect corresponding organs or systems.
So let’s take a look at some of the benefits of foot massage:
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
One of the most significant effects of foot massages is helping you de-stress after the tiring events of your day.
A daily foot massage for around 10 minutes before bed can remarkably decrease your feelings of stress and anxiety. It can even aid in alleviating depression and improving your mood.
According to a study done on long-term care staff who work in stressful environments dealing with older people suffering from dementia, 10-minute foot massage sessions resulted in enhanced mood, reduced anxiety, and even lower blood pressure.
Better Circulation
If you’re constantly standing up or sitting down for extended periods without moving around or putting your legs and feet through a bit of physical activity, then you’re one of the millions of people found to be insufficiently active by the WHO (World Health Organization) in 2008.
This means the blood circulation in your feet is compromised, adding the fact of being constricted by shoes for a long time.
A foot massage for about 10 to 20 minutes can really improve circulation in your feet, promoting tissue healing and muscle health.
Good for Headaches and Migraines
Reflexology can indeed help you with headaches and migraines, either by reducing the severity of symptoms or making them disappear altogether.
According to published research by the National Board of Health Study in Denmark, 19% of 220 participants, who suffered from moderate to severe headache symptoms, stopped taking medications after completing 3 months of reflexology treatment.
Encourages Better Sleep
A particularly useful advantage of receiving a foot massage right before going to bed is helping you get better sleep quality. This is a direct result of the calming and soothing effects delivered by foot massages, especially those aiming to relax the nerves.
Reduces Foot Swelling (Edema)
Swelling, also known as edema, happens due to excessive retention of fluids in your feet and ankles. It’s a pretty common condition among pregnant women, especially when they hit their last trimesters.
A gentle foot massage can go a long way in reducing edema by promoting fluids to travel back towards the kidneys for excretion.
Best Shiatsu Foot Massager Reviews
If money wasn’t a concern, get the cloud massager!
Of all the foot massagers available on the market today, this one has to be one of the best when it comes to quality features, effectiveness, versatility, and after sales service.
The cloud massager comes equipped with 3 different levels of intensity and 5 different massage modes, which include rolling massage, compression therapy, sway function that loosens joints, heat function, and quiet mode that help soothe your muscles while you relax.
Compared to other massagers, what we love the most about the cloud massager is the versatility it offers. It comes with an adjustable bar, which allows you to find the best angle for your comfort.
What it also does is allowing you to not only get an excellent foot massage, but also amazing ankle and calf massages. The open design also means that it can accommodate most foot sizes, as it comes with a 5 inch wide and 11 inch long area for you to place your feet or your calves.
By no means is it the be all and end all of massagers, for example we’d like to see a remote control incorporated for those that have a hard time moving freely, and more intensity and heat levels in future models to suit everyone’s needs.
But for the value and benefits it offers, there’s not many on the market that come close to the cloud massager. It’s one of our favourite massagers over all, and well deserved.
At the time of writing this review, there are over 11,000 reviews on Amazon, with majority of them being positive – click here to read them.
Be sure to check out our list of Best Back Massagers for Knots for more great items like this.
PROS
- Strong Massager with multiple levels
- 5 Massage modes to suit all needs
- Highly adjustable for maximum comfort
- One year warranty
- Excellent customer service
CONS
- Pricey
One of the most popular foot massagers out there, the Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager has earned thousands of soaring reviews thanks to its reliable design that combines power and luxury.
Product highlights
Built to target pressure points of your feet, the Miko Foot Massager features 5 different levels of pressure that you can adjust to your liking. The integrated air pressure chambers are positioned to fully surround your feet, reaching all the tricky areas for an improved experience.
The Miko Foot Massager also utilizes heat to help loosen up the tension built up in your muscles and ligaments. You can choose to apply this function or turn it off independently of the massage action itself.
The Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager has 2 separate compartments for each foot, accommodating individuals with a shoe size up to 12. This massager measures at 43 × 40 × 22 cm dimensions, making it quite portable especially with a weight of only 12 pounds.
You can simply plugin the Miko Foot Massager into a standard wall outlet and then easily set up its operation thanks to the intuitive control panel located at the center of the machine. It carries soft-touch buttons corresponding to each function for a personalized experience.
What’s to like about the Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager
The user-friendly performance provided by the Miko Shiatsu Foot is rather impressive. Not only do you get a highly customizable deep tissue massage with adjustable pressure levels and temperature, but you also receive two wireless remotes so you can control the massager settings without having to crouch down to reach the central panel.
For extra convenience, the Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager automatically shuts off after 15 minutes of use to conserve energy.
What’s not to like about the Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager
Despite the listed sizing, the Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager seems a bit too small for even for people with size 12 shoes.
Also, the massage kind of focuses on the toes and soles rather than the heels, which may be the area of issue for many users
At the time of writing this review, there are over 10,000 reviews on Amazon, with majority of them being positive – click here to read them.
Be sure to check out our list of Best Head/Scalp Massagers for more great items like this.
PROS
- 5 pressure levels
- Heat function
- Comes with 2 wireless remotes
- Automatically shuts off after 15-minute
- 1-year warranty
CONS
- A bit bulky
- Needs to focus more on the heel region
If you are under budget but still want a quality foot massager that offers great value for money, the Nekteck Shiatsu Foot Massager is an excellent option.
It comes equipped with 6 massage heads and 18 rotating massager nodes, along with a heating function which can be turned on and off as you please. Do keep in mind that the heating function only gives off mild heat in the beginning, it takes at least 5 to 10 minutes for it to heat up properly. Some people complain about this, but we think it’s smart based on safety concerns.
Another thing we like about the Nekteck Shiatsu Foot Massager is the adjustable height feature. This allows you to find the perfect angle for your comfort, as you can adjust the height up to 3 different levels. In a market with myriad options available, we think it’s small details like this that make a product stand out from the rest.
While it does lack some features like air compression massage and different massage intensity levels etc, but for what it offers, it does the job fantastically well.
We also like that the manufacturer is honest and tells you upfront that it may not work perfectly if you have a very high arch. Although some people with high arch say that you can still manage to get to all areas of your feet if you move them around, and adjust the height of the massager.
Overall, the Nekteck Shiatsu Massager is a great quality product at a very low cost, which is a rarity in today’s market.
At the time of writing this review, there are over 20,000 reviews on Amazon, with majority of them being positive – click here to read them.
Be sure to check out our list of Best Massage Cushions for more great items like this.
PROS
- Affordable
- Adjustable height for comfort
- Heating function
- Built in cord storage
CONS
- May not work perfectly for those with high arch
Another highly praised product on our list, the RENPHO Shiatsu Foot Massager is built to deliver maximum comfort through innovative technologies and its ergonomic design.
Product highlights
The RENPHO Shiatsu Foot Massager offers 3 kneading intensities and 3 air pressure levels that you can choose from to create the ideal massage settings. It also adopts an optional heat function so you can further relax in the soothing warmth.
The RENPHO Foot Massager is equipped with rotation balls, rolling sticks, as well as air compression action to indulge your feet in a deep-kneading Shiatsu massage.
It comes with 2 roomy chambers, big enough to accommodate feet up to US men size 12. The machine itself has dimensions of 16.8″ L × 15.3″ W × 9.8″ H and weighs just about 8.5 pounds so you can easily move it around or take it to the office.
What’s to like about the RENPHO Shiatsu Foot Massager
The control buttons and integrated timer are two of the most impressive features on the RENPHO Shiatsu Foot Massager. These buttons are simply activated via touching, and they’re very responsive you can swiftly press them using your toes.
As for the timer, it comes with two different shut-off option; 15 and 30 minutes, giving you more freedom to extend your massage period.
What’s not to like about the RENPHO Shiatsu Foot Massager
The RENPHO Shiatsu Foot Massager does offer a heating function as we mentioned above, but it can be disappointing to many people since the infrared heat isn’t very strong.
Also, the power cord is on the shorter side, so you may need to whip out an extension cable every time you plan on using the massager, which can be quite frustrating.
At the time of writing this review, there are over 19,000 reviews on Amazon, with majority of them being positive – click here to read them.
Be sure to check out our list of Best Leg and Calf Massagers for more great items like this.
PROS
- 3 kneading levels and air pressure
- Two timer settings
- 12-month warranty
- Responsive touch controls
CONS
- Poor heating function
- Short power cord
Showing off thousands of positive reviews, the InvoSpa Shiatsu Foot Massager is designed bearing innovation and comfort in mind to give you a satisfying spa experience that you can take anywhere.
Product highlights
The InvoSpa Foot Massager features multiple massaging techniques starting from the 3D Shiatsu massager with built-in bi-directional movements to create a realistic in-person sensation. It also adopts a rolling and pressing technique which is the default setting of the InvoSpa Foot Massager.
Additionally, you can choose between 3 different intensity levels of the air compression function to better suit your relaxation needs. You can also activate the integrated heat function to boost the soothing effect.
The InvoSpa Shiatsu Foot Massager comes with a 2-meter long power cord, to make sure you can easily place the machine where you’d like without requiring an extension.
Additionally, there’s a timer to automatically shut off the massager after 15 minutes of working to save you the hassle of having to manually stop the session.
What’s to like about the Invospa Shiatsu Foot Massager
What really shines for the InvoSpa Shiatsu Foot Massager is how independent the operation can be. Between its different modes of massage, you can choose to experience air compression alone without the shiatsu kneading.
We also like the feet covers being removed using a zipper since this makes it very convenient when it comes to cleaning.
What’s not to like about the Invospa Shiatsu Foot Massager
The pressure delivered by the InvoSpa Shiatsu Foot Massager isn’t very effective reaching the heels, this may be disappointing if your heels are sore the most.
The instructions included in the InvoSpa package are also somewhat vague, you can’t really tell what each mode does unless you do extra research.
At the time of writing this review, there are over 4,000 reviews on Amazon, some mixed reviews with most of them being positive – click here to read them.
Be sure to check out our list of Best Neck and Shoulder Massagers for more great items like this.
PROS
- Adjustable pressure levels
- Bi-directional kneading
- Long cord
- Air compression can work independently
- Zippered feet covers
CONS
- Instructions can be clearer
- Heel action needs improvement
Best Shiatsu Foot Massager FAQ’s
Can you use a Foot Massager for Plantar Fasciitis?
One of the very common reasons millions of people invest in foot massagers is to help them with plantar fasciitis, but what is this condition and how does a foot massage benefit those suffering from plantar fasciitis? Well, let’s break it down!
Plantar fasciitis is a foot condition that involves serious inflammation of the tissue band (called plantar fascia) which connects your toes to you to your heel bone and runs cross the underside of your feet.
It’s actually a widely common condition, particularly among older people aged 45 years to 64 years. However, it’s not unlikely for younger folks to suffer from plantar fasciitis.
Symptoms of plantar fasciitis mainly consist of sharp stabbing pain at the heel region, worst in the mornings as you take your first steps. The pain then dulls out throughout the day but returns if you stay standing or sitting for long periods.
Fortunately, foot massages and stretches are a great way to ease the pain and help control your condition so you won’t develop more serious complications. That’s exactly where a foot massager comes in, offering you a way to tackle the problem on a daily basis, which is key to treating plantar fasciitis.
How often Should you Use a Foot Massager for Maximum Benefits?
The answer to this particular question isn’t really set in stone, I mean, you can probably use a foot massager as often as you want as long as it doesn’t cause you painful sensations.
However, as we mentioned above, you can achieve most of the health benefits of using a foot massager by committing to a daily schedule of sessions 10 to 30 minutes long.
Most foot massagers available on the market are equipped with automatic timers to shut off the operation after 15 or 30 minutes. This is done to avoid overwhelming your feet or causing you unwanted discomfort.
Final Verdict
Choosing the best foot massager can be quite tricky, but once you feel the soothing vibrations pampering your feet, all the troubles of deciding will surely be forgotten!
That being said, the Cloud Massager takes this one home, thanks to its highly customizable settings and adequate pressure delivery. It also offers great calf massage on top of being an awesome foot massager!
However, if you’re looking for a foot massager that offers an effective performance without breaking the bank, then you should totally consider the Nekteck Shiatsu Foot Massager.
