JML Tribod Review - Handheld Mini Massager

Littering a press release for a massager with tag lines such as "It's a mini massager and can be taken anywhere" and "you can use it on any part of your body" is always going to cause a few giggles and this is definitely the case with the Tribod. Not quite as mini as you'd expect it's actually the width and high of your average coffee cup so not quite discreet enough to tuck away in a handbag or sports kit bag.

Which is just as well as it's clearly not designed to be discrete. The massager is very powerful and as such emits a loud amount of noise (anyone sharing a flat or house be warned, this is going to raise eyebrows if people don't know what you're doing!). It also has three blue LED's on the bottom, so clearly JML aren't going for the subtle approach here.

Stepping away from the "massage on the move" approach there is actually a lot to like about the Tribod, and it's only by shedding these initial preconceptions for a quiet/ discrete device that you'll discover them. If you're expecting to secretly massage an aching shoulder in the office, then you can forget it. If on the other hand you just want to relax at home, or surprise your loved one with a massage on a weekend away or just for the hell of it, then you're going to be ok (and only then does the portable factor really play a part).

You can tuck the massager away under the bed, and then use it to remove those aching shoulders, back, legs, thighs even feet. It's easy to turn the deice on and the blue LED"s really come to their own if you want to give a massage with the lights off, as you can clearly see your recipient without the need for angled candles, or bright lights. This is clearly the best use for the massager, and it seems this is what the lights were truly intended for.

The three prongs for massage do the trick, but are hard in order to allow you to apply the required pressure without straining yourself. This means the massager is at its best applied over a piece of clothing or with massage oil in place so you can roll the massager around easily. Used in this way the massager is almost perfect but it must be said that the rapid vibration of the handle can cause wrist ache for anyone giving out the massage. It's certainly preferable to sore hands from giving a typical massage but I found myself with pins and needles the majority of times I used it.

But this isn't about you, it's about the wonderful recipient of your massage. Or if you really want to use it on yourself, then it's for your aches and pains. Just promise me you won't use it at the office, people will talk....