The basic construction of the unit is of a U-shaped shoulder piece that contains eight heated roller balls that roll up and down across your shoulders and back. The #D rotation is the key to this massager’s success. Rather than move passively across, the massager causes the pressure nodes to press into your back and knead out tension and knots.
You get three adjustable speeds which may alleviate different levels of discomfort. If this product doesn’t work, you should consult a doctor. You should always consult a doctor before use of any health supplement or aid.
Features and Benefits
The first thing we’re going to do is take a look under the hood and highlight the features that make this massager worth considering.
Multiple Speeds for Multiple Experiences
Sometimes you may want a gentle massage, and sometimes you may want something a little more vigorous. The Naipo has three separate settings that allow you to customize how you receive a massage.
The more intense the setting, the more quickly and firmly the roller node rotate in the mesh pouch to press on your back and shoulders. The eight roller nodes are of medium size, well-suited for working on a variety of muscle groups.
Even if you don’t want to use it on your neck and shoulders, you can position the pillow on, for example, your calf and probably get the same benefit.
You can control the three intensity settings by using the controls on the upper left of the unit, next to where the left shoulder is. When starting, we think it’s best to pick the lowest setting to warm up before moving to more intense ones. The intense massage can be great for promoting healthy blood flow throughout the muscles.
Deep-Tissue Rolling Nodes
If you look inside the massager’s main body, you can see the rolling nodes that do the actual work of the massage. They’re connected to a motor that moves the nodes in a preset, circular pattern that can be reversed at any time.
The rotation and pressure of the eight balls in succession can create a soothing, relaxing effect. They work best on your neck, back, and shoulders, but on lower settings can help smaller muscle groups.
The nodes on these massagers are usually made of hardened plastics, which can produce and offputting sensation but one to which you’ll gradually get accustomed. Once the deep tissue massage starts happening, all your troubles will seem to melt away. Deep tissue massage such as from shiatsu helps to recover from fatigue and muscle soreness, as well as promoting general relaxation.
Heating Element
The Naipo includes a discrete heating element. It can activate and soothe your body both in conjunction with and independent from the massager’s main function. The heat controls, like the speed and intensity ones, are located on the top left side of the pad. By pressing the button, you can raise or lower the amount of heat. This unit doesn’t seem to put out a great deal of heat, but there’s the possibility it will help.
For safety purposes, this unit has a built-in automatic shutoff function that cuts power to the heat after 20 minutes of use. You can operate it for longer, but it isn’t advised because it could create burns on your skin. If you notice burns, you need to stop using the Naipo and ask your doctor if it’s safe to continue. Otherwise, you could end up doing permanent harm.
The heating element benefits the body by dilating blood vessels and drawing oxygenated blood to the surface of the skin, as well as expanding muscle tissue so it will relax. The pressure from the massage nodes promotes increased blood flow as well.
Ergonomic Design
The Naipo is designed for maximum comfort and ergonomics. It consists of a U-shaped pillow that fits over the neck and shoulders, plus two shoulder straps that help to weight it down and act as handholds.
If you want to have a massage lower on your back, you can grip the straps and gently lower the massager down your back to the spot that needs attention, or you can lie face down and simply rest it in place and hold it, so you don’t have to deal with the extra weight. The whole Naipo model only weighs about 4 pounds, but holding it steady can be difficult for long periods. You can also adjust the straps for the proper length to make the Naipo easier to use.
Durable Construction
The Naipo is made of leather, mesh cloth, and flexible mesh fabric. All of these materials are extremely durable and ensure that your Naipo will stand up to wear and tear for years to come. IT also is easy to clean; just wipe it down with a damp cloth and allow to air dry. Just keep water away from the internal components.
Travel-Friendly
The small size of the Naipo allows you to drape it over your shoulders while relaxing at home, but you can also wear it while you’re driving or on a commute. The sound is soft enough that it likely won’t disturb other passengers. To make it easier to get a massage while you drive, the Naipo comes with both an AC wall charger and a car charger that fits into your cigarette lighter.
What’s Unique
As far as functions go, the Naipo achieves much the same thing as similar brands. However, it surpasses them in certain areas. The biggest thing we’ll note is that the Naipo has a bit more ergonomic construction than other products of its type. We also like that it’s made of high-quality materials like leather. None of the other massagers we’ve seen incorporate leather into their designs. Not only does this make it look good, but is a durable material. We think other products would do well to follow the Naipo’s example in how they’re made.
Potential Drawbacks
From what we could tell, the Naipo has decent overall performance, but it lags in a few areas. First, its wall cord is only about three feet long. This isn’t enough to allow freedom of movement, so you have to sit in a chair that’s right next to a wall outlet. You could use an extension cord, but the safety of that is debatable.
Also, as we mentioned, the Naipo can be difficult to use if you want to get a massage anywhere except for your neck and shoulders. Holding the straps for a long period gets exhausting, counteracting the effects of the massage.
Finally, the heating element doesn’t put out as much heat as we’d like. We understand the safety concerns, but we’d prefer if there were a little more warmth. You’d be better off, if you want heat, to use a basic heating pad in conjunction with your Naipo massager.
Conclusion
This is a relatively standard massager. It has a more sturdy construction than others seem to, but the actual functionality doesn’t seem to be too different. If you’re worried about your product wearing out on you, you can rest easy if you have the Naipo because it should hold up for years.
The variable intensities and the mild heat can help you relax, but we’re concerned that the massager doesn’t work as well when used on smaller muscle groups. Overall, the Naipo is a decent product, but we wouldn’t go so far as to call it top of the line. It’s good at what it does, but other products are just as good. The main selling point is the durability and ergonomics.