EMS machines are starting to gain popularity today thanks to their efficient methods in toning and strengthening the muscles. It wasn’t long ago when people thought it was impossible to increase muscle mass without doing anything. Now, with the help of an EMS machine, you can.
Building muscle was one of the reasons why I ended up buying the Healsage EMS Tens Machine. It was such a new product to me that at first, I didn’t recognise the difference from a conventional massage gun. After consistent use, I was able to notice slight similarities with the features of a standard EMS machine. Check out what I have to say about the Healsage EMS Tens Machine and what the pros and cons are down below.
Overview of the Healsage EMS Tens Machine
Understanding the concept of EMS and TENS machines can be confusing at first but thankfully, Healsage has made it easy with their massage pads. With the Healsage EMS Tens Machine, you get these two machines for the price of one.
Contrary to what you will expect for a machine, the Healsage EMS Tens Machine isn’t a square machine that you plug and place on your body. In fact, it’s the opposite. This Healsage device is a massage pad that you place on the muscles that need attention.
The Healsage EMS Tens Machine is not handheld. It looks a lot like a cooling pad with the power button right in the middle. It even looks a lot like a ribbon. But this ribbon-like design is intentional because the wide pads make it easier to cover a larger space.
Even if you plan to use it on larger muscle groups, the pads’ size will still be able to provide instant relief.
When it comes to the other features, the Healsage EMS Tens Machine has a lot of customisability in their massage pads. For example, it has 6 modes which vary in the type of percussion.
Apart from that, there are 15 different intensities that you can choose from so that you can find the intensity that relaxes your muscles.
If you’re worried that you might damage your muscles for using the pads for too long, you’ll be happy to know that the Healsage EMS Tens Machine has a built-in timer. The device automatically stops after 30 minutes of continuous use.
You can still continue your massage for a few minutes, but I don’t recommend going over 40 minutes because you might make your muscles sore from too much massaging.
There are a lot of things to love about these massage pads and those are just a few of them. It’s also portable and rechargeable which makes it even easier to use especially when you plan on bringing it with you to the office or the gym.
A Closer Look at the Features of the Healsage EMS Tens Machine
6 Percussion Modes
The Healsage EMS Tens Machine has 6 different percussion modes allowing you to choose from different types of massages. These modes can be changed by clicking the ‘M’ button found at the top of the control panel.
For an EMS-TENS machine, this Healsage device gives more than a single type of massage. If you’re having a few pains in your muscles, then you can find a percussion mode here that will massage it until it feels less sore.
Personally, I recommend that you try every mode available because you won’t be sticking to one especially when you massage other muscle groups.
You have to take note, though, that these percussion modes don’t differ in the intensity; the intensity levels will handle that. However, the percussion modes are more of giving a different type of massage.
This means that the modes differ in the movement of the massage pads, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the 6th mode is the most intense.
15 Intensity Levels
As I mentioned above, there are 15 intensity levels. At first, I had to look twice because I haven’t encountered an EMS machine that has more than 10 intensity levels. Even massage guns don’t have that many.
Nonetheless, when I checked the Healsage EMS Tens Machine, the 15 intensity levels proved to be true.
The 15 intensity levels range from a mild massage to a deep tissue massage. I often use intensity levels from 12-15 because they are harder than the first few levels. These “hard” levels are also great for releasing more tension from the muscles that have been pushed too far in your workout.
Built-In Timer
One of the things people often ask when it comes to EMS and TENS machines is that if there is such a thing as overusing the device. Based on the recommendations of doctors and therapists, you shouldn’t use both machines for more than 45 minutes per day or in one use whichever comes first.
With that said, having a built-in timer on the Healsage EMS Tens Machine is a very useful addition to the whole device.
The Healsage EMS Tens Machine automatically turns off after 30 minutes of use. If you’re like me and you often get carried away with the relaxing percussions of a massage device, then you will find this very useful.
At the end of the day, too much of a good thing (yes, even massages) are bad. You don’t want to make your muscles sore after too much massage.
Unfortunately, you can’t set the timer that comes with the Healsage EMS Tens Machine. It’s only programmed to shut down after 30 minutes regardless of what intensity level you’re at.
You can’t also set a timer for less or more than 30 minutes. It would be a good improvement to have a timer that you can adjust.
For now, your only solution to turning it off before 30 minutes is manually turning it off yourself. If you want to have a longer massage, then you have to turn it on after it shuts down. Just don’t forget to stay within the recommended 45-minute massage time.
Broad Massage Pads
As I mentioned a while ago, the percussion area is pretty broad which makes it a good device for large muscles. Whenever I use this on my back, I simply place it on the spot where I feel some soreness and it starts to produce percussions depending on the intensity level that I chose.
The Healsage EMS Tens Machine does not have to be held. Thanks to its size, it covers a lot of areas compared to a massage gun. Why am I comparing it to a massage gun when they’re both different devices? The reason being is this massage pads can give you a faster pain relief because it covers more spots in one massage period.
You don’t have to transfer it to other areas that are near the most aching spot.
The benefit of this kind of muscle massage device is that you can relax while it does its job. There’s no need to hold it and transfer it from time to time just so it can focus on an area close to the previous one. Plus, the massage pad gives an equal intensity all throughout the covered areas.
Insulating Glue and Hydrogel Pads
By now, you must be wondering what the pads are made of so that they stick on your skin. The stickiness is caused by the insulating glue which is found at the top layer of the pad.
If you’re worried that it might be painful once you remove it from your skin, I can tell you that it’s not going to hurt. It doesn’t feel like a wax or a sticker being peeled off your skin. In fact, there isn’t any pain whenever you remove the pads.
The caveat with these glue pads is that you have to make sure your skin is dry. If it’s sweaty or dirty, then the glue won’t stick as much and you might have to replace it if it refuses to attach to your skin.
The other layer of the massage pads is made of hydrogels. These are responsible for the massages you receive from the machine. What’s good about using hydrogels is that they are easily replaceable – you can always buy another set of hydrogel pads from Healsage’s website.
Of course, that’s another cost that you have to take into account. While the Healsage EMS Tens Machine is affordable, you have to maintain the pads because they’re the ones that get damaged easily. Fortunately, the replacement for the hydrogels doesn’t cost a lot.
In my experience, I didn’t have to replace them after a few months. I only replaced them when I noticed that it wasn’t sticking as much and I felt that it was the right time given hygienic reasons.
Portable and Compact Design
What I liked about the Healsage EMS Tens Machine is that it’s very portable and compact. Because it’s made from a material that can be folded, you don’t have to worry about it not fitting in your small pouch.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with its own pouch, but that doesn’t matter much because you can always put it in any small bag.
When it comes to the design, the whole product looks a lot like a ribbon-shaped eye mask. It’s definitely much bigger than an eye mask but it’s not bulky. What makes it ideal for bringing to the gym or to the office is that it’s not thick and attention-grabbing.
If you just want to quietly get a muscle massage without attracting attention, then this is the perfect pick for you instead of a muscle massage gun.
The Healsage EMS Tens Machine only has three buttons. These buttons are found right in the middle of the device. The ‘M’ button refers to the mode which also doubles as a power button. The +/- buttons on each side are the ones you’ll use to adjust the intensity levels. Since there are 15 intensity levels, it takes a number of presses for you to reach the most intense level.
Pro and Cons
- Compact and portable
- Rechargeable
- Big in size to accommodate large muscle groups
- Uses built-in automatic timer
- 6 percussion modes
- 15 intensity levels
- Affordable
- 1-year warranty
- Cannot set the timer – auto shut off at 30 minutes
Final Thoughts
Overall, I like the performance of the Healsage EMS Tens Machine. It was able to relieve some of my muscle soreness, especially in large muscle groups. It is easy to use and I don’t have to use any hands to guide the device; I can simply just place it on top of my skin and it will stay in place.