When you are freshly home from work, nothing feels quite as luxurious as a nice foot massage, especially if you have a job where you’re on your feet for the entire day. For this reason, a dedicated foot massager can be a great investment. These massagers can come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and some are more effective than others. However, the feeling of having your feet massaged by one of these devices can help melt away the stresses and strains of the day. 

Based on a study conducted in Denmark, having your feet massaged can help to reduce daily pains like headaches and migraines. So if you suffer from headaches or migraines, in addition to sore feet, it may be worth it to try out one of these devices.

In addition to the benefit of relieving headaches, a good massager can also benefit you in several other ways. It can help you de-stress, relieve flat feet or plantar fasciitis, lower your blood pressure, or even help reduce the chance of ankle injuries. 

In this guide, we’ll review five of the best foot massagers on the market so that you can be knowledgeable before you experience the sense of luxurious comfort and relief that these machines can provide. 

Brookstone F4 Shiatsu Foot Massager 

The first product in this guide is also the most premium foot massager that we’ll be reviewing, the Brookstone F4 Shiatsu Foot Massager. This product, which is manufactured by Brookstone, is a foot massager that uses powered rollers to provide a shiatsu-style massage for your feet. The product has two holes that you slide your feet into. These holes are lined with a fabric that can be removed from time to time so that you can ensure that there is no dirt or debris within. This feature makes this product fairly convenient because you can not only clean these zippered surfaces, but you can disinfect them as well. 

Overall, the Brookstone F4 does pack in a wide array of features that make it feel more premium than many of the products on the market currently. Some massagers focus all of the pressure along the base of your feet. However, this product, which has rollers that completely encircle your feet, applies pressure to the sides, tops, and the entire bottom surface of your feet. This is considered a compression massager, so expect a bit of tightness as the massager works your feet over. 

Since this is a shiatsu foot massager, the prime pressure points of foot reflexology are paid the maximum level of attention, which means that this fairly high-tech product produces some high levels of comfort for most people. Unfortunately, for those with larger feet, it may feel a bit tight, but the Brookstone product should accommodate women with size 14 feet and men with size 12.5 feet. 

When it comes to daily use, you’ll have a wide array of settings in which to choose from. For example, you can set the product to apply a bit of heat to your massage, which can feel very comfortable after a long day. Additionally, you’ll have an option of a lighter or deeper massage, and the device also has three programs that you can select from based on the day’s needs. These include soothe, pulse, and energize options, which vary the experience significantly. Here’s a breakdown of each: 

• Soothe: As you might expect, this is the setting that’s best for feet that may be too sensitive due for a more vigorous massage. This can be a good everyday massage program as well. 
• Pulse: The pulse function is a slightly higher impact experience. As a result, this will get deeper into the tissues of your feet with a pulsating pressure, which is designed to improve circulation. 
• Energize: The energize setting is even brisker than the pulse setting. This improves circulation, which can increase your energy. 

The Brookstone F4 Foot Massager has a fairly squat design and measures in at 13 x 9 x 17 inches, so it should be fairly easy to store it around the house. It’s also fairly portable and has a handle at the top which makes it a product that’s fairly easy to take along with you on trips. A built-in cord wrap also enhances the portability of the product. 

Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager

The Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager is a product that is also designed to provide full-foot benefits for those looking for a little luxury. The company has even made this massager remote-controlled. They also had the foresight to include two of these remote control units with the purchase, which can be helpful if you happen to lose one. 

This is a product that has a heat setting as well as five pressure settings so that you can experience a wide array of massages. The product defaults to the level three massage, but all settings utilize shiatsu techniques to hit the pressure points in your feet. 

At each point in the Miko Foot Massager’s design, different mechanisms focus on different areas of the foot. In the front, there is a wheeled apparatus that spins and applies textured pressure to the toes. There’s also a middle mechanism that hits four different pressure points in the middle muscles of the foot, and a final, two-pronged massager that is designed to work the muscles around the heels of your feet. Last, there is an air bladder that alternately inflates and deflates to apply comfortable pressure to the top of the foot. 

When it comes to the product’s dimensions, it measures in at roughly 17 x 17 x 9.4 inches, which makes it a bit larger than many of the products on the market. Still, this is small enough to fit under a bed or sink with relative ease. It weighs in at about 12 pounds, so carrying it for long periods can be problematic.

The Miko Shiatsu Foot Massager has a variety of good features that mark it as a great at-home product.  One of the features that stands out is the 15-minute timer. This feature engages an auto-shutoff function after 15 minutes of use. This is very useful for those that get very comfortable during a massage and doze off from time to time. This product can also accommodate a size 14 foot, so most people should be able to use it in comfort. 

MedMassager MMF06 11 Speed Foot Massager

With a name like MedMassager, it’s easy to understand that this particular product is designed with therapy in mind. That being said, this is also a fine product for those that aren’t experiencing any preexisting issues with their feet or legs. 

One of the standout features of the MedMassager MMF06 is its ability to both massage the feet as well as the calves. If you look at the product, you’ll see that it has a wedge-shaped design, which is perfect for the bottoms of the feet. However, when you flip the product around, you can also rest your calves against the massage surface, which makes this a dual-function product. 

Additionally, this is an 11-setting product that helps you vary the power and intensity. At base, the massage is very gentle, but at setting 11, there is a noteworthy level of pulsation that will even provide results when you’re wearing shoes. At this setting, you’ll feel vibrations throughout your leg, which can also help loosen up muscles above the foot. Despite this high intensity, this isn’t a product that will slide easily, especially if you use the included hardwood and tile floor kit. 

The control scheme of the MedMassager MMF06 is also fairly simple; there’s just a single dial at the top of the machine that either turns the foot massager off or grants access to the 11 intensity settings. Each turn of the dial makes an audible click, and there’s enough resistance so that it’ll be very hard to intensify the program accidentally. 

Also, towards the top of the massage area, there is an arch bar that can be used to relieve arthritis pain. To use this bar, you simply curl your toes around its surface. The bar can also be used for more directed pressure on the muscle groups of your foot. 

When it comes to the product’s dimensions, it has a sizing of 16 x 12 x 9.5 inches, which means that it’s very easy to store. It weighs 11 pounds, which can be fairly easy to carry around for most people. That being said, there are no handles or wire caddies for this product, so it may not be the most portable product in this guide. 

uComfy Shiatsu Foot Massager

Our fourth massager is another shiatsu-style heated foot massager that encloses your feet for a whole-foot, deep tissue massage. Like other shiatsu-style, enclosed products, the uComfy Shiatsu Foot Massager has two openings where you place your feet. These foot holes have alternating massagers that are designed to massage various parts of the soles of your feet, and there’s also an inflating bladder at the top that applies pressure to the top of your foot. 

The controls of the device allow you to cycle the heat setting on and off, adjust the intensity based on a five-setting system, or change the kneading pattern of the massagers. The five intensity settings range from a very light massage at P1 to a very vigorous massage at P5. 

Once you place your feet into the uComfy Shiatsu Foot Massager and begin the process, the machine automatically starts a 15-minute timer. This means that the massage experience with this product is more programmatic, which can make it much easier to plan into your day. 

While this foot massager lacks the rollers that would provide a reflexology massage, the various contact points within the massager will definitely provide some shiatsu-style pressure point relief. There are two massage styles available: the traditional shiatsu pressure point massage and a much more general vibration massage that’s a bit less intense. 

Like the Brookston F4 Foot Massager, cleaning is very simple with the uComfy Shiatsu massager – simply remove the foot covers and clean them by hand or toss them in the washing machine. 

This product weighs about 12 pounds and has a measurement of 17.5 x 15 x 18.1 inches, which doesn’t make it a very portable device. Still, it’s fairly easy to carry around the house so that the whole family can enjoy this shiatsu massager. 

3Q MG-F18 Foot Massager 

When it comes to aesthetic design, the 3Q MG-F18 Foot Massager is a very sleek looking product. It’s an enclosed foot shiatsu-style massager that has a stylish white, rounded design that looks very aerodynamic. Inside of the product’s housing, there is a two-point system. It consists of a roller that is designed to massage the toes and upper foot and a rear component that attacks the pressure points in the heel and the abductor digiti and hallucis muscles of the sole. 

This foot massager also comes with two primary modes that provide the shiatsu pressure you would expect and a kneading system of massage. Each is fairly comfortable, but if you want a more deep-tissue experience, then the shiatsu-style will work best. In addition to these two modes, the MG-F18 also includes a three-setting air pressure massage function, as well as a heating function, which are both nice bonus features. 

For those that use the product daily, it does have some programmability, which means that you can select from a preset pattern of massage. This can be very convenient when you want to start your massage and watch a little TV. 

After about 15 minutes of massage, the product has an auto-shut-off feature. This feature can be very handy if you tend to doze off mid-massage; in most cases, you don’t want to overdo your foot massages, so this timer is very helpful. Also, this is a remote-enabled product; you can adjust the mode, the heating, and the air pressure level with the included remote control. 

When it comes to usability, one of the chief drawbacks of this product is that it’s only rated for feet under size 11. So, if you have somewhat larger feet, this may not be the product for you. This is also a relatively small product that measures in at 18 x 13 x 9 inches, which means this is one of the most easily stored products in this guide. 

The 3Q MG-F18 Foot Massager is also a product with a cloth cover that you can simply unzip and toss into the wash, which makes cleanup much easier and provides a very hygienic experience.

Buyer’s Guide 

Who is a Foot Massager For? 

For daily or near-daily use, a foot massager can work for just about anyone – it doesn’t matter if you’re on your feet all day. In most situations, a good foot massager can be used for about 30 minutes at a time as long as it’s being moved around the foot, which isn’t much of a time investment, and the benefits of a massager are fairly numerous. 

For example, if you are a person that happens to be walking a sizeable portion of the day, a daily massage can help reduce the chance of you injuring your ankle or just about any other part of the foot. This is because this kind of massage strengthens the tissues so that you are less likely to injure the foot.  

Additionally, for those that want to just decompress after the day, one of the easiest ways to do this is with a good foot massager. These products can help you truly relax, and since they are compact, you can use them while you’re watching the news or when you’re binging your favorite television shows. 

What are the Benefits of Having a Foot Massager? 

Unlike other massage products, a dedicated foot massager shines because it’s compact. For example, once you’re done with your foot massage, you can simply place the machine under a bed or in a corner, and it won’t take up a lot of space. 

Additionally, there are a plethora of health benefits provided by a foot massage, and with one of these devices, you won’t have to do the work yourself or have a loved one do the foot massage for you. 

There also have been more than a few studies that have listed the advantages of a good foot massage, which include the aforementioned study from Denmark that states that these machines can help with headaches. These additional health benefits include: 
• The lowering of your blood pressure 
• Menopausal and PMS relief 
• The reduction of the effects of depression and anxiety 
• Improved circulation 
• The reduction of the swelling caused by pregnancy 

How do Foot Massagers Work?

 For most products, foot massagers attempt to use shiatsu principles to apply pressure to the various muscle groups of the foot. Some products on the market use heat, water, and vibration to achieve a high level of comfort and provide therapeutic benefits to the bottoms and tops of your feet. 

Generally speaking, you’ll be able to find about four different types; but be aware, some products on the market can combine more than one feature of the various types: 

• Shiatsu: These massagers use the ancient Japanese discipline known as shiatsu to help provide foot therapy. These machines are known for targeting key pressure points throughout your foot. 
• Foot bath: Not only will a good foot bath massage the soles and sometimes the tops of your feet, but there’s also a soaking component as well, which can be very therapeutic. Some of these products are relatively shallow, but there are also products on the market that submerge your feet up to the lower calf. Water jets and bubbles are common with these massagers. 
• Foot spa: These machines utilize multiple attachments for a more varied experience. As a result, you end up with a fairly complete massage when you use a foot spa, but at the same time, expect to be more involved with the massage process with one of these products. 
• Kneading: These can be fairly expensive, but kneading foot massagers can get into the tissue of your feet so that you can experience relief faster. These most closely emulate the experience that you’d have with a dedicated massage therapist – with components that slightly dig into the muscle to provide relief. 

Important Features to Consider When Buying

The last thing that you want to do is purchase one of these products without considering the features that ship with the foot massager. One of the best things is that there are enough products on the market that you should be able to select a complete feature set that will allow you to achieve an optimal experience that’s fairly tailored to your needs. In this section, let’s take a look at a couple of features that you might want to consider: 

• Heating: Varying degrees of warmth can add layers to the therapeutic experience of using a foot massager. Many shiatsu massagers on the market have heating elements, but it can be useful to read reviews first because some have better built-in heaters than others. 
• Compressed Air: Compressed air can feel great on the skin of your feet once your massage is done. Some massagers have this feature, and with it, you can add an extra level of massage that’s great for the skin and muscle. Additionally, this is a great way to keep your feet dry during the massage. 

How Often Should You Use a Foot Massager?

As a general rule, you can probably use a foot massager up to three times a day, but most people would do well to use it once a day for up to a 30-minute session. This should be more than enough to reap the health benefits of a foot massager. 

Massage Types

Multiple massage modes allow you to vary up the experience that a good foot massager can provide. This feature allows the massager to massage your feet in different ways. Some common additional massage modes include: 
• Soothing 
• Pulsing 
• Energizing 

How Intense Are Foot Massagers? 

Sometimes, you want a more delicate massage, and other times, you need a deep-tissue experience that will help work out the kinks in your sore feet. For this reason, a product with multiple intensity levels can help. 

How Loud Are Foot Massagers?

Despite the vibrations and the motors, it’s perfectly possible to find products on the market that have reduced sound levels. Some even can run at low-intensity so that the sound of the massager doesn’t disturb others. 

What Muscles Do They Target? 

Not only will these massagers target the skin of your feet, but in many cases, shiatsu and deep-tissue models will target the underlying muscle groups so that you can have a complete experience. Some of the muscles that are targeted by foot massagers include:

• Abductor Digiti Minimi: This is the larger muscle on the outside of your foot. 
• Flexor Hallucis Brevis: This is the centermost muscle of the foot. 
• Abductor Hallucis: This muscle is slightly smaller and is on the inside of the foot. 

How Much Space Do Foot Massagers Take Up? 

This is going to depend on the model that you chose. For example, a simple foot bath can take up less space than some of the products that we have covered in this guide, but there are also foot baths on the market that have a bucket-sized design. As a general rule, most modern foot massagers won’t take up a ton of space and will fit under a sink or your bed with relative ease. 

All of the products that we’ve covered in our review section are designed to be fairly easy to store so that you can forget about them when they are not in use. 

How To Clean A Foot Massager

It’s important to clean your foot massager from time to time; in fact, it’s even a good idea to disinfect it as well. Fortunately, they aren’t incredibly hard to clean/disinfect and some shiatsu-style massagers even have cloth foot bags that you can simply toss in the wash. Let’s take a look at how to go about the cleaning process with non-shiatsu massagers. 

Step One: Drain the product of water if it’s a model that has a basin/bowl and uses jets. Check around the body of the massager and determine if there is any loose debris or particles in the main area of the foot massager. If you find anything, use a paper towel to remove it. 

Step Two: Using a paper towel or a rag, wipe the interior of the foot massager. If the massager is designed to be wet, you can run a hose or spigot along the inside surfaces to loosen any remaining dirt or debris. Also, you can use a bit of sudsy soap and water to clean the surfaces of any stuck-on dirt or debris. 

Step Three: After determining whether it’s safe to use on your massager, utilize some disinfectant along the surfaces of the product. This will help kill any bacteria that has worked its way into the surface of your foot massager. This is very important because these bacteria can sometimes work their way into your system via any cuts or sores that you have on your feet, which can cause an infection. 

Final Thoughts 

These unique foot massagers allow you to relax in comfort without having to pay for a masseuse’s services, and each of the products in our guide will provide you with a truly luxurious experience. As you can see from our guide, there’s a lot of benefit to getting regular foot massages, so take a look at our reviews and find the unit that will work best for you.