With all the work your hands do all day every day, it’s surprising we don’t think much to massage our hands.
Without proper self-care, however, your hands, wrists and forearms can sustain repetitive injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome. You can also experience a reduced range of motion in your hands.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the palms of your hands are believed to contain reflexology points.
When pressured and massaged, these points are thought to release tension and restore balance in corresponding parts throughout your body.
With a full hand massage that hits all these trigger points, you can feel your entire body relax.
If you’ve ever enjoyed foot reflexology and felt a sense of total body relaxation from the experience, chances are you’ll enjoy a good hand massage, too.
In this post, we’ll cover what electric hand massagers are, how they work and the benefits they provide.
Then, we’ll introduce 10 of the best hand massagers on the market to give you a good sense of what’s out there.
Electric Hand Massagers: How Do They Work?
If your hands typically do the work massaging other parts of your body like your neck and shoulders, it’s time to let an electric hand massager go to work on your hands.
The palms of your hands are filled with nerve endings, and when stimulated, they relax other organs and muscle groups in your body.
Having your hands massaged by an electric hand massager can relieve stress and restore balance without you having to do any manual work.
You simply place one hand inside the massager, and it applies compression, kneading, vibration and other massage styles to your hands as you relax.
Benefits of Hand Massage
As already mentioned, a hand massage can help your entire body relax.
This has untold effects on your physical and mental well-being, which you can feel when you experience it.
Besides reaping the full-body benefits of reflexology massage, there are also other benefits you can gain using an electric hand massager:
- Increased blood circulation throughout your arms, which can help prevent or improve conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow.
- Loosens hand muscles for better range of motion.
- Relieves pain from arthritis.
- May relieve headaches through reflexology points.
- Helps you relax for a deeper sleep.
- Restores energy and balance in your hands after they’re used for manual labour or repetitive movements like typing or piano playing.
- Relieves numbness caused by diabetic neuropathy.
- Improves the health and appearance of your skin by increasing blood circulation. When you apply moisturizing lotion, the massager can help it penetrate the layers of skin.
- Helps “unlock” trigger fingers, which are fingers with tendon issues that lock up instead of extending out straight.
What to Look for in an Electric Hand Massager
We’ve done the research and found that the most effective and highly rated hand massagers include these elements:
A Heat Feature
Heat increases blood flow and reduces stiffness in the connective tissues in your joints.
This can help relieve pain, inflammation and water retention, giving you better comfort and range of motion in your hands.
Because there are so many joints in your hands and fingers, a heat feature is a must-have for a good electric hand massager.
Compression
If you’ve ever heard of an air compression leg massager, hand massagers can work in a similar way by squeezing your hands.
This gives you an instant boost in blood circulation and helps relieve fatigue, pain and inflammation.
Many hand massagers contain air pressure bags that inflate and deflate to create this effect.
Some have larger airbags that make it feel like your entire hand is being squeezed, while others have smaller bags that can create a kneading effect when they inflate and deflate in succession.
Vibration
If your hands feel heavy, tired and strained after working hard all day, vibration can help restore their energy and get them feeling light again.
Having a vibration feature on your hand massager gives you an instant boost, so you don’t have to wait for the massager to heat up.
Vibration can help loosen tight, taut muscles in your hands in a pain-free, relaxing way.
Long Battery Life
Electric hand massagers typically include rechargeable batteries, which allows you to take them anywhere and use any time.
Look for a device that guarantees a decent length of battery life before it needs to be recharged, so that it’s able to power on for you when you need it.
Customization
Electric hand massagers are designed for people with a wide range of different symptoms and ailments involving their fingers, hands and arms.
With all the different things hand massagers can do, it’s important to have one that lets you customize the experience and tailor the massage to your needs.
Look for one that has different intensity level settings and different massage modes.
When there are a number of different programmed massages, generally the device has been designed to provide something for everyone.
Top 10 Hand Massagers
Now we’ll take an in-depth look at 10 of the best hand massagers all with different features and price tags.
1. Breo iPalm520s
The Breo iPalm520s provides air compression and heat, and it fits any hand size inside its soft, comfortable glove.
It can heat up to 107 degrees F, and you can control the temperature with the settings. You can plug it in or it can run on AA batteries, so it’s easy to use anywhere.
Many users were disappointed with the Breo hand massager because it only applies pressure and heat, and provides no pinpoint massage.
Without kneading, rolling or acupressure, it’s like having your hand squeezed, but not massaged.
While the compression and heat works to restore circulation, it may not help people with tight tendons and muscles in their hands.
However, people experiencing numbness and arthritis in their hands have benefited from it.
By improving circulation, daily use with this device could potentially prevent and ward off stiffness and tightness in your hands caused by repetitive movements.
Pros: Can be used plugged in or wireless, you control the temperature, improves circulation very effectively with air compression
Cons: Lacks any kneading, rolling or pinpoint massage
2. Daiwa Felicity Hand Massagers
Unlike the Breo, the Daiwa Felicity hand massager provides pinpoint kneading on the backs and palms of your hands.
Rather than rollers that may feel too hard and painful, it utilizes small airbags that inflate and deflate, as well as tiny nodes, which apply pressure on specific trigger points.
It’s powered by rechargeable lithium batteries that gives you up to 3 hours of continuous charge.
Unfortunately, the heat feature in this product is lacking, as it doesn’t get very hot or give you a temperature reading.
However, the massage features of this device are more satisfying for hands that are fatigued, tight and inflamed from repetitive movements and manual labour.
On the other hand, if you have a painful condition like arthritis, the massage may be too intense for you, and you might benefit from a device that reaches higher temperatures.
Pros: Great massage features, air compression bags and nodes for pinpoint massage, long battery life
Cons: Not enough heat for some, not ideal for people with painful hand conditions
3. Lunix Cordless Electric Hand Massager
The Lunix cordless electric hand massager is an FDA-approved hand massager that combines compression, heat and vibration for a gentle massage that increases circulation.
It’s highly rated for its effectiveness in helping with painful conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
However, many people who want more than just heat, compression and vibration are disappointed with it.
On the other hand, a kneading massage is often too intense for people with arthritis and other painful hand conditions.
This massager is ideal for people who need to increase blood circulation and reduce inflammation without causing pain.
It comes with a bonus finger massager you can use manually to help improve joint health in your fingers and finger numbness.
Pros: Wide range of settings, including 6 intensity levels and 6 programmed massages, designed to hit specific reflexology points, includes USB charger for desktop charging, includes bonus manual finger massager
Cons: Takes up to 10 minutes to heat up, doesn’t provide kneading or rolling; only compression
4. Bruntmor Cordless Palm Hand Massager
The Bruntmor hand massager massages your fingers and palms at 3 different intensity levels.
It has small airbags that inflate and deflate to put localized areas of pressure on different points.
While this does give you more of a massage feel, the intensity is still very low.
Like the Lunix, people with health conditions like peripheral neuropathy and arthritis have found the Bruntmor massager helpful.
However, people with fatigued, tight and overused hands who just want to relax and experience the benefits of reflexology massage tend to be disappointed with this massager.
If you just need heat and compression, however, the Bruntmor can do the job for a lesser price than most electric hand massagers.
Pros: Affordable price, helps with health conditions like arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and peripheral neuropathy
Cons: Heat and pressure not intense enough for some people with strained, overused hands
5. Roleo Hand Massager
The Roleo massager is a unique hand, wrist and forearm massager that can help you with carpal tunnel syndrome, tennis elbow and more by providing deep tissue massage.
It works like a foam roller, but it has rollers that massage along both the tops and bottoms of your hands, wrists or forearms.
This way, you get lots of compression and a firm kneading action at the same time.
This is a manual device that doesn’t provide heat or other features like vibration.
However, if you found that an electric hand massager didn’t have the intensity you were looking for, then the Roleo might work better for you.
Like with a foam roller, you can control the massage and focus on the areas where there’s tension.
This is a great way to improve injuries or pain caused by repetitive stress and heavy use of your hands and arms.
However, it’s not necessarily designed for people with arthritis, peripheral neuropathy or other chronic conditions, which would better benefit from a gentler device.
Pros: Lets you control the amount of pressure and the placement of pressure, massage your wrists and forearms instead of just your hands, kneads muscles and provides myofascial release to help you recover from injury or strain, no power source needed
Cons: Not ideal for people with sensitive hands and joint pain, doesn’t massage fingers, no heat feature
6. Conair HydroSpa Massaging Hand Sauna with Steam
The HydroSpa from Conair is an affordable hand massager with a range of features that can help with hand pain.
It has infrared heat to ease inflammation and reduce pain, vibration to increase circulation, and steam to soften your hands and reduce stiffness.
While it’s ideal for someone with arthritis, it doesn’t provide the kneading massage you may be looking for to tackle tension or knotted tendons in your hands.
You can choose to use a combination of the three modes (steam, infrared and vibration) or use them one at a time, so you get a highly customized treatment.
This hand spa can potentially improve the appearance of your hands by increasing moisture and blood flow in the skin.
While it comes at a good price and can help energize your hands by boosting circulation, it doesn’t provide any sort of compression.
While it’s stimulating for the palm, it doesn’t do much for your fingers, wrists or the backs of your hands, except for apply heat.
Pros: Great price, moisturizes hands with steam, reduces pain and inflammation with infrared heat
Cons: No compression feature
7. Breo WOWOS Hand Massager
The Breo WOWOS has 5 different massage modes and you can choose between 3 intensity levels.
It has airbags that inflate and deflate to compress different points throughout your fingers and palms.
By heating up to 107 degrees F and isolating each finger with air pressure massage, it’s really helpful for people with joint pain in the fingers.
It relieves stiffness and restores blood flow, and it has a different setting for the right and left hand to ensure pinpoint accuracy.
It’s powered by a rechargeable lithium battery, and the inside material is made of PU leather for comfort and easy cleaning.
The WOWOS is designed specifically for women, since it aims to have pinpoint accuracy on trigger points. Men with larger hands probably won’t get the same benefits from it.
Pros: Massages each finger and fingertips, designed with accuracy for women’s hands, heats to a high, controlled temperature, wide range of settings for customization, leather inside for easy cleaning
Cons: Doesn’t fit large hand sizes, Not designed for men
8. HoMove Hand Roller Massager
Like the Bruntmor cordless palm hand massager, the HoMove hand roller massager is able to massage your fingers instead of just your hands.
If you suffer from arthritis or finger stiffness, the HoMove is a good option.
It’s not cordless like the Bruntmor, but users report it’s reliable, and HoMove offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on the product.
Not only does this hand massager have a finger massage mode, but also it offers kneading, rolling, air compression and heat.
You can change the intensity on the settings and choose from several auto massage modes.
The major problem with this model, however, is that it’s probably too intense for people with larger hands.
If you have small hands, this is one of your better options for the best fit.
Pros: Great for people with small hands, 30-day money-back guarantee, massages your fingers individually
Cons: Not cordless, not ideal for large hands
9. Cotsoco Electric Hand Massager
The Cotsoco electric hand massager is a great value if you’re not sure what hand massager to buy.
It’s under $100 and offers all the important features, such as air compression, kneading and heat.
Users say the cushion inside is soft but the massage is adequately intense at the same time.
One of the best parts is the 18-month warranty, which ensures you get your money’s worth in that time.
There’s even a 3-month money-back guarantee for you to try the product and see if it meets your needs.
Like most hand massagers, the air compression bags inflate and deflate sequentially to rhythmically massage the muscles and connective tissue in your hands.
While many users love this massager, people with larger hands can experience bruising and should look for a larger model.
Pros: Soft interior, 3-month money-back guarantee and 18-month warranty, affordable
Cons: Too small for large hands
10. Purology LX Hand Massager
Unfortunately, the Purology is another model to avoid if you have large hands.
However, it has dots to help you align your hands correctly inside the massager to ensure you get pressure in the right places.
If your hand can’t align in the massager, you’ll know it isn’t the right fit. However, most people find the device fits them.
One of the major benefits of the Purology massager is that it massages your wrists in addition to your hands, rather than just tackling your hands and fingers.
If you spend a lot of time using a computer keyboard, this feature could help you prevent carpal tunnel syndrome by lowering inflammation and restoring blood flow.
Pros: 1-year warranty, massages from your wrists to your fingers, has dots to indicate proper alignment of your hand inside the device
Cons: Could be too small if you have large hands
The Best Hand Massager: Recommendations
The best hand massager for you depends on the condition of your hands.
If you have joint pain, arthritis, peripheral neuropathy or any other medical condition causing pain or numbness in your hands, the Bruntmor is a highly effective choice.
If you’re a woman with dainty hands who suffers from finger arthritis, the WOWOS from Breo is even better.
On the other hand, if you don’t have a medical condition and need a hand massager that will help give your hard-working hands a rest, the Daiwa Felicity hand massager is your best bet.
It’s more intense, which is why it’s not recommended for people with arthritis pain.
It creates the sensation of kneading out the muscles and tendons in your hands with airbags that inflate and deflate in succession as they apply firm pressure to the palms and backs of your hands.
It feels more like treatment from a masseuse, but with the added benefit of heat. You get to have a reflexology experience that works to relax your entire body and promote balance.
While hand massagers can be highly therapeutic for people with chronic conditions affecting their hands, they can also benefit anyone by hitting reflexology trigger points.
If you deal with stress, anxiety or even headaches, the reflexology treatment hand massage provides could potentially help.
If you work at a desk and use a keyboard throughout the day, or if you do manual labour, it’s especially important that you treat your hands with tender loving care.
Before you choose a massager, make sure you know what your goals are, then find the right one that’s geared toward meeting your specific needs.