I just tested this hand massager — and it's a game changer for my pain

Opinion
By last updated

I love having this gadget around

Palm Hand Therapy Device pictured in use
(Image credit: Future)

I recently purchased a remarkably silly-looking hand therapy device that makes me look like David Duchovny's character in Zoolander, and it was absolutely worth the $200 I spent.

Here's why: I spend 8-10 hours a day working on a laptop or PC, and it's killing my hands. I'm on the larger side (6' 4") and no keyboard I've ever used is big enough to make my hands not feel cramped and tight during use.

Palm Hand Therapy Device pictured in use

(Image credit: Future)

Luckily, I was smart enough to start taking advantage of my employer's FSA (Flexible Spending Account) health benefits last year and stupid enough not to budget it so that I would have exactly the amount of money stashed away that I needed for new glasses and other healthcare items. I ended up with an extra $200 sitting around at the end of December 2024 that was going to disappear if I didn't spend it on a qualifying purchase, and I had no idea what to do with it.

So of course, I started shopping around for what I could spend those sweet, sweet pre-tax FSA bucks on. And I found just the thing I never knew I was looking for: a portable hand massager for $179.

Palm Hand Therapy Device:

Palm Hand Therapy Device: $179 @ FSA Store
There are many hand massagers for sale on the Internet, but this is the one I bought. For $179 you get a pretty sturdy portable device with 4 massage modes, 2 vibration modes, optional heating and a carrying strap for easy travel.

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The Palm Hand Therapy Device is basically a rechargeable hand massager that uses heat, vibration and four different 15-minute massage routines to give your bruised mitts some TLC. I thought it looked like a cheap piece of garbage that wouldn't do much for me when I ordered it, but I figured all I had to lose was money I was going to lose anyway come 2025.

And lucky for me, I was wrong. I admit it: this hand massager is nothing fancy, and I'm sure it's no substitute for a trained masseuse, but having it around to warm up my hands before work and work them out afterwards has been a treat.

Palm Hand Therapy Device pictured in use

Here you can see the outer airbag at nearly full compression, whereas normally it's very open and easy to slide your wrist in. (Image credit: Future)

Here's how it works: there are two airbags inside, a smaller one at the entrance for your wrist and a larger one inside for your palm and fingers. These inflate and deflate throughout the 15-minute runtime to apply pressure to your hand and wrist, and you can enable or disable a heating element and a vibration motor that provides pulses or constant vibration.

Palm Hand Therapy Device pictured in use

(Image credit: Future)

So every time my hands are killing me, I sit down, slide my hand inside (you can see there are cutouts on either side for your thumb to stick out) and let it go to work. I prefer the third mode (M3) because it has the longest compression duration of any of them, but honestly the differences between the four modes aren't very noticeable.

I admit it. This hand massager is nothing fancy, and I'm sure it's no substitute for a trained masseuse. But having it around to warm up my hands before work and work them out afterwards has been a treat.

And frankly, you should know that while I love having this device around, it probably wasn't worth the nearly $200 I paid for it. The comfort is nice, but it really isn't a substitute for a professional, targeted massage with physical therapy instruments. The heating is also a bit disappointing: it takes about 5 minutes for the device to reach its hottest temperature inside, which isn't even that warm, and since I haven't found a way to preheat it before starting a massage routine I don't even really feel the heat until halfway through a massage session. I've also read some user reviews which suggest some people have had bad experiences with the product breaking after very little use.

But I haven't experienced those issues, and so far I'm pleased that I had that extra $200 left over last year to splurge on a little treat like this. I would probably feel a little less impressed if I hadn't had "free" FSA money to spend on this gadget, but I think if the money isn't dear to you this thing can be a real game-changer that brings a bit more comfort and relief into your life after a long day.

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Alex Wawro
Alex Wawro
Senior Editor Computing

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Black Hat, and PC World magazine. A lifelong PC builder, he currently serves as a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering all things computing, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice.