All About Zewa Spabuddy Sport Tens Pain Therapy
First Thoughts About Zewa Spabuddy Tens Device
In this article we will be discussing the Zewa Spabuddy Sports Tens Pain Therapy tens device. This is a tens device for home use and its purpose is to provide electronic pain relief. It offers a lot of pretty advantageous features and benefits which will be discussed in this Zewa Spabuddy review.
It appears that the unit has helped many people to find relief from pain.
Zewa also provides a number of other tens devices, both prescription and non-prescription. These different OTC units target individual types of pain and body areas. Here is a list of tens unit products from Zewa.
Non Prescription Tens Units
The Non-Prescription units sold by Zewa:
- SpaBuddy Mini
- SpaBuddy Sport
- SpaBuddy Relax
Prescription Tens Units
The prescription units sold by the same manufacturer are:
- TENS 501
- Tens Unit Digital
- TENS/EMS Combo Unit
- TENS 502 (looks like not available anymore)
- TENS 504 (looks like not available anymore)
Zewa Spabuddy Sport Tens Pain Therapy
Dual Channel TENS Technology
8 Pre-set TENS Programs
30 Intensity Levels
Use with 2 Pads or 4 Pads
Large LCD
Zewa Spabuddy Sport Tens Device - Features
8 Programs
These eight programs can be used to soothe a variety of different pains. Before you choose a specific program I recommend trying them all out to see what sensations you receive. This will help you to determine what is most effective.
If you choose this Zewa tens unit you will have to do a little exploring to see which programs feel the best for your pain, and to help you out with program details you can go here to learn more. This great instructional file will help you to better understand what different programs do for different pain types as well as the likely outcome.
You will experience different sensations depending on the muscle groups, pain, and area of the body you are dealing with. It is normal for new Tens unit owners to do a little experimenting.
Two Channels
This device is a dual channel unit which will operate with four pads. Many other decent-quality tens devices are also dual, so this isn't super surprising. You can adjust each channel separately which is especially nice if you are trying to treat two different areas at the same time.
30 Intensity Levels
With 30 intensity levels this device has more levels than just about any other tens unit I have seen up to this point. Compare to other tens units which often have less than ten intensity levels—this is fairly common. There are also obvious advantages which come along with having so many different levels to enjoy.
This many levels to choose from means that you have more flexibility and control over the strength of your therapy session. If you use a unit with only a few intensity levels you may find that one level is too strong while the next one down is too weak—this shouldn't be an issue with this unit.
I have also heard good things about the overall power of the device. Remember that power level and intensity level are not the same thing.
According to one review some of the programs will be more than you need at their most intense. Others have claimed that the unit is very powerful for its small size.
Another somewhat unusual aspect of the SpaBuddy Sport, but which I quite like, is the fact that you can set your treatment time. The timer can be set for anywhere from 5-95 minutes, and if you want longer you can choose the continuous setting.
Of course, you should always be careful about using a tens device too long or overdoing a session. I would suggest talking to a medical professional about how long you should have the device running.
It's definitely nice to be able to set your own time, this gives you a lot of personal freedom.
Easy to Operate
The liquid crystal display screen is relatively spacious for its size owing the fact that it takes up around half of the unit itself. This is one nice aspect, as it makes things a little easier to read.
If you want a device that has a backlight then take note that this personal tens machine does not have a backlit display. For many people this won't be much of an issue, but if you need to see the device in the dark then you may have to find a different unit.
I don't really consider this to be that big of a drawback because the unit is relatively inexpensive, so we can't expect it to have every frill and feature—plus it already offers a lot.
Altogether there are only five buttons on the device, and that makes things a lot easier to understand than some of those units that have a considerable amount of buttons and knobs. All of these buttons provide you with all the functions you need—off/on, timer, intensity levels, and programs.
When it comes to using the device I recommend checking this out for electrode placement. It should make it much easier for you to use the unit and place the pads correctly.
If you are using a butterfly electrode this placement chart should be helpful.
Small, Light, and Mobile
The exact dimensions of this portable tens unit are 3.8 x 2.5 x 1 inches ; 4.8 ounces and it weighs a bit more when loaded with the batteries—and of course this only makes logical sense.
Overall this unit is small and lightweight, making it relatively easy to take with you if you leave the house or go from room-to-room in your home. It is only slightly smaller than your average smart phone, but that's pretty small—and think about it, you take your phone with you everywhere.
So although this is definitely a positive aspect of the device, it does not come with a carrying case—but that is something you could find online pretty easily. I have found that not a lot of tens units have carrying cases, so when they do it's kind of special.
Another quick thing to note is that it does not have a belt clip. Obviously this will make it slightly less mobile.
Three AAA Batteries
The unit requires three AAA batteries to function. You can't plug this particular pain management device into a wall and charge it like you can with other devices, and that is sort of inconvenient. A lot of inexpensive tens units out there are like this, however, so this is something you may have to deal with.
I have heard mostly good things about the battery life, which is encouraging. If you get 10 hours of operation out of each set of batteries they would last you 20 sessions if they were 30 minutes each.
Of course, a lot of variables are also important to consider—such as the quality of the batteries and the intensity level used. Good quality batteries and low intensity levels will give you the most battery life.
Included Accessories
This dual channel tens machine comes along with the instruction manual, three batteries, lead wires, and four pads.
The big downside here is that, like I mentioned earlier, there is no carrying case included with the purchase of the unit. You may want to invest in one, however, especially if you end up really loving the Zewa Spabuddy Sport and you want to keep it safe.
Some people have made complaints about the pads which ship with the machine, but they are universal pin-type connection electrodes. This means that you can easily pick better electrodes if you choose, and you will eventually have to get replacement pads anyway.
Two-Year Warranty
With a two-year warranty you are getting a pretty good deal. The majority of other tens devices that I have seen will have a year warranty or sometimes even just a 90-day warranty. This is definitely another advantage owed to the unit.
Cost of the Device
Some of the best prices often happen to be on Amazon, but prices tend to shift, so I recommend checking it out before making a final decision about this otc tens unit.
You can find the Zewa Spabuddy Sports tens unit for $77.67 at fishpond.com. It is $69.99 at walgreens.com, $56.65 at puritan.com, and the manufacturer is selling it for a relatively decent price at $59.95. If you go to ebay the price generally ranges from $65 - $72.
The device can no longer be found at Walmart.
Customer Feedback
Reviews for this device are quite positive. The major thing people seem to say is that it “works well” for them. Most people have only good things to say about the Zewa Spabuddy Sport, saying that it is a powerful device with good battery life and has proven effective.
There are, of course, a few negative reviews as there are with any product, but they are relatively few and far between. These poor reviews are generally due to breakdowns which happen occasionally with any product.
Zewa Spabuddy Sport Tens Pain Therapy vs Other Brands
 Zewa Spabuddy Sport |
 Icy Hot Smart Relief Tens Therapy Knee and Shoulder Starter Kit |
 HealthmateForever BM6ML TENS and EMS/PMS |
 AccuRelief Dual Channel TENS |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modes | 8 | 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Channels | Dual | Single | Dual | Dual |
| Pads | 4 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Intensity | 30 | 63 | 20 | 25 |
| Touch Screen | No | No | No | No |
| EMS | No | No | Yes | No |
| Battery | 3 x AAA | 1 x 3V | Rechargeable lithium | 3 x AAA |
| Size (inches) (H x W x D) | 3.8 x 2.5 x 1 | 2.52 x 1.5 x 0.51 | 3 x 1.5 x 0.5 | 4.6 x 2.4 x 1.3 |
| Weight (oz) | 4.8 | 0.71 | 13 | 2.7 |
| Warranty | 2 Years Warranty | Limited Lifetime Warranty | 1 Year Warranty | |
| Price | $$ | $ | $ | $ |
| Rating | 7.7 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 7.5 |
Summary and Final Thoughts on Zewa Spabuddy Tens Device
Overall it's a pretty good product in terms of value as you can see in this Zewa Spabuddy Sport review.
The Bottom Line
The Zewa Spabuddy Sport Therapy tens device is competitively priced considering the quality of the product you are receiving. There certainly are cheaper units out there but it's hard to get a cheaper unit that is this user friendly, customizable, and contains so many options. It's few drawbacks include the fact that it is not rechargeable, the display isn't backlit, and it has no belt clip.
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