Massage robots. No, not Blade Runner-like sex bots designed only with you pleasure in mind (for a price), but rather a family-friendly version for use in the home. With your clothes on. If you've ever ached with back pain from stress and tension, unfold the Gtech Myo Touch on your living room floor. We did, and here's what we thought.
The Gtech Myo Touch is a strange one for sure. The large box includes a fold-out bed, similar in dimensions and comfort to a rigid camp bed, and also some lengths of stiff grey plastic. Unfold the bed, connect the plastic units together beneath it, then reach for the business part of the package - the robot itself.
The Gtech Myo Touch is a automated roller massager that crawls up and down the plastic 'track' below the bed, pressing the squishy roller into your back. There are no settings for speed or intensity: you just set it up, lay on, and hit the switch.
To be honest, you do have to adjust the height of the roller on the main robot unit first, depending on your weight and how much 'drop' you present on the bed (pay attention, heavier people). Once done, you simply relax and let it crawl backwards and forwards, rolling the stress and tension out of your back, bum and legs. Ahhhh....
When we first set it up and tried it, it was a bit of a laugh. It's a strange feeling, to be honest, having something mechanical device press a textured roller into your spine. However, after the initial novelty wore off, it became a hell of a lot less funny. We started to fully relax and unwind, and a long session of about 20 minutes resulted in very positive reactions.
The Gtech Myo Touch package also ships with two easy to miss green plastic stoppers. Place these anywhere along the length of the track and you can focus the movements of the robot; you essentially 'pen' it in to concentrate on one area of your body. If you have particularly aching shoulders, you can set it to do just that area, and the robot will limit its movements to there, gently coming into contact with the stoppers and heading in the other direction, over and over.
The bed also deserves a special mention. Although the tough grey canvas doesn't invoke any real excitement, the dropped section at your feet means your heels can sink in and helps to keep your legs straight. It was so comfortable we wonder why mattress manufacturers don't copy the design and feature a groove for your heels to sit in. We also like how it can fold up relatively flat and be happily stored beneath a bed or in a wardrobe. Once disassembled, it really doesn't take up much space.
At £300-ish the Gtech Myo Touch isn't a small investment in your physical and mental well-being. But if if you can afford it, and feel it could help you de-stress after a tough day, it could very well be worth it. After a month of testing we've found our enthusiasm for it has waned somewhat, and now get it out about once a week for an evening sesh. But even that still feels wonderful, and it's nice to know it's there to go home to to unwind.
It's fun, it's silly... but after a while it's a great massager and has produced some impressive results. This review, for example, has been written in a very relaxed state. Thanks, Gtech.
£299.99
Visit www.gtech.co.uk