Review on Gaiam Restore Cold Therapy Muscle Massager: Ultimate Relief for Sore Muscles by Shawn Reiff

I give this cool packer four stars despite some significant flaws in use. The reason for the high rating is that it ends up delivering what it promises to be a durable cold therapy device. The instructions say to put in a freezer, which actually worked, but the result was a very cold roller that was frankly uncomfortable on my bare skin. I would say if you go the freeze route only use it on the outside of the clothes which leaves another problem. I felt cold therapy through a light cotton t-shirt, but very little through much heavier jeans. The roll rolls easily in the heat but not so much in the cold. When it comes out of the freezer, there's no rolling at all, so use rubbing therapy instead of rolling therapy. It still provided relief, but not as much as I was hoping if it continued to roll after freezing. I suspect ice in the roller bearings is causing the jam. After about an hour at room temperature, it starts spinning again and the roller is still cold. There is one more issue I need to address. The metal roller part will form a lot of condensation when taken out of the freezer after about 45 minutes. So when you get dressed, you not only get a cold, you also get a little wet. It didn't really bother me, but it might bother others. The end result is that it delivers a cold cylinder that stays cold far longer than anyone is going to use it. There are problems with condensation, severe cold of the roller and long absence after removal from the freezer. Despite these shortcomings, the role brought therapeutic relief.