ActiveCore Balance Acupressure Mat review: spiky comfort that won’t break the bankThe Core Balance Acupressure Mat is cheap & cheerful – but does it actually work?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)T3 VerdictEasy to fit into anyone’s routine, the Core Balance Acupressure Mat uses spikes to target painful spots, reduce tension and boost blood flow. While its quality could be better and it takes a few tries to feel anything, it’s surprisingly comfortable and leaves you feeling relaxed.Reasons to buy+Nice to lie on after getting comfortable+Finds painful parts & eases them quickly+CheapReasons to avoid-Material feels low quality-No pillow for head supportWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
ActiveCore Balance Acupressure Mat review: spiky comfort that won’t break the bankThe Core Balance Acupressure Mat is cheap & cheerful – but does it actually work?When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)T3 VerdictEasy to fit into anyone’s routine, the Core Balance Acupressure Mat uses spikes to target painful spots, reduce tension and boost blood flow. While its quality could be better and it takes a few tries to feel anything, it’s surprisingly comfortable and leaves you feeling relaxed.Reasons to buy+Nice to lie on after getting comfortable+Finds painful parts & eases them quickly+CheapReasons to avoid-Material feels low quality-No pillow for head supportWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
The Core Balance Acupressure Mat is cheap & cheerful – but does it actually work?
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)T3 VerdictEasy to fit into anyone’s routine, the Core Balance Acupressure Mat uses spikes to target painful spots, reduce tension and boost blood flow. While its quality could be better and it takes a few tries to feel anything, it’s surprisingly comfortable and leaves you feeling relaxed.Reasons to buy+Nice to lie on after getting comfortable+Finds painful parts & eases them quickly+CheapReasons to avoid-Material feels low quality-No pillow for head support
(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
T3 VerdictEasy to fit into anyone’s routine, the Core Balance Acupressure Mat uses spikes to target painful spots, reduce tension and boost blood flow. While its quality could be better and it takes a few tries to feel anything, it’s surprisingly comfortable and leaves you feeling relaxed.Reasons to buy+Nice to lie on after getting comfortable+Finds painful parts & eases them quickly+CheapReasons to avoid-Material feels low quality-No pillow for head support
T3 VerdictEasy to fit into anyone’s routine, the Core Balance Acupressure Mat uses spikes to target painful spots, reduce tension and boost blood flow. While its quality could be better and it takes a few tries to feel anything, it’s surprisingly comfortable and leaves you feeling relaxed.
T3 Verdict
Easy to fit into anyone’s routine, the Core Balance Acupressure Mat uses spikes to target painful spots, reduce tension and boost blood flow. While its quality could be better and it takes a few tries to feel anything, it’s surprisingly comfortable and leaves you feeling relaxed.
Reasons to buy+Nice to lie on after getting comfortable+Finds painful parts & eases them quickly+CheapReasons to avoid-Material feels low quality-No pillow for head support
Reasons to buy+Nice to lie on after getting comfortable+Finds painful parts & eases them quickly+Cheap
Nice to lie on after getting comfortable
Finds painful parts & eases them quickly
Cheap
Reasons to avoid-Material feels low quality-No pillow for head support
Material feels low quality
No pillow for head support
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
In this review, I wanted to put the Core Balance Acupressure Mat to the test to see if it eased back pain and improved my sleep. As someone new to acupressure, I was a bit nervous to lie on a bed of spikes but after trying it, I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable it was.
The Core Balance Acupressure Mat promises to “boost blood flow to your back, reduce pain and tension, combat stress and enjoy a deeper sleep”. It does this with its evenly distributed spikes that are said to stimulate acupressure trigger points.
Despite its scary-looking spikes, I was curious to see if the Core Balance Acupressure Mat could be an alternative to thebest massage guns, in terms of easing muscle pain after workouts. As someone who’s been running a lot recently, my back and legs have been calling for some TLC and I wanted to see if using the Core Balance Acupressure Mat made them feel relaxed and helped me sleep better.
With all the features and health benefits that the Core Balance Acupressure Mat claims to have, I was a bit apprehensive considering how cheap it is. It’s definitely cheap and cheerful… but does it actually work? Keep reading my Core Balance Acupressure Mat review to find out.
(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
Core Balance Acupressure Mat review: Design & Price
The cover is made of skin-friendly material which can be removed and washed after multiple uses. The spikes come in multiple colours on the black cover, so you can choose from grey, teal, purple, white and blue spikes. The mat also comes with a cotton bag so you can easily pack it away and travel with it.
One criticism I have is that the bag and cotton material of the mat feels very low quality. Of course, the spikes are the main attraction but the cover and bag could feel and look nicer. Having said that, the price of the Core Balance Acupressure Mat is £17.99, which is incredibly affordable. If it was more expensive, I’d expect better quality materials but I can’t be mad at what it delivers at the cost.
(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
Core Balance Acupressure Mat review: Usability
The Core Balance Acupressure Mat comes with an instruction manual which goes into detail about how to use it, what clothes to wear, how to care for it and what you should feel when you’re using it. The instructions have a clever timeline that says your skin should feel prickly and uncomfortable for the first minute, a warm feeling for 1-5 minutes, a tingly sensation for 5-9 minutes and overall relaxation from there.
After reading the instructions, I put on a loose gym t-shirt before placing the mat on my sofa. I didn’t feel an intense tingling but could definitely feel like I was lying on spikes. It doesn’t hurt but it does feel uncomfortable until you settle in for the long run. I didn’t feel like I was getting the best experience from the sofa so I tried it on my bed, which is what I’d recommend.
Once I got past the prickly feeling, I found the Core Balance Acupressure Mat surprisingly comfortable and could feel it targeting specific points in my back. I could feel muscle pain in my lower back and after using the Core Balance Acupressure Mat for a few minutes, I could feel the pain go away. I also liked lifting my arms above my head to put more pressure on my shoulders which also felt good.
I tried the Core Balance Acupressure Mat a few times, typically after I’d worked out in the evening and had a shower. I did find that any muscle issues that popped up after a run were looked after and I fell asleep relatively quickly. As someone who doesn’t normally have problems falling asleep, I’m not entirely convinced if the Core Balance Acupressure Mat had anything to do with this, but my body felt much more relaxed after using it.
(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
(Image credit: Beth Girdler-Maslen / T3)
Core Balance Acupressure Mat review: Verdict
Overall, I enjoyed using the Core Balance Acupressure Mat and liked the way it felt. It delivers gentle pressure on the back which I didn’t find too intrusive and I felt a real difference after using it. It’s also incredibly cheap and easy to fit into your lifestyle. I’m not 100% sure if it helped with my sleep but it did relax my body so I’m generally happy with my experience.
There are a couple of downsides to the Core Balance Acupressure Mat. First, you really need to find the right surface to actually feel it and you need to use a thin top for the same reason, too. If the spikes press against bare skin or you’re on it for a while or at a strange angle, it can leave marks on your back and the material could be better in quality.
So, should you buy the Core Balance Acupressure Mat? If you get the occasional back, neck and shoulder pain, I’d say that the Core Balance Acupressure Mat is a good and inexpensive purchase. It’s not too intrusive so if you need something that’s more intense or something that targets smaller areas, one of thebest massagersis probably the better choice.
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