REVIEW – They say that eyes are the window to the soul. They are also the focal point for headaches and dry eyes. Heat, cool, and massage are all solutions to these maladies. It’s tough, however, to find yourself a nice, local eye masseuse when you need one. Bob and Brad, maker of all kinds of different well-being gear, offered their new Zero Pro eye massager for review. One of its key selling points is that it is essentially silent. That can be a huge advantage if you’re fighting a migraine. Let’s check it out and see if this can put the squeeze on eye strain, headaches, migraines, and dry eyes.
⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon; Bob and Brad ($149.99)
What is it?
The Bob and Brad Zero Pro eye massager is a rechargeable eye mask that provides compression massage, heat, and relaxing music. It is claimed to relieve eye strain, headaches, migraines, and dry eyes. The unit can provide all three simultaneously, or any single treatment or pair can be selected on demand. It also comes with a gel eye mask. The gel eye mask can be placed in the freezer and used independently or in conjunction with the massager (with no heat) to provide a cooling experience.
What’s included?
- Zero Pro eye massager with adjustable strap
- Cooling gel mask with adjustable strap
- USB-A/USB-c charging cable
- Storage case
- User manual
- Quick-start card
Tech specs
Dimensions: 8.2″L x 4.5″W x 3.7″H
Weight: 10.2 ounces
Construction: Impact plastic shell with a rock-like texture, leather mask inside, elastic strap
Charging input: 5V/1A
Rated voltage: 3.7V
Rated power: 5W
Motor noise: 35dB
Shut-off timer: 15 minutes
Control: Press and rocker single switch
Battery capacity: 1650mAh
Charging time: 150 minutes
Runtime: Up to 300 minutes
Operating modes: Massage + Heat + Music / Massage + Heat / Massage only / Heat only / Heat + Music
Heat: 104°F low / 113°F high
Music: Included soothing soundtrack or Bluetooth music from your audio source
Design and features
As you can see from the image at the top of this review, this is a clamshell-style mask that fits over your eyes. It is hinged in the center and folds for storage.
Everything fits nicely into the nylon-covered rigid and zippered storage case.
One side of the mask has the Bob and Brad logo screened on it.
The other side has a removable operation sticker and a single control.
Long-pressing the button turns the unit on/off. Once on, pressing it cycles through operating modes as follows:
- Massage + Heat + Music (default startup mode)
- Massage + Heat
- Massage only
- Heat only
- Heat + Music
Pushing the switch upward toggles from the default low-pressure massage to medium, high, and zero-pressure (off). Pressing down toggles from the default low heat to high and then no heat. Holding the button in the up or down direction raises or lowers the music volume.
Looking at the unit from the bottom, we see the leather face mask, the USB-C charging port, the center hinge, and the adjustable elastic strap.
Here’s a better look at the smooth and comfortable leather face mask inside the unit.
The included cooling mask has a smooth and silky finish. It is filled with a thin gel compound and can be chilled in the freezer.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
The only required setup is to plug the included charging cable into the USB-C charging port and a USB-A power source until the unit is fully charged. If you want to chill, you’ll need to toss the gel mask into the freezer for 20 minutes or so.
Performance
I slipped the mask on, just to give it a quick test drive and see how it worked. The first thing I noticed was that if it wasn’t massaging or playing music, I wouldn’t know it was on. The 35dB claimed volume during operation is whisper-silent. If I really listened, I could hear a faint click from time to time as an airbag valve either opened or closed. It was so quiet, I didn’t notice it. With the music turned on at moderate volume, the mask is essentially silent during operation. That’s a great thing.
The massage itself seemed to hit two main areas. The first was around my eye sockets. It felt like it was attacking pressure points all around each eye without pressing on my eyes. The second pressure point was directly on my temples. It felt like someone’s thumb was pushing gently onto each temple and then releasing. It was quite nice.
I flipped through the pressure settings. For me, the lightest pressure was the best. The medium and strong most certainly up the pressure ante. It’s a matter of personal preference and what works for you. The same is true with the heat. I preferred the low heat. For some, I can see how the high heat could bring relief.
The music was surprisingly nice. I describe it as non-descript new-agey background music. It is smooth, soothing, and pleasant to listen to. I paired the massager with my phone and tried out music from my phone. As I expected, the quality was limited with little bass. But this is an eye massager. If you’re wearing it, you probably aren’t in the mood for booming music. I can see putting on some nice background music if I tire of the included soundtrack.
When you turn the massager on, the voice prompt says, “Bob and Brad eye massager is on. Air pressure plus heat plus music.” I’m OK with the mode description. I could do without the Bob and Brad advertisement every time I turn the massager on. Using the switch to change modes or change pressure, or heat settings results in another voice prompt telling you what the new mode/setting is. I like that. Given that you are probably doing this with the mask on and can’t see anything, getting that positive audible feedback confirms that you’ve done what you expected to do. When the unit shuts off, it does so with a friendly, “Good-bye”.
The true test will come whenever my lovely wife suffers from one of her intense, but thankfully infrequent, migraine headaches. When she has one, all she wants to do is lie on the bed with her eyes closed and a hot compress over her eyes. Of course, those cool quickly. The massager can provide a nice massage and continuous heat, at least for 15 minutes at a time. I wish there were a way to use it longer than 15 minutes at a time without having to listen to the startup vocalization. It is nice that the massage can be turned off easily if that doesn’t work for her during a migraine.
Final thoughts
If you suffer from headaches, dry eyes, or simply enjoy a relaxing eye and temple massage, the Bob and Brad Zero Pro Eye Massager is a great place to start. With hot and cold massaging options, two levels of heat, three levels of massage pressure, and options for the included or your own music, it is a comprehensive massage solution. Getting all that massage, music, and temperature goodness in a unit that operates nearly silently is a big bonus.
What I like about Bob and Brad Zero Pro Eye Massager
- Comfortable
- Near-silent operation
- Selectable heat and pressure intensities should satisfy just about anyone
- The built-in music is nice, or you can easily listen to your own via Bluetooth
- The cold compress is a great addition
- HSA/FSA eligible
What needs to be improved?
- I can do without the Bob & Brad vocalization every time I turn it on or the “good-bye” when it turns off
- I wish there were options for longer use, perhaps just for heat and music, without having to turn it on every 15 minutes
Price: $99.99
Where to buy: Amazon; Bob and Brad ($149.99)
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Bob and Brad. Bob and Brad did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
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