When one jogs down memory lane and thinks of the good ol’ schooldays, two things come instantly to mind — best friends and burdensome backpacks. One a bliss, the other a nightmare. We always wished for a massage to soothe the pain in our shoulders from the heavy load.

Years passed by and my wish finally came true. One fine day, a massaging backpack landed on my workdesk for a review.

Eume, a backpack brand, has come up with what it claims to be the first ever built-in massager backpack, patented in India and the US. The first reaction as one looks at the bag is that it is classy, in caps. The charcoal grey 19-inch bag is made of polyester and has a capacity of 26 litres. Ideal for daily commuting, it is quite light and, with its multiple compartments, has more space and can take much more weight than you can imagine. This water resistant bag has one big zip with extendable cushioned handles and adjustable straps at the shoulder as well as the chest.

The backpack has hidden zippers and invisible pockets to help keep your valuables safe against theft.

The back portion of the backpack is cushioned and designed to alleviate pain and relax the back and shoulder muscles. Four vibrating massagers have been placed in the back panel — two at the top and two near the bottom. When the tiny square power button on the right shoulder strap is pressed, the massager starts doing its job. There are three massage modes. When you press it once, the two nodes near the shoulder start vibrating; when you press it twice, the two near the hip start vibrating; and if you press it thrice, it activates both the massaging zones simultaneously, giving your entire back a massage. The straps can be adjusted according to the height of the person — to ensure that the massagers hit just the right spots where you need relief. This massage-on-the-go will save you from incessant body aches caused by carrying a heavy load on your shoulder.

But for the massagers to work, one needs to connect a power bank to the backpack. The company recommends at least a 10,000mAH power bank for best results. The backpack also has an in-built portable USB charger for mobile phones and other gadgets as well as a micro-USB port to charge the power bank placed inside the bag from an external source.

The backpack comes with a one- year manufacturer’s warranty and in multiple colour options.

There are, however, a couple of cons. After using it for a long time in hot and humid weather, the vibrations cause the bag to heat

up slightly, which can become a little uncomfortable. Also,using the massager on the go will lead to you getting stared at. The vibrations produce a humming noise that is loud enough to draw eyeballs in a public place, not to forget the panic it may induce.

But overall, if you are someone who travels a lot and it gets stressful to juggle a fully loaded backpack, this massager backpack is the one for you.

POP PICK

Addcore backpack massager

Wear the massager as a backpack and use the remote to control the speed of the vibrating massagers. The backpack massager can function in both hot and cold modes, helping you target specific pains better. Some types of pain require direct cold while others need direct heat. Either way, the massager will help soothe muscle pain and fatigue. The backpack massager comes with adjustable straps, so it can be used by everyone in the family. It has a long, extendable cord, so you can wear it while doing almost any sort of work. There is also a power cable too — to enable you to charge it during long journeys. The massager can even be attached to a chair if you do not want to wear it.

Price: $39.99 (about Rs 3,000)

Gadget: Eume built-in massager backpack

Tech specs: Requires a powerbank to run, minimum 10,000mAH recommended; built-in USB port to charge gadgets on the go

Price: Starts from Rs 3,999 online

Best for: A soothing back massage

Eume built-in massager backpack File picture

Addcore backpack massager File picture