The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States has approved Reliefband as a medical device for treating and preventing motion sickness. According to the manufacturer, their product sends electrical signals to the brain that stop nausea.

What are Reliefband reviews? Overall, it was determined that the Reliefband Sport was a useful product that did provide assistance. Additionally, it is a straightforward and well-made item that should last for many years. We give it our Highly Recommended designation for its design, features, quality, and performance. 

For more information, continue reading.

Customer Reliefband Reviews

Good Improvement, May Be Less Comfortable For Some

I’ll begin by saying that the 1.5 version of the Reliefband, which I have been using for years, has done everything in its power to make my life better and travel bearable. I can’t imagine living my entire life without owning this device, in some form or another.

The device’s 2.0 band functions identically to the 1.5 band, with the added benefit of being rechargeable and having a much nicer appearance. Even though I didn’t experience any of the charging problems that other users have, I still followed Reliefband’s advice in the Amazon reviews that “Once you remove the device from its charger, the unit is actually on but in a sleep mode.” It’s critical to press the on/off button long enough for all of the LED lights to flash on before turning off again. This will make sure that the device is turned off and ready for storage.”

I really, really wanted this to work for me, but my wrist shape makes it too uncomfortable. The new design is noticeably more comfortable where the contact pads rest against your wrist, which I can only assume would be better for extended travel. The rigid housing and strap of the 2.0 are placed directly on top of the bony protrusion at the top of my wrist, where my ulna bone is rather prominent, and this quickly becomes painful due to where the best location for the pads to be placed on the underside of my wrist. The device is actually very comfortable overall if I move it back on my wrist (toward the elbow), but since that area of my wrist underside is less neurologically active, I guess, I now have to run it on the highest setting before I feel it working. When flying, I typically only need to run at 3/5; if the skies are particularly choppy, I may need to run at 4/5. Due to the fabric strap’s flexibility, it simply passes over the bone in the 1.5 version without pressing against it, resolving the problem.

Give it a shot, in my opinion! If your wrist isn’t oddly shaped like mine, it might be comfortable for you because they have a good return policy and this looks way better than the old version.

Fantastic Device But Not The Best Option

The technology appears to significantly reduce my motion sickness, which is what matters most. Motion sickness is VERY likely to strike me, especially in cars and airplanes. I will keep using this product and am incredibly grateful that it is offered.

I gave 4 instead of 5 stars because of the band. The band is hardly long enough to fit around my wrist, to start. Little room for error exists. The second problem is that the band is uncomfortable and extremely rigid. Finally, when fastened in accordance with the instructions, the band’s placement on my wrist causes poor skin-to-contact adhesion. To even feel the electric pulses, I had to repeatedly adjust the contact assembly. When compared to the newer 1.5 version, which is considerably less expensive, the older model, despite having a nerdy appearance, stays on my wrist in the right place without requiring constant adjustment.

Overall, the ReliefBand 2.0 significantly reduces, if not entirely gets rid of, my motion sickness. Because the older ReliefBand 1.5 is still available and offers a comparable level of relief for about 50% less money, I hesitate to recommend it. The 2.0 version has mostly aesthetic benefits. USB charging is the only technological advancement I consider worthwhile. However, the requirement for its proprietary cord, which attaches magnetically, negates this advantage. To avoid having to keep track of the tiny proprietary cord, I would have much preferred a micro-USB port.

Really Works, But There Are A Few Annoying Design Flaws.

I should note that I have been using this for more than a month and that I fly once a week. For mild to moderate motion sickness, the product works wonders. It is simple to use and effective.

It appears to have some straightforward design issues as its problems. First, as has been mentioned by others, the battery drains even when the device is turned off. In addition to keeping some over-the-counter medications in my bag as a backup, I always make sure to charge it the day before my flight. The USB cable that comes with it presents another difficulty. Instead of using a regular USB cable, they chose a custom magnetic cable for some reason. The magnet easily disengages because it isn’t very powerful. This is fine at home, but on the uneven, temporary surfaces of an airport, it can occasionally lead to a disconnect. I wouldn’t be concerned about losing a standard cable, and it would be more secure.

It does work very well, but with a few tweaks, it could be even better.

Works For Me!

Given the price, I had my doubts that this product would be effective for me. I am now formally off of the Dramamine, and I find that this works well for me in both cars and airplanes. It’s nice that it can be recharged and doesn’t need batteries. I took away one star because I sometimes have to hold it down and seem to have to fumble with it to get it where I want it. Because I usually require the shocking on high while others experience it strongly on 2-3, I believe that I have some degree of shock immunity.

This was useful to one person.

I Was Pleasantly Surprised By Its Utility.

I bought this for my wife because she is severely motion sick while traveling of any kind. It worked so well, I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it didn’t completely eliminate the symptoms, it did help.

The magnetic USB charging cable is of very poor quality, and I have to move the connection on the band a few times before it stays charging, which is the only reason I can’t give it five stars.

What Is FDA Clearance?

The definition of FDA clearance is frequently unclear to many consumers. Clearance means that a medical device is “substantially equivalent” to a similar device already on the market. For instance, the FDA might approve the use of a blood pressure cuff that has a comparable structure and composition to one that is already available on the market.

The FDA typically conducts a review of data provided by the medical device manufacturer to assess the safety and effectiveness of their product. According to a CNET investigation, the FDA typically does not perform any testing of their own but instead evaluates the findings of independent labs that were hired by the manufacturer of the medical device to conduct testing.

FDA approval is unquestionably a positive indicator of a genuine product, but in our opinion it does not guarantee efficacy.

Reliefband Medical Studies

The Reliefband has been around for a while. One of the most-cited studies on the device is from a  clinical trial in 2003 which tested the ability of the device to reduce nausea and vomiting in cancer patients. Both signs are frequently brought on by chemotherapy. In the trial, patients either wore the Reliefband or a passive device.

The results were impressive. Vomiting decreased by more than 50% in patients using the Reliefband (1.9 vs. 4.6 average episodes). Their level of nausea was about 40% less severe (0.91 vs. 1.65).

Another medical trial published in the well-respected The effectiveness of antiemetic drugs (drugs that prevent vomiting) taken alone versus when taken with the Reliefband was compared in the Anesthesiology journal. Postoperative nausea is a common complication of plastic surgery, which the patients had recently undergone.

The level of nausea was significantly reduced in patients who used the Reliefband in addition to the medications (20% vs. 50%), and none of the Compared to patients taking antiemetic medications alone, 20% of reliefband users vomited. 74% of the While only 35% of the group using medication alone were, the Reliefband group was able to resume a normal diet in less than 24 hours.

A more recent trial found similarly positive results. In order to test for a placebo effect, patients undergoing medical procedures were assessed for postoperative nausea and vomiting using either the Reliefband or a “sham” device.

Patients who used the Reliefband experienced less nausea and vomiting and needed lower antiemetic dosages. Additionally, the Reliefband group had significantly higher patient satisfaction ratings.

It’s impressive how much research supports Reliefband’s effectiveness. All of the studies we looked at were disseminated in reputable, peer-reviewed journals. Based on the information at our disposal, we can say with confidence that the Reliefband is probably going to be successful in reducing nausea and vomiting.

A trial on patients not requiring surgery or chemotherapy would be intriguing to us. For instance, it would be conclusive evidence that the Reliefband works for all causes of nausea if it were shown to be effective for patients who experience nausea due to anxiety.

How Does A Reliefband Operate?

However, we can find this information in the medical studies. In our opinion, Reliefband does not publish nearly enough information about how their device functions on their website.

How the Reliefband functions is explained in the first study that is linked in the previous section. To the P6 point on the wrist, which is where electrical pulses are delivered, This Transcutaneous Electrical Stimulation (TCES) sends signals to the brain that lessen nausea.

The dorsal vagal complex, which is stimulated by the device, is the area of the brain that regulates nausea, according to a blog post by Reliefband.

The dorsal vagal complex is reportedly stimulated by TCES, which lessens the frequency and intensity of nervous system activity that travels from the vagus nerve to the stomach and, consequently, lessens nausea and vomiting.

Natural Anti-nausea Treatment

Some customers might be interested in a natural anti-nausea remedy instead, especially if they can’t afford an expensive medical device or only get sick occasionally.

Ginger is one of the most well-studied and inexpensive anti-nausea treatments, and is clinically proven to be effective. The following was the conclusion of the related research review: “ginger is an effective and inexpensive treatment for nausea and vomiting and is safe.”

We don’t advise using the chews with added sugar that are a common component of commercial ginger formulations. The consumption of products with added sugar is unhealthy. We advise using ginger juice or even a small amount of dried ginger powder dissolved in tea or water. Also useful is ginger tea.

We don’t mean to imply that ginger is as effective at treating nausea as Reliefband, just that it might be a less expensive option for customers looking for a less complicated and more affordable solution.

Reliefband Price

Reliefband Classic is their cheapest model by far, retailing for $139.99 on their website and $149.99 on Amazon at the time of writing this article.

Reliefband Sport costs $229 on Amazon and $239.99 on their website.

Reliefband Premier currently costs $269.99 both on their website and on Amazon.

Because Reliefband Classic is by far the least expensive model and because we haven’t found any clinical evidence indicating that more expensive models are more effective, we would recommend them.

The Bottom Line

A nice-looking color printed box with product images and specifications was included with the Reliefband Sport. When the box was opened, the contents were well-protected and held in place by specially molded foam. The majority of the materials used in the construction were plastic, with a small amount of cloth and metal. The fit and finish, as well as the quality of the materials used, were excellent. The charging cable, user guide, and jell tube were also included.

Please leave a comment if you have any queries.

Your reading is greatly appreciated.