I've owned a Homemedics chair pad massager. It was ok, it got about three months of regular use and then got put away in the closet semi-permanently. I'd find out what your husband likes about getting back massages. If it's that he enjoys the trip to the spa experience, then a chair massager is going to be a poor substitute. If he's dealing with back pain, then he might get some good use out of it. But in my experience, it did little for me to relieve back pain. A simple 15 minute daily stretching routine is what keeps me feeling good. And that's free.