Yahoo News ES TESTS: the best at-home massage services
You know that feeling when all you want is a nice, hearty, massage to get out all the knots, but the last thing you want to do is journey to a spa?
Or, for that matter, travel home on public transport afterwards, undoing all the relaxation and zen vibes.
Thankfully, at-home massages are the way of the future, bringing luxury, relaxation and peace to your home or place of work.
Need some guidance? We road-tested the best in London...
Soothe
Treatment: Full-body massage
Therapist: Catarina
Price: From £72 per hour
I was a little dubious about having a massage at home. Can you really recreate that spa feeling in your own pad? Short answer: yes. Catarina completely put me at ease by being friendly but not intrusive. She advised me to turn the heating up for the optimum massage-friendly room temperature, popped on some light jazz and then asked me to choose a massage oil: energetic orange zest or calming eucalyptus? After a busy day at work, I plumped for the relaxing scent.
Lights dimmed, she got to work. Originally a physiotherapist before re-training as a masseuse, Catarina really got it when it came to tension and problem areas. She managed to achieve that perfect combination of soothing and effective; working out the knots in my neck and shoulders with gusto!
Professional and genuinely interested, she offered advice (“you’re dehydrated, drink more water”) and even performed some gentle exercises and stretches on me to counteract the hours and hours spent sat at a desk.
When the blissful hour was up, I asked her how often I should have massages. She said: ‘How did it feel?’ ‘Amazing,’ I replied. ‘Well, how often do you want to feel amazing?’
Tips: Book this for around 8:30pm and then just roll into bed afterwards. If you love your masseuse as much as I did, you can re-book the same person next time.
Verdict: 9/10
Suzannah Ramsdale, digital lifestyle editor
Uspaah
Treatment: Swedish full-body massage
Therapist: Valentina
Price: From £43 per hour
My biggest bugbear with massages (not a sentence I ever thought I’d write) is that you reach a deep level of zen only to have it undone by battling through the streets of London in a bid to get home. Kind of frustrating when you’ve a just had a very enjoyable experience and probably spent half your weekly wage on it. This meant I was really pretty excited at the concept of having a masseuse show up at my house, perform a deeply relaxing rub and then be able to get into my pyjamas and straight into bed.
Luckily, I wasn’t disappointed.
Valentina arrived and set-up the bed in my living room, helped me pick my oil (a delicious, spicy ginger aromatherapy number) and began her magic. Usually I’m a straight-up full body opter but, having recently taking a few long-haul flights and suffered the results of a bad-angled desk chair, I went for the typically more rigorous Swedish version and I’m glad I did. Valentina was firm but it wasn’t painful. She actively worked on the knots in my back rather than just giving them a welcome stroke and loosened my muscles from my calfs to the balls of my feet and even my ear lobes. When I went to bed, not only was I relaxed but I felt I’d actually done something good for my body.
Tips: Make sure you book your treatment when no one else is in, close the windows so you don’t get the noise from the street and either turn on or turn off your heating so that your body's at a nice temperature. Then, you’re totally golden.
Verdict: 9/10
Alice Howarth, digital lifestyle journalist
CityLux Massage
Therapist: Linda
Treatment booked: One-hour deep tissue massage
Price: £60 without table, £80 with table
Linda, a professional senior therapist with almost a decade of experience, arrived with her massage table, which she easily carried up two flights of stairs to set up in our top-floor bedroom.
While I filled in a short questionnaire, Linda quietly transformed my hastily tidied bedroom into a tranquil, ambient spa room. Down went the blinds, up went the massage bed, and on went a soothing playlist via a portable but powerful speaker.
As she scented the room with subtle notes of lavender and eucalyptus, we briefly discussed my pain points (back, shoulders, neck, arms) and treatment preference (always firm pressure, always deep tissue).
Linda not only found my pain points quickly, but really focused on them while constantly checking if I was happy with the pressure she was applying. She also went through a series of stretches with me to keep up at home between regular massages.
My skin can sometimes react to massage oils but Citylux use only high quality and organic vegan grapeseed oil which felt luxurious.
Tip: Make sure you have a mix of large and small fresh bath towels ready as it’s up to you to supply them.
Verdict: 9/10
Kristy Gray, homesandproperty.co.uk editor
Urban Massage
Treatment: Full-body massage
Therapist: Penny
Price: From £49 per hour
My Urban Massage masseuse Penny arrived 15 minutes early so she could have time to set up for the session. I had to provide my own towels (which reminded me that I need to invest in plusher towels) and I was told she would be using grapeseed oil as this is the best oil for most skin types. We also discussed what pressure the massage would be and if I had any problem areas.
As I live on a busy street in Brixton, I was worried we wouldn’t be able to create the same zen-like feeling you get when you walk into a spa. But as soon as Penny put on her chilled music, it was as if I was in a luxury hotel spa.
The massage itself was phenomenal. I usually go for softer massages but this time I asked for medium as I felt my back could do with some straightening out. Penny worked her magic and added in a scalp massage that was heavenly.
The best thing about an at-home massage is you can go straight to bed – oil and all – and wake up feeling soft, relaxed and refreshed.
Verdict: 8/10
Tip: Have your own towels at the ready
Laura Hampson, digital lifestyle journalist
Ruuby
Treatment: Full-body massage
Therapist: Alana
Price: From £65 per hour
My therapist was Alana, a multi-skilled therapist with five years working in the industry. As this was a full-body massage with aromatherapy oils, Alana began the treatment by talking me through the different options of oil, before I settled on camomile and sandalwood -- oils that aim to purify the body.
After discussing any sore spots (my left shoulder), Alana sprayed some room spray to set the vibe and put on some relaxing chill-out music. My living room isn’t always the most relaxing of places, but Alana did her best to transform it into a portable spa environment and was lovely and professional.
The massage was pretty amazing. Alana worked out all the knots in my body, careful to go easy on my sore shoulder. I felt the most benefit here and feet surprisingly; all that pounding of London’s pavements and carrying a heavy backpack meant that these were the places which needed some TLC. It almost felt like the satisfying feeling you get after a yoga class, except I spent the whole time lying down.
Tips: This massage would definitely be best enjoyed in the evenings. As it features aromatherapy oils, it did leave you feeling rather sticky for the rest of the day, even after a shower.
Verdict: 9/10
Amelia Heathman, digital tech writer
Blow Ltd
Therapist: Kassie
Treatment booked: 60 min deep tissue massage
Price: £60 for 60 mins
Honestly, I thought it might be awkward having a stranger erect a makeshift bed and rub me with oil in the middle of my (teeny) living room, but my therapist Kassie had such a calm, unobtrusive and professional manner that I felt immediately at ease.
Once she had put up the portable massage bed I was asked to provide bath towels (two large, one small) to lay on top. She then asked if I had some music I wanted to play. My speakers at home were broken so Kassie ended up playing some birdsong-inflected spa music on her phone. The oil on offer was lavender, which isn’t my favourite scent, but once Kassie’s magic hands got to work, I ceased to care. I was too focused on the satisfying pain that good deep tissue massage involves. She targeted the horrible knots in my back and by the end of the hour I felt as though my shoulders had been unwound and reset; a pretty great feeling on a Sunday night.
Tip: Blow also offer a wide range of beauty treatments (yup, including blow dries), so why not book to have a mani-pedi while you’re at it?
Verdict: 8/10
Chloe Street
