BackMax Plus Extra-Wide Wedge Cushion Set

I just want to start out by saying that I do not work for this company or have any affiliation to them in any way. I have no reason to endorse anybody and I normally do not right a review on something unless I feel that it is truly called for to serve the product justice. All that being said here is my review of the Contour Back Max Pillow Wedge System with Built in Massage 28" model.

First my back story. I am a 34 year old man who is 6' 2" and weights in at 250lbs. of which about 20% of that is body fat. I suffer from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) since I was 15 and for those of you who do not know what that is I will explain. It is a type of rheumatoid arthritis that affects the spine of the low back and hips. It can skip around and affect other parts of the spine including the cervical. It can also be radial affecting the peripheral joints of the body. There is a whole range of other symptoms associated to this horrible disease and there are different levels of it that range from mild to severe. I am on the severe end of the spectrum so you name off anything that is associated with it and I have experienced that on some level. I am fortunate enough however to be blessed with a drug called Enbrel which does slow the progress of the disease and even makes me a fully functioning part of the workforce. I am able to work full time as a Computer Repair Technician. I can even go to the gym and workout to keep myself in shape.

Everything in my sleeping habits had been great until about a year and a half ago or so when I suddenly noticed that I was losing circulation in my body. If I laid on my right side I would lose circulation in that side of my body and if I laid on my left the same. If I laid flat on my back I would lose circulation in my entire body including my head. As soon I would move to readjust the blood flow would just start rushing. I could even feel it rushing up into my head. Something is getting pinched off somewhere in my spine obviously and I don't know where but would ultimately like to get to the bottom of it. I also have been awaking every morning with intense pain right in the mid section of my back. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being bad the pain is a 10-12. It makes it to where I am so uncomfortable that I have no choice but to get up for the day after only about 5-7hrs of sleep. It literally feels as though somebody jerked a knot in my spine. I have discovered that if I sleep in a reclined position that I don't lose the circulation nearly as bad as I do sleeping in any other position and can actually sleep 8-10 hours if I choose to in that position. Also the pain isn't there as bad in the mid back like it normally is in that position. Now onto what I want to say about this wedge pillow system.

First off I would like to say "WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD!". From night one I have not awoke in the morning with that horrible pain in the middle of my spine. Despite of what others are saying about how comfortable it is I believe that it is very comfortable. My wife and kids love it too. My wife actually wants me to get her one now. I do still get a loss of circulation but not nearly as bad as when I sleep in the recliner or elsewhere. I am sleeping much better now thanks to this system and actually awake feeling well rested and can even go back to sleep and sleep in if I would like to. The poofy dark bags under my eyes are all but gone and I have only been sleeping on this thing for about 5 nights now. Here are the pros and cons that I see with this system:

1. Pros: Comfortable, sleep deeper and longer, awake feeling rejuvenated and reenergized. The 28" model is definitely worth the extra cash because I couldn't see how I would on anything smaller and even if I did I would have no place to rest my arms. These also double as a way of trying new sexual positions with your partner. They give you some new and fun angles to work with.

2. Cons: It does take a little getting use to the ideal of sleeping on it. Also it is not really one size fits all when zippered together. My wife is 5' 3" and can easily use it all zipped together but I can not. I have to separate the top and mid sections about 3-4 inches so that the mid section properly cradles my legs. The built in massage is worthless. It just vibrates of course but you can barely feel it. Doesn't waste the 8 AA batteries on it. The neck pillow is comfortable but not really needed so I don't use it.

I closing I would just like to say that they should take out the vibration function and keep the neck pillow and drop the price to 199.99. I am sure that they would sell a hell of a lot more of them if they did. Anyone who suffers from any type of back pain just needs to try this. It works for me and maybe it can for you too.

Beware of Contour Products and the Back Max system!

First the product itself:

It is not suited to someone over the height of about 5'7". Although the pieces to separate (by zippers), if you do that, the slippery nature of the fleece cover slides all over the place, so you're basically forced to leave them zipped together, and then the dimensions are too small for someone of higher than average height.

The foam out of which the pillows are constructed is SO hard, it is actually painful to lay on for more than a few minutes.

Because of the dimension of the box in which the product comes, it's the volume equivalent of approximately 82Lbs. That means shipping charges of $60 via the post office and just slightly less with UPS.

Second return policy and customer service:

1). Return policy is WAY down on the bottom of their webpage, very easy to miss.

2). To return the product requires a Return Authorization.

3). When you request the return authorization, they inform you there is a 20% restocking charge for `used' items.

4). The address on their website is not a UPS verified, and instead of informing of the appropriate address, Customer Disservice keeps sending crip-to-grams till finally you have the correct address.

5). When you ship the item back, a week goes by, with no word and no credit for the return.

6). When you ask where the credit is, you're informed that `We have a 30 day return policy. Since the product is used, it has been disposed of, we don't have a record of your credit card number, and there will not be a refund coming'.

Save yourself grief and a LOT of money. DO NOT BUY from Contour Products.

Buy BackMax Plus Extra-Wide Wedge Cushion Set Now

My husband has a degeneration of his vertebrae at L5, S1, and we thought this product would help him sleep through the pain. It was plenty wide for him, 6'4" and 250lbs, but so short in the back wedge part (the part you need), that it was uncomfortable even for me @ 5'9". The product itself took a week longer to ship than projected when I ordered, and was relatively crappy for the money. What Amazon doesn't list on this site is the 20% restocking fee involved in returns, plus paying for shipping it back. The customer service at Contour was non-existent, and will get you no where. I feel 'taken' by them, that they would sell a product with misleading information on Amazon.

BUYER BEWARE!

Read Best Reviews of BackMax Plus Extra-Wide Wedge Cushion Set Here

I bought this wedge system because i snore and have sleep apnea. I could not stand the face mask of the CPAP machine, but when I sleep in a recliner I get a great nights rest. The contour beds are probably $3000 so this was cheaper attempt allow me to sleep in bed and get a good nights rest.

I'm a big guy. Not very tall but big boned LOL... This is widest wedge system I could find and I was worried it wasn't wide enough when I ordered it, but that wasn't the case at all. Its plenty wide and supports me just fine. Its not a flat wedge if that makes sense. There is a slight lumbar support portion to it that hits your back just right.

The one problem I did have was when the 2 sections are attached its a bit too small for me. I'm actually too tall for it, or it just not made for my body type. Not sure where the problem lies. An easy fix would be if the offered an section of material to zip in to lengthen the unit. I just took off the bottom section all together and it works great.

The foot portion at the bottom was not useful to me at all. It must be for some problem I am not aware of. ???

Want BackMax Plus Extra-Wide Wedge Cushion Set Discount?

I purchased this cushion set because it was the best option next to an adjustable bed. I was to have reconstructive knee surgery and my doc said that I'd need to elevate my leg for several days after surgery. The first week. I only used it for sitting up to eat, watch TV, visit with friends. This was done easily because of the design and functionality instructions included with this cushion system. The second week, we detached the first wedge (as was shown in the instruction manual and I used it it sleep elevated.) The third week, I used the cushion in its entirety, but we used the split option and it has been working like a charm. I'm not a large women, yet I like a lot of room, and this extra-wide cushion set is perfect for me. I sleep so well using the sleep cushion system and it truly has been designed well, and is well made. as of a result of my use of this device, several of my friends are planning to purchase this sleep cushion systemnow that they've seen how it works after visiting me. I'm thinking that even after I recover from my knee surgery, I'm still going to use this cusion system, because it my back feels so awesome using while I'm reading in bed, on my laptop, watching TV, and working on my iPad. My back has always needed better support while in bed doing the above mentioned activities, and I'm incredibly happy that I now have a cushion system that fits my needs. The price is very reasonable for the quality of this product, and I shall continue to use it and sing its praises.

I am 5' 8" and the cushion system at first seemed a little short, then we looked at the manual again and realized that he whole system is customizable. After that we unzipped the middle of the cushion system and lengthened the two parts far enough for desired comfort, and viola! This system was designed for every aspect of the human body, so take your time and get familiar with its versatility.