REVIEW – Do you feel like every day is leg day? Whether you need help with circulation or you’re an athlete looking to recover, a massage can do wonders. While we might not have the time to get to an actual massage, pulling on a pair of massaging air compression boots is a great alternative. Beoka sent their ACM-A1 Air Compression Massager for my wife and I to review and I wasn’t ready for how much I like them.

What is it?

The Beoka Air Compression Massager is a pair of boots that use air compression in 5 different zones to help massage your legs to aid in circulation and/or recovery from training or fatigue. The integrated controllers or a smartphone App can be used to customize the experience.

What’s included?

• Storage Bag and Accessory Box

• Air Compression Massager Boots (Left and Right specific) w/ integrated controllers/air compressors (1 shown above)

• Rechargeable battery (2x)
• Charging cables (2x)
• Storage pouch
• Quick Start Guide (not shown)

Tech specs

Design and features

The Beoka Air Compression Massager are a large pair of boots (we’ll just call them Air Boots the rest of this review). They are constructed with a durable nylon fabric that does not stretch allowing each of the internal air bladders to provide substantial pressure.

A large zipper is used down the front, all the way to the toe, to make getting them on and off easier. A controller/air compressor with a removable battery is integrated into each Air Boot just outside the knee.

It has a sliding power switch, a start/mode button, 5 LED indicators and a battery release button.

Two D-Rings are sewn into the top edge that make it simple to hang them in a closet if used regularly, or they stow in the provided storage bag for travel or should you not need them for a while.

A hidden zipper on the side behind the controller lets you see what’s going on inside with the separate tubes and splitters to get air into the right places.

Assembly, Installation, Setup

The batteries arrive already separated from the Air Boots, so grab the charging cables, connect them to a USB-A power supply and let them charge fully before the first use. 4 LEDS means they’re ready to go.

When ready for your first session, find a comfortable spot where your legs can be straight. Pull the Air Boots on with the bold text and controllers facing away from each other and then click each of the batteries into place. The boots unzip fully and splay open should you need it.

The two controllers should already be paired together. Slide each power switch to the on position and you’ll hear them beep and light up blue to show they’re paired. Should you need to re-pair them (likely showing amber LEDs), press/hold one start/mode button for 5 seconds until it beeps twice, then release and press/hold the other for 5 seconds until it beeps twice. They should now chime sequentially.

When ready to go press one start/mode button and both units should start (could be a 1 sec. delay between). You’ll be in Fatigue Relief mode and a good place to start. To try mode 2 (Sports Recovery) or 3 (Deep Tissue Care), quickly press a 2nd or 3rd time as you start the session. Single presses will increase the pressure level incrementally from 1 – 5.

Additionally/alternatively, you can download the app and pair your phone with the Air Boots. The app provides more visibility into remaining battery levels and easier mode control, but is essentially just a wireless controller. 

Performance

My wife is a runner and frequently training for the next race she’s signed up for. Most recently it was the Every Woman’s Marathon in Savannah, Georgia. We were able to receive the Beoka Air Compression Massager about 2 weeks before that race. She was able to use the Air Boots for recovery on 12 and 16 mile runs prior to the event and then again after the marathon itself. It’s always a little hard to know which things amount to everything working well, but between finally fueling properly and the Beoka Air Boots before and after, she was significantly less fatigued and more mobile after this marathon than previous races.

I spend a lot of work days on my feet and was actually on an international trip the week before writing this review. I didn’t expect to want to use the Air Boots, and definitely didn’t expect to like them. I’ve been using them almost as much as she does and we’re easily getting in sessions every other day. I have to say they were pretty amazing after an 11 hour flight.

Each of the Modes works a little differently…

The Fatigue Mode pressurizes each chamber starting with the distal end (ankles) and working toward the proximal (thighs). This promotes blood circulation to the lower extremities.

The Exercise Recovery Mode again works from distal to proximal but inflates and deflates each and moves backwards every two chambers. In essence it feels a little more like a massage than constant pressure. This is good for pre-exercise warm up or recovery afterward.

The Deep Care Mode once again works from distal to proximal but adds some alternating chamber rotation in addition to the massage like feel. Their paragraph in the manual is really hard to decipher exactly what’s going on.

The last thing to note is that each of these modes can be customized to the amount of pressure. Level 1 (1 LED) is equal to 60mmHg, with each level increasing by 10 to Level 5 (5 LEDs) equal to 100mmHg.

My favorite is Exercise Recovery Mode at Level 4 as it provides a good squeeze but never all the sections at the same time.

As for sizing, we used Beoka’s guidelines to choose the Medium (29.5″ – 32.7″ outseam) and they fit both of us pretty well. I’m 6’3″ and my wife is 5’8.  Neither of us really need to use the zipper to put them on or off, but can see how it would be useful if mobility challenged.

The batteries are delightfully easy to remove. Pressing the button releases and slightly ejects them. The USB-C port is on the inside flat surface and charging them only takes about 2 hours (after 2 sessions).

The App is basically just a remote with percentage battery level reporting. The one thing it simplifies is control of which mode you’re in as each of those modes has a descriptive button versus a timed press on the physical button. However you may find it simpler just to use the Air Boots manually. Hopefully Beoka can develop the App to have more features like session tracking and maybe fix all the spelling errors while they’re at it.

The Air Boots are made with high quality construction and I can see them lasting a long time if properly taken care of. The nylon material is similar to that used in some outerwear and backpacks. A damp cloth should be all that’s required to wipe them down should it be needed.

If you’re going to store them for a while, make sure to charge the batteries first and follow Beoka’s folding instructions. We’ve just been hanging them from the D-rings next to our wetsuits and that’s been working just great.

What I like about Beoka Air compression massager boots

• Easy to put on and use. Slide on, flip the power switch and chose mode.
• Sturdy construction should last years
• Removable batteries are easy to charge.

What needs to be improved?

• The App needs a better walk through and more purpose, its need is questionable.
• Battery life could be better. About two 20 minute sessions before a recharge is needed.
• Sell the batteries separately for power users.

Final thoughts

If you are an athlete or are on your feet all day, the Air Compression Massager from Beoka is a valuable tool that can re-energize your legs. They’re super easy to use and remarkably quiet for what they do. Definitely not inexpensive even when on sale, but at 50% off currently they’re a great buy if you’re in the market and should last for a long time.

Price: $939, currently on sale for $469 
Where to buy: Beoka
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Beoka, who did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.