Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am fussy about products of this type... If a product purports to provide any sort of health benefit, or provide some measure of pain relief or comfort, it better deliver on the promise or I'm going to send it back. I have/had shoulder surgery on the horizon so I researched the heck out of these product types... a machine of this sort is actually a requirement in the presurgery literature at the Ortho surgical center where I was scheduled. There are other, a little pricier, options with great reviews, and I will say I have not tried any of them so they may be superior in some way I'm not aware of. My target qualities were : 1) Quiet operation. I don't want to rely on something for pain relief/comfort that is consistently annoying to hear. 2) Reliable operation. No leaks, no fuss, no muss, does what it advertises. 3) Ease of use. if it takes forever to prep and/or operate and is cumbersome then its a no go. Quick overview. Very simple programming and operation, clear tank with a solid handle that makes it easy to see how much ice is left. Ice and water levels are marked clearly inside the tank (Ice first, water second, though I reverse them as I fill the tank and you'll see why later) the included universal/shoulder pad/bladder and elastic straps are totally adequate for the coverage needed, I am a big guy (over 6 1/2 feet tall, 230+ lbs) and it was completely satisfactory. My Prep: Standard ice cubes melt very quickly in water, so my approach was to get a package of plastic picnic cups (roughly 4" tall, 3" across the top) and clear a shelf in my freezer for them. I then fill and get a dozen or so frozen, refilling afterwords, and I found I did this only once a day. (hint: running a little lukewarm water over them in the sink quickly releases those giant cubes) Pouring water in the tank after the ice is in will prematurely melt some of that ice, so I filled the tank to the ice line with water first, then put my ice in the water... generally 9-11 of my giant cubes and then take up the slack with a couple of cups of regular ice cubes. This worked exceptionally well, and I was able to get 4+ 30-minute icing sessions a day, without refilling or fussing with the tank in between sessions, and while the last session was less cold than the first it was still very sufficient **Note that your regular home ice maker will never keep up with your needs** Once the tank is full, the top attaches very easily, as does the pad/bladder. The included water hose is leak free and plenty long enough for comfortable use almost anywhere, There are only 2 settings on the unit: Pump speed / Water volume (LPM or Liters per Minute) and Time. Its worth noting that if the water is not quite as cold as you like, then using the highest pump rate speeds the heat transfer from the target area and thus improves the cooling effect. Noise. This unit does create sound at the 2 highest pump rates but is very minor when sitting right next to me on the floor. I would describe the sound as kind of a faint white noise buzz which was very easily absorbed into the background with the TV or stereo on, or during a conversation. I actually had to purposefully listen for it to identify it during first use. Cold/Cooling. If you think you can get by with standard ice packs after a surgery, maybe you will, but this is much better. I did try ice packs directly for contrast and it wasn't even a close contest. I had extensive rotator and associated shoulder tendon surgery, and in my surgeons own technical terms once he got into my shoulder, it was a "hot mess"... that's a direct quote. ( I have pictures to prove it) I am very pleased with this product, it delivers on its promise and though I rarely leave reviews I decided I wanted to leave a complete review here because health care is already nonsensically expensive and something as simple and necessary as this should be inexpensive and performant... this item is both. ** edit** I have had 50+ uses so far and all elements of the unit (including pad) are in great shape I hope this is helpful in your research!