Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Luke 12:25-26

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Afflovest-- my opinion

Since I'm rocking some newer hardware, I felt I should give my honest opinion of it.  Please know a few things: 1- no one is paying me for this. 2- My opinion is just for information.  I do not have a medical license and my opinion should not affect you or your health decisions. 3- What may be right or wrong might not be for you.  Please get with your clinic before making any changes.

Here we go!



AffloVest
Basic description: This is another "vest" chest percussion device.  It houses the controller on the user's left side in a pocket and the battery on the user's right side in another pocket.  I have a size "small" and it has 3 adjustable clips in the front to latch it.  It also has several (4 or 5) two-button adjustments in the shoulders to fit the correct length.  To put simply, it is cordless.

How it works: With a charged battery (which lasts approximate 3 hours of usage), the vest is turned on by holding down the button with the symbol for ON (one you often see on computers).  It will boot up over about 5 full seconds.  From there you can run the set program by pressing GO or run whatever setting has been left up by pressing the PLAY button.

You can set a program by using the down arrow until you select Program.  This will bring you to a screen to edit the three Sequences it will cycle through on your program.  I like this because it allows me to set different types of therapy without having to think about it.  Each Sequence can run for a max of 15 minutes.

What the buttons mean:
P- Percussion. This setting vibrates for 1 second on, one second off for the full run time.  This is my favorite setting.
V- Vibration.  This is a solid vibration for the full run time.
D- Drainage.  This targets the lower lobes first, alternating front and back, and vibrates up in different areas.  The idea seems to be to knock crud loose and work it upwards.  I bet this is even more effective when the user is in a downward facing drainage posture.
Three bars: High intensity
Two bars: Medium intensity
One bar: Low intensity

Your mode and intensity can be adjusted at any point during the therapy session.  I saw a "lock" symbol when I set a program, which makes me wonder if it can be locked for kids so they don't change it up.  I haven't opened the flashdrive they sent with instructions, so I don't know for sure.

What's included:
When you get the Afflovest, you get a roller storage bag, the vest with connected controller, one large battery, a battery charger, and a wall cord.  The batter charger plugs directly into the wall and the battery to charge it.  The Vest cannot be used during this time.  They do have a wall cord though.  This can be plugged directly into the wall and the vest for usage when your battery is dead and you really need it.  Obviously, you're bound to the wall at this point, but isn't that what we're all used to anyway?  The cord is fairly long so you can sit on a chair or couch.  They also include a flashdrive of information.  I have yet to open it.

Now the part you've really been waiting for... Pros and Cons

Pros:
-I love the freedom.  I love being able to walk around, cook dinner, dry my hair, put on makeup, etc. while I do my therapy.  The vibrations are different than a typical air-filled vest, so it's not as violent to the entire body.  The vibrations seem deeper and more focused than the air-filled vests, which seem to just try to shake things up without understanding the concept of directional vibrations.
-I like the ease of being able to set the program.  I'm pretty tech savvy but I always struggled with the other vests to set cycles.  I just ran my time on my one setting and that was it.  Now, I feel like I have more freedom with my therapy.
-It works. I'm clearing up some crud. I can feel it makes a huge difference in my day. That's what matters the most in the end, right?

Cons:
-It's heavier than I anticipated.  Mine is 11lbs with the battery.  Sometimes that's hard for me to put on, or I become winded putting it on, but once it's on it's fine.
-The battery doesn't warn you it's low unless you're looking at it.  It just flashes.  I haven't had it die on me yet, but I'm sure it will eventually!
-I wish the programs could run longer than 15 minutes, but that's just me being picky.
-This pairs with the weight, but I expected it to be easier to carry with me when I travel.  It's still easier than the other Vest, but it's just not what I expected.  I'm used to the flimsy vest that I could fold up and pack away (though paired with a big machine), but the Afflovest has the machine built in, so it doesn't fold or pack away as easy as I had hoped.  Again, still easier than other options.
-For flyers: it has a lithium battery so the battery cannot be checked. It will have to be a carried with you.

I hope this helps!

-A