Elemax Cooling, Heat and Massage Unit review

The Elemax is a cooling, heat and massage unit designed to slot in the lumbar support of your chair and it is one of the coolest (and hottest) things ever. It is extremely effective at providing a complete level of comfort while you are working from home or at the office, streaming, or in a late-night gaming session. Designed with dual fans to keep you cool when you feel hot and stuffy, the Elemax can make the most uncomfortable situations comfortable. However, if you start to feel chilly  when the temperature drops below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (like myself), the Elemax has you covered. A built-in heating pad warms you up even on the coldest days of the year. 

When I have time to game, I typically don’t stop until I see the sun come up and realize I’ve made a mistake. Hours of awkward sitting positions can make for a sore back, but the Elemax has the perfect fix: a massage mode that can oscillate between a constant and varied power setting. However, the Elemax does cost $189. And I know what you may be thinking, “I just spent a decent amount on the Mavix chair, why do I need to spend more on the Elemax?” and I understand the skepticism. But a peripheral that heats, cools and massages is worth the splurge.  

Elemax pricing and configurations

There’s only one configuration of the Elemax. It costs $189 and comes in only one type of color palette, featuring a gray mesh front and a jet black backside. Though the Elemax is normally priced at $189, there is currently a sale for the product that places it at $159. The Elemax will fit any chair in the Mavix gaming chair series with ease.

Elemax design

The Elemax strives for simplicity. Usually, heating or cooling pads are bulky, uncomfortable, and aren’t compatible with a chair.  However, the Elemax was designed by Mavix, and only for Mavix. The Elemax doesn’t have a unique, eye-catching design because it is not supposed to. The Elemax is meant to be tucked away behind the chair, only showing off its buttons for easy access and use. 

The subtle design of the Elemax is what I admire most about it. It isn't trying to be anything special by having a “cute” or “spontaneous” look that has been fabricated for a specific audience. The Elemax features a gray mesh face constructed with two frontal straps. The back of the Elemax is a simple midnight black and strictly faces the users back. A black cover fits easily over the Elemax pad to protect it from damage and blend it more into the chair.

The only coloration that the Elemax has is its button control system. The heat, cooling, and massage buttons are all made of soft rubber and display their purpose with a white painted symbol. Lights have been placed next to each function to let the user know what they are inputting. Three buttons control the Elemax: a blue cooling button, a red heat button, and the green and yellow massage button that adjusts its color based on intensity modes. 

The Elemax massage function has two levels of intensity. Pressing the power button once will activate a gentle massage while also emitting two green lights that denote the gentle massage. Press the intensity button one more time and you will activate a powerful massage. By activating the powerful massage function, a yellow light will hit next to the intensity button. There are also two different massage modes designed for the Elemax that work as constant and variable massages. The constant massage mode is activated when you press the power button once. In order to activate the variable massage mode, press the power button for a 2nd time. A yellow light will emit next to the power button once the variable massage mode is turned on. 

The Elemax only has one cooling and one heating setting. Simply press the heat button once to turn the heat on, which will illuminate a red light. The process is the same for the cooling option, buta blue light will appear instead, which tells you the dual fans have activated.

The Elemax is easy to charge since it comes with a USB charging cord and a wall charger. You can use the Elemax while plugged in, and if you need to fully charge it, it takes roughly four to five hours to finish. Using the massage only function, you will have five hours of charge that are split into twenty 15-minute cycles. Using the cooling or heat/massage functions together you will have 1 hour and 45 minutes of charge that is split into seven 15 minute cycles. Using the cooling or heating functions only you will also have 1 hour and 45 minutes of charge, which is split into seven 15-minute cycles.

Elemax comfort

The Elemax just about met my expectations with the level of comfort that it provides. The constant and variable massage settings are rather nice and provide a very relaxing element to a problem that I have been having for awhile. For anyone who has worked in an office, been gaming for hours on end, or just surfed the internet for way too long, you know that your back can get stiff from being in prolonged uncomfortable positions. Sure, the Mavix chairs are extremely comfortable and offer the Dynamic Variable Lumbar Support element, but even that can start to become uncomfortable after a while. 

The Elemax ensures that the user remains at an optimal level of comfort. The massage features are nice because they relax and soothe your stiff muscles and increase your blood flow. Is this to say that the Elemax is on the same level as a massage gun or a legitimate massage chair? No, I don’t think so. But the Mavix chair is not meant to be a cheap massage recliner, either. It is a legitimate product. The Elemax was designed to work with you in any given situation, especially to make you feel more comfortable when you are grinding.

Living in a tropical area like Florida has its downsides. It gets hot and muggy, which takes a toll on someone who sits in a chair for long periods of time. I tend to get cramped, fidgety, and agitated when I get too hot, but the Elemax’s cooling fans completely alleviates that problem. The heating pad has also helped in a pinch when Florida temperatures dropped to a rare 40 degrees these past few weeks. 

Though the heating pad may be slow to start and warm up, it does a wonderful job at keeping the user warm. The Elemax provides a full-body temperature control that is geared towards maximizing your comfort experience. You can’t even feel that the pad is behind you and doesn’t alter the original design of the Mavix chair.

Elemax assembly

It doesn’t take very much work to install the Elemax. Mavix has done almost all of the work for you, even going as far as charging up the Elemax. Once I unboxed the equipment, I realized all I had to do was install it on the chair. I first toyed around with the device, testing out the massage and heat/cooling settings and made sure that the device was entirely charged up. From there, I flipped through the instruction manual and got to work.

Taking the Elemax and holding it with the control panel facing me, I slid the Elemax behind my Mavix M4 and fit it behind the Dynamic Variable Lumbar Support. Once the Elemax fit snugly in the crevice, I simply took the Elemax back cover and slid it in front of the unit with the embedded lines to the left facing me. Making sure that the back cover fit firmly in front of the Elemax, and had no risk of falling, the installation was complete. 

Elemax warranty

The Elemax has a great warranty in place. All parts and materials on the Elemax have been warrantied for three years, during which time, Future Seating will provide replacement parts for any damage that is due to a defect in their material or manufacturing of the product. For the first two years, Future Seating will pay the entire cost of the replacement parts and shipping if your Elemax breaks. For the third year, Future will still pay for the cost of replacement. However, they will not pay for the shipping of your Elemax.

Bottom line

The Elemax is a product for anyone who uses Mavix chairs consistently and needs that extra support. For $189, the accessory really introduces a whole new world of practical comfort. Loosening up your back muscles and adding a bit of heat or cooling to the mix might be just what you need after a long day of work or a marathon gaming session. Especially since you’re paying hundreds less than you would with a bonafide massage chair.  It’s a bit pricey, but soothing a sore back or getting a quick cool down is a small price to pay.