The Bemer mat is a PEMF therapy mat, designed with a specific target in mind: delivering PEMF therapy to the person using it.
While many other PEMF machines have moved with the times and included several other therapy methods, Bemer has maintained something of a purist mindset, focusing primarily on PEMF, and their own claim to improve microcirculation through a targeted PEMF therapy treatment schedule (though their Pro model does offer red light therapy).
So what exactly is the Bemer mat, and is it truly one of the best mats on the market?
To first understand what may or may not set the Bemer apart, let’s take a quick look at PEMF therapy and how it is typically used.
What Is PEMF Therapy?
PEMF therapy is a type of energy therapy that has long been used to treat a variety of ailments in both humans and animals.
Much like magnetic therapy and acupuncture have been used to align the body and improve its ability to heal, PEMF therapy (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field therapy) is used to treat the energetic body, focusing on the electrical communication found in all of the body’s cells, and improving that communication to boost general health and speed up the healing process in acute illnesses or injuries.
PEMF therapy uses pulsed electromagnetic waves to deliver varying intensities and frequencies in order to improve the electrical communication between cells.
Because the human body is made up of an enormous and complex communication system dependent upon the consistent and effective delivery of electrical signals, making sure that electromagnetic frequencies are being sent and delivered properly is essential to maintain health.
PEMF therapy is designed to bridge communication gaps derived from electrical signal breakdown in the body, which can have a landslide of positive effects.
Traditionally, PEMF therapy was used as a way to increase healing times in targeted areas, such as tendon tears or muscle soreness in humans and animals, but as time has gone on, it has been tested in many other areas.
Some areas of interest regarding PEMF are depression treatment, osteoporosis supplemental therapy, osteoarthritis treatment, pain relief, and circulatory improvement.
Although these are not the only areas that have shown improvement when using PEMF therapy, they are some of the most prominent issues that have been and continue to be evaluated in research studies on pulsed electromagnetic fields.
The Bemer Mat Specifications: Waveform, Intensity, and Frequency
Waveform, intensity, and frequency are the three components typically evaluated when examining a PEMF therapy company or product, and Bemer is no exception.
There is some variation between the available levels associated with the Bemer Classic and Bemer Pro, but there is not a considerable difference between the two available options.
In light of this, the available options may be discussed as a whole, rather than focusing on the Classic and Pro mats separately.
The Bemer mat delivers its own unique Bemer Wave, which is a waveform unique to the Bemer company.
The waveforms typically associated with positive PEMF therapy benefits are the square, sine, and sawtooth waves.
Bemer uses their own version of the sine wave, which the company calls a cascading sine wave.
This patented wave is said to repeat every 33 seconds, and deliver a sine wave in a reversing cascade for the duration of a session.
Although Bemer attributes their patented wave as one of the many reasons to choose a Bemer product over its competitors, there have not been any third-party studies suggesting that the Bemer’s wave is superior to any of the more commonly used waveforms, such as the square or standard sine wave.
The intensity of a PEMF therapy mat describes the strength of the magnetic field, or the source of energy being transmitted into the body during a PEMF session.
The Bemer mat offers an intensity between 0.035 Gauss and 0.35 Gauss.
The additional plug-ins used for targeted PEMF application run slightly higher, at a Gauss of between 0.1 and 1.5.
While it may seem that a higher intensity is always better, a higher intensity level does not necessarily correspond to a more beneficial therapy session.
For reference, most research studies identify an intensity of between 1 and 10 Gauss as the best range for optimal PEMF therapy results.
Bemer’s mats deliver a frequency of either 10 Hz or 30 Hz, respectively, for the Classic and Pro mats.
These offerings are well within the recommended frequencies of between 1 and 33 Hz.
The frequency of a PEMF machine identifies the number of times a pulse is delivered to the body in a second.
If the intensity of the machine identifies the strength of the electromagnetic signal being transmitted to the body, the frequency identifies the number of times that intensity makes contact with the body’s own energetic field via the body’s cells.
A Common Claim to Fame: NASA and Bemer
Bemer is often identified as one of the most reputable PEMF mat companies out there, because they were once listed as a partner of NASA, due to NASA’s interest in PEMF therapy.
Understandably, this link brought a great deal of acclaim and attention to Bemer’s product.
After all, what could be more reliable than a NASA partner?
Although it may not tarnish the efficacy of Bemer’s mat or in any way limit the scope of the Bemer mat, it is important to consider that the relationship between Bemer and NASA was not one of mutual design or collaboration, but was instead a result of Bemer paying for the privilege of being considered a NASA partner.
Many other companies and even schools are bolstered and supported by links to NASA, and partnering with other companies is a common, even standard practice in business and marketing.
So why involve NASA?
NASA has actually used PEMF therapy for many years, as the potential benefits of PEMF therapy on overall health were noticed and utilized by NASA.
Astronauts frequently experience a loss of health during and following their missions, and require intervention to ward off complications of having exited the earth’s atmosphere—and, subsequently, the earth’s magnetic signatures.
PEMF therapy showed promise as a treatment for individuals who were in orbit, or who had been engaged in other missions for NASA, and NASA was eager to take advantage of such an innovative practice.
The link between NASA and PEMF is not limited to Bemer, but is actually well-established regardless of the exact company involved, and is based on a robust and hearty embrace of the scientific studies supporting the use of PEMF therapy for conditions that might plague astronauts, including general pain, malaise, and injury.
For this reason, NASA’s use of PEMF therapy is not exactly a testament to the power of Bemer’s product.
Instead, NASA’s use of PEMF therapy is an endorsement of the therapy as a whole, regardless of whether or not the machine delivering the therapy comes from Bemer or one of the many Bemer competitors.
More information about NASA’s use of PEMF therapy can be found via their website, and does not focus on the Bemer company’s delivery of PEMF therapy.
Available Bemer Models: A Comparison
The Bemer company has two models: the Bemer Pro and the Bemer Classic.
Each of these models possess their own strengths and weaknesses, but do not have any large differences between them.
Instead, the Pro is differentiated from the Classic by way of the number of controls and therapy types available: in essence, the Pro is able to deliver greater customizability for users, while the Classic has a few predetermined settings and a single type of therapy that users must utilize.
The Bemer Classic offers PEMF therapy exclusively through its controller and mat, while the Pro provides PEMF therapy through the mat and an additional applicator used to deliver red light therapy.
People in search of PEMF alone would do well to purchase the Classic, but those who are hoping to receive two therapies in a single session may be better off opting for the Bemer Pro.
Corresponding to the greater customizability of therapy delivery and availability, the Bemer Pro comes in at just under $6,000 ($5,990), while the Bemer Classic comes in at just over $4,000 ($4,290).
These prices are considered quite high for the market, as most competitors come in significantly lower in price, even for more inclusive products involving multiple therapies.
Bemer often attributes the price to their long-standing presence as a PEMF machine company, and their specific type of PEMF therapy, said to target and improve circulation more closely than any other product on the market.
These claims have been both substantiated and debunked in studies, and may warrant closer inspection.
Bemer Warranties and Guarantees
Bemer boasts 2 warranties for brand new products: a 3-year warranty for the majority of the mat and its components, and a 6-month warranty for the product’s B.Light and battery.
Bemer’s controller warranty is among the best on the market (though it is not the longest), as the controller is included in the company’s 3-year warranty.
Because the controller of a mat can be the most costly and complicated to replace, making sure your mat includes a robust controller warranty is important.
In this regard, Bemer delivers.
Bemer also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee for customers who have purchased their mats directly from the manufacturer.
This distinction is important to keep a close eye on, as a distributor of the product is not considered a purchase directly from the company, and mats purchased under these conditions will not be eligible for the 30-day return guarantee.
If you are concerned about whether or not the Bemer mat is right for you and you want to get a feel for the product first, it is likely best to purchase the mat directly from the source—though it is also important to note that return shipping and handling is not included in the money-back guarantee, and Bemer does charge a 10% restocking fee, should you take advantage of the 30-day guarantee.
The Bemer guarantee also stipulates that everything must be returned in the package, and all items must be wholly intact and without damage.
If a package is returned with missing items, damaged items, or without the original invoice provided after the purchase of the mat, the mat is no longer eligible for the 30-day guarantee.
While money back guarantees can be wonderful, make sure you fully understand all of the provisions and stipulations before you begin the process of returning the item.
Should you choose to become a distributor of the Bemer mat prior to the end of the 30-day guarantee, the guarantee becomes null and void.
This may not be an issue, as someone who wants to become a distributor likely enjoys the benefits the mat delivers, but because it is a fine-print part of the guarantee, we have mentioned it here, to make sure you are well informed.
Bemer’s Business Model: Things to Keep in Mind
Bemer mats are sold by the manufacturer, but are also sold via semi-independent distributors through a business structure called multi-level marketing (MLM).
Multi-level marketing means that third-party sellers are able to offer the mat, with a small portion of each sale going to the third party seller.
Often incorrectly referred to as a “pyramid scheme,” which is not a legal practice, multi-level marketing can be an effective and useful business model, but there can be drawbacks that trickle down to the consumer.
The most significant drawback is the possibility of inflated prices.
When a product is sold both by a manufacturer directly, and by multiple, smaller third parties, the price of the product is often designed to provide a paycheck to both the company and the seller, which can “pad” the price, in order to make the prospect of selling the mat a compelling one.
While this is a common, legal, and safe business practice, it can influence your decision to purchase a mat or other MLM product.
The pros of purchasing a mat from a MLM company typically come in the form of the ability to become a seller or distributor, yourself.
Because Bemer offers the ability to sell their product if you find it useful, it can be an attractive choice for someone looking to invest in their health and a potential way to bring in additional income.
Some users may prefer the MLM structure in order to try to “work off” the price of their mat, while others may find the larger price tag that comes with an MLM too prohibitive to warrant a Bemer purchase.
Buying a Bemer Mat
Although the Bemer mat was originally conceived as an MLM pricing and sales structure exclusively, it has since begun offering the Bemer mat directly from the company’s site, as well.
This means that finding a Bemer mat does not require searching for a third-party seller, but can be ordered directly from the company that manufactures it.
Some may find this the best option, in order to guarantee that the mat’s warranties and guarantees are firmly intact.
Friends and family members can also often be turned to, as MLM companies often encourage distributors to seek out friends and family first in order to effectively and consistently sell products.
Bemer mats may also be purchased secondhand.
Local sales sites, online third-party sellers, and even companies like eBay can all have Bemer mats available for second-hand purchase, in order to cut down on the high prices of the mats.
Be careful when purchasing one of these mats, though, as they can still potentially run in the thousands, and are unlikely to have any sort of warranty or guarantee, unless the site you are purchasing from offers one of their own (as may be the case with eBay).
Purchasing a used mat can be a wonderful way to reap the benefits of PEMF therapy with a Bemer mat without the high prices, but is certainly not without risk.
Carefully weigh the possibility of going without a warranty or guarantee against the full price of the mat, as purchasing a used mat can still cost thousands of dollars, and may result in having a product that does not work properly, or only works for a short period of time.
Bemer Safety and Efficacy: How Is Bemer Certified Safe?
Any item that is considered a therapy or medical tool is required to be reviewed for safety and efficacy.
Bemer PEMF therapy machines currently possess three stamps that they use to declare their machines’ safety.
These include the MDC certification, the CE certification, and their FDA registration status.
The MDC certification signifies that a company has paid an outside medical company to inspect the product and declare it safe for use in a medical setting.
The CE certification stands for European Conformity, and is used to suggest that a product has met all of the safety protocols and guidelines put forth by the European Union.
When searching for a CE stamp, be sure to search for a number along with the CE stamp, as the number identifies the presence of an actual study and review, while a CE stamp without a number suggests the product has not actually been evaluated by an EU-approved party.
FDA registration is often used to suggest that the FDA has reviewed a product and has deemed it safe.
While it may sound impressive and trustworthy—and many companies use “FDA registered” in the place of “FDA approved,” the two are quite different.
An FDA approved product or service is one that has undergone careful review and has been found to do what it claims to do, without causing too many deleterious side effects.
An FDA registered product or service, however, is one that has been deemed safe by virtue of falling into a category of existing safe machines.
To put it another way, an FDA approved product is like a product that has undergone a careful quality check before being put on a shelf, while an FDA registered product is akin to a product that has been placed in its proper case and put directly on a shelf to be sold.
A lack of FDA approval is not necessarily cause for concern, but an FDA registration does not suggest a thorough review or evaluation, as it might initially seem.
Something to note is that the Bemer site does not specifically prohibit the use of PEMF therapy for people with pacemakers and other electronic implants, or for people who are pregnant.
Typically, these conditions are discouraged when utilizing PEMF therapy, though a medical practitioner may suggest using PEMF therapy, as long as all electrical implants are carefully avoided.
Before utilizing any type of PEMF machine, consult a doctor if you are on any type of blood thinning medication, if you have an electronic implant, or if you are pregnant.
These conditions may not interact negatively with PEMF therapy, but a cautious approach is usually advised.
The Bemer Versus the HealthyLine
While Bemer may solidly claim to be among the oldest companies currently offering PEMF therapy devices, it is not necessarily the best company or product currently on the market.
The Bemer mats are certainly useful, but there other mats that have built on the standard PEMF therapy mat model, to create innovative and supportive therapy mats that bolster PEMF availability through other, built-in therapy mechanisms.
The HealthyLine Platinum Mat is among these options, and provides a 4-in-1 approach to PEMF therapy for a significantly lower price.
First Up: Construction
The construction differences between the Bemer and the HealthyLine Platinum are immediately apparent, even just in the two different mats: because the HealthyLine Platinum includes multiple types of therapy, the mats are constructed very differently, in order to support these therapy offerings.
In the Bemer mat, the mat itself is quite simple: the mat contains the components necessary to deliver PEMF and PEMF alone, as the red light therapy available in Bemer’s Pro kit is delivered through a plug-in, rather than through the mat itself.
In the HealthyLine Platinum mat, however, the construction is thick and robust, in order to accommodate crystal therapy, red light therapy, negative ion therapy, and PEMF therapy, all within the same mat.
Although both are constructed with durability and consistent use in mind, the materials included in each differ substantially.
Bemer Versus HealthyLine: Waveform, Frequency, and Intensity
While Bemer’s waveform is shrouded in an element of mystery, being identified as the “Bemer form,” the HealthyLine Platinum mat offers either a square waveform in their base-level model, or the option to switch between a square waveform and sine waveform in their Pro model.
The ability to move between waveforms offers another degree of customizability in PEMF therapy delivery that is not always available in PEMF mats, including the Bemer mat.
HealthyLine Platinum mats overtake Bemer mats in frequency options, as the HealthyLine mats place a high priority on allowing users to truly customize their PEMF therapy experience.
HealthyLine Platinum mats provide frequency settings between 1 and 25, allowing users to vary the frequency of EMFs delivered during a session.
This allows users to utilize PEMF therapy for different applications.
A low frequency setting, for instance, might be used for someone wishing to conduct routine bodily maintenance, while a high-frequency setting might be the preferred setting for someone working to target an acute issue, such as a recent surgical wound.
Frequency variations between 1 and 25 can also allow users to find a frequency that best suits their unique wants and needs, in the absence of moving between targeted treatment and general maintenance.
The intensity of HealthyLine Platinum mats also blows many competitors out of the water, including Bemer; in keeping with the recommended intensity of between 1 and 10 Gauss, HealthyLine Platinum mats offer 5 intensity settings of up to 3 Gauss, while the Bemer mat is limited to either 0.035 or 0.35 Gauss in the mat, and 0.1 to 1.5 Gauss in the attachments.
The inclusion of greater variability and the adherence to recommended intensity levels makes HealthyLine Platinum mats an ideal choice for PEMF delivery.
Bemer and HealthyLine: a Warranty Comparison
The warranty included in the Bemer mat is admirable, consisting of a 6-month warranty for the B.Light and battery, and a 3-year warranty for the remainder of the product.
While these warranties are certainly nothing to be ashamed of, the HealthyLine Platinum mat does boast a more intensive warranty option for the controller.
The HealthyLine’s controller has a 5-year warranty, while the mat has a 2-year warranty.
HealthyLine’s warranty system is designed to offer the most significant warranty on the priciest component of the product, in order to make sure customers are able to get the best possible use out of their mats, without the pain or hassle of losing an expensive product only a year or two into its use.
The Benefits of HealthyLine’s Technology
Although Bemer and HealthyLine both offer PEMF therapy, they are very different machines.
This is due primarily to the many healing modalities included in HealthyLine Platinum mats.
HealthyLine Platinum mats include 4 total therapies, including negative ion therapy, PEMF, crystal therapy, and red light therapy.
A quick look at each therapy provides an idea of how valuable the HealthyLine mat truly is.
Negative ion therapy is the alternative therapy most often used to minimize free radicals in the body.
Free radical damage is an ailment considered responsible for issues ranging from the relatively minor, such as early wrinkles, to the more substantial, such as expression of cancerous genetic coding.
Free radicals are created from many different sources, such as highly processed foods and even prolonged exposure to sunlight, and results in unpaired molecules bounding around in the body.
These unpaired molecules essentially move around the body, “stealing” molecules from other areas to repair themselves, and creating a chain reaction of additional free radicals.
Negative ion therapy reduces the presence of free radicals.
Crystal therapy can be used to minimize stress, induce mental calm, and has even been linked to pain reduction.
Because crystal therapy is thought to utilize the same energetic assistance as magnetic therapy and PEMF, it is a wonderful complement to any PEMF therapy mat.
Red light therapy has been used primarily in the treatment of skincare ailments.
Among these are the presence of fine lines and wrinkles and persistent acne.
Red light therapy via the HealthyLine Platinum mat delivers red light therapy over a large area of the body at one time, rather than the small spaces typically targeted in red light therapy treatments, and can be used as both an acute treatment, and a source of general support for skin health.
HealthyLine Versus Bemer
Bemer has long been trusted for its contributions to the field of PEMF therapy, but its long-standing inclusion in the field may work against it in some cases, as it is able to rely on its name and established brand, rather than relying largely on innovation.
Bemer competitors, including the HealthyLine Platinum, are often focused more on innovation and bringing more variables into the equation, in order to provide a therapy mat that supports the body in several different ways, boosting the healing potential of PEMF therapy.
Due to its high customizability and much lower starting price, the HealthyLine Platinum is a wonderful PEMF therapy choice, and may deliver a greater degree of personalized therapy to users than the standard Bemer offerings.
Whether you are just stepping into the world of PEMF therapy, you are a long-time user, or you fall somewhere between, we understand: navigating the world of at-home PEMF products can be daunting.
While Bemer is a trusted and respected name in the PEMF world, it does not offer the greatest options in terms of flexibility and therapy delivery, and there are many other companies delivering high-quality mats at much lower prices.
Selecting a mat is a highly personal decision, and should involve a thorough understanding of all available options, and the pros and cons of each of those options.
Selecting a Bemer mat can be the perfect fit for some, provided that price is not an issue, and therapy needs only involve PEMF.
It can also be useful for those who are not only interested in their own health, but in creating a business partnership with a company in order to sell multi-level marketing products.
A HealthyLine Platinum mat is likely to be a better fit for individuals who are budget-minded as they search for a PEMF mat, who want to be able to customize their therapy experience, and who want to involve multiple types of therapy to bolster health and the efficacy of PEMF overall.
HealthyLine Platinum mats involve not 1, but 4 types of therapy, all of which can work synergistically to improve overall health and wellness, and which have been linked to improvements in areas as diverse as depression, arthritis, and wound healing.