Field Use
Sea-Bands users have reported varying levels of motion sickness relief from using Sea-Bands. The biggest variable appears to be the users themselves: The Sea-Bands give roughly equal relief from varying kinds of nausea and motion sickness, including car sickness and sea sickness, for each user. If a given user gets no relief from car sickness with the Sea-Bands, he's not likely to get much relief from sea sickness, either. But if a user gets great relief from one type of motion sickness with the Sea-Bands, that level of relief will be consistent with other types of motion sickness. Perhaps this is because the successful use of Sea-Bands is contingent upon getting the plastic nubbin oriented on the correct pressure point, which may be especially difficult on overweight or obese individuals. The Sea-Bands come with clear, easy-to-use instructions for how to orient them: Flex your wrist and you'll see two tendons standing out on the underside of your arm. The nubbin on the Sea-Bands should sit between those two tendons, two or three finger-widths away from the heel of your hand.
Pros and Cons
Sea-Bands have two big advantages: One, they're completely drug- and side effect-free. You don't need to worry about how they might interact with any medication you're on and, if you're pregnant, you don't need to worry about how they'll affect the baby. Two, you can use Sea-Bands even after the symptoms of motion sickness have already started, as opposed to most drug-based remedies, which only work if taken before motion sickness sets in. The only real disadvantage to Sea-Bands is the fact that they're so small and light--this does make them easy and convenient to carry, but it also makes them relatively easy to lose, especially if they're left out of their plastic carrying case.
Bottom Line
While there's no hard and fast guarantee that Sea-Bands will completely cure you of motion sickness, there's a very good chance that they'll work. At less than $10 and so small and light that you'll probably forget you're carrying them, Sea-Bands are definitely a convenient, cost effective, drug-free method of motion sickness relief that's worth trying. The fact that they can provide relief even after the symptoms of motion sickness have already set in makes them extremely versatile--just toss them into your pocket, glove box or purse and then forget about them until you feel like you need them.
