Massage Chair Buyer’s Guide
Buying a massage chair can be very confusing as you will find a multitude of companies selling massage chairs. This article was designed to help you learn more about massage chairs and how to pick the best massage chair for you.
(PRWEB) January 14, 2005 -- There is no definitive data which stats which
massage chair is necessarily better than the next at reducing back pain. In
addition, there is no standard price level for massage chairs. Their prices tend
to range from $1200 to $3,500. Although a higher price usually correlates with a
higher quality, this is not always the case with massage chairs. Recently, new
lines of similar, if not better, models have emerged at significantly lower
prices than past models. Customers can still typically expect to spend above
$1700 for a quality introductory massage chair and around $3000 or less for the
newer top of the line models.
Here are some general guidelines to follow
when searching for a massage chair:
•Strength of massage—Make sure that
the intensity of the massage is appropriate or adjustable. For a more vigorous
massage, look for a chair that uses a quad (4) roller system with highly
protruded components and strong movements that require 1 motor for each
function. Those who desire a less intense, more point-specific massage may
prefer a massage chair with 2 larger rollers and softer movements. Many quality
chairs also have a pocket in the seat back pad of the chair that allows the
customer to add or remove foam padding to help adjust the strength of the
massage.
•Presets and Adjustability—Some massage chairs may have a preset
that is specific to a problem area in the back. Other chairs may offer greater
variability. A massage chair with a large range of adjustability may prove
beneficial when purchasing a single chair for multiple users.
The PHP2026 by
Premier Health Products as the best adjustability.
•Accessories—Certain
massage chairs come with a leg rest that extends out of the chair or flips open
to massage the soles of your feet. Some positions may be more comfortable for
certain back conditions; for example, sitting in a reclining position with the
legs elevated may be more comfortable for some people with spinal stenosis.
Several chairs have a leg rest that has its own massage or vibration
capabilities. Some models even have special zero gravity positions designed by
NASA to help take the weight off the spine. The PHP2022 Premier Massage chair is
the only zero gravity massage chair.& http://www.working-well.com & http://www.premiermassagechairs.org
•Appearance
(Material)—Chairs can be made with leather and polished wood, synthetic leather
and plastic, or other combinations of fabrics and materials. Although the
decision should not rely on appearance only, this may be a factor when
purchasing. All of the top manufacturers of massage chairs use a special
synthetic material that has an elastic quality. This special material allows the
massage arms/rollers to pull and stretch the material repeatedly without wear or
losing its shape. In addition, this synthetic material is used because some
chairs are equipped with heating capabilities and leather cannot withstand the
heating elements repetitive use, as it will dry and crack. Cheaper chair
companies use leather as a gimmick to get a few hundred dollars extra for their
chairs. Buyer Beware: most chairs that claim to be leather are only 30%-40%
leather and 60%-70% synthetic. This mixing and matching of materials leads to
uneven wear patterns on the chair as the leather dries, cracks, and fades over
time. Stick with a high quality synthetic like the chairs from Premier Health
Prodcuts.
•Best Massage Chair (Brands)—Many online companies import their
own brand of massage chairs and self proclaim that they have the best massage
chair. Consumer Reports has yet to do an unbiased review of massage chairs, so
beware of what you read on different websites as most of the information is self
proclaimed fame. One should look for a brand of chair that is made by a large
company that will be around for many years to come. Currently, the 3 largest
brands of massage chairs are Premier Health Products (PHP)
PremierMassageChairs.org , Panasonic www.elitemassagechairs.com , and Interactive Health Products
www.discountmassagechairs.com & http://www.working-well.com
& http://www.premiermassagechairs.org
•Warranties—Get a
copy of the warranty before you purchase the chair or see if it is posted on the
company’s website. Many companies will not furnish you a copy until you purchase
the chair and you should be skeptical. Before writing this guide we contacted 10
companies and only received 3 copies of warranties. The brands that gave use
warranties were again the 3 largest brands of massage chairs (Premier http://www.premiermassagechairs.org , Panasonic, and
Interactive Health). Top of the line chairs will come with 5 year standard
warranties that cover parts and labor. Beware that some companies have 5 year
warranties but they do not cover labor. Premier also has the best
warranty.
Also beware of companies selling in-home warranty repair and
service policies as this is never what it is cracked up to be. Most of the time
if repair work needs to be done, you have to send the broken part of the chair
back to the manufacturer. With in-home service, they typically schedule a 4 hour
window on a week day for arrival, come to your house, and then tell you that you
need to send it back to the manufacturer as they are not equipped to work on the
chairs themselves. In-home service is really not in-home service, but again some
companies use this as a gimmick to attract customers.
•Country of
Origin—Obviously, every country is going to claim they make the best massage
chair. Currently, there are massage chairs made in almost every Asian market,
Mexico, and Brazil. When writing this Buyer’s Guide, we were unable to find any
chairs manufactured in the United States. We did find that a few companies like
Premier Health Products www.premiermassagechairs.com design many of the chairs in the
United States and then assemble them overseas. This process makes their chairs
fit the average American’s height and weight better than some other brands of
chairs designed in Asia. The top 3 companies all have their chairs made in
different countries, Premier http://www.premiermassagechairs.org/massagechairs.html in
Taiwan, Panasonic in Japan and Mexico, Interactive Health in China. No one
country makes the best chairs, the best chairs in the U.S. are made by the best
companies in the United States. One thing to note is that equal quality chairs
from Japan typically cost 15%-30% more than chairs from other countries. This
extra cost is due to taxes and duties associated with shipping chairs from Japan
to the United States. When buying a chair that is made in Japan, you will pay
extra for the exact same quality and features offered in chairs made from China
or Taiwan.
•Trends—Some of the newest trends can be seen in the leg rest
of massage chairs. All of the latest models have the calf troughs or calf
cutouts to massage the calf area of your legs. Having a patent on the design,
Interactive Health is the only chair company whose calf massager flips around so
that it cannot be seen when not in use. Many of the older chairs that have calf
massagers use air bags in the footrest of the chair. Many of the latest chairs
have stopped using air and now put more expensive and better feeling motors in
the leg rest to massage the legs http://www.premiermassagechairs.org/php2026.html
Air
massage mainly squeezes the leg whereas motors actually massage the legs. Air
massage also adds noise to the massage chair as it has to drive an air
compressor to inflate and deflate the air bags. Chairs with motors are typically
quieter than chairs with air see the PHP2026 http://www.premiermassagechairs.org/php2026.html
Another trend is unsightly air bag arm massagers. These claw air
massagers work just like a blood pressure cuff at the doctor’s office. They
squeeze and release and do not work for larger adults with big forearms. If you
like having your blood pressure taken, then you may like the air arm massagers.
Massage Chairs For Pain Relief
A good massage can do wonders for
relieving tension and back pain, but a therapeutic massage is not always
convenient or available. While it is still best to get a massage from a licensed
massage therapist, an electronic substitute is now available that may provide
some of the benefits of the human touch—the massage chair.
Most people
believe massage chairs are a luxury item and for many it may be the most
expensive appliance in the home. Since price is a factor, people should do their
research prior to purchasing a massage chair. The benefits that a massage chair
can bring may outweigh the price.
Five considerations when purchasing a
chair for pain relief:
•Motors—these are the essential mechanical aspects
of the massage chair. They power and move the nodes and rollers to the necessary
areas, as well as allow the needed adjustments to the seat back. The massage
chair has numerous preset patterns and programs used to massage the entire back.
However, the motors, nodes, and rollers are meant to be modified through the
control pad that accompanies all massage chairs. As the user specifies, the
massage chair focuses on the neck down to the lower back with a tapping,
rolling, or kneading motion. Advanced chairs like the Premier PHP2026 can
combine all the motions into one, that is, the chair can roll, knead and tap
simultaneously. The PHP2026 also allows the user to reverse the motion, of the
motors another feature unique to this model www.premiermassagechairs.com/php2026.html
•Nodes and
Rollers—these vary in size and shape, designed to emulate fingers and hands. A
massage chair with dual (2) large rollers and nodes provides a more generalized
approach at massaging such as in many Panasonic http://www.elitemassagechairs.com and Interactive Health
“Human Touch” models found in malls, while massage chairs with smaller quad (4)
nodes and rollers provide more detailed, point-specific deep tissue shiatsu
massaging. They target specified areas of the user's back and can move in a
variety of ways which are pre-programmed into the mechanics of the massage
chair. The user can adjust these nodes and rollers to best fit his or her needs.
•Computer Assisted Adjustability Found in the Premier 2026 (www.premiermassagechairs.com)and Panasonic Real Pro EP3202 (
http://www.elitemassagechairs.com) —these models automatically
adjust for the weight, height and width of the selected user. By measuring the
pressure on the seatback, the protrusion of the rollers and nodes adjusts. In
addition, by locating specific areas of the anatomy of the back, the massage
chair makes the necessary adjustments for the height and width of the user.
Selecting various inputs on the control pad can also refine these options.
•Stroke Length—this is the distance the massage rollers and nodes travel
up and down the spine. Chairs can have a stroke length of 19” to 30” and this
should be an important factor to consider when purchasing a chair. http://www.discountmassagechairs.com/massage-chairs.html The
Interactive Health models that can be seen at most mall locations have a 19”
stroke length that covers the middle of the back. The Premier Health Products
chairs have the longest stroke lengths that range from 27.5”on the PHP2022 ( http://www.premiermassagechairs.org/php2022.html )to 30” on
the PHP2026. Many of the Panasonic models fall in-between the other two brands
and have chairs with stroke lengths from 24” to 30”.
http://www.premiermassagechairs.org/php2023.html The longer
the stroke length, the more of the back the chair is going to massage. This is
extremely important for individuals taller than 5’8” and should defiantly
dictate a massage chair with a longer rolling stoke. Anyone over 6’ tall will
want a chair with a massage stoke of 30” or greater, such as the Premier PHP2026
www.premiermassagechairs.com A shorter individual may still
benefit from a longer stroke length because much of the distance that is gained
in the longer stroke is in the lower back area. If the massage rollers travel
too high on the neck or head, the pillow flap on most chairs can be adjusted to
the base of the skull so that you cannot feel the rollers. In general, a massage
chair should travel from the base of the spine up to the ears. For the average
American adult, a 27” or greater stroke length will suffice.
Benefits Of
A Massage
A good hands-on massage can play a crucial role in alleviating back
pain. Similarly, a good massage chair is designed to provide some measure of
pain relief and relaxation without the need for person-to-person interaction.
In-home privacy, convenience and time efficiency, are the major reasons why many
people are choosing with a massage chair as a potential means to ease back pain.
http://www.premiermassagechairs.org/backpain.html
Comprehensive research has demonstrated three central reasons why massage is
beneficial:
•Improves venous and lymphatic flow—manipulating muscles
increases blood flow. Increasing blood flow facilitates the circulation and
absorption of nutritional elements into the muscles and tissues. Increasing
lymphatic circulation clears toxins out of these areas. Together, this
revitalizes the massaged area.
•Decreases tension and improves
flexibility—massaging helps loosen tight and strained muscles. Stretching and
kneading problem areas allow muscles to relax as well.
•Increases
endorphin levels—possibly the most beneficial aspect of massage. Endorphins are
the 'feel good' chemicals that run through the body—increasing their levels
induces positive results. Among other benefits, increasing endorphin levels has
been correlated with quicker recovery, reduced pain, and reduced
anxiety.
These benefits of massage work both physically and
psychologically to help reduce common symptoms of back pain. Through the study
of the human body and analysis of feedback, many massage chair designs have been
developed with the goal of achieving similar benefits.
Currently, the most
effective massage techniques that massage chairs are designed to simulate are
that of Shiatsu massage.
•Shiatsu tends to use pressing, sweeping,
tapping, rolling and rotating movements. The defining characteristic of Shiatsu
is its focus on releasing tension in specific locations of the body.
Please take the time to look at the Premier line of massage chairs at http://www.premiermassagechairs.org e-mail protected from spam
bots & http://www.working-well.com & http://www.premiermassagechairs.org
http://www.elitemassagechairs.com/benefits-of-chair-massage.html
Of course, a mechanical substitute can never reproduce the exact feeling of
human touch, but the chairs are starting to come close. As years have gone by,
designers have more closely approximated the necessary factors in a massage
chair to provide its user with some measure of relief from back pain and neck
pain.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/1/prweb197157.htm