Our daily lives are more rushed and hectic than ever before. To combat this incredible crush of responsibilities, we all need to take a break and relax.
While you could just sit in a recliner chair and rest, why not use that time to get a massage? Sitting in a massage chair is a relaxing experience that relieves stress, which will lower blood pressure, among many other benefits.
Massage therapy chairs have come so far in recent years, and the options on the market can be overwhelming. A good massage chair is an investment, so it’s not a decision to make lightly.
Let us help you find the best massage chair for you.
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Massage Chairs and the Benefits of a Full Body Massage
Chiropractors and doctors might recommend that their patients get a regular massage, and you might be wondering how often you should get a massage.
If you want daily massages you need to get a massage chair. In the end, you’ll save money by purchasing your own chair versus heading to a massage technician every day.
There are many who believe that massage chairs in the home are an unnecessary luxury, but they’re usually the people who don’t need relief from body pains and sore muscles.
Full body massages help with many health conditions aside from relieving pain. They can relieve stress, lower blood pressure, and help with digestive issues.
They also help with:
1. Sore Muscle Relief
Overworked muscles and tendons can often impact other parts of the body. If your thigh muscle hurts, you’re likely to feel it radiate to the calf and buttocks as well.
Ignoring sore muscles will result in tight, cold joints and tendons that can become strained or injured. Athletes understand the risks associated with muscle strain better than most.
A full-body massage chair in the home helps relieve tight tendons and muscles which helps to prevent overworked muscles from turning into a sports injury.
2. Blood Pressure and Blood Flow
Sore, tight muscles and tension-filled parts of the body can restrict blood flow. Restricted blood flow can cause serious issues with the heart and other organs. Electronic massage chairs increase blood flow to tight areas, which relieves symptoms of slow blood flow.
Massage can also reduce high blood pressure. Stress and the inability to relax can have a detrimental impact on the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. Impaired blood flow will have serious health-related concerns.
In general, massages have a bigger impact on health and lowered blood pressure compared to just relaxing. Biological Research for Nursing reports that only 3 weekly massages only 10 minutes long greatly reduced blood pressure (3).
3. Stress, Tension, and Migraine Reduction
While massage chairs are excellent for muscle pain relief, they are being used more for relaxation. Tension and migraine afflicted people have more sick days and have a reduced level of life satisfaction than those who have a way to relieve stress.
In a study published by the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, participants who were able to get frequent massages slept better and had fewer migraines than participants who didn’t (4).
4. Posture Improvement
When muscles hurt, the person tends to slump over when they walk or even in their chairs at work. Muscles that are warm and flexible help to restore good posture, which has an immediate impact on the entire body.
Those who slump will also have increased pain and intestinal issues since their organs are compacted, too. Massages help improve posture by keeping the muscles flexible with only a few massages each week.
5. Proactive Against Pain
Along with the muscles that hurt, there can be long-term benefits to the use of a massage chair. The joints will get relief and over time, they will have increased flexibility. Most massage chairs will work on the entire body even when there’s certain pain in one area, which has the effect of creating an overall healthier body.
There’s more to learn on the subject of massage chair benefits. Check out our article “Should I Buy a Massage Chair? Human Massage vs. Massage Chair.”
Related: The Best Hand Massagers: Reviews & Buying Guide for 2022
The Best Massage Chairs for Home Use
Luxury massage chairs are complicated and beautiful machines that make our modern lives more manageable. They can be customized to give various types of massages such as full body, zero gravity, and Shiatsu massage.
With all the choices available, this table should help you compare all the functions of the top massage chairs along with their features. Then you can read the detailed reviews of each one below.
Note: If you are over 6′ tall, these home massage chairs may not fit you well. Please check out our recommendation for the best massage chair for a tall person.
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Relaxonchair   |
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TinyCooper   |
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Human Touch   |
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Osaki   |
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Kahuna   |
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1. RELAXONCHAIR [MK-V Plus] Full Body Zero Gravity Shiatsu Massage Chair
The newly upgraded Relaxonchair is designed to provide a complete, human-like full body massage in a small space. Built-in sensors detect the length of the spine of the user to provide a more personalized massage. From the back of the head down to the heels of the feet, the entire chair provides a Shiatsu massage that could put professional massage technicians out of business.
Since it’s a zero-gravity massage chair, it minimizes the strain of gravity on your vertebrae, and relieves discomfort in your back so you can relax more. It offers gentle heat for the lumbar area of the back to soothe aching muscles. Additionally, you can get a foot reflexology massage with the dual foot rollers.
Strategically located throughout the chair there are 38 airbags that inflate and deflate independently (at three levels of intensity) to ease muscle tension. There are also five manual massage modes – kneading, tapping, kneading + tapping, shiatsu, and rolling – and nine preset automatic programs including yoga and stretch.
All these functions can be easily controlled with the remote using only one hand. It’s clear this body massage chair was built to be user-friendly and provide a relaxing experience.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
2. Tinycooper Zero Gravity Massage Chair by Ootori
Like other home massage chairs on this list, this one features a zero gravity design, lower-back and calve massaging functions, vibration, a full body airbag and foot roller, but at a more affordable price. You don’t have to worry about the quality of this massage chair as it comes with a 3 Year “Rock Solid” Warranty guarantee.
The Tinycooper Massage Chair has 8 massage rollers inside the backrest, foot rollers, and 32 air bags placed all over the shoulder, arms, seat, and legs. It imitates a massage therapists method of kneading, so you feel as you are being massaged by real hands. You can adjust the strength and speed to your liking.
With this affordable massage chair, you can choose from three stages of zero gravity. When reclined fully, your legs will be higher than your heart, increasing blood flow and reducing tension almost immediately. The two heating pads also increase the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, helping to heal any damaged tissue.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
3. Human Touch WholeBody 7.1 Massage Chair
The Human Touch 7.1 Massage chair has an innovative design that will look great in many living rooms. It’s ottoman acts as a foot and calf massager while it’s base can rotate up to 55 degrees.
Every muscle in your back, neck, and shoulders will enjoy the FlexGlide and allow 3D orbital massage technology that feels like a warm oil massage. The chair also has warm air implements to help relieve muscle tension and BodyMap PRO to allow you to focus on areas where you want to feel better.
It’s designed with five auto-massage programs: Full Body, Upper Body, Lower Body, Relax, and Sleep massage, so you can get a customized spa-like experience in the comfort of your home.
The Human Touch massage chair is available in three different colors.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
4. Osaki OS-4000 Zero Gravity Massage Chair
With 12 auto programs, this chair has any combination of massage that you could possibly want or need. They include Circulation, Smart, Demo, Relax, Healthcare and Therapy. There are 6 massage techniques including Shiatsu, Swedish, Kneading, Rolling, Combo, and Clapping.
The Osaki provides a complete massage for the entire body. While some of the other massage chairs don’t provide much coverage for the calves and feet, that isn’t true of this chair. As you sit in the chair, it adjusts to the curve of your body, which results in a more customized massage. This comfortable massage chair doesn’t forget about your buttocks, upper thighs, lower thighs, calves, or feet where it uses S-shaped system of tracks for a 30 inch roller stroke.
This new version comes with foot rollers, too, an improvement from the airbags for pressure in the previous full body Shiatsu massage chair model. This provides a deeper foot massage using acupressure.
The chair has zero gravity as well as many automatic features for a truly customizable massage based on your aches and pains as well as what kind of relief you’re seeking that day. There’s also heat therapy for the lower back that intensifies the healing for those with serious back pain.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
5. Kahuna Massage Chair Recliner LM6800
The Kahuna is an exciting example of massage chair technology. It has numerous features and benefits for those who are plagued with body aches and pains as well as stress. First, the Kahuna will scan your body with a computer sensor when sitting in the chair. With this scan, it’ll figure out the curve of your body as well as what kind of massage will most benefit your body.
The chair is zero gravity but it has more than one level of zero gravity. The user can choose the best position to relieve pain and stress while increasing the benefit of the massage. Zero gravity relieves stress on the joints that have been overused that day, which allows for an increase in the effectiveness of the massage.
You get a total body message that feels like a real person with simulated, thumbs, fingers, and palms. It uses Shiatsu techniques like kneading, rolling, and tapping to work the muscles.
There’s heat for the lumbar region as well as Hula, Yoga, and Tai Chi techniques for stretching that relieve the body of stress. They help to eliminate toxins as well. The dual foot rollers and shoulder air bags provide an overall, total body massage when using the Kahuna.
Things That Customers Like
Things That Customers Don’t Like
What is the best full body massage chair?
The best features of the massage chairs will often depend on the relief that people need. Most can agree that the more customization that is available, the better the relief from pain and stress. The relief that can be experienced from the best massaging chair can help the person feel rejuvenated and ready to tackle whatever the day has to throw at them.
After analyzing the various massage chair reviews, we can give you our massage chair recommendation.
The Best Overall Massage Chair
Kahuna Massage Chair
The Kahuna Massage Chair uses sensor scanners to measure the body and provide a customized full-body massage that feels like it’s done by a massage therapist. We think it’s the best massage chair in the world!
The Best Value Massage Chair
Tinycooper Massage Chair
The Tinycooper massage chair has features you would expect to see in a luxury massage chair but at a much lower price point and it comes with a three-year guarantee.
Massage Chair Buyer’s Guide
Are Expensive Massage Chairs Worth it?
Yes, if you are going to use the massage chair regularly. It can be a good substitute for visiting a massage therapist. If you are watching what you spend, check out these budget massage chair options.
A massage chair can also replace other at home massage equipment like your handheld massager, calf and foot massager, neck and shoulder massager, and more. If you think of it that way, it may actually save you money.
How Long Will a Massage Chair Last?
The lifespan of massage chair varies because the quality of materials used and the workmanship is different depending on the brand. High-end massage chairs can last 5 -10 years, while others may only last 2 – 3 years.
Massage Chairs: How do They Work Exactly?
While they may seem to work like magic fingers, there are either rollers (1) or air bags (2) inside the chair to create pressure on the body that mimics a massage therapist’s hands. In some chairs, there could be a combination of both.
Air Bag: These massage chairs have air bags that are inflated and deflated to create an enveloping pressure on the body. The intensity of the pressure is controlled by a computer sensor in the chair that will inflate and deflate the bags with different speeds working together to create the massage techniques.
Rollers: There are gears, rollers, motors, and vibrating parts in the chair itself that are used to create the techniques used in the chair. The Shiatsu massage would need rollers to mimic the deep tapping or kneading associated with acupressure.
How Often Should You Use Your Massage Chair?
You should use your massage chair as often as you can, but each session should last no longer than 15 minutes. A longer massage session can cause the bruising of your muscles, especially if you’ve just started using the chair.
Is it Safe to Use a Massage Chair When Pregnant?
Massage can provide relief to many pregnant women, but whether or not it is safe to use a massage chair while you are pregnant is debatable. It is best to discuss your situation with your doctor before using a massage chair while pregnant. The worry is that the combination of the vibration and heat may cause issues for the baby.
What Should You Keep in Mind When Choosing a Massage Chair?
Luxury massage chairs have so many features it’s hard to know what is important especially with all the jargon. When you understand what you need from the chair, you’ll be able to make a better decision about what kind of chair you should buy.
Always think about your budget, but keep in mind that if you need a massage daily to function like a human being, you’ll be saving money by investing in the best back massager chair.
Let’s take a look at a few things to consider when buying a massage chair.
Types of Massage Chairs
There are a few different types of massage chairs to choose from:
- Zero Gravity: These high-end massage chairs evenly distribute your weight to take pressure off your legs and back and help relieve chronic pain.
- Recliner: This is the most traditional type of massage chair. Normally a lower cost option than a zero gravity chair, it is essentially a comfortable chair with massage features.
- Gaming Massage Chair: If you are in a chair in front of a computer or video game for hours at a time, a gaming massage chair might be a good idea. Keep in mind that most of these gaming chairs only offer vibration massage in the lumbar area, so it’s not the best choice if you want a more comprehensive massage.
- Chair / Seat Pad: If you are tight on budget or space, a massage pad can be a reasonable alternative. It won’t have as many features as a massage chair or be able to target the same body parts (i.e. legs and feet), but you can still get a nice massage. The pad can be attached to your favorite chair or even a car seat.
Massage Chair Coverage
Not all massage chairs offer the same amount of coverage. While they will all massage your back, a true full body massage chair will also treat your arms and legs. Think about the areas on your body that need attention and make sure the massage chair can deliver.
Massage Chair Track
The rollers for massage chairs operate on a track. It is important that the chair has a track that matches the shape of the spine. This feature is called an S track.
If you want to take it to another level look for an L track massage chair (sometimes also called SL track) as it means the track is extended to your buttocks and in some cases hamstrings.
Massage Chair Options
A quality massage chair will allow you to close your eyes and feel as if you’re being given a massage by qualified technicians with years of experience under her hands. The chairs with Shiatsu options are based on the Japanese massage technique that has been around for thousands of years. It uses finger pressure on certain parts of the body to automatically relieve tension.
Swedish massage doesn’t rely on pressure in a certain spot on the body. It’s the process of providing kneading motions that glide over long stretches. It’s the motion that bakers use when rolling out dough. It’s meant to improve the circulation and blood flow through the body especially when heat is added. Most massage chairs do have a heat feature, but there are some that do not.
Heat
Heat relaxes the muscle to make the massage more effective. Don’t just look at whether a massage chair has a heat function, you will want to know how powerful it is and the areas it covers.
Warranties and Customer Support
The expense of these chairs requires that you have the utmost confidence in the company as a whole. That can be based on the type of support they provide as well as the warranties given to the customer after purchasing a chair. They need to stand behind their product.
The warranty period should be at least 1 year, which is standard for most chair massagers. You can consider purchasing an extended warranty to protect your investment. Be sure to keep all the warranty information in a safe place with your receipt.
Always read through the manual to be sure you understand how the chair works as well as what would void the warranty. There should be a customer service phone number as well as a way to order replacement parts.
(Last Updated in November 2020)
Read next: Swedish Massage vs. Deep Tissue Massage, 11 Best Books About Massage for Beginners and 9 Best Eye Massagers: A Smart Buyer’s Guide for 2022
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