Buying a massage chair can be a daunting task. I will try to make your choice of getting one easier for you through this massage chair review. I have personally gone through the same process before we bought ours. “

We” because the decision was finally made by my wife and me although the idea to buy one was originally mine.

We went through a painstakingly laborious decision making process which I wouldn’t want others, like yourself, to go through; hence the birth of this rather detailed assessment to get to the best massage chair for you, I mean the one that suits most of your needs. We present this brief guide to help you navigate in the world of massage chairs.

There are few resources that I recommend on a topic. The ultimate resource of getting the best massage chair is here: https://www.healthnerdy.com/best-massage-chair-reviews-guide/ and here. Now as we get this out of the way let’s dive in.

Important Factors To Consider When Buying Best Zero Gravity Massage Chair

Space Saving Technology

Remember these massage chairs tend to be bulky and for some reason it might end up in the bedroom or your home office. I initially thought it would be great to have it in the living room.

My wife had a different opinion, guess what – it is now in the bedroom!

First call is to discuss this with all interested parties before you put it where you think it should be placed without consultation. Should it end up in the bedroom, then seriously consider whether you will ever experience the massaging chair wonders you are dreaming of.

The truth is you might not use it as much as you would want to.

Positioning is not a big issue for the Ijoy massage chair since it has wheels thus allowing movement from one room to the other. Good for you if you do not mind the chair to be in the living room and out of sight when you have visitors.

Do you want Your Massage Chair to Recline?

If you are planning on getting a reclining massage chair, it is advisable not to put it close to the wall.  You will need to measure the distance behind where you intend positioning it to allow for the maximum space when the massager is fully reclined. Different massage chairs will therefore require different space allowances at full recline.

Should space be a real challenge, I say go for a portable massage cushion. Though it will not have all the bells and whistles of a luxury massage chair, this you can place on any chair with an option to remove when not being used.

ENOUGH about space and positioning, I think I have labored enough on this!

Who is Primary User of a Zero Gravity Massage Chair? This Really Does Matter

What is your height? The design of most massage chairs for sale is for people who are 5’-10” tall on average. If you are significantly taller, like I am, or much shorter than 5’-10” you might have a challenge with the back massage.

My wife is 5’-2”, with her shortness, the back rollers will then roll about seven inches too high for her which means that it may massage the back of her head and neck. If in this predicament, you might have to consider using massage control pads as these adjust the position of nodes and rollers manually each time the massage chair is used.  It is therefore important to ensure the height of the massage chair will be a comfortable one to avoid this inconvenience. Massage chair seats could be very low to the ground, which is uncomfortable for people 6’-10” tall and over, or people with knee, hip or low back pain.

Good news is that some massage chairs such as the Panasonic Massage Chair will automatically adjust to the height of the user by sensing the level of the top of your shoulders.

What Are Most Important Features do you want on the massage chair?

Whilst these massagers come with plenty of feature, the truth is people only use some of them. (It reminds me of my smartphone!)

• Massage Coverage Area
  

Muscle tension: If you experience muscle tension in certain parts of your body, you will have to consider a massage chair that does a very good job massaging those spots. For instance the Symphonic Massage Chair focuses on neck and shoulder area. Some massaging chairs have expanding air bags in the legs and feet area. The Panasonic Pro Elite has air bags in the arms that inflate and deflate. Some massage chairs incorporate the hips and buttocks. You could also consider those that offer a full body massage

• Intensity or Pressure of the Massage

Some massage chairs give a rather intense massage whilst for others the pressure is much lighter. A good one should allow you to increase or reduce the pressure or intensity of the massage.

• Massage Chair Sequence

I have a specific massage sequence that I like. My wife likes her massage strokes differently. If you intend sharing the massage chair with others, it is important to get one that allows you to program and memorize different massage sequences. It will be a pain to program your massage sequence each time you want a massage.

How much have a budgeted for this / Massage Chair Cost?

Most massage chairs ranges from $700 to $8 500. The advice here is that you should not depend on price to gauge quality and also do not feel obliged to buy the most expensive. What is important is to find the right massage chair for you at the right price.

In a quest to find the best massage chair for our purposes, we compared the following massage chairs in the different price ranges:

1. Up to a $1 000, Human Touch Massage Chair:  iJoy 2580
2. Between $3 500- $5 000, Panasonic Massage Chair: Real Pro Ultra EP30007KX
3. $6 500 – $8 500, Inada Sogno Dreamwave Massage Chair

If you are like me to compare these chairs is key especially if you want to push those kinks out of your back. Working all day, I really need a good massage! What we found out early in this assessment was that the two top rated massage chairs give an all-round body massage and the iJoy 2580 is no match to this.

Best Massage Chair Reviews in 2018 Review

Below is the low down on the massage chair review for the three chairs:

Human Touch iJoy-2580 Robotic Massage Chair

The iJoy 2580 chair  is seen by many as an upgrade from a massage pad. It is a simple, sturdy and stylish leather massage chair that has the ability to blend in with your other living room furniture. It encompasses all the major massaging functions i.e. kneading, rolling, compression and percussion. Yes the chair reclines with adjustable rollers to move up and down your back. The downside is that if you are over 6’, this might not work that well.  Your legs and feet are not massaged on this one.

It is also quite practical in that it has cup-holders and an outlet for plugging in the laptop. The massage chair offers a great balance between functionality and cost given the entry level pricing.

The massage in this is so good; you will be forgiven for falling asleep during the massage.

 Panasonic Massage Chair: Real Pro Ultra EP30007KX

Chiropractors understand the health benefits that are brought about by regular massage; the American Chiropractors Association (ACA) therefore recognized the Panasonic Massage chairs as providing excellent deep-tissue relief, which can temporarily relax tense muscles making it an ideal complement to chiropractic manipulation.

The real Pro Ultra is one chair that can actually identify you! It utilizes complex sensor technology to essentially plot a virtual “map” of your back. You then receive a massage that is contoured to your spine’s curvature and height.

The Real Pro Ultra massage chair scans your body and is therefore able to identify you. The “floating” massage heads slide along over your back knowing where to massage and where not to instructing the massage rollers where the massage is needed most. The massage chair creates a customized program that it remembers at your next massage. You can save up to 6 custom programs for 4 different users to the EP30007KX’s memory; that’s 24 memorized, customized programs in total.

The c EP30007KX also provides feet massage using adjustable and removable plates incorporating reflexology into the massage experience stimulating additional massage points with special attention to your calves and feet (where you store much of your stress).

This Panasonic Massage Chair boasts of an offer of 200 square inches of back massage coverage alone, and an additional 296 square inches of coverage over legs, arms, hips and buttock. This is a total of 496 total square inches of coverage.

It is also a massage recliner giving digital control over your recline while being massaged with the ability to choose the position that makes you feel the most comfortable. The chair reclines up to 170 degrees.

Inada Sogno Dreamwave Massage Chair

The Inada Sogno DreamWave Chair is by far the most therapeutic massage chair you can own…unsurpassed relaxation, boasting of the following among other features:

• Broadest Massage Coverage available: This luxury massage chair provides whole body relief with massage coverage of 1200 square inches. Safely speaking no massage recliner in the world beats this coverage.
• Exclusive Inada Dreamwave Technology: makes undulating figure 8 motion that stimulates a balanced body as one goes through a shiatsu massage.
• Proprietary Stretch function: Unique to this masage chair is the flexion, extension and gentle rotational stretching of the hips, mid-back and shoulders.
• Neck and Shoulder Massage: that deeply soothes the tops of your shoulders and back of the neck delivering gentle neck traction. This is the only massage chair that does this.
• Infra-red Scanning: This robotic massage chair scans your body muscles terrain with its intelligent far-infrared scanner, seeking out kinky spots and deploying its troop of rollers and kneaders to wheedle out those knots of yours.

This is the ultimate massage chair that will definitely support your aspirations, your hopes, your dreams… and above all – your well-being!

Even my fifteen year old daughter enjoys its gentle massage session after a long day of sport at school.

By the way, this is the massage chair we finally settled on in the end. I personally enjoy the luxurious massage; you would be forgiven for thinking that you have the best masseur behind you working on your body!

Osaki massage chair – Osaki 4000

Great chair from great brand and company.

BestMassage shiatsu Massage Chair

More information is coming soon on this

Relaxzen Deluxe Leisure Recliner Chair

Our Recommendation on best massage chair under 500, under 1000 and Over

Yes – we recommend the Inada Sogno Dreamwave Massage Chair!

I must be honest in that we were almost on the brink of at least purchasing two other models that ranged in price from $4 500- $5 800. In the end – and with a sense that we were busting our budget – we took the plunge and purchased our Dreamwave chair.  Whilst pricey, it has proven to be one of our best buys ever.

The Inada Sogno Dreamwave is actually cost effective over a long period.

Do the math: – How much does it cost for a massage at your local massage center or spa?

This quickly adds up if you go there for a weekly visit for the next 2-5 years. It therefore works out cheaper investing in this over the long run. In my experience, it is a worthwhile investment and definitely falls on the best massage chairs on the market today.