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Which Massage Chair is Best for You? - 835
8/1/2006
When searching for the best massage chair, there are two things to remember: price is not necessarily the determining factor and the Very Best is the massage chair that is best for you. Since massage chairs are anything but cheap, both of those points are very important.
Generally, the higher the price on a massage chair, the better the quality and desired performance, but that is not always true. The market is growing rather quickly--almost 25% in three years--so new technologies are being introduced all the time on chairs that cost substantially less. Many high-end chairs, for example, offer air-bag massage for buttocks, legs, and feet--basically squeeze-and-release--but newer models, priced lower, feature motorized-massage in the same areas that more closely mimics a therapist's techniques.
High-end chairs, and we're talking several thousand dollars here, often sport elegant designs and luxurious fabrics or leather, neither of which have anything to do with a massage. Lesser-priced models often place emphasis on functional components over appearance, although they're no slouches in that department either.
Most important in choosing the best massage chair is choosing the best for you. Chairs come in various dimensions; if you're big, you need a big chair. If you haven't much room though, you might need to scale down on components like footrests and leg massagers. Most chairs today incorporate either or both of two massage techniques, Shiatsu and Swedish, with an emphasis on Shiatsu. But Shiatsu is a deep muscle massage that can cause soreness and headaches, especially when first beginning or when overdone, so you will want to choose a chair that either scales down on the more intense aspects of the technique, as HoMedics does, or has sufficient adjustments for the intensity of the massage. Those with injuries or other compromising conditions might want to avoid a Shiatsu chair altogether. And appearance does count--you wouldn't want to put a bus seat in your living room, and some massage chairs do resemble such designs.
Cost may not determine the best massage chair with regard to features and quality, but it does determine which is best for your wallet. iJoy massage chairs from Interactive Health offer surprising features for only a few hundred dollars, but if you've got to have it, well. . . the Sanyo DR-3000 goes for about $5000.
In truth, no defining reviews or ratings are as yet released for massage chairs, and in their absence, you'll see many online companies touting their own brands as the best. The only 'best' where massage chairs are concerned is the 'best' advice: do a lot of research on massage techniques and how they are incorporated into massage chairs as 'robotic massages', then decide on what you really need and can afford. In the end, you'll buy the best massage chair. . . for you.
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