What to Look For When Buying A Massage Chair
Posted on May 30, 2009
Filed Under Massage Therapy | Leave a Comment
When looking to buy a massage chair the first thing to compare is the back massage funtion. This is because the back massage is the most basic function of a massage chair. Other factors to consider in buying a massage chair include other massage areas and functions, available adjustments, comfort, layers of padding and settings management.
What separates massage functions of the backrest is the range of available motions. Kneading, rolling, and tapping or percussion are the main massage functions in the backrest. Basic chairs usually will offer these functions at the minimum, and high-end chairs offer combination’s of these functions.
To massage other areas of the body, massage chairs use air bags that inflate and deflate to imitate the feeling of a massage therapist applying and releasing pressure on your body. Don’t expect this feature in a budget massage chair, though, and depending on where the chair stands in the scheme of things, some of the more sophisticated chairs can create a roller feeling along your muscles by precise sequencing of air bag inflations and deflations.
An important factor to consider is the range of adjustments allowed. It is especially important for people who are too short or too tall for the average chair build. For shorter people, the back massage roller needs to be set to start at a lower position or else it will begin to massage the head when it should start at the upper back. Some high end chairs can automatically make adjustments by detecting the height of the user. As for the massage itself, speed and intensity are very individual preferences and affects the comfort of a massage session.
Of all these factors, the number one most important thing in any chair is comfort. If it is a chair, it must be great for sitting. You want the massage to be something to look forward to at the end of the day, not another chore that needs to be done. A massage chair should be so comfortable it doubles as a lounge chair. In this respect, the chair much be adequately spacious and have proper cushion levels.
Removable layers of padding makes a chair very versatile. Just by adding or removing padding you can adjust the intensity of the massage. When it comes to the lounge-ability the massage chair, more removable layers means more chances the chair can be adjusted to fit the users desired cushion levels and better enhancing comfort.
When you actually begin using the settings management of the chair to control the adjustments, the interface should be intuitive and easy to use. The display needs to be easy to read and the buttons feel and respond properly. The best interfaces are LCD screens that tell the user what settings are in use and what massages are currently being performed.
The last thing to check for in a massage chair are the extra features that are not available in other models, brands, or just not typical of any massage chair. This can range from seat heaters, built in speakers or speaker hook up options as well as television or radio. These features tend to run up the price and are not critical but can be nice for some people.
Related posts
Comments
Leave a Reply