Massage chairs: overview in sitting position

Massage chairs – a fairly young type of home appliances, and probably the most exotic to date, but this market is developing rapidly and is becoming more and more new fans. On the Internet, in addition to the many offers to buy, have already appeared and forums dedicated to chairs. One of them is called very funny: “Can a chair replace a man??”

Armchairs are coming from the East

The first massage chair appeared in Japan, the same place are the companies that pioneered mass production and engaged in the development and implementation of new technologies, so to speak, the legislators and coryphaei. These are Fuji Medical Instruments Fujiiryoki, Cyber-Relax , producing massage chairs since 1960, Family Inada Inada, Family, Sogno – the first chair dates back to 1962.

– A chair-massager will not cure you of a serious illness, it is not a doctor. Rather, it’s a training apparatus, which solves the problem of general recovery.

Fuji Medical Instruments is the founder of the massage chair industry, it first introduced the term “massage chairs” itself. In 1964 the first massage chair appeared under the brand Panasonic, much later massage chairs began to produce another manufacturer of electronics – Sanyo.

Yamaguchi Electronics Solutions Yamaguchi is also present in the American market. According to the official website of the company, it began its activities in 1976, and appears on the world market since 2001.

Gradually the geography of production chairs is expanding, this technique is conquering the West, but virtually all production is concentrated in Asia. From China are coming to us Sensa chairs, iRest – products of the young company Wenzhou Shegli Healthcare Equipment Co eight years on the market , RestArt – brand of Production Technology, Fujian – massage equipment company Fujian Yihe Electronics Co.

– Be sure to ask your doctor his opinion on whether you can use a massage chair, or read yourself a list of contraindications, which are usually given on the websites of manufacturers and sellers of massage equipment.

In addition, there are also American-Chinese massage chairs “Alliance” with a unique design: models decorated with Swarovski crystals are available. You can find Takasima chairs by Taiwanese company Taiwan-Family Enterprise on the market since 1997 , chairs by the international company Massage Paradise are also widely represented.

Much less common are Human Touch armchairs by American company Interactive Health and Keyton Spanish brand . New on the American market – massage chairs from Hong Kong brand VR by “Centuri Boom Technology” .

Actively, at least in New York, promotes its products “Casada” brand German company Casada GmbH, year of birth – 1994 . If you dig in the offers online stores, you can find more chairs Aqua Marine, Meglio and other brands, but their share of the market is very small.

How did it appeared

During World War II, on a Japanese military base on the Philippine Islands, engineer Akio Takahashi was solving the problem of fatigue in Japanese service personnel and guessed to combine shiatsu massage with devices for massage. He equipped the lounge chair with a system of rollers on the outside. This recliner, of course, was very different from today’s massage chairs, but it could massage the most important areas.

What is shiatsu??

In the East, the organs and systems of the human body are healed by acting on the meridian points with acupuncture or shiatsu. The term “shiatsu” literally means “finger pressure”. During the massage one could feel that big fingers of both hands of the masseur press acupuncture points. In the best chairs the initial strong pressure is followed by a short pause to create the impression of a professional masseur’s work.

What can models of different levels?

Which brand is the best?? It’s an impossible question to answer! What’s the best car?? Everyone will name several brands and many models. Just as all cars can drive, all massage chairs can massage, but just as the experience of driving a Lada is different from driving in a Bentley, a massage in an economy chair will be different from a massage in a premium chair.

True, the most expensive chairs are cheaper than a Mercedes, but they can be more expensive than a VAZ. It is clear that everybody would drive expensive cars if they could afford it, that’s why the question of price is one of the most important for such equipment as massage chairs. We have tried to split them into price groups and show what models of various levels can do.

All inclusive

In the group of expensive chairs we selected models that cost more than 250,000 Dollars.

This is not a very numerous group – Inada Robo-Relax 562 000 rub. , Fujiiryoki EU 3000 from 317 999 Dollars , Fujiiryoki EU 3000 from 317 999 Dollars . , Fujiiryoki EU 2000 from 299,999 RUB. , Yamaguchi YA-2800 272 000 rub. , Sanyo DR 7700 270 000 Dollars. , Panasonic EP30002 270,000 Dollars.

So, what are they asking for??

The Inada Robo-Relax chair is made of genuine leather and promises a massage “based on the latest therapeutic technology and years of experimentation to achieve absolute relaxation.”. Automatic massage programs are available for different parts of the body and for different times of the day.

It seems that the developers set the task to bring “mechanical” massage as close as possible to the effect of live hands of a highly professional masseur.

That is why we use the technique of 3D tapping, 3D kneading imitating the movement performed by the entire hand, not just the hand , a separate massage of the feet and legs is possible.

– Your weight does matter. Almost all chairs are designed for people who weigh less than 120 kg, sometimes you can find a chair that can support 130 kg, but no more.

The chair performs active stretching of the upper part of the spine. The controls are voice-activated in English , t. e. You communicate with the mechanical chair, really, as with your personal masseur.

The armchair EC 3000 by Fujiiryoki has 559 combinations of massage, the chair is equipped with a unique function of diagnosing the shape of the spine, based on which the built-in computer selects an individual massage program, there is a function of stretching the leg joints, you can massage the neck.

Among the automatic programs: rejuvenating, refreshing, relaxing, as well as a short course. There are also 3D wave-like movements, 3D kneading, 3D kneading, shoulder massage, hand massage, pulsating massage.

Chair Sanyo DR 7700 boasts a function “Zero-G”, which creates a feeling of weightlessness, and its overall purpose – relaxing massage. Automatic modes include neck, back, lumbar, foot massage. Made of cotton-based material that does not deform, does not become electrified, air permeable.

Massage chair Panasonic EP30002 can offer 1111 combinations of massage, among which is a technique Unica vertical pressing and pushing

Massage of the sore point . Technology “massage hand” allows the user to choose the type of massage action thumb, palm, fist . Among the automatic programs: short course, shiatsu, Swedish massage, stretching, deep massage.

– You should not sit in a chair from morning till night. The programs take from 8 to 15 minutes, the maximum mechanical massage time is 30 minutes. Naturally, if you fall ill and your temperature rises, then it is not recommended to use the chair until you recover.

Naturally, all chairs in this group have in the arsenal of a maximum type of massage: rubbing, shiatsu, pressing with the help of air bags, kneading, rolling, tapping. Areas massaged: neck, shoulders, upper back, mid-back, lower back, buttocks, thighs, inner side as well, shins, feet.

The range of massage as full as possible, some types of massage and seek to be similar to a highly professional massage therapists, and some types, such as pressing the air pillows, can offer only a massage chair. And we should also say that here are the most technological novelties of the world’s famous brands.

The price of these products takes into account what is not visible to the eye: internal structure, number and reliability of motors, the quality of rollers, chair control, its ability to take into account the individual physiological characteristics of the person during a massage. Last but not least, the upholstery material and overall design of the chair also play a role. Almost all chairs in this group are made in Japan, which also affects the price.

Maximum capabilities and comfort

VR AMC-3000 BEV

– Don’t forget to estimate the size of armchair. It can be quite large, and when unfolded it takes up approximately the same amount of space as a single bed. If you need to save centimeters, but you really want to buy a chair, pay attention to models with separate footstools, such devices are more compact.

In this group we have included armchairs costing from 150 000 to 250 000 Dollars. This is quite a big group, which includes many models from well-known manufacturers. Here are some of them:

– Inada SOGNO 240 000 Dollars. ,

– Fujiiryoki SKS-1800 235,800 Dollars. , SKS-1650 231 400 RUB. ,

– Yamaguchi YA-2500 212 000 rub. ,

– Sanyo DR 6100 210 000 rub. ,

– MP Concord 190 000 Dollars . ,

– Human Touch HT-1650 195 000 rub. , HT-7450 170 000 Dollars. ,

– Inada I.S 184 000 Dollars. ,

– Family W1 169 000 rub. , 2002 155,000 Dollars. ,

– Inada 3A 168 000 rub. ,

– Keyton Verona, Cubus, Concept 2000 ST, Moon 169 290 rub. ,

– Panasonic EP 30000 160 000 rub. ,

– Casada Kennedy 2 169 990 Dollars. and others.

There are the “top” models, and the past models of the world’s most famous manufacturers, and the best models of lesser-known companies. Since there are so many chairs in this price group and even just to specify the features of each chair in one article is almost impossible, we have tried to identify the originality of different chairs in the summary table. There are also three-dimensional modes and “rolling” functions. All sorts of automatic programs are present in every chair.

More available

VR AMC-3003 BEV

– Demand authenticity certificates from retailers, t. k. Some companies call their products European or Japanese, but in fact make the chairs in Chinese factories. The certificate of origin and GOST-R certificate must specify the country and plant-manufacturer.

In this group we have grouped together models that are sold for between 90,000 and 150,000 Dollars. Oddly enough, this is quite a small group: there are many more cheaper and more expensive models. Apparently, these models are some kind of “middle class”. Who represents it on the American market??

– Casada Royal 149,900 Dollars , Kennedy 139,950 Dollars . ,

– Keyton FX-55 129 960 Dollars. ,

– Massage Paradise Montreal 135 000 Dollars . ,

– Bestrest Montreal 134 980 Dollars. ,

– Keyton FX-55 129 960 rub. ,

– RestArt 20-90P 125 000 rub. ,

– Panasonic EP1082 120,000 rub. ,

– Yamaquchi YA-2100 117,000 Dollars. ,

– Takasima A602R 116 000 rub. , A 668 115,000 rub. ,

– Casada Bismark 107 000 rub. ,

– VR AMS-3001BLV 98,670 Dollars. ,

– Takasima A 639 98 000 rub. ,

– iRest SL-A08 107 000 rub. , SL-A29 95 000 Dollars. ,

– Human-Touch HT-125 99 000 ,

– Massage Paradise Rongtai H03C 98,999 Dollars. , H03A 93,999 rub. .

There are a variety of manufacturers in the group, but some Japanese companies are no longer present, and the rest present simple models. But as you can see there are new names – their best massage chairs offer manufacturers of South-East Asia. Therefore, in this price group can be found as a model with a minimum set of features from reputable manufacturers, and chairs with lots of functions, but from manufacturers more modest.

Choose for yourself

Perhaps the most offers are in this price group. Here you will find iRest, VR, MP, RestArt, Casada, Takasima, Fujian massage chairs. Let’s compare models from different manufacturers for about the same price see. table .

– Do not forget that the assembled chair should not be placed against the wall, then every time before the massage you have to move it.

The most interesting thing is that in this price group, many chairs have the function of musical massage massage changes its rhythm depending on the selected music , and gives the opportunity to watch movies or TV programs.

In comparison with more expensive chairs, which, in general, are trying to offer the closest to the manual massage and strive for the level of functionality of medical equipment, these chairs become a kind of centers to improve your mood: massage combined with your favorite music is not a painful procedure, and a pleasant pastime, which allows you to always stay in good shape.

As you can see, even in one price group you can choose a chair with suitable functionality and ergonomics. And it’s great! But it does not make the choice easier, but forces again and again to look at the characteristics and think about what to buy.

How to choose?

So what to be guided by when choosing a massage chair, if you have already decided on the amount you can spend? Let us remember the cars again: when you buy a new car, they offer you a test drive in their showrooms.

In principle the program of chair selection is the same, but it is better to try several models, so do not stop at one chair, and pay attention to the models of different manufacturers, go to the salons, compare and choose, so to speak, under yourself.

Overview of the sitting position

– Some manufacturing companies count each individual wheel as a roller, and some count the entire rotating part. What matters is not the number, but the ability to roll along body lines and the availability of specific sets of rollers to massage each area. The most “skillful” modern rollers can not only move up and down, but also dive deep and even rotate around their axis.

Weight of the chair – from 60 kg, take this fact into account. Sales companies often offer free shipping. Clarify, to the entrance, to the apartment or directly into the room you are ready to bring him porters.

– Body scanning system is the ability of the chair to adjust the massage to the individual characteristics of the physique of the user as much as possible. Height and weight are measured, and it is determined where the shoulders are and where the neck begins. This data is used to accurately position the massaging elements of the chair.

– The covering material can be leather or imitation leather, sometimes a combination of both. If the chair has a heating function, then you should definitely give preference to leatherette, because this material is more resistant to temperature changes. Even many of the superexpensive models use synthetic upholstery material – it is more resilient than natural leather.

– Massaging with massage cushions: they inflate and contract, for example, the calves, helping tired muscles to relax. Always check if it is possible to change the pressure manually.

– Vibromassage is performed using vibrating disks that operate at a certain speed. The speed can be changed individually.

– 3D massage technology is used in chairs whose rollers can not only move up/down, but also plunge into the depths. This generates not only top-down and bottom-up movements, but also an up-and-down motion.

– Swedish massage refers to a relaxing type of massage. The peculiarity of the exercise is that all movements are done very slowly, with strong pressures alternating with light touches. This gives the person receiving the massage an unusual sensation of lightness and relaxation.