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One great venue to actually try massage chairs our various events. You can find home shows, county fairs and other types of shows where massage chairs will be displayed. This is a great opportunity to try out some of the latest massage chairs. Although, this is a great venue, you do need to be careful of some vendors. Based on our customers who have purchased at shows and our own first hand look, We offer the following 5 tips on how to avoid key problem areas to find the best massage chair for you.

1. Massage Chair PC Boards are Important: Massage chairs use computer software and pc boards to run the massage chair. The pc board or motherboard is the key board that runs the major functions of the chair. The sub boards are important as well. Ask where the pc boards are from. You want them from either Japan or Singapore. These have advanced chip foundries to make top quality boards. Shoddy electronics will make parts of the chair to malfunction or not work at all. This requires expensive service calls to have replaced down the road.

2. Check Out the Warranty: There are 2 things to check on the warranty. First, what is the coverage offered? Second, can the company cover the warranty? For a $3,000 massage chair, you should get 3 years parts, 3 years labor and minimum 90 days in home technician service. Now, the more important question, will they be around to make good on the warranty! You need to go with a reputable massage chair maker. One that has retail clients such as chain stores, etc. There are too many massage chair vendors that are just one man operations and may not be there down the road.

3. We Get Our Massage Chair From Panasonic’s Factory: One of our favorite sales claims is where the massage chair comes from or where it is made. Some of our customers told us that salespeople would claim to get their massage chair from Panasonic’s factory. This is a weird claim and we see it as a tactic to get you to believe somehow their quality is the same, but of course at a substantial discount to the Panasonic chair. Now, how could this be? It must be the same as the Panasonic, be careful!

4. Jack of All Trades, Master of None: Beware of vendors at fairs and home shows that sell everything but the kitchen sink. This is a sure sign of a one man importing machine. Now, I have a healthy respect for the entrepreneur, but one must specialize. I have seen booths with a couple of massage chairs along with a million other gadgets. It is like a one man flea market. These guys import everything and anything, especially what they just got a good deal on. Seriously, who knows what massage chair will be on the next shipment? They are armed and dangerous. Use Extreme Caution!

5. I Can’t Believe The Deal I Am Getting: Always remember, you get what you pay for. There were few peddlers that offered a $5,000 massage chair for $1,500 and came with a 5 year warranty. Wow! We couldn’t believe it. This chair is made in Panasonic’s factory! We tried to do the math. Free shipping, long warranty and cheap price. They can’t be making any money! How could we resist? Most likely we would have bought into a series of frustrating future problems and be left with a boat anchor in our living room.

We have put these tips together from many of our customers that have made these mistakes and we are passing this one so you do not fall into these same traps. There are many excellent massage chairs on the market. They will bring you years of enjoyment and relief. Take your time and find the right model from a reputable manufacturer. This will ensure years of relaxation (rather than frustration).

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Human Touch has a wide variety of massage chairs for virtually any need and budget. This review will focus on the HT-7120 massage recliner by Human Touch. This recliner is in the $2,000 to $3,000 price level. This review is in 5 main parts which include warranty coverage and customer service, comfort and ergonomics, ease of use, key features and massage therapy. Each of these areas can earn up to 20 points each. An overall rating is given by summing up the areas for a total possible rating of 100. Let us see how the HT 7120 rates in this review.

Warranty Coverage and Customer Service: We start with warranty, since this is the consumer’s long term protection against the occurrence of defects in workmanship. The warranty coverage for the HT-7120 is 3 years on the structure, 1 year on parts and 90 days labor. Labor is provided for 90 days and Human Touch will cover the shipping to and from the customer during this period. There is in home technician service available, but at the customer’s expense. This is a very light warranty by industry standards. Customer service is provided by Human Touch and they are competent at diagnosing problems. We rate the warranty coverage for this recliner a 12.

Comfort and Ergonomics: With any massage chair design, ergonomics is an important aspect of design for comfort and relaxation. We like the ergonomics of the HT 7120. It has a very contemporary design, yet it fits the body well and is very comfortable to sit in. The controls are laid out well and positioned in good locations. The leg ottoman can be adjusted in the width of the wells, but you are unable to extend the leg ottoman. This recliner earns an 18 in this category.

Ease of Use: The massage chair industry is always adding features into chairs which is outstanding. The counterbalance to many features is ease of use. With so many new features, figuring out how to take advantage of them can be frustrating. The HT 7120 comes with a very well designed remote control. It is slim remote and has controls located on 2 sides of the remote. The remote is descriptive and fairly easy to use. There is no remote stand, so the remote tucks away in a pocket. The only cumbersome operation is flipping the leg ottoman, but other than that we give the HT 7120 a 19 in ease of use.

Key Features: The interesting features in the HT-7120 are the compression massage and the channel width adjustment in the leg ottoman. The compression massage is based on sports massage therapy. It is a combination of stroking massage and a rocking motion. The stroking massage helps to elongate muscles and also applies firm pressure for deep tissue relief. The rocking motion helps to loosen the spinal joints and relieve pressure. The channel width is adjustable in the leg ottoman. This is a nice feature allowing for the pressure to be adjusted to better accommodate your calves and feet. We give this recliner an 18 for key features.

Massage Therapy: There are various massage therapy functions with the HT 7120. It comes with 5 manual massage programs, 3 pre-set programs and 3 level height adjustments for the back. You can select from rolling, kneading, compression, percussion and vibration with the manual programs. You can select from sore muscle relief, energy rejuvenate and auto-demo for the pre-programs. One nice compliment to the massage therapy are the built in heaters for the lower back. You can also activate the full body stretch function. Your feet and calves can obtain soothing relief with the massaging leg ottoman. The HT-7120 earns a 19 for massage therapy.

Overall, we rate the HT-7120 an 86/100. This is a sleek and contemporary design for a massage chair. We are concerned with the really short warranty compared to others in the industry. These chairs are well built and designed, but warranty is your long term protection and this warranty is one of the shortest. The massage therapy is very effective and the controls are simple and easy to use. This is certainly a massage chair recliner that deserves your attention if you are looking for a solid mid range model.

Popularity: 3% [?]

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When you think of massage chairs, you think of luxury, comfort and relaxation. People do not normally think of saving money when buying a massage chair. However, certain conditions may be effectively relieved with massage chairs. The cost of treatments or spa services are on the rise, as is health care in general. Ultimately, massage therapy is a result. You are seeking relaxation, pain relief, or perhaps feeling good. Obtaining this result is actually more cost effective with a massage chair.

Let us take an example. We go to get our massage at the day spa. First, we need to call them and schedule a time. We are going to have travel time to go and come back from the massage. There is also the total time involved. Massage time is the bonus time the rest of the time can be considered the cost involved. The massage is not free, so we must pay for the time of the massage and a gratuity. If we go 3 times every month, by the end of the year we are spending thousands.

Some people need to go physical therapy or perhaps a chiropractor. The health care providers help to set you back on the right path of healing your condition. They help you get started with some basic techniques and treatments to help correct the situation. Many of these providers make use or recommend massage therapy as a compliment to your healing process. If you have started a path to recovery then these visits start to add up until you can take over on your own.

Now, if you really need massage therapy, then you have options. You can certainly see a massage therapist. A massage therapist is definitely a great way to go, when you can afford both the time and the money. However, massage chairs are another viable alternative. Massage chairs range in price from $599 to $5,999 and offer a terrific range of massage therapies and full body massages.

The interesting thing is people look at massage chairs as expensive. They see the total cost of say $3,000 and they think, Wow! That is expensive for massage therapy. But they really do not look at paying $75 plus tip once a week as expensive. Let us say that a massage therapist runs $75 plus tip at $10 for a total of $85 per a one hour session. Let us assume that we visit the massage therapist once a week. How long does it take until we pay for the cost of a $3,000 massage chair? It takes 35 weeks or 35 massage therapy sessions.

The massage chair cost is equivalent to 35 hours of massage therapy performed by a massage therapist. How long are massage chair rated to last? Typical massage chairs in the $3,000 range are designed for 1,000 to 2,000 hours of life. Let us take the lower number of 1,000 hours. How much does an hour of massage therapy cost on a massage chair. $3,000 divided by 1,000 gives us $3/hour of massage therapy! The best part is you do not have to tip the massage chair. You can pay a massage therapist $85/hour or $3/hour for a massage chair.

Obviously the economic advantage of the massage chair is almost 30 times greater than the massage therapist. Add to this economic advantage, availability. A massage recliner is at your disposal 24/7. You can also add accessibility by having it in your home. Obtaining a massage is as easy as being at home. When you start to put the massage chair into the total perspective, it comes out with some strong advantages.

Popularity: 5% [?]

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This review takes a look at the M-2 Orion massage chair. The M-2 is the entry level massage chair produced by Omega Massage, Inc. Omega is one of the top massage chair brands and is know for their advanced technology and elegant chair designs. The Orion is a full body massage chair and is priced in the $1,500 and under category.

We always like to point out that there are so many massage chair companies on the market. It is sometimes difficult and confusing for customers to find chairs from good, reputable companies. It is important to stay with top tier manufacturers in this industry. For instance, the top tier companies will have retail clients and national distribution. Beware of one-man import companies, because you may end up with now warranty coverage in the long run. Omega Massage is one of the top tier companies, so rest assured they will be here down the road.

We will first evaluate the warranty coverage for the M-2 massage recliner. The Orion comes with 1 year coverage on the frame of the chair. You also get 6 months for both parts and labor. This is comprehensive coverage compared to other massage chairs in this class. Omega also provides solid customer service. They are competent and their turn around times for any issues are fast.

The M-2 has an attractive executive look to the chair. This sleek, contemporary design will compliment almost any room in the house. We like the thin chair back and the thick padded armrests. There is silver trim on the side panels giving it a nice designer touch. Omega is known for its striking massage chair designs and the M-2 is certainly no exception.

The remote control of the M-2 is fairly simple to use. It has a built in holder underneath the armrest. This is nice to not have a remote stand which is pretty common on most chairs. The remote has both automatic programs and manual programs. The automatic programs have 3 different timed settings of 5, 10 and 15 minutes. The manual programs allow you to select from 3 manual massage techniques. These include kneading, swaying and rolling. You can also select from 3 back courses. The back courses are full back, lower back and upper back.

The chair back has the roller unit which provides the back massage. The Orion comes with 23 inches of travel. This means the rollers will move up and down your back 23 inches. The chair back is relatively thin for a massage recliner and is fully upholstered front and back. Many chairs have a plastic back cover. The chair back can be reclined back 170 degrees with a range of motion from 115 to 170 degrees. The chair recline is manually controlled by pushing a lever and leaning back to the desired angle. Returning the back rest to its upright position requires the user to sit up and the piston will bring the chair back up.

The Orion has a vibration massage which can be set to three levels of intensity in the seat. This is a soothing massage to help improve the blood flow in the thighs and buttocks. There are 8 rotary massage heads built into the seat. The rotary massage heads can be set to three levels of intensity. They provide a penetrating massage for the buttocks and thighs. There is also an extra seat cushion for dampening the massage intensity.

The leg rest is extendable. You can extend it out an additional four inches. This is great to position it exactly where you want on your calf or feet. The leg rest has a mechanical massage system built in to provide a very thorough and invigorating massage for the calves. The massage intensity or speed can be adjusted to 3 different levels. The leg rest can also be adjusted in a 90 degree range and will come up to the full horizontal position. The leg rest works with a manual lever. The piston will push the leg rest up, but the user must use their legs to push it back down when you are done.

The feature list of the Orion is nothing short of impressive for an entry level massage chair. They even have incorporated a negative ion generator which removes stale oxygen away from your body to provide a healthier massage. The sway massage is particularly effective. It quickly loosens tight back muscles and helps you to relax. You get one of the best warranty coverages from one of the top manufacturers. You simply cannot beat the M-2 Orion massage chair recliner in this price range.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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This is a review of a Sanyo massage chair. The model DR-6700K is one of the top massage recliners produced by Sanyo. We will walk through an evaluation of 5 separate categories and provide a score out of a possible 20 points each. A total rating is given by adding up the scores. This provides a basis of comparison for the other massage loungers that we have reviewed. Let us see how the HEC-DR6700K massage recliner stacks up to the competition.

Warranty & Customer Service: One of the first areas you want to check out with a massage chair that you are interested in is the warranty coverage. Massage chairs are complex machines and you just want to make sure in the unlikely event something goes wrong that you are protected. Let’s look at the warranty coverage for the DR6700. The roller mechanism which is what provides the back massage is covered for three years. Parts and labor are covered for one year. Sanyo also provides you with one year of in home technician service. The parts and labor is rather short. The good part of the warranty is the 1 year technician service. We rate the warranty an 18.

Comfort & Ergonomics: One of the key elements in design today is the discipline of ergonomics. Ergonomics is the study of how the human body moves. Sanyo has built a fairly well designed chair from an ergonomic standpoint. All is within easy reach. Additionally, the DR6700 is form fitting to the body. The back pad and seat are comfortable to sit in when the chair is not running. Sanyo has done a pretty solid job and we give it an 18.

Ease of Use: This category takes a look at how easy the chair is to use for the average person. We have seen some overly complicated remotes which require too many steps to get the chair to do what you want. The remote control has 4 automatic programs which operate off one touch. Manual programs are a little bit more involved which requires a few steps to get the chair where you want. The intensity and width adjustments have a nice phased LED to show the power levels. Overall, we rate the Sanyo DR6700 a 17 in ease of use.

Key Features: The two extraordinary massage features in the DR6700 are the Stiffness detection system and the GK rollers. The Stiffness detection system is borrowed from Sanyo’s lie detector technology. This system actually measures your pulse rate and the extent of your perspiration. This is done by reading your finger when you hold onto the secondary remote control. The DR6700 can locate areas of tension and stress in your body. These readings are then feed to the computer and those areas are targeted for relief. The other important feature is the GK rollers in the roller mechanism. These nimble rollers can massage over the tops of the shoulders for a soothing and relaxing massage. We give the DR-6700 an 18 for key features.

Massage Therapy: The DR 6700 has 4 automatic one-touch massage programs. The programs are as follows: Stiffness, Recovery, Fine and Relax. There are also manual massage techniques which include the following: Grip, Shiatsu, Kneading, Tapping and Combo. Each of these techniques is specialized with a particular movement to loosen or revitalize tight and sore muscles. In manual mode, just select the intensity of the massage to be more or less invigorating or select the width of the rollers to cover the areas of your back that you need attention. Target specific areas by selecting the region which includes: neck and shoulders, lower back, lower body and quick course. You have a lot of good options to choose from with the DR-6700. Our rating of the massage therapy is 19

So how did the DR6700 do overall in our review? We give it an overall rating of 90 points. This is an advanced massage chair with some thorough and invigorating massage therapies. The warranty for the parts and labor is a bit cheap for the high end range. The chair does deliver with some interesting electronic features and the Grip massage is a soothing relief. If you get a chance, check out more about the HEC-DR6700 massage chair.

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Sanyo has an entry level massage chair called the SR-1000K. The SR-1000K has many of the same features as some of the higher end chairs made by Sanyo. This product review will discuss some of the more salient features and functions of the SR 1000K massage chair by Sanyo.

With all massage chairs, make sure that you check out the warranty coverage. There is substantial variation between models of the same manufacturer and also between manufacturers. Let us focus on the warranty of the DR 6700. The roller mechanism is covered for a three year period. This is what massages the back and the mechanics are contained in the chair back. The parts and labor are covered for one year each. There is also in home repair available and that is picked up by Sanyo for the first year.

There are two automatic programs designed in the SR 1000K massage chair. The first program is called Relax and as the name implies, it provides a softer, soothing massage. The second program is named Recovery and it is more like a warm down type of massage. Both of these auto-programs work with the touch of one button.

An intriguing and innovative feature is called the Stiffness Detector. This system using readings of your pulse rate and perspiration levels and correlates those to areas of the body having more tension. The massage chair then focuses the massage treatment to those areas detected. This is a fascinating technology integrated into the SR 1000 massage chair.

Would you enjoy a good leg stretch now and then? In addition to the manual massage techniques, Sanyo has built two different stretches into the chair. You can select the manual massage technique and then select stretch 1 or stretch 2 and the chair will seamlessly integrate the stretching into the massage program.

The legs can be treated by the leg rest massager. The leg rest is designed for the feet and the calves. The feet massager has a flip down unit. This is a nice feature when you are not using the foot massager, just flip it back up and it is out of the way. The massage is pretty invigorating and can effectively relieve tight and sore muscles.

There is a remote that runs all the functions of the SR1000. The design is fairly simple and intuitive for first time users. The buttons are a good size and easy for the average user to push. There are little lights that are used to show the level of intensity of the massage and also the roller width.

The Sanyo line starts with the SR-1000K massage recliner. It has some of the same features as the higher products in the line. However, it has a completely different look than the other Sanyo massage chairs. The leg rest is also unique to the SR 1000. The massage therapy is pretty effective. The foot portion of the leg rest can be hidden from view which saves space and makes it more attractive. The warranty is very good for this level of massage chair as well. Overall, the SR1000K is a pretty solid value for an entry massage chair recliner.

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The HT1650 massage chair recliner is one of the top of the line Human Touch massage loungers on the market today. We will put the HT 1650 through an evaluation in five key areas. We will give it a rating in each and sum up the total. Check out how this truly unique massage chair stacks up.

Warranty & Customer Service: Let us get the warranty coverage out of the way first, so we can look at the more exciting elements like features and functions. What kind of warranty coverage do you get with this high end massage chair? Actually, you get solid coverage with 5 years on the structure or frame of the chair. Parts and Labor are covered for 3 years and in-home technician service is covered for 90 days. This compares favorably with the other manufacturers. Customer service is good and response times are relatively short. This massage recliner gets a 17 for warranty coverage.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Comfort is extremely important in the case of the 1650. This leather recliner is disguised as a massage chair. So if it is not comfortable to sit in, then it is a marketing disaster. Luckily, Human Touch has done its home work and has made this chair very comfortable. The material selection is fine grain leather that is nice to the touch. It has sufficient padding and the leg rest does not have any hint of a massage chair. Also, a pocket is used to store the remote and no remote holder is visible. Human Touch has done a great job with the 1650 and we give it a 19.

Ease of Use: I don’t know about you, but I have always struggled trying to program my VCR. Thank goodness Tivo has finally saved me. We are critically concerned with the ease of use with massage chairs. These chairs increase in features and functionalities every year. The challenge is to keep it simple. We are happy to announce that the HT1650 has managed this. It has a remote that uses two different faces for buttons. This keeps it small and easy to hide in the side pocket. We give the 1650 19 of the 20 for ease of use.

Key Features: There are two really outstanding features with the HT 1650. The first is acupoint detection system and the second is the hidden calf massager. Did you know your back has almost 100 acupressure points? Don’t worry, the 1650 will scan your back and target the most important ones for your complete relaxation. The secret with this recliner is the hidden calf massager. Without this feature, it would be another massage chair, but instead it is a leather recliner with massage capabilities. The key is the technique used to hide the calf massager so it is only revealed when you want a massage. The key features earn a 18 with this leather recliner.

Massage Therapy: The massage therapy is the most important element of the massage chair. With the HT 1650 you get the following massage possibilities: 4 manual massage functions and 8 automatic massage programs. The manual massage functions include: rolling, compression, kneading and percussion. The 8 automatic programs include: full body sore muscle relief, sports and back therapy, leg- foot-hip therapy, neck-shoulders relief, after work stretch, morning wake up, night time soothing, and massage demonstration. These 12 treatments give you e a wide range of options to hit all the areas and trouble spots you may have. The calf and foot massager provides a compression massage. You can target either the feet or calves. The air compression massage works by performing a squeeze, hold and release movement. This massage is very effective in removing tightness in the calves and feet. The HT-1650 earns a 17 in massage therapy.

So how does the HT1650 rate overall in this product review? In summing up the scores we rate the HT-1650 a 90/100. The massage therapy is pretty effective in this massage chair. We really like the fact that it is a massage chair in disguise. This enables you to place it in almost any room in the house. The remote is a nice slim design and tucks away into a pocket rather having a remote stand. If you are looking for a massage chair that does not look like one, then this is certainly the massage chair recliner for you.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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