Massage Chair Amazon for your Health and Vitality

WHY BUY A MASSAGE CHAIR?

When you live with chronic stress or constant bodily pain, daily occurrences can really add up, and exact a detrimental toll on both physical and mental health.

The worst part?

We don’t have the recompense that we once did, the allocation of “personal time.” Other obligations have been pushed to the forefront — work, a social life, and so on.

Life can quickly become insurmountable. This is where your special chair comes in.

The benefits of regular massage therapy for one’s physical health are nearly indescribable. The body is a complex machine, albeit one we give very little thought to. Imagine the improvements possible if we were to ensure on a weekly, or even daily, basis that our physiology receives a tune-up.

Think about the vitality and energy possible — all the components are already present within your body. The massage equipment merely helps stimulate the release of that energy. Massage therapy promotes more thorough oxygenation of the body.

The therapeutic benefits of using a massage chair just a few minutes a day are well documented: an increase in mobility and flexibility, a surge in endorphin levels, and a reprieve from chronic pain.

A massage therapy chair will also greatly improve psychological health.

In a typical setting, a masseuse would aid in the relaxation and stimulation of the muscles and joints, and thus the release of nervous energy.

However, the difficulties and obligations of day to day life can make it difficult for many to have enough time for this investment. A therapy chair placed right within your own home eliminates the need for extra travel, and extra stress.

Often, an overworked, over stressed parent or working professional needs is a little time to his or herself. Purchasing a massage chair is, in the end, a major investment financially. Why divert so much of your hard-earned income to numerous outlets in pursuit of health and comfort when you can simply purchase a massage therapy chair and reap the benefits from the comfort of your home?

Yes, the therapy chair does cost a sizable amount, but that is a one-time expense.

Imagine the cost of the massage therapy chair; now, compare it against the amount needed for weekly appointments with a certified massage therapist or masseuse, or getting a regular massage at a spa or at a chiropractor’s office.

And be sure to add in the time spent traveling, and the cost of gas… You get the picture right?

A therapy chair can often pay for itself in under a year, and in a couple of years, it will have saved you its cost, several times over.

Depending on the state of your health, and factoring in any chronic pain you might be experiencing, you would need anywhere from 2-8 massages to maximize the effects of a massage.

When you consider that the national average for a massage is approximately $60, you can quickly note how quickly massage therapy can add up over the span of a year for just you alone.

With a therapy chair, you have the benefit of having an in-home masseuse from the comfort of your home — any time of the day. No more appointments, no more driving to your masseuse, no blackout dates and times.

While a chair may seem expensive at first, in the long-run it is a great investment not only for your wallet but your health, too.

HOW MUCH DO THEY COST?

Massage chairs cost $500 to $7,000. Like anything else, you will pay more for more features.

Stripped-down models are more affordable, but don’t offer all the bells and whistles the more advanced models have. Price may be an important consideration, but if your chair isn’t perfect for you, you won’t be satisfied with it, no matter how cheaply you purchased it.

So be sure your chair has all the features you really need.

FEATURES TO LOOK FOR

MASSAGE STYLES

Lower end chairs may only offer vibration or rolling massage. Higher end chairs have a whole menu of style options, including rolling, kneading, tapping, and vibration, as well as combinations of these.

Rolling feels great on your back and improves circulation, while kneading really works the soreness and knots out of muscles. Tapping and vibration can help to ease the tension out of the body. These features are achieved through a combination of rollers and massage heads.

MASSAGE AREAS

In addition to different styles of massage, different chairs have options for massaging more than just your back. Many chairs offer leg and foot therapy, and some even have arm massage.

Leg and foot massage can be delivered either by rollers, massage heads, or inflatable air bags.

Air bags tend to give a fuller treatment, but rollers can provide a stronger effect and do not have the noise of air bag compressors. Some chairs feature thumb-like massage heads in their leg areas.

Many massage therapy chairs that offer foot and leg massage have adjustable footrests as well.

ROLLERS

When shopping for a massage therapy chair, look for the number of rollers, whether they are mobile, and whether they can be adjusted for width. Chairs typically offer two or four rollers. Some chairs offer more, but these are typically stationary.

Make sure your chair has enough rollers in the right positions to deliver the treatment you desire. The number and position of the rollers will also determine the length of stroke.

The therapy stroke is the distance on your back that the chair will massage. The longer the stroke, the more of your back will be massaged. Some chairs have massage strokes of 29 inches or more, while others have strokes as short as 20 inches.

FOOT ROLLERS

Foot rollers target the acupoints of the feet and knead the foot soles. Additionally, most chairs with foot rollers have airbags that compress and decompress along the sides of the feet and function to push the feet deeper into the rollers.

Most chairs offer foot rollers now, but there are still some chairs available that only rely on airbags to treat the feet.

AIR BAGS

Air bags are pockets that inflate and deflate with air.

They squeeze, compress, knead and swing the body from side to side.

They loosen muscle tension, and as in the case of foot rollers, push the muscles deeper into the rollers for a stronger massage. Air bag massage functions by delivering air to small bags in the back, sides, or legs of the chair.

The inflated airbags compress the muscles much like a Swedish massage. You will be especially happy if your chair can deliver the air bag massage at the same time as the mechanical rolling.

The best and most technologically-advanced chairs are increasingly adding this function, but it adds significant expense. Chairs can come with anywhere from a dozen to 100 airbags.

Airbags can be placed inside the seat, on the sides of the chair, in the foot ottoman, the backrest, and even in the head/neck area.

A trap that some new massage chair buyers fall in is thinking that more airbags is better. That is not always the case.

Some of the newer chairs have fewer airbags than older models, but compensate for this because newer technology allows the airbags to cover more surface area, thus reducing strain on a massage chair.

HEAT THERAPY

Like foot rollers, heat therapy comes designed with the majority of chairs now.

Delivering heat to your back during a massage can help relax your muscles fully.

Most chairs have dual heating pads in the lower back area that warm up the lower back and serve as a way to melt away muscle pain and allow the rollers to work the back more effectively.

Some chairs, such as the popular Titan 3D Pro Executive have heating in both the lumbar region and also knee region. There are still some chairs, however, that do not have heat therapy — but most over the $2500 price range do offer it.

ZERO GRAVITY/TRADITIONAL RECLINE

Zero Gravity is now a given in chairs these days.

Zero Gravity is a NASA inspired recline position that positions the feet 30 degrees above the heart to give you a “weightless” feel. It is one of the most popular features the customers look for.

Higher-end massage chairs have various reclining options, including “zero gravity,” which places your body in a gravity-neutral position, ensuring your optimum relaxation and massage effectiveness.

Reclining options include single-touch features where the chair tilts back and forward with the touch of a button, or incremental controls. Different chairs offer different degrees of recline, with 175—nearly flat—being the greatest amount.

Recline helps the chair achieve a deeper massage, and means you can further customize your massage experience. Some chairs recline the back and footrest together, other do so separately.

POWER

The strength of a massage is dependent on the number and power of the motors, so usually it is better to have more motors.

Generally, the stronger massage your chair has, the better, as long as you are able to add padding to soften the contact. Once your body adjusts to a stronger massage, you will enjoy being able to take off the pads and allow the massage to really work deeply.

Remember, you can always soften the intensity, but you won’t be able to make it stronger. Most higher end chairs have removable pads and adjustable intensity.

MOTORS

Check that your chair has a durable enough motor to withstand heavy use. Some chairs have only one motor to control all functions, while others have multiple smaller motors. Chairs with multiple motors tend to last longer, since one motor isn’t carrying all the burden.

However, if one of your smaller motors goes out, you’ve got a chair with only partial function.

PROGRAMS

Many chairs offer pre-programmed routines for massage. These chairs can also be programmed to save your favorite massages for future use.

Most chairs also have timers and allow massages in various time increments. More expensive chairs feature body mapping technology that tests the various areas of your body and responds with a customized massage, varying the intensity, frequency, and duration.

UPHOLSTERY

Although genuine leather is recommended for your home furnishing needs, experts tend to advise against it for massage chairs.

Because of the exceptional amount of heat and movement generated by a chair, specially engineered synthetic fabrics hold up better than natural ones. Some chairs feature memory foam padding and custom headrests.

SIZE

Massage chairs are designed to fit most people most of the time.

If you are shorter or taller, thinner or wider than the average person, you will need to shop for a chair that can fit your frame.

Make sure the chair is stable and can support you without worry.

WILL YOU HAVE TO PAY SALES TAXES?

No!

Massage Chairs dealers only required to charge taxes to customers within the state the dealers located. They do not charge sales taxes to customers in any of the other 49 states.

Please Note: Some states require that taxpayers fill out a “use tax” return and pay the equivalent of a sales tax in their state. Please consult your state law to determine if you have to pay this tax.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT MASSAGE CHAIR FOR MY BODY FRAME?

Most massage chairs have extendable footrests that accommodate users of most heights.

However, some chairs are narrower than others that restrict broader shouldered and petite individuals. We encourage you to look at the specifications of the chair in their “Specs” tab on all of their product pages to get a better idea of what height and weight limits are suggested.

SHOULD YOU BUY S-TRACK OR L-TRACK?

S-track simply means that the rollers work the back in the natural S-shaped curvature of the back. Most chairs are designed with S-track technology, meaning that the rollers on the backrest of the chair massage from the neck down the back and cut off at the tailbone area.

Depending on the chair model, air compression technology massages the remainder of the body (including inside the seat, the waist, shoulders, arms, calves, and feet). S-track chairs have a massage track of 27-33 inches.

L-track, also known as an extended roller track, is newer technology and more and more manufacturers are introducing L-track chairs every year. With an L-track chair, it incorporates S-track technology but the rollers extend into the seat of the chair and reach the gluteal muscles and up to the bottoms of the hamstrings.

While S-track chairs massage the glutes and upper thighs with air compression technology, L-track chairs use physical mechanical rollers inside the seat.

Rollers are far more effective than airbags so if you’re interested in a deeper massage inside the seat of the massage chair or suffer from gluteal pain, an L-track can be incredibly beneficial. L-track chairs have a massage track of 40-53 inches.

While an L-track is a spectacular new feature, keep in mind that it focuses less on the back since it extends into the seat, whereas an S-track chair focuses exclusively on the back.

SHOULD YOU GO 2D OR 3D?

The vast majority of chairs have 2D massage rollers.

With a 2D chair, you cannot adjust the intensity of the rollers. You can adjust the airbag strength throughout the rest of the chair, but not the rollers themselves. Some chairs have additional padding on the backrest that you can remove to make the intensity of the rollers stronger, but the roller strength cannot be customized.

With that in mind, some chairs come with a stronger roller massage than others by default.

For example, the popular Infinity IT-8500 has a 2D roller system but the rollers provide a deep tissue massage. However, the Osaki OS-4000T also has a 2D roller system but the chair provides more of a mid-strength massage by comparison.

In contrast, with 3D and 4D chairs, you can protrude the rollers further into the back up to several inches for a deep tissue massage. 3D chairs permit you to adjust both the roller and airbag strength.

Nonetheless, 2D chairs are still by far the most popular of the two types of chairs. They will exert enough pressure that it most likely will leave you completely satisfied.

SPACE REQUIRED

When fully reclined, most chairs will require up to 80 inches of floor space.

Take a look at the specifications of each chair when fully reclined and measure the space where you plan to place the chair prior to purchasing to ensure you have sufficient clearance available.

Additionally, please ask the dealers about the measurement of the box(es) the chairs come in to make sure they will fit in your door frame. Most of their chairs are designed to fit within the confines of a standard door frame, but this is something to keep in mind if you’re considering placing your chair in a room with a tight door frame.

MASSAGE CHAIR WARRANTIES

Massage chairs get a lot of use, and don’t last as long as you might expect.

It is important to look into the warranty offered by your manufacturer. Only makers of chairs with excellent warranties should be trusted with such an important purchase.

Almost all massage chairs come with a standard three year manufacturer warranty that covers one year of in-home labor and 2 or 3 years of parts.

They do have extended warranty options available that can cover you up to five years for additional peace of mind as well.

DELIVERY/ASSEMBLY

All of their massage chairs come with free threshold delivery.

A freight company will use liftgate to bring the chair down to the front of your home or business but in most cases they’re not allowed to bring it in for you. Massage chairs are not light and can weigh anywhere from 200-400 pounds. Most come in 1-3 boxes, with the main body of the chair in one box and the side panels, foot ottoman and accessories in the other box(es).

Speaking of assembly, some chairs are pre-assembled, some have one or two parts that need assembly, and others require a more thorough set-up. Massage chairs are not difficult to assemble if you’re a hands-on person.

The manuals with their chairs walk you through the process and they often have step-by-step assembly videos available, too.

However, if carrying it in and assembly sounds burdensome or stressful, we recommend choosing their White Glove Delivery option.

WHAT IS WHITE GLOVE DELIVERY?

With White Glove Delivery, a professional installation team will be more than happy to bring the chair into your home or business, remove the packaging, and completely assemble it for you.

Your chair will be operating correctly before they leave.

Please note that by choosing their non-refundable White Glove Delivery service, your chair is delivered directly to the warehouse of a third party moving and delivery service located near your shipping address.

Once it arrives at the third party delivery service, they will contact you within 2-3 days of arrival to schedule a date and time to best have a professional installation team come out to your home or business to assemble your chair(s).

Be sure to consider all aspects of your life with your purchase, not just those of physiological health. A massage chair could help and heal you in more ways than one.

Although there are very few risks associated with massage, if you have special medical concerns, please check with your doctor before purchasing or using a massage chair.

Finally, if you want to test drive your chair at a showroom before you buy, by all means do so.

Another great way to put your mind at ease regarding your potential purchase is to look at other customer reviews regarding the chair you are interested in. Click here for more detail on investing in the best Massage Chairs

How To Choose A Massage Chair

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