How to Buy a Massage Chair: Buyers Guide

If you suffer from chronic back pain or sore muscles, that weekly appointment at the spa for a deep tissue massage simply won’t cut it. Don’t get us wrong. If you can take time out of your busy day to dash across town in busy traffic and get in your massage every single day, go right ahead. However, if, like most people, time is a luxury you simply cannot afford, even if it means alleviating your pain, there’s a convenient and more affordable option worth exploring.

Presenting to you: The Massage Chair.

That’s right. We’re not talking about those ratty old things you see at the mall that accomplish nothing more than a fun rumble when you sit on them. We’re talking – high-quality pieces of ingenuity that are just as effective as expert massages for aching muscles.

Before you go off and buy the next one you come across, we’ve put together a comprehensive guide with everything you need to know about how to buy a massage chair.

Best Massage Chairs for 2021 – Top 3 Picks

1. Premier Pick – Real Relax Massage Chair

Our number one pick is the Real Relax massage recliner. This beauty comes with a ton of advanced features, including full-body massage capability, thanks to its eight back and neck rollers, as well as its 50 strategically-placed airbags for calves, feet, arms, hips, and shoulder massages. It even supports lower back heating therapy.

Its zero gravity massage chair design makes it feel virtually weightless to give you a superior body massage experience that’s second to none. It is ideal for a wide range of medical and chiropractic applications.

2. Value Pick – BestMassage Recliner Sofa

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, we recommend the massage recliner chair from BestMassage. One of the things we love about it – in addition to its affordable price-point – is how seamlessly it blends with other living room furniture. You would be forgiven for thinking it’s a reading chair. Don’t let its minimalist design fool you, though. It is every bit as functional as some of its higher-end counterparts.

The recliner massage chair features a dual function ottoman extension and comes with eight different massage modes to help you relax. We particularly like the two-point Power Recliner waist massage functionality, which is hard to come by among massage chairs in its class. If you’re looking for a unit to help you wind down after a hard day, this recliner massage chair might be just what the doctor ordered.

3. Best Overall Pick – Esright Massage Chair

Our top pick in this category is the Esright massage recliner chair. This amazing piece of technological ingenuity comes with several relaxation functions, including heat therapy, rocking, 360-degree swiveling, reclining, and vibrating.

This quality massage chair is made from soft, heavy-duty faux leather and comes with a generous amount of padding, particularly in the armrest and back cushion, to deliver maximum comfort. This unit has a 140-degree manual recline feature and five massage modes at two different massage intensity levels. It is exactly what you want to go home to at the end of a long day to soothe tense muscles and achieve some pain relief.

How to Buy a Massage Chair – Buyers Guide

If you’re in the market for a massage chair, you might be feeling overwhelmed by all the different options available to choose from. You’re also likely feeling confused by the sheer volume of features they have, and which brands you should go for.

One of the first things we need to state right off the bat is – a massage chair isn’t “just a massage chair.” Never settle for the first one you come across. Different products bring different things to the table. You need to pick one that’s best suited to meet your individual needs.

Now that that’s out of the way, here are a couple of factors you need to keep in mind when choosing the best massage chair from the several options you’ll find on the market.

How to Buy a Massage Chair 101 – What’s Your Budget

That’s right. You first need to think about how much you’re willing to spend on massage therapy. Prices of massage chairs vary depending on the brand in question, the features, and the capabilities of each. The idea is to find a product that delivers an outstanding amount of value for the price regardless of what your budget is.

The prices of massage chairs generally fall into three main categories. Below is an overview of each and what to expect from the products in that price range.

1. Massage Chairs Under $1,500

This category of massage chairs is the most affordable option for individuals working with a limited budget. Manufacturers usually scale back on the features in exchange for a price reduction.

However, in many instances, massage chairs that cost under $1,500 usually run on outdated technology, although they can be well-implemented. The bottom line is – if the chair you’re going for falls in the value-priced category, don’t expect it to have all the swanky features you would expect in higher-end units.

2. Massage Chairs Between $1,500 and $6,000

The massage chairs in this class are considered mid-range. Most of the massage chairs you’ll come across on the market today will typically fall within this category. The functionality of these chairs ranges anywhere between well-implemented generalist chairs that do a bit of everything; and highly specialized chairs that come with a limited set of features but deliver exceptional performance. The latter are usually designed to meet very specific user needs.

3. Massage Chairs Over $6,000

Then there are the higher-end massage chairs that can retail for anywhere between $6,000 and $15,000. The higher the price tag is, the more features you can expect it to have. Chairs in this category have some of the best implementations out there and can do just about everything you would expect from an expert massage.

Regardless of what your budget is, you’ll be able to find a chair you’ll be pleased with. You just need to know what to look out for to ensure you’re getting more bang for your buck.

Why Do You Need a Massage Chair?

The next thing you need to consider when thinking of which massage chair to get is why you need one in the first place. This is where things can get a little tricky, depending on why you want to own one. Lucky for you, the market makes things easier. There are generally two types of massage chairs to choose from.

1. Therapeutic Massage Chairs

As the name suggests, this category of chairs is designed to address specific medical or chiropractic issues an individual might be suffering from. According to the American Chiropractic Association, approximately eight in 10 adults will experience severe back pain at one point in their lives. It happens to be more common than you think.

If you’re thinking about buying a therapeutic massage chair, it is likely because you’re looking to get some kind of relief from chronic back pain. One of the great things about these chairs has to do with just how versatile they are. They can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, including shoulder pain, neck pain, leg pain, hypertension, and stress-related ailments.

The specific type of therapeutic chair you get will ultimately depend on your specific medical or chiropractic needs. This will advise the feature set to look for in a unit.

2. Hobbyist Massage Chairs

This category is, by definition, more generalist. Although it is not unusual to come across models that offer some therapeutic features, chairs in this class usually focus on offering modern conveniences such as USB ports, MP3 player support, LED lights, and even memory slots that allow you to save or, in some instances, even program your favorite massage settings.

It’s important to keep in mind that there is a tremendous overlap between the two massage chair types. Simply because you want a therapeutic chair does not automatically mean that you have to compromise on certain modern conveniences. You can have a therapeutic unit that comes with a built-in music player.

Nonetheless, choosing the right massage chair ultimately boils down to what you intend to use it for. The massage needs of an individual suffering from sciatica, for instance, will be vastly different from those of an individual who is simply looking to de-stress after a hard day at work.

What Features Do You Need?

Once you’ve established how much you’re willing to spend on a massage chair and figured out the type you need to meet your specific needs, you can now get to the fun part – identifying which features you consider the most important for you.

That being said, massage chair features generally fall into three broad categories.

1. Core Massage Chair Features

These refer to the basic technologies at the heart of every massage chair on the market. You can think of them as the foundation upon which the rest of the chair design is built. Some core features include:

• • Massage track – This can either be an S-track, which is the existing industry standard, or an L-track, which is a hybrid system that combines an S-track with roller extensions that bend beneath the seat for glute, thigh, and neck massages.
  • Roller array – This is the means through which body massages are delivered. The rule of thumb is, the higher the number of rollers, the better the massage experience.
  • Roller adjustment technologies – These adjust the positions of the rollers to align with the pressure points on the body. The available options on the market include two-pronged, manual, 3D scanning, and no-adjustment technologies. 
  • Massage options – These fall into two categories: Basic massage capabilities such as rolling, tapping, and kneading; and advanced massage capabilities such as Shiatsu, Thai, and Swedish massages.

• Control methods – These refer to the techniques used to operate the chair. Some of the common ones include touch-screen panel, remote, and app-operated massage chairs.

2. Therapeutic Features

These refer to the features designed to eradicate specific medical or chiropractic issues. It’s important to keep in mind that no single massage chair on the market can have every feature on the list. You, therefore, need to carefully consider what you want before settling on a particular chair. Some of the most common therapeutic features you’ll come across include:

• Calf and foot roller massage
• Deep tissue massage
• Focal and zonal massage
• Therapeutic heat massage
• Zero-gravity seating

3. Convenience Features

Although convenience features do not necessarily improve the overall massage experiences, different user subsets may find them appealing. The most common ones include:

• Air ionizer for enhanced relaxation during a massage session
• Chromotherapy via soft-glowing LED lights
• Collapsible space-saving designs for smaller homes
• Extendable ottoman for tall users
• Hideaway ottoman to allow it to blend with other living room furniture
• MP3 player support implemented via USB ports, SSD card slots, and/or Bluetooth compatibility

Narrow Down Your Options

Finally, you need to narrow down your list of potentials. Here’s how.

1. If you’re buying a value-priced massage chair, pick a maximum of five features that are most important to you
2. If you’re would rather go with a mid-range chair, pick nine must-have features you can’t do without
3. If you’re going with a higher-end massage chair, you can pick as many features as you would want it to have.

Once you know what features you’re looking for, you can then base your search on them and pick the chair that meets your needs.

Now that you know how to buy a massage chair, we recommend checking out the top three options we’ve highlighted in this guide. Those should help point you in the right direction.

In the meantime, if you’re in the market for pressure-sore cushions for recliners, check out our top 4 picks.