5 Things You Should Know Before You Buy a Massage Chair

1. Define Your Needs: What are your long term needs? With massage chairs comes a wide selection of features, models and manufacturers. First and foremost, what type of relief are you seeking? Then look at what massage therapies can best relieve your trouble areas. If you are looking for full body, then are particular massage techniques that you prefer. Massage chairs are a long term investment and your budget needs to factor this in. These are the salient items to think about for a massage chair.

2. Back Pain Relief: What are the important areas on your back? Do you need more attention on lower back or is shoulder and neck coverage more important. Some massage chairs have grasping which is good around the shoulder and neck areas. A thorough kneading massage in the lower back relieves muscles. Make sure the massage chair reaches the lower lumbar areas to ensure relief. To relieve pressure off the cervical discs, a finger press massage is very relieving. The finger press massage uses the rollers going up and down adjusting each disc as it goes. These are just a few features in massage chair recliners.

3. Massage Therapy: Are you looking for deep tissue massage that penetrates beyond the superficial muscle layers? Shiatsu massage uses the body's acupressure points combined with kneading and tapping for whole body relief. Swedish massage uses longer strokes, kneading, squeezing and heat. A gentle Hawaiian massage using sway, stroking and light tapping may take you to the islands while you relax. The technology integrated into many shiatsu massage recliners is incredible. Have fun and find the massage therapies you enjoy most and look for massage chairs that have these capabilities.

4. Lower Body Massage: Massage chairs have rapidly advanced the technology and effectiveness of lower body massages. Most massage chair concentrated really on the back, neck and shoulders. This was accomplished using rollers to imitate human hands. The lower body presents more challenges. These companies have developed a mechanical paddle system and air massage using air compression. Some chairs are mixed with both, but the best massage chairs use one or the other. The paddle system is limited to the calf areas. Air massage is much more flexible since the massage is delivered via air bags. These chairs have air bags for the arms, hands, feet, calves, thighs, hips, buttocks providing superior coverage.

5. Warranty Coverage: Warranty coverage varies as much as the variety of massage chairs on the market. First, sort your list down to reputable manufacturers. Find out if the manufacturer has national retail accounts, this ensures that there warranty means something. Typical warranty coverage includes parts; labor, in home service vs. service center, shipping expenses. Interestingly, Fortune 500 manufacturers like Panasonic and Sanyo have short warranties from the manufacturer, but then sell extended warranties to match the rest of the massage chair industry. How long does the manufacturer cover parts? If you need service, can a technician come to your home or do you need to send your massage chair to a service center. This is important, as sending around 200 lbs of massage chair is not an easy task. Also, how long will the manufacturer pick up any shipping expenses to repair the massage chair?

Your health is your most important asset. Protect and enhance it with a daily massage. You now know enough to ask the right questions and start to find the best massage chair for you. This is a long term investment. Massage chairs are expensive and there is a tremendous variety to choose from for you needs. Shop around and look for the best deal. Evaluate the total cost of the chair including taxes and shipping. Take your time and educate yourself, so you get the perfect massage chair recliner.

About The Author:

Continue your research for the Best Massage Chair for your massage therapy needs. Find the premier massage chair brands from Omega, Sanyo, AcuTec and Health Tec. Peruse a Massage Chair Review and more.

Please Rate this Article

5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 

Not yet Rated