If Not The Inada Sogno Massage Chair, How About The Osaki 6000 or 7000? (Part 2)

March 13th, 2012 by

Osaki 6000 Massage Chair vs. Osaki 7000 Massage Chair – Part 2

Yesterday, in part 1, I went over some of the benefits of both the Osaki 6000 massage chair and Osaki 7000 massage chair. Two great models to consider when the Inada Sogno chair is just not feasible economically. Today, in part 2, I will go over 6 more contrasting points between the Osaki 6000 and Osaki 7000 massage chairs, in response to an email from Brian, a serious massage chair shopper:

4. Both models have a stretching program, with the stretch of the 6000 being more typical of most other models. But, the new Thai stretch is very intense. I’ve never felt anything like it before. I really pulls your body and decompresses your spine. It might be a bit much for some, especially if you are overly sensitive, but for most it will be just what the doctor ordered.

Osaki 7000 Massage Chair

Osaki 7000 Massage Chair

5. The airbag numbers are close, but the intensity and aggressiveness of the Osaki 7000 massage chair airbags seem to be more intense. Just like with the rollers for both chairs, you can adjust the airbag intensity on either model as well.

6. The neck traction on the Osaki 6000 massage chair is in imitation of the Cervical Traction Device of the Inada Sogno. The neck airbags on the 6000 are pretty weak…just two large airbags that inflate and push your head forward (nothing close to the discriminating massage of the Inada Sogno neck airbags). But, the shoulder airbags that push down onto the top of your shoulders are pretty good. That is what constitutes the tractioning action of the headpiece. Although I find it to not be as good as that of the Sogno, it certainly is better than the neck airbags. You will enjoy this feature if you or your wife work at a desk and/or computer and have tight trapezia muscles.

The Osaki 7000 does not have the neck traction at all.

7. The Osaki 7000 has the head airbag massage mechanism, which also has a neck massage as part of the contraption. I’ve never seen that before on a chair, but when I tried it out I had no idea it was going to be as intense as it was. I would be very interested to try it out when I have a headache to see what effect it might have on that pain.

8. The Osaki 7000 has full body heat, from head to foot. The Osaki 6000 has no heat at all.

9. The vertical roller track length on the Osaki is 1 inch longer than that of the 6000. The 31 inch length is, along with the Panasonic ma70, is the longest track we know of in a massage chair. The rollers go all the way from the base of your skull down to the buttocks. It is great. Even though the vertical track on the Osaki 6000 is only 30 inches long, it is still longer than most and will give you a great head to buttock massage. It just doesn’t go that extra inch down into the lower buttocks like the Osaki 7000 does.

Well, Brian, that about does it. I hope this helps you make up your mind regarding which model would be best for you. Please feel free to call me at 801-651-2026 or email me with any other questions or if you need any assistance placing your order on our site.

Dr. Alan Weidner
www.massage-chair-relief.com

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If Not The Inada Sogno Massage Chair, How About The Osaki 6000 or 7000? (Part 1)

March 12th, 2012 by

Inada Sogno Massage Chair vs. Osaki 7000 or 6000 – Part 1

The Inada Sogno massage chair is the creme-de-la-creme of massage chairs, but is not always within the budget of many of our massage chair shoppers. Many are looking for an inexpensive alternative to the Inada Sogno, with as many features as possible (arent’ we all?!).

Here is a letter from a massage chair shopper who asks some questions that are typical of someone shopping for massage chairs, but not quite ready to fork over the big bucks for the Inada Sogno. His interest, in particular, is the in the Osaki 6000 or 7000 models.

Osaki 6000 Massage Chair

Osaki 6000 Massage Chair

Here are our emails, his question and my response, broken up into 2 parts:

Massage Chair Question:

Hi! First of all, I’d like to compliment you on your website. Since we’ve been in the market for a massage chair, your website has easily given us the most useful information. Last month we tested the Inada Sogno Dreamwave at a home and garden show in Denver and fell in love with everything but the price. I’m sure you hear that a lot.

We live in a small town in SE New Mexico and testing any other chair seems out of the question, meaning we have to trust reviews and our research to make our final decision. A couple of the key features that are important to us are the intensity of the massage (we like deep penetrating massages), the stretching and zero gravity option, hip/thigh/calf and foot massage, and heat (as extensive as possible).

Based on these, your review of the Osaki 7000 intrigued us but we still have some concerns. The head massage band, although interesting is an eye sore in every image we’ve seen. Can it be stored a different way? It also doesn’t appear to do as extensive of a massage to the shoulder area as say the 6000. We really liked the way you described how it moves and massages the hips, that and the intensity have us leaning towards it over the 6000 (that has no heat).

If the 7200H is to include heat, how would you compare them (assuming it’s functionally the same as the 6000 with added heat)? Also, if we were to consider the 7200H over the 7000, when would you expect it to become available? Any more of your thoughts regarding these chairs would be very helpful.

Thanks for your time!

Brian

Massage Chair  Answer:

Hi, Brian

Thank you for your email. Thanks for the thumbs up on our website. That means a lot to me. Heaven knows I spend a lot of time and energy on it!

Yes, the Inada Sogno is awesome…but expensive. But, if you like deep, penetrating massages and you don’t have the budget for the Sogno, the Osaki 7000 massage chair might just be the ticket for you. Man, we just got it in our showroom a couple of weeks ago and it is impressive. It stands a little taller than the Inada Sogno, but has a far more aggressive massage, both in rollers and airbags. The Thai stretch is the most vigorous and intense stretch program I have ever encountered in a massage chair. If you like intense, this chair is probably a good one for you.

Yes, the head band is a funny thing. A very intense head and neck massage but attached to hoses that can’t really be hidden. There actually is a protrusion at the top of the chair that you hand the head band on. What we have done in the showroom is hand the whole device over the back of the chair, where less folks can see it. But, yes, it is a big of a nuisance for aesthetics…even though it does a very unique and effective thing, which we’ve never seen before on a massage chair.

All the features that you list as important are found on the Osaki 7000. You are good there. The Osaki 7200H won’t be out until later in the summer, but it’s functionality and looks are apparently the exact same as the Osaki 6000, but with heat. I will list below the differences I see between the Osaki 6000 (and, therefore the Osaki 7200H) and the Osaki 7000:

1. Osaki 6000 massage chair has a music system with two external speakers. The Osaki 7000 does not.

2. The intensity of the massage is greater on the Osaki 7000. You can adjust the intensity on both of the chairs, but the default intensity of the 7000 is far greater than that of the 6000. If you want an intense massage, the Osaki 7000 if for you.

3. The look of the 6000, to me, is more sleak and has better lines. I like the LED lighting on the sides of the chair, but aesthetics don’t really have much to do with the function. The synthetic leather on the 6000 is shinier and more slick looking. The synthetic leather on the 7000 is more of a “flat” finish (I think that’s the term they use in the painting world!). The body style of the 7000 is very unique. The 6000 is patterned after the famous Inada Sogno massage chair, but the body styling of the 7000 is unique and new.

Stay tuned for Part 2 tomorrow where I go into 6 more points to consider when choosing either the Osaki 6000 or Osaki 7000 massage chair.

Dr. Alan Weidner
www.massage-chair-relief.com

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Sanyo Massage Chairs Finished? Panasonic Now Made In China?

March 10th, 2012 by

Panasonic and Sanyo Massage Chair News!

I had been hearing rumors for a few weeks that Sanyo massage chairs were being discontinued. I knew that Panasonic had acquired Sanyo a while back, but until now I had no idea how that would affect the Sanyo massage chair line, i.e. the Sanyo 7700 and 8700 models.Sanyo massage chair

Well, I called my Panasonic and Sanyo distributor and asked for an update on what was going on. This is the long and short of what he told me…

1. The Sanyo line of massage chairs was most likely going to be discontinued, if it hasn’t already been. I know that the Sanyo 8700 is not available to me at the present time and that the Sanyo 7700 is out of stock…and my distributor has no idea when that model will be in stock, and

2. The full line of Panasonic massage chairs, including the Panasonic 30007 and the new ma70, are all now being manufactured in China. The 30007 and ma70 had previously been manufactured in Japan, but now it is all being done in China. As a matter of fact, I am told that the Panasonic manufacturing plant in Japan has been shut down altogether.panasonic massage chair

I have also been told that this change in manufacturing locale is not limited to massage chairs but to many Panasonic products that were heretofore being manufactured in Japan.

I suspect that the reason for this is the strength of the Japanese Yen and the weakness of he USD. I have discussed in a previous blog post that the Inada chairs went significantly up in price because of that very reason…but they continue to manufacture in Japan.

So, I suspect that rather than increase the price of their massage chairs in the US, Panasonic decided to move their manufacturing to China, where the cost of production is apparently much lower.

Thus, the only massage chairs that are still manufactured in Japan are the Inada models.

We will probably be dropping the Sanyo models on our website soon. If either of the two models survive, I will probably then add it to the Panasonic category page since they are now one-in-the-same company.

New Massage Chair Line for Massage-Chair-Relief.com

We will begin carrying the Infinite Therapeutics line of massage chairs. I have discussed my meeting with Kirk Jennings, IT’s sales manager, in one of my biweekly Massage Chair Industry Update videos (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxpzfv5ENts&context=C40cdaa5ADvjVQa1PpcFOZxIfRxt2mzAgw7OEz0A9W7-YvRwSmBcc=). Kirk came to my showroom last week and we further discussed his line. Currently, they carry the IT-9800, which is a Taiwanese-made massage chair. It is made by the same manufacturing plant as the old Neox massage chair, which we used to see at all the local trade shows. A lovely, leather-upholstered chair that has an inversion feature and a side-to-side “swaying-like” calf massaging ottoman. Nice chair.

They also have the IT-7800, which is a Chinese-made model with a very reasonable price point. I will be having these models put up in the next couple of weeks or so. I understand they will also be coming out with a new model to add to their line, which allegedly will be a Sogno-lookalike model, which all the chinese plants seem to be coming out with.  Here is their website: www.infinitetherapeutics.com. You can go there to learn more about their chairs.

Hope this info assists you in your massage chair shopping experience.

Dr. Alan Weidner
www.massage-chair-relief.com

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International Massage Chair Orders on the Rise! What Gives?

March 8th, 2012 by

International Massage Chair Sales

Lately, I have been getting a lot of calls from international destinations. You know what that means? It means that the US Dollar is low and foreign currencies are stronger. This happens every so often. This last week I sold a massage chair to Sweden and one to Australia. The ocean freight costs are so minimal that it makes buying and shipping a massage chair overseas very affordable.Massage Chair International Shipping

The two chairs I shipped overseas were both Inada Sogno massage chairs. The cost of ocean freight  to Sweden was about $500 and the one to Australia was about $600. Not too bad, eh? It makes purchases by my international clients very manageable. The only real drawback to the overseas shipping is that once the massage chair leaves US soil, the warranty is more-or-less void.

I say more-or-less because some companies, like Inada and Human Touch, will provide the parts over the length of the warranty period but not the labor. The client just has to pay for the shipping of the parts, but the parts are covered. That is not a bad deal.

Massage Chair Voltage Difference?

Another thing to be aware of when shopping from out side the US is the voltage of the chair vs. the voltage your country’s electrical system, i.e. 110 v or 220 v. If you have 110v in your country you will need to get a step up transformer. I would strongly suggest that you get a good quality one that will last you for a long time. Don’t go cheap on the transformer. I am sure that you can get one in your country, but if you have difficulty getting a hold of one, we have access to a very good quality one here in the US, but between shipping and the cost of the dang thing, you’d be into your purchase another $200-250 depending on where you live.

Here is the link to our international shipping page on our website, for more information:

http://www.massage-chair-relief.com/international_orders.html

By the way, in case you haven’t already figured this out, but our toll-free number, 888-259-5380, only works for US-originated calls. It will NOT work for international calls. If you want to call and chat, and I’d love to chat anytime about massage chairs with you, you will have to call our showroom number, which is 1-801-417-8240.

Have a super day!

Dr. Alan Weidner
www.massage-chair-relief.com

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Panasonic ma70 Massage Chair vs. Inada Sogno Dreamwave

March 7th, 2012 by

Comparing the Inada Sogno and the Panasonic ma70 Massage Chair

It seems that when the discriminating massage chair shopper contacts me, it is usually a question about the Inada Sogno Dreamwave massage chair, either a question specifically about it or how it compares to some other massage chair model. This is the email I received from a massage chair shopper asking for a comparison between the Sogno and the Panasonic ma70. I make a point by point comparison between these to higher-priced but popular models.

Panasonic MA70 Massage Chair

Panasonic MA70 Massage Chair

Massage Chair Question:

Hi Dr. Weidner

I am interested in a top of the line chair.

Obviously the inada sognio is not a bad pick.

I wondered about the panasonic ma70. You have not written a review on your page.
How does it compare to the inada?
I kind of like the sleeker design, but obviously that is not the main issue with a massage chair.
Thank you for your help.

Kind regards,
Marc 

Massage Chair Answer:

Hi,  Marc

Thanks for your inquiry.
The Inada Sogno has typically been our top seller. However, the Panasonic ma70 is drawing a lot of interest and the clients of mine who own it…love it. The reason I haven’t done a review of it yet is because I don’t have one in my showroom at this point. When I do get one in the showroom, I will be doing written and video reviews of it.
Inada Sogno Massage Chair

Inada Sogno Massage Chair

I have written a brief literature review of the ma70 on my blog. Here is the link to that:

I also had a client buy the Panasonic ma70 massage chair after comparing it to the Inada Sogno. He wrote a brief review about his experience of the new ma70. Here is that review:

Here are the major differences between the two chairs, as I see them:

1. # of Airbags
The Inada Sogno has 100 airbags, while the Panasonic ma70 has 33. Once you see the Inada Sogno, you totally understand why there are more airbags. Between the calf, feet, full arms, seat, thigh, neck, and shoulders you will see more airbags than you have ever seen on any other chair.

2. Neck Traction
The Inada Sogno pioneered the idea of airbags in the neck area with its Cervical Traction Device, which really is a very fancy head piece. Airbags knead your neck muscles and it feels like fingers of a person massaging your neck. It also has the shoulder airbags that inflate and push down on the top of your shoulders (on the trapezia muscles). This is one of my favorite features of this chair. It feels like the elbows of a Licensed Massage Therapist digging into my trap muscles. Great for desk workers, by the way. 

The Panasonic ma70 does not have the cervical traction device, but does have some shoulder airbags that inflate towards the outside of the upper arm/shoulder area (deltoid muscles).

3. Dreamwave Technology
The Inada Sogno also pioneered airbags in the seat that make up what is known as Dreamwave Technology. These airbags move the seat from side to side in a figure-8 motion, as well as up and down. It is very soothing for the low back and pelvis, particularly if you acute low back pain. The ma70 has seat airbags which massage the buttock and thighs, but without the dreamwave motion.

4. Arm Massage
The Panasonic ma70 massage chair has arm rests that lift up and allow the user to slide their arms underneath for an airbag massage. It will massage the fingers, wrists, and forearms. The Inada Sogno has airbags that massage the fingers, wrists, forearms, and upper arms. 

5. Rotating Ottoman
One thing I really like about the ma70 is the rotating ottoman. It is a full foot and calf massager but you can rotate the ottoman when not in use to hide the calf and foot wells. This helps make the chair look more like a regular chair and not so much like a therapeutic massage chair. The user can just rotate the ottoman and lay their legs on the ottoman just like a regular recliner. The Inada Sogno has calf and foot wells in the ottoman but the ottoman is not reversible.

6. Heat
The Inada Sogno massage chair has heat in the form of a little element in a small area at the back of the seat. It is hardly noticeable when in use, but the heat creates the desired effect, which is to increase blood flow to the area. However, on the Panasonic ma70 massage chair, a new innovative heating system is built into the massage rollers. The rollers are actually jade stones that have a heating element built into the jade rollers. This provides a moving heat as the rollers go up and down the spine. It is a very deep heat as well.

7. Length of Roller Track
Because the Inada Sogno uses the airbags of the Cervical Traction Device (head piece), the roller track is shorter (28.4 inches) and extends deeper into the buttock area. You will love how low the rollers go in the buttock. This is a great massage for the Sacro-Iliac area, where many sciatica and buttock pain problems originate. The Panasonic ma70, on the other hand, has a 31 inch roller track, the longest of any chair we carry (along with the Osaki 7000 massage chair). The roller goes from the base of the skull down into the top of the buttocks. A nice long track that hits everything between the head and the buttocks.

8. Manufacturer Warranty
Inada has the best all-around parts and labor in-home warranty in the business. It is 3 years, whereas the head to toe in-home warranty for the Panasonic massage chairs is only 1 year, which is more typical of most other massage chairs in the market.

9. Auto Programs
The Inada Sogno has 8 automatic, pre-set programs, whereas the Panasonic ma70 only has 6. I don’t think that affects therapy too much, but it is fun to have different auto programs. 

10. UPDATE (03/10/12): I just learned that the Panasonic ma70, along with all other Panasonic massage chair models are now manufactured in China, and not in Japan as initially it was. So, this is another difference between the two models. The Inada Sogno is manufactured in Japan, while the Panasonic ma70 is now being made in China.

Some other minor differences include: massage speed adjustment in the Panasonic ma70, junetsu massage in the Panasonic ma70, less power consumption by the Inada Sogno, the Inada Sogno is a heavier chair, greater color selection with the Inada Sogno. 

I hope this helps you in your research, Marc. Please feel free to contact me if you have other questions or if you need assistance placing your order. You probably know this already, but we are offering $700 off on the ma70 for a limited time. You just have to check off the $700 discount box on the product page:

Dr. Alan Weidner

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Which Massage Chair is Most Comfortable to Sit in While Turned Off?

March 5th, 2012 by

Best Massage Chair Turned On OR Off?

I received an email from a massage chair shopper recently who asks this question…one that I just happen to get quite a bit from other shoppers. I thought that since I’m asked this a lot, I’d share it and my response with all of you since you may be asking the same thing.

Panasonic MA70 Massage Chair

Panasonic MA70 Massage Chair

Massage Chair Question:

Hi, Is the Inada Sogno DreamWave massage chair comfortable enough to use as an every day recliner/tv chair for stretches of a few hours at a time? I am interested in getting a massage chair yet want one that can also replace my lounge chair (just a simple Ikea Poang chair) in my bedroom which I use for tv use and reading. I am interested in this chair and the Panasonic MA70 which I see has that removable extra back pad when using it as a regular recliner. It is that added pad that makes me wonder if sitting in the Sogno for an extended period of time would start to get uncomfortable. I think the Sogno on paper seems like it would be more to my liking in terms of its massage features so it’d be nice to know it can also do the double duty as an every day chair. Oh and aesthetics do not matter to me. Thanks Rob

Answer:

Hi, Rob

Thanks for your email. Great questions!

The Inada Sogno massage chair, in my opinion, is the best therapeutic massage chair out there. But, it is certainly not optimal when it comes to just sitting to watch TV or read, unless it is turned on. It is not the most comfortable chair just to sit in…it is hard enough sit comfortably on any massage chair when it is off because of the big empty space down the middle of the back where the rollers go when the chair is turned on.

Now, the Panasonic ma70 massage chair is a new model from Panasonic and is a very nice therapeutic massage chair. It has the jade heated rollers, which we have never before seen in a massage chair. However, with its extra pad, which you mentioned, its rotating ottoman, and its arm rests, it would definitely be a better chair to just sit on for relaxation purposes, without the chair actually turned on.

I hope this helps. Again, it is just my opinion, but based on my experience with both chairs, I’d have to say the ma70 is the better massage chair for using as a regular recliner/lounger.

Please feel free to contact me with any other queries or if you need assistance with your order. You can email me or call me directly at 801-651-2026. I am always available to chat about massage chairs! 

Dr. Alan Weidner

www.massage-chair-relief.com

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Panasonic 30007 Massage Chair Review (Part 2)

March 3rd, 2012 by

Part 2 of my Review of the Panasonic 30007 Massage Chair

In Part 1 of my review of the very popular Panasonic 30007 massage chair, I discussed price, durability of the Panasonic brand, the roller system, and the airbags of the hips and arms. In Part 2, I delve into many more of the features of this massage chair.

Panasonic 30007 Massage Chair

Panasonic 30007 Massage Chair

The Panasonic 30007 massage chair does not have any heat function. I’m pretty ambivalent about heat. I figure that with a few passes of the rollers over your backside your back is going to heat up anyway from the increased blood flow. Not a biggie to me, but if you love the heat function in a massage chair, the 30007 is not for you.

The chair does not fit a taller person very well. If you are over 6 feet tall, you may feel as though you are a tall person sitting in a small two-seater sports car. Your knees will be up higher than you would find comfortable. With the flexing foot massage component of the ottoman, you can always extend your legs and flatten out the foot massager, but then you have airbags squeezing on your ankles, which may not be optimal for you taller folks. This taller person issue is compounded if you just happen to have long legs. Your torso will be fine, but the legs will not like it too much. The ottoman does have a 5” extension feature but it doesn’t help much for the taller users.

More on the 30007 Massage Chair Rollers…

One thing I always look for in a massage chair is a good roller massage way down the back and even into the top of the buttocks. The Panasonic 30007 has a 30” roller track and it gets down below the belt line and into the sacral area (top of the buttocks). That is a nice feature if you suffer from low, low back pain.

The 30007 massage chair is available only in black. From the start, Panasonic said they would have black and brown models, but the brown has never been introduced to the US market in this model. If you want the brown color I suggest you look at the sister models to the 30007, which are the 30005 and 30006. They both come in the brown and there are very few differences between all three of these models.

The warranty is 1 year full, on-site comprehensive warranty with a 3 year limited warranty. Panasonic is pretty good about warranty work. Just give them a call and they have a local dealer pick up the chair, fix it for you, and then drop it back off at your home.

Next to the Inada Sogno massage chair, which covers over 1200 sq. inches of your body with massage, the Panasonic 30007 is the next highest in square inch coverage at 460+ of any name-brand chair of which we are aware.

Again, a great chair for the dollars spent. I love this chair a lot. It is very usable and functional. Gives a great massage and, if you’re not too tall, will really make you feel like you got a great work-over when your session is done. Oh, and it should last for a lot of years!

Dr. Alan Weidner
www.massage-chair-relief.com

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Panasonic 30007 Massage Chair Review (Part 1)

March 2nd, 2012 by

Part 1 of my Review of the Panasonic 30007 Massage Chair

Panasonic introduced the 30007 model as their top of the line massage chair and it’s first chair manufactured in Japan in a long, long time. When it hit the market, it retailed at $5999. As with most Panasonic massage chairs, the price eventually was chopped down to around where it is today…about $4000! Quite a difference. But, that is another story.

Panasonic 30007 Massage Chair

Panasonic 30007 Massage Chair

Today, I will review the main features of the Panasonic 30007 massage chair in this article, along with some personal opinions and observations from having used it in our showroom many, many times over the last number of years.

First of all, I’d like to say that Panasonic makes a very durable massage chair. Whenever someone comes into our showroom looking for a new massage chair to replace their old one, I learn that their old one is usually a Panasonic and they’ve had it for years.

A Little Massage Chair History…

Inada may have been the company to come out with the first massage chair, back in 1962, but I think it is safe to say that Panasonic was the first company to take the idea of a massage chair and mass produce it. They were everywhere in years past. Of course, new companies come along and we have so many manufacturers to choose from today, but Panasonic was the first big player in the massage chair market.

The 30007 model, in my opinion, is a chair that gives a great bang for your buck. At around $4000 you get a Japanese-made chair with a bunch of features that you would typically see on a more expensive chair, i.e. foot and calf massager, hip airbags, seat massage, forearm/hand/wrist airbag massage, body scan technology, among other things. I think the chair is certainly not a $5999 chair, but for $4K it is a great bargain.

The massage rollers offer a very nice, vigorous massage. When the rollers hit the shoulder area they do an interesting thing: they roll forward over a portion of the trapezia muscles (those are the shoulder muscles that get sore when you sit at a computer for too long…you know, the ones you grab with the opposite hand to rub out the tightness). Most other massage chairs will have the rollers go up the low, mid, and upper back before going on to the neck but will just move along the contours of the spine. This shoulder massage feature of the roller actually moves forward somewhat at the shoulder area to give those trap muscles a little attention. It feels fantastic.

The hip air bags are nothing more than a way for the chair to anchor your pelvis in so that the massage rollers get a better traction effect and a deeper massage to the spine. The airbags don’t massage anything, unlike the Inada Sogno massage chair thigh airbags which actually massage the IlioTibial Bands of either leg, but it just compresses the thighs so that your pelvis doesn’t move forward when the rollers come down the back. That is how it anchors your pelvis and you get a deeper massage from the rollers as a result of it.

The arm airbags are actually built into the arm rests. Lift up the top of the armrests and you slide your hands and arms into a space where airbags compress from above and below to give your upper extremities and good work-over.

Dr. Alan Weidner
www.massage-chair-relief.com

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Massage Chair Industry Update 2/27/2012

February 28th, 2012 by

New Massage Chair Industry Update Video!

Last night I posted a video on our youtube channel (www.youtube.com/massagechairrelief) that goes over the latest and greatest in the massage chair industry and at Massage Chair Relief. I will post the video in this blog entry, but will give you a brief written summary of what I discussed:

Inada Sogno Massage Chair

Inada Sogno Massage Chair

1. Inada Sogno dark brown and chocolate colors are back-ordered. The dark brown until March 26, the chocolate until April 19.  If you are thinking of getting one of these colors, here is my advice: Don’t wait until those dates to order your chair. They will probably all be spoken for by then. Order NOW and get in on the queue.

2. Inada Cube and Inada i2A models have been discontinued. Some colors are still available, but as soon as existing stock is gone, the chairs will be gone for good.

3. Human Touch has introduced some new products on their home page, www.humantouch.com. The Acutouch 6.0 massage chair and the Immersion massage chairs (ZeroG 2.0 and WholeBody 2.0). Nice looking chairs, as Human Touch chairs tend to be. The Immersion chairs appear to be zero gravity massage chairs that don’t look like any of their other chairs at all. A whole new design and look. You can go to their site to learn more about them. I don’t know if they are available to me as a retailer or if they are just selling them on their site.

4. We have the Osaki 7000 in our showroom and are enjoying it daily. You can read more about my initial impressions of it in the blog post previous to this one.

5. The only difference between the new Osaki 7200H and the Osaki 6000 massage chair is heat.

6. I met with the national sales rep for Infinite Therapeutics here in Salt Lake City a couple of weeks ago and tried out one of their 2 models. He was here with this chairs at the Utah  Dental Association Trade Show at the Salt Palace. We are considering carrying their chairs. I enjoyed the IT-9800, which is  zero gravity and inversion therapy massage chair. Leather upholstery makes it a rich look and feel massage chair. Priced around $4K. They have another model in the under $2K price range called the IT-7800. Apparently they will be coming out with another Sogno lookalike in the near future.

7. Osaki extended warranty confusion among retail websites. Osaki only offers a 1 or 2 year extended warranty for parts and labor. I explain the confusion in the video.

Oh yes, I almost forgot, I discuss the name change of the Inada Sogno and why it is now only called the Inada Sogno Dreamwave and it is the only Sogno model available. There has been a lot of questions from shoppers about this confusing name change.

Here is the video….Enjoy!

Dr. Alan Weidner
www.massage-chair-relief.com

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Osaki 7000 Massage Chair – Initial Impressions

February 24th, 2012 by

Osaki 7000 Massage Chair Finally In Showroom!

Well, we finally got the Osaki 7000 massage chair up and running today. I sat on it for 20 minutes or so. Here are my initial impressions:

1. Very good, vigorous massage rollers. You will find them to be more vigorous than most other massage chairs. The roller feel was reminiscent of the Human Touch massage chair rollers. Plus you can adjust the intensity of the rollers to make them even more intense.

Osaki 7000 Massage Chair

Osaki 7000 Massage Chair

2. The airbags on the 7000 seem to be more prominent. The other chair with as many airbags, that I am familiar with is the Inada Sogno massage chair. The airbag massage on the Inada Sogno is more discriminating and gently, whereas the airbags on the 7000 really seem to play a big part of the overall massage experience.

3. Contrary to what I had been led to believe before getting the Osaki 7000, there is no music system or music synch. Bring your own iPod!

4. The head airbag massage is very interesting. I’ve never experienced anything like it before in a massage chair. I think you’d get a kick out of it, particularly if you have one of those throbbing headaches.

5. The 31″ roller track is great. It is the first chair that I have seen that has rollers that go all the way up to the back of the head as well as go all the way down to the buttocks and sacral area. Great vertical roller track.

6. I love the “Pelvic Swing” program which inflates shoulder air bags in the front of the shoulders and inflates one side of the seat at the same time. It really induces a rotation to the low back. I actually thought, for a moment during the massage, that my low back would “pop”, just like a chiropractic adjustment. It is an aggressive airbag program that will really move the low back and pelvis unlike anything you’d find on any other chair. The Osaki 7000 massage chair does not have the Dreamwave technology, which I love about the Inada Sogno, but the Pelvic Swing is the next best thing.

7.  The arms are not full arm airbags, like the Sogno, but they inflate quite aggressively. Not as thorough as the Sogno, either, but a decent airbag compression.

8. The foot and calf massage is OK, but nothing to write home about. It is pretty standard. One thing I noticed about the ottoman is that the foot and calf sections are equal in height. Every other massage chair with foot and calf components have a shorter foot massage and a longer calf massage. The height is equal for both on the Osaki 7000. It felt nice but nothing blatantly different in the feel of the foot and calf massager of the Osaki 7000.

9. The zero gravity feature, which Osaki calls the “Weightless” program on the 7000 is very nice. The seat tilts up and the legs are raised above the heart. You will enjoy that feature.

10. The Osaki 7000 massage chair does not have any neck and trapezia airbags, which is something I love about the Inada Sogno. Osaki has tried to mimic that feature in their Osaki 6000 and 5000 models, but they still don’t compare at all to the neck and shoulder airbags of the Inada Sogno.

The long and short of it is the Osaki 7000 is certainly worth the price. Although the massage is not as sophisticated and discriminating as that of the Inada Sogno, which is now the industry baseline, it is certainly a more aggressive and intense massage than that of the Inada Sogno. A very good bang for the buck.

Hope that helps in some way. I’ll give you more information as I become more familiar with the chair.

Dr. Alan Weidner
www.massage-chair-relief.com

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