Thank you so much for your e-mails and your highly informative website and You-Tube videos. By all accounts (client testimonials in particular) you seem to be a man ofย impeccable integrity and honesty.ย A very refreshing way for a man of business to build and maintain a loyal clientele. Thank you for providing us with your valuable services.
My wife and I are looking for the perfect massage chair (I know, I know, if you only had a nickel for every time you’ve heard that). I’m hoping that you’llย provideย us withย some guidance as to which of your chairs you might recommend for us.ย Let me list some of the criteria we have in mind for a chair.
– First, this chair would be for relaxation. There are currently no health issues that we are expecting the chair to address.
– I’m 5′ 10″, my wife is 5′ 4″, our son is 6′ 3″. Adequate roller stroke length and auto-extension foot/calfย ottoman are a factor.
– I like a deeper massage than my wife does so the intensity of the massage rollersย needs to be adjustable,ย adjustable with a control on theย remoteย that physically adjusts the roller position, not by simply adding or removing pads on the back of the chair. A wider spectrum of intensity settingsย would be optimal.
– 3D body scanning.
– Adjustable width rollers.
– I’m intrigued by the versatility of the 3D roller concept but welcome your advice if you think that 3D mechanisms can’t be adjusted to a moreย gentle massage for my wife. Or conversely, maybe 3D rollers offer a better/wider spectrum of intensity.
– We’re interested in the “reflexology” concept in the foot and calf massage. The foot massage unit would have to have a mechanical roller component that works in conjunction with airbag compression from the top/side of the foot. Intensity adjustment would be a valued feature.
– Zero gravity positioning.
– Special focus area capability.ย 1) Neck & shouldersย 2) Lower backย 3) Feet & calves.
– Neck & shoulder massage is particularly important to us. Not sure how best to describe what we’re looking for, but on a couple of chairs I’ve noticed that they describe a “Grasp/Closed Fist massage mode for neck & shoulders. We want something that will “grab, kneadย & pound” the neck/shoulderย area. Airbag compression isn’t enough.
–ย Multiple massage styles, as youย recommend in Part 1 of your “8 Things You Must Know ….. ” primer. Combination mode ofย massage stylesย wouldย also be appreciated.
– A varied selection of built-in auto massage programs.
– Heat, particularly in the back and lumbar area, would be aย desirable feature, but not a deal breaker.
– Memory capability to save repeated routine massage programs.
– A long, strong warranty and “ease ofย repair”ย is a definite must. Hawai’i is a long way from anywhere!ย It appears that you handle only the “bestย in the business” so that’s comforting.ย Your personal desire to address your client’s needs and insure that they’re completely happy with the chair they purchase (as evidenced in your videos and client testimonials) greatly enhances whatever it is that the manufacturer is offering.
– Our budget is between $3,000 – $5,500 (shipping and White Glove Service fees not included).
– Lastly, we live in Hawai’i. Do you deliver to Hawai’i?ย I understand that there would be a shipping charge to the islands. Do you offer White Glove Service with a chair shipped to Hawai’i?
Looking forward to your comments and recommendations.
Mahalo (thank you) for your time and the wonderful service you provide Dr. Weidner, priceless.
Marshall
Hi, Marshal
Thank you so much for your email and your kind words. Of course, it is almost impossible to find a chair that has all of the things you want, but here are some things for you to think about, based on what your criteria are:
- 3D roller technology is basically the same thing as roller intensity adjustment. So, for chairs that have 3D roller technology and that fit all of your sizes, here are some chairs to consider: Inada Dreamwave, Osaki OS-3D Pro Dreamer, Panasonic MA73, Apex Regent, iRobotics 7, any of our Cozzia models, and the Osaki OS-3D Pro Intelligent.
- 3D body scanning is a marketing term, IMHO. It just means that the chair will scan the body to map it for a better fit during the massage. Most chairs have a form of body scanning. Inada has the most sophisticated scanning technology where the shape of the back is mapped out and matched to a database of over 130 body shapes…finding the one that most closely matches yours.
- Each of the chairs above have heat in the low back, except the Cozzia models.ย The Panasonic MA73 has jade stone rollers that actually have heating elements next to each roller. The heaters warm up the rollers, thus providing full spine heat as the rollers work their way up and down your back. There are chairs out now with an extended roller track, which I feel is a game changer in the industry. The rollers go down the back, as with the other chairs, but then continue on into the buttocks and top of the hamstrings. If you’ve never sat in a chair with an extended roller track and you want a good low back massage, you’ve got a pleasant surprise on the horizon! Some models to consider would be the Infinity Iyashi and the Titan Alpine. But, be aware that these two models do NOT have 3D rollers.
- Of the chairs with 3D rollers listed above, the only ones with foot rollers would be the 2 Osaki chairs. All of them have foot and calf airbags, but only the Osaki’s have the foot rollers. Those two models, the Cozzia 16027 and 16028, and the iRobotics 7 are also the only ones of that list that have zero gravity. All of the chairs have airbags in the feet and calves sections. The Iyashi and Alpine, though without 3D rollers, have very good mechanical foot rollers.
- Many chairs do not have a fabulous neck massage, but all chairs have rollers in the neck to massage the neck musculature instead of airbags. The Osaki chairs, the Inada, Cozzia, iRobotics 7, and the Apex Regent chairs all have good neck rollers. There are really only two chairs that actually hit the traps and works those muscles…and that would be the Panasonic MA70/73 series and the Inada Dreamwave. The Panasonic uses the rollers to massage the traps, while the Inada DreamWave uses airbags to do the same. A chair that has a fabulous, vigorous neck massage is the Infinity IT-8500. But, this model does not have the 3D rollers.
- Memory function is only available in the Apex Regent, iRobotics 7, and Panasonic models.
- The Japanese chairs, i.e. Inada and Panasonic, have the best warranty – 3 years parts and labor. The Osaki OS-3D Pro Dreamer and iRobotics 7 have a 2 year parts and labor warranty, along with additional parts coverage. All the rest of the Chinese-made chairs have a 1 year parts and labor warranty with another year of parts. I would strongly recommend buying the extended warranty on any Chinese-made chair.
- All of the chairs listed have multiple massage modalities that are used independently or in combination to give you plenty of massage options. Each chair also has multiple auto programs and manual settings so that you can customize your massage.
Yes, we do ship to Hawaii, but at an additional cost, as you have already figured. I am not sure what the cost would be for regular vs. white glove delivery, but if you send me your zip code I can get shipping quotes for the chair you are interested in.
Based on what you outlined, I might recommend taking a look at the Osaki OS-3D Pro Dreamer or OS-3D Pro Intelligent, both of which have most of what you are looking for and also fit within your price budget. If you can live without the 3D rollers, take a long look at the Titan Alpine or the Infinity IT-8500. Both very popular chairs with great massages.
Take a look at the chairs I’ve recommended and let me know if you have any other questions. I am always at your disposal. You can also call me anytime atย 801-651-2026.
Dr. Alan Weidner