Hi, I’m Dr. Alan Weidner from Massage Chair Relief. Thank you so much for joining us today for this customer interview with David Ross, one of our customers from our Southern California store. David, welcome. It’s great to have you here. I appreciate you taking the time to be with me.

David: Thank you. I really appreciate the opportunity.

Dr. Weidner: It was interesting because you responded to my request for an interview and said, “Yeah, I’ll have some time in August.” Then, not even a week later, you had a chair issue. By the way, you have the Daiwa Supreme Hybrid, which is a very popular chair for us. I thought, “Oh boy, I don’t want to do an interview until I know how the repair turns out.” So thank you for being here.

David: Of course. And really, nothing was wrong with it. I just thought something was wrong. It turned out to be nothing.

Dr. Weidner: Tell me a little about your search for a massage chair. I know from our previous conversations it’s been a long road to get to the chair you recently bought. What was your journey like?

David: This is actually our second chair—well, technically our third. About 12 years ago we got our first one. I was at the Long Beach Grand Prix convention center, where there were exhibitors, including a massage chair company with a bunch of Human Touch machines. My 10-year-old grandson wandered off, and I found him sitting in one of the chairs. He said, “You’ve got to try this, Papa.”

My wife has had back problems pretty much since I’ve known her in the ’80s, so I thought maybe this could help her. I tried the chair and really liked it. We bought one locally and had it delivered, but within 48 hours she said it hurt her. So I started researching and found your site. I called you—we had a long conversation—and you taught me more about massage chairs than I ever imagined. I was considering an Inada, which you recommended.

At the time, I don’t think you had a Southern California store. I exchanged our chair locally instead, and we loved that replacement. We had it for 12 years. Eventually, like anything, you get used to it and start thinking it might be time for something new. I remembered our conversation and thought, “If I ever get another chair, I’ll check those guys out.” Then I saw you had a local store, which was fantastic.

So I went down to Cerritos and met Michael. I told him we were thinking of getting a new chair. He said our old chair had been one of the best when we bought it—but things had changed a lot since then. That’s where it all started.

Dr. Weidner: When you started trying chairs, did one stand out right away or were you deciding between a few?

David: It’s funny. I called Michael before we went, since it’s about an hour away. My wife’s back pain is really the main reason we wanted one, though we both use it. He said we should try the Daiwa first. So we did, and ten minutes later she said, “This is the one.” I told her, “Wait—there are 20 chairs here. Let’s compare.”

I put her in another chair—the JP Medics Kumo—and she fell asleep for an hour and a half in the store. Meanwhile Michael showed me all the chairs. When she woke up, I tried that one. It was wonderful but too soft for me. I wanted something with a wider intensity range. Our old Inada was great, but it wasn’t vigorous enough for me.

It came down to three chairs: the Daiwa, the Infinity Luminary, and another one nearby. After trying them, it became clear which one we wanted, and we bought it.

David (continued): After delivery I had buyer’s remorse because I remembered the calf rollers on the Infinity that this chair didn’t have. So I went back to the store. Michael was incredibly patient with me. But I kept coming back to how this chair felt—the way it wraps around you and how the rollers feel. Michael said all the bells and whistles are nice, but what matters most is how the rollers feel. He was right.

I also love how strong it is and that it has lots of padding. About 80% of the time I use all the padding; my wife uses it 100% of the time. When I want something stronger, I can remove it. It’s wonderful.

Dr. Weidner: I always tell people they need to sit in chairs before buying. Ads can look amazing, but you don’t know how it will feel for your body until you try it. It sounds like the fit and feel were what sold you.

David: Exactly. It came down to two chairs—the Infinity and the Daiwa. Michael said something true: there’s no perfect massage chair. And even if there were, it might not be perfect for someone else in your house. You have to compromise and find what works best overall.

Dr. Weidner: What features do you like most, and what would you change?

David: What I love most is the feel of the rollers and the airbags—especially in the lumbar area. It feels supportive and comforting. I also love the variety of programs. Manual settings are great for targeting specific spots, but I usually prefer automatic programs because they combine multiple massage styles at once. This chair has about 12 programs, and I regularly use 10 of them.

The only thing that bothers me a bit is that it’s somewhat noisy. That’s what my service call was about. But it turns out that’s just how my chair is, and I’m fine with it. Turn on the TV and you don’t notice it.

The service and installation were fantastic. They even moved our old chair to a neighbor’s house and set it up for them. The technician who came later was very knowledgeable and made some adjustments. Everything’s great.

Dr. Weidner: I appreciate you sharing that. Some chairs with fiberglass shells can make creaking sounds when airbags inflate. That can happen. Was that what you heard?

David: Yes, exactly. It seemed like it was coming from near the tablet area.

Dr. Weidner: That’s not uncommon. Sometimes it’s just how the materials respond.

David: Given the chance to exchange the chair, we wouldn’t. My wife’s opinion really matters most because of her pain, and this chair helps her more than our previous one. She gets up without pain for a while afterward—and that’s huge.

Her favorite program is the stretch. It stretches more than anything we tried before. She even pauses it to hold the stretch longer.

Dr. Weidner: That’s great to hear. What advice would you give someone shopping for a chair?

David: Honestly, I’d tell them to go to your website and YouTube channel and watch lots of videos because they’re so educational. But ultimately, you have to sit in a chair. If you can’t, then research deeply and call your team. I’d recommend your store over big-box options because of your expertise and support.

Dr. Weidner: Thank you—that means a lot. We also offer a lifetime labor warranty after the first year. You haven’t even had your chair a year yet, right?

David: No, only since around May or June.

Dr. Weidner: Time flies when things work well. It’s been great talking with you, and I’m thrilled your chair is helping your wife’s back pain.

David: Thanks again to Michael and your whole team. The experience was wonderful, and I hope the chair lasts a long time.

Dr. Weidner: It should—but if you ever have problems, you know to call us. Thanks again, David, and thanks to everyone watching.