Hi, I’m Dr. Alan Weidner from Massage Chair Relief, and today is our bi-weekly massage chair industry update for Thursday, August 21st, 2025. Thank you so much for joining me. I really appreciate you taking the time to watch this update.

Let’s start with tariffs. Right now, tariffs are on a 90-day hiatus with China. From what I understand, negotiations are ongoing to try and end the tariff war. People in our industry expect things to settle around 30%.

Now, when we talk about a 30% tariff, it’s important to understand what that really means. The factory in China absorbs some of it, the distributor takes on some, and the retailer—like me—takes on some. Eventually, yes, a portion trickles down to the customer, but not all of it. So don’t think that a 30% tariff equals a 30% jump in the retail price.

Here’s how it usually works: tariffs are charged at the U.S. port when the distributor receives the product. The tariff is based on the distributor’s cost—not the retail price. Distributors then sell to retailers, and we pass along some of that increase. By the time it reaches the consumer, that 30% tariff might only translate into a 5–10% increase in the retail price.

For example, let’s say a chair costs $5,000 retail. If the factory sells it to the distributor for $1,000, then the tariff is 30% of $1,000—that’s $300. That $300 is absorbed partly by the distributor, partly by the retailer, and eventually trickles down to the customer. In the end, you might only see a $250–$500 increase on that $5,000 chair, not the full 30%.

So while tariffs sound huge, they don’t hit the consumer as hard as people sometimes think.

We’ve also seen some new models pop up lately. Most of them are coming from Osaki Titan. They’ve released a couple of new models, and there’s a trend happening with leg and foot massagers.

For example, Bodyfriend came out with the Phantom Robo and the Falcon Robo. These chairs have an ottoman where the legs can move independently—one leg up, one leg down, and vice versa. The idea is that this motion helps stretch the hip flexors, specifically the iliopsoas muscles.

I tried it myself, and honestly, I didn’t feel much of a hip flexor stretch. But what it does do is create passive motion in the hips and legs. So even if it’s not actively engaging the muscles like when you walk, it’s still moving your legs up and down in a way that affects the musculature.

Now, Osaki has introduced the Trion Flex Duo. Like Bodyfriend’s chairs, it features legs that move independently up and down. “Duo” means it has a dual track system—an upper track and a lower track—separated by a flex feature on the SL track. It’s the first departure we’ve seen from Bodyfriend’s original design, and I’m sure we’ll see more companies adopting similar technology.

Another interesting development: Osaki has also launched the Achilles, and Daiwa has introduced the Rumba. These chairs feature foot sections that tilt, move side-to-side, and up and down. So instead of just a massage, you’re getting passive motion in your feet and ankles, similar to what the Trion Flex Duo does for the legs.

It’s fascinating to watch how these innovations evolve. I haven’t yet seen a chair that massages the front of the thighs—quadriceps massage—but I’ve seen prototype designs, so it’s probably only a matter of time.

As much as I love seeing new technology, it does create a challenge in showrooms. When we have 10 chairs that all look similar, have similar features, and are at the same price point, customers can get overwhelmed. They sit in chair after chair, and after a while it all starts to feel the same.

That’s why I always suggest: if you sit in a chair and don’t like it right away, move on. Don’t try to talk yourself into liking it. On the other hand, if you sit in a chair and think, “Wow, this feels good,” stay in it for a little longer. Get a sense of whether it really fits your body and your needs.

But don’t try to sit in 20 chairs for 20 minutes each—you’ll walk out feeling like a beat-up hockey player. It’s better to narrow things down quickly, take a break, and then revisit your top two or three.

Sometimes in our showroom, when people are testing chairs for hours, we’ll grab pizza from the place next door or offer snacks and water. Taking a break clears your head and helps your body recover before you sit again. It’s like testing perfumes—after too many scents, everything smells the same until you reset with coffee beans. Massage chairs can feel the same way.

So my advice is this: quickly eliminate chairs that don’t feel right, focus on the ones that do, and then take a breather before deciding. When you come back, those top two or three might feel a little different, and one will usually stand out as the best fit.

If you’re lucky enough to have multiple stores in your area where you can try a variety of chairs, that’s fantastic. If not, and you only try one or two models that don’t feel right, don’t assume all massage chairs are the same. There are countless designs out there, and the right one is often just waiting to be found.

Now, before I move on, I forgot to mention something earlier: the current tariff reprieve ends November 10th. At that point, we should know what the final tariff deal is going to look like.

Alright, let’s shift gears and talk about reviews.

Reviews are hugely important in today’s world. They influence whether people buy a chair, trust a company, or even walk into a store. But here’s the problem—reviews can be manipulated.

Some companies pay professional writers for glowing reviews. Others have employees, friends, or family members write reviews. And unsurprisingly, those reviews are always fantastic.

I’ve been in this business for over 20 years, and here’s what I’ll tell you: if you see a chair or company with 100% perfect, five-star reviews across the board—don’t believe it. Nobody’s perfect. No chair fits everyone.

That’s not to say good reviews aren’t real. Many of them are. But there’s manipulation in the review industry, and you need to read with caution.

There’s even software that helps identify fake or manipulated reviews. Over 10 years ago, an app called FakeSpot came out—it’s still around today as a browser extension. FakeSpot analyzes reviews on sites like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, or even our site, and gives them a grade from A to F. It’s not perfect, but it’s another tool to help you judge credibility.

Let me share a real experience we had with reviews and customer service.

A woman from central California put down a $100 deposit on a massage chair with another company. They were a direct-to-consumer seller, not a brand we carry. She was told the deposit was refundable.

She then drove down to Los Angeles to try the chair, but the company’s showroom was closed, and she couldn’t even sit in it. Frustrated, she Googled other options and ended up in our showroom. She tried several chairs and fell in love with one of ours. She bought it and then asked the other company for her $100 back.

They refused, saying it was non-refundable—despite telling her otherwise when she paid. She pushed back, and eventually, after about a month, they returned the money.

But the story didn’t end there. She wrote a scathing Yelp review about her experience. Not surprisingly, the company saw it and immediately reached out. Instead of apologizing and improving their policies, they tried to bribe her. They offered her a free chair with in-home delivery if she would remove the review.

When she refused, they escalated and threatened her—saying they knew her name, address, and phone number. Imagine that! A massage chair company threatening a customer because of a bad review.

To make matters worse, they then reported her to Yelp, claiming she was a “paid reviewer” hired by another company to damage their reputation. None of that was true—I was personally involved in helping her get her money back. But Yelp treated her honest review as suspicious and buried it in the “not recommended” section, where fewer people would see it.

That’s an example of how some companies manipulate reviews—not just by posting fake positive ones, but by trying to suppress negative ones. And frankly, I have no respect for a company that behaves that way.

When that same brand later tried to approach retailers like us to carry their chairs, we flat-out refused. My staff and I all knew the story, especially our Southern California manager, and none of us wanted to associate with a company that treats customers like that.

So here’s the lesson: be cautious. Not all reviews are fake, of course. Many are genuine and helpful. But some are manipulated, and you should take everything with a grain of salt. Tools like FakeSpot can help, but even then, trust your instincts.

While we’re on the topic of reviews, let’s talk about the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

When people research companies, they often look at BBB ratings. But here are two things to keep in mind:

First, sometimes the company name you see advertised isn’t the same as the one listed with the BBB. For example, let’s say you’re buying from “Monarch Massage Chairs.” You go to the BBB website, type it in, and find nothing. But Monarch is actually owned by “ABC Incorporated,” and that’s the name listed with the BBB. Unless the company discloses that parent company information, it’s really hard for customers to connect the dots. So a brand might proudly say, “We’re A+ rated with the BBB,” but unless you know the parent company name, you’ll never find them.

Second, if you do find them, you might see a bunch of complaints—all marked as “resolved.” At first glance, that sounds fine. But here’s the question: what does it take for a customer to get so frustrated that they have to go to the BBB to get an answer? If every complaint had to escalate that far, it means the company wasn’t taking care of their customers directly.

A resolved complaint is still a complaint. If a company has dozens of them, it’s a red flag. In fact, I know of one massage chair company that eventually went under because they couldn’t support their customers. Complaints piled up, bad publicity spread, and they had no choice but to shut down.

So yes, reviews and BBB ratings can be useful, but you have to read between the lines. Ask yourself: why did this issue escalate? Why weren’t customers helped right away? And if you see the same problems come up repeatedly, it probably means the company’s policies need fixing.

Now, to be clear—we’ve had our share of bad reviews over the years. It happens. No business is perfect. Some of those reviews were justified, and some weren’t. But either way, we take them seriously. We adjust our policies and improve our customer service so the same problem doesn’t happen again.

It’s embarrassing when a bad review is public for everyone to see. But instead of bribing customers to remove them—or threatening them, like some companies do—we take responsibility and learn from it. That’s how it should be.

Because at the end of the day, reviews matter. Everybody reads them, and they strongly influence buying decisions. That’s why the review business itself has become so big. But as a consumer, you need to be aware of how easily they can be manipulated.

So, to wrap things up: reviews are important, but you’ve got to approach them with a critical eye. Use tools like FakeSpot if you want a quick check, and don’t automatically trust a company with “perfect” scores across the board. Look deeper, pay attention to patterns, and trust your own experience when you try the chairs.

And remember, not every massage chair is right for every person. If you try one and don’t like it, that doesn’t mean massage chairs aren’t for you. It just means you haven’t found the right fit yet. There are so many different models and technologies out there—it’s worth the effort to explore.

I hope this update has been helpful. I know I can get a little fired up about some of these topics, but it’s only because I care about making sure people are well-informed and don’t get taken advantage of.

If you found this video useful, please give it a thumbs up, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and share it with your friends and family. It really helps us spread the word about massage chairs and the industry in general.

I’m Dr. Alan Weidner from Massage Chair Relief, and I’ll see you again in the next video. Thanks for watching, and take care.