Massage Chair Relief Customer Interview

Guest: Chris Malanga — Luraco i9 Max Plus SE

Dr. Alan Weidner:
Hello, I’m Dr. Alan Weidner from Massage Chair Relief. Thank you for joining us today. I’m here with Chris Malanga, one of our customers, who purchased the Luraco i9 Max Plus SE.

Chris, thanks so much for being here. It’s great to see you again.

Chris:
You too. Thanks for having me.

Dr. Weidner:
For those watching, Chris lives in New York and flew out to Arizona to try several massage chairs before making his decision. Ultimately, the Luraco was the chair you chose. Why don’t you tell us a little about your journey and what led you to start searching for a massage chair in the first place?

Chris’s Background & Motivation

Chris:
I’m an avid mountain biker. About nine or ten years ago, I had surgery to remove a benign tumor just above my lung. Before the surgery, I could do endurance rides—I rode for 13 hours straight on my 50th birthday. After the surgery, I couldn’t even ride for an hour, and that’s still the case today.

Over the years, I tried everything: topical ointments, neck massagers, neck stretchers, inversion tables, acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage therapy—you name it. But with a $70 co-pay per visit, chiropractic care became cost-prohibitive. As you know from your background, chiropractors often recommend multiple visits per week for several months, and that just wasn’t realistic for me financially.

I was also a member at Planet Fitness, and they had massage chairs. I tried one and thought, This actually feels good on my neck. That’s when I decided to seriously look into massage chairs.

Research & Discovery of Massage Chair Relief

I started researching online. The closest showroom on the East Coast was in Brick, New Jersey—about two and a half to three hours from me. I drove there, tried five or six chairs, including the Luraco and the Daiwa Supreme. I liked both.

Before leaving, I asked about their return policy. They said 30 days. Then, without missing a beat, they said, “There’s someone on the West Coast who offers a 90-day return policy.” They gave me your name and website.

I went home, looked you up, and called you. You picked up, and we talked for about 45 minutes. That’s where this whole relationship started.

I watched all your videos, webinars, and YouTube content. I couldn’t attend the live sessions, but I watched all the replays. We planned a visit for me to come out to Arizona, but I got sick and had to cancel. Then we rescheduled and something came up on your end. Eventually, at the end of last year, it finally happened.

Trying Chairs in Person

I flew out, spent an entire day—about five and a half hours—sitting in massage chairs, then flew back the next day. Honestly, it beat the living daylights out of me.

But that experience was critical. Just like bicycles, not every chair fits every body. I’m almost 6’3″, which immediately ruled out several chairs.

I tried five chairs total. The Daiwa felt a little short for me. What sold me on the Luraco was the stretch program. The upper roller positions itself perfectly based on the body scan, cradling the base of my skull. As the chair reclines and the leg mechanism drops, it stretches your body like a traction table.

That sealed the deal.

I had looked into chiropractic traction devices like the DRX9000, but they wanted over $4,000 for a treatment plan. The Luraco simulated that stretch beautifully.

Living With the Chair

My primary focus was neck massage to help break up scar tissue from surgery. I knew that would take time—possibly years—but even if it didn’t fully solve that issue, the chair was already worth it as a stress reliever.

I’m 62 now, still working, still stressed. Even on vacation, I find myself stressed. Before this call, I sat in the chair for five minutes just to decompress. It’s an incredible de-stressor.

What I really love about the Luraco is the manual adjustability. You can adjust intensity and also manually move the neck rollers up and down during the massage. I even suggested to Luraco that they add an automated range feature, because I already do that manually—moving from position five to six to seven during a session.

When I first got the chair, I ran everything at level five. After about a month, my body told me that was too much. Now I usually stay around level three, which is more than sufficient. I also adjust padding and reposition my body to fine-tune intensity.

The leather surprised me too. I’ve never liked car leather, but this feels softer and more comfortable.

I use the chair every day—at least 30 minutes, sometimes more. I’ve logged over 90 hours already.

Support Experience

Initially, one of the stretch functions I loved in the showroom wasn’t active in my chair at home. I contacted Sean, who referred me to Luraco support. They explained that my chair had a newer software version.

They worked with me to adjust the software back to match the showroom version. Their support team—Raquel and an engineer named IB—were fantastic. Very knowledgeable and very customer-focused.

Advice to Buyers

Dr. Weidner:
Based on everything you’ve been through, what advice would you give someone shopping for a massage chair?

Chris:
Do your due diligence. Watch your videos. What I respect most about you is your integrity. You’re honest about budget chairs versus premium chairs. You tell people, “If this is your budget, that’s okay—but here’s what you’re giving up.”

Go try chairs in person. Fit matters. Don’t buy sight unseen if you can avoid it.

And when you’re ready to buy, buy from you. The 90-day return policy and lifetime labor warranty are unmatched. Nobody else offers that.

Final Benefits & Closing

Since owning the chair, my lower back hasn’t gone out once—and it used to happen regularly. The leg massage has been fantastic, especially since I have a history of blood clots. I sleep better, recover better, and feel calmer overall.

I even stopped going to Planet Fitness just for the massage chairs—now it’s right here in my apartment.

Dr. Weidner:
Chris, thank you so much. I really appreciate your time and your detailed feedback. It’s incredibly helpful for others considering a chair.

Chris:
Nothing but a 100% positive experience from start to finish.

Dr. Weidner:
Thank you, my friend. Take care, and we’ll talk again soon.