Inada Sogno Massage Chair vs. OSIM uAstro from Brookstone

We get questions quite often about the similarities and contrasts between the Inada Sogno Dreamwave massage chairand OSIM uAstro. Since the Inada Sogno Dreamwave Plus chair (made inJapan) has become popular, other companies are producing look-alikes in hopes of gaining sales in this market. The uAstro is made in China and distributed by Brookstone.

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At first glance, the two chairs may look the same, but you must sit in them and turn them on to detect the differences. I have experienced massage sessions in both of these chairs, so here are my thoughts.

One of our customers tried the Inada Sogno massage chair in our showroom and shortly thereafter the UAstro at Brookstone. When he ordered the Inada Sogno from us the next day, he compared our massage experience with getting into a Mercedes and the uAstro with driving a Chevy. It was at this point I decided it was time to give each of these chairs a real try.

I found immediately that there is a huge difference in the roller design. The rollers working my back in the uAstro seemed awkward and slightly uncomfortable. The Sogno 3-D rollers feel better and go down into the buttocks. The uAstro rollers only go to the area around the sacrum.

For those of you with larger statures or wider hips, the uAstro may be uncomfortable due to the much smaller seat. If you don’t fit easily into your chair, your massage experience will be compromised.

In addition, the design of the arms is markedly different. The uAstro air cells put pressure only on your outer arms. Constrasting with this sensation is the Inada Sogno design which squeezes your upper arms both on the outside and inside. The uAstro felt like a bear hug enclosing my upper body and I didn’t like it.

Do the Inada Sogno and uAstro Massage Chairs Have True Zero-Gravity?

Although the uAstro is marketed with zero gravity as a feature, I never felt it. True zero gravity involves a 30 degree seat tilt which

uAstro Massage Chair

causes you to feel rather weightless.

Coupled with this sensation, is the effect of raised legs that gets more blood to your heart. The position takes the force of gravity off your back and it feels great.

Not once did I experience this in the uAstro; even with the ottoman raised, my legs were still quite low in relation to my body as a whole. Inada does not promote zero gravity as a feature of the Sogno chair. In spite of their not claiming it, I felt closer to the sensation as I reclined fully in the Sogno than in the chair from Brookstone.

One of the Sogno features I’m most impressed with is the alternation of air cells to mimic an incredible kneading and massaging effect on the feet and lower legs. There is a definite contrast with the uAstro’s simple compression from air cells.

Also, The Sogno Dreamwave program incorporates sophisticated technology to produce a side-to-side along with an up-and-down movement of the seat not found in the uAstro. This Inada Sogno seat movement makes possible the incredible Stretch program which is therapeutic for the hip and lower back pain common to many of our clients. The program includes rotation, extension and flexion, making it one of the most popular features of this wonderful massage chair.

A Few Things We Liked About The uAstro vs. the Inada Sogno Massage Chair

The uAstro remote control display is more user friendly than that of the Sogno. As you go into different modalities, it shows you as it does them. The Sogno LED screen brings up unfamiliar symbols you have to learn to know what is going on with your body.

Heaters are included in both chairs. As I compared the two, I noticed a somewhat stronger effect in the uAstro as I experienced a pretty warm lower back by the end of my 15 minute massage session. The warmth of the Sogno is more subtle with a wider reach throughout the entire seat and radiating up to the sacral area.

To sum up, the chairs may look similar, but the Inada Sogno’s sophisticated technology produces the more advanced experience. If you are a novice consumer looking to step up from a Homedics pad used on your home chairs, perhaps you would be satisfied with the uAstro.

If you are determined to purchase the best chair for your money, I have no hesitation in recommending The Inada Sogno Dreamwave. The question to ask yourself is whether you want the kind of quality that will ensure many years of excellent massage. Personally, I would rather pay a little extra to get the best chair available than spend $3,500 and be sorry later.

With any purchase it is good to add up any extra or hidden costs when making your comparisons. Warranty and delivery charges can add up quickly. By ordering through Massage Chair Relief, the Inada Sogno price includes free and careful guaranteed delivery anywhere in theUS. Brookstone charges an extra $400 to deliver the uAstro.

Factory warranty is another issue you should investigate before making a purchase. The Inada Sogno massage chair has the best comprehensive warranty in the business with in-home service included. Like most massage chair manufacturers, uAstro has only a one year warranty. You must pay $429 extra to get the extended warranty of 3 years.

When you compare these two chairs and include extra charges, the uAstro price is higher than at first glance. Compared with the 3 year warranty and standard white glove delivery of an Inada Sogno purchased from Massage-Chair-Relief.com, you would pay $4,124.00 to Brookstone and that does not include sales tax. As a sophisticated consumer you must decide whether the Inada Sogno massage chair and OSIM uAstro differences in technology with overall massage experience are worth the higher outlay for your long term health.

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