Nothing helps a person unwind better than a good lengthy massage. When done right, all of that stimulation to the joints and muscles purges your body of stress and tension, allowing you to gain a more thorough mental state of chill and calm. Unfortunately, certain circumstances make it infeasible or just challenging to seek out a massage therapist to give you the trained, hands-on treatment everyone can appreciate when they're being pampered. At least, you can’t get it all the time. This issue is somewhat circumvented with the invention of the massage chair. While a chair is no substitute for a qualified masseuse or masseur, it is an admirable secondary choice and may even be preferable for the long term budget concerns of people who are used to enjoying one or more sessions with a therapist every month. Provided below is a breakdown of notable features in a massage chair as well as some models you should strongly consider.
Massage Types Available
While a low-end massage chair is only good for vibrating and giving a rolling massage treatment, additional features open up the more a person is willing to open their wallet.
- 2D Roller. This is the basic tier of rolling massage.
- 3D Roller. This is an upgrade to basic rolling in that the user can adjust where the rolling is focused upon along your seated body.
- 4D Roller. This is a notch above even 3D and involves varying intensities of rolling.
- Heat therapy. This feature heats up the muscles, allowing them to further relax. This feature is also quite welcome if you happen to live in a cold climate.
- Kneading. This feature involves extending some padding so that it can flank parts like the neck and lower legs in order to give those areas a localized massage.
- Shiatsu. This is a style of Japanese bodywork that focuses on the extensions of the body, providing massage to the fingers, toes, palms and feet. Shiatsu means "finger massage."
- Reflexology. This massage treatment involves working on the hands and feet.
- Sound therapy. This is a sibling of vibrational massage and employs soundwaves projected from speakers that are released in different frequencies as a means of releasing tension in the body.
- Vibration. This is the most basic of massage functions and consists of mechanically oscillating the various surfaces of the chair that you rest your body against.
- Space-Saving Design. Some massage chairs are engineered to offer maximum relaxation while occupying a minimal amount of room in your residence.
Best Massage Chair Models
As we have previously hinted at, not all massage chairs offer the same number of features. In order to steer you in the right direction, here are some of the best models on the market.
- Kyota M898 Yutaka - This model offers three different relicining positions, three rollers at each foot, voice controls, Bluetooth speakers, a catalog of nature sounds for relaxation, can ionize the air around you, and even massage your calves.
- Bodyfriend Lamborghini LBF-750 - Yes, that Lamborghini! The Italian auto designer has gotten into the massage chair business and this model is among the highest of high-tech models. Not only does it come with the appealing branded bumpers but it can also customize each massage to correlate to the user’s stress levels and vital signs. This thing even comes with a "brain massage" that enhances focus and meditation by generating different auditory frequencies into each ear.
- Kyota M888 Kokoro - The unique track design of this model ensures the optimal treatment of spinal decompression and massage of the glutes. It also features three different roller intensities and can individually massage the neck, shoulders, both sections of the back, arms, legs and even feet.
- Sharper Image Revival - The prestigious vendor of high-end gadgetry has produced the Revival, a user-friendly massage chair with everything you could ever want for a full body massage. You habe several different choreographed massage routines programmed into the chair that can be refined thanks to its smart body scanning system. This thing can knead, produce steady tapping of nerves, knead and tap and even has a shiatsu mode.