The Athletic Wave

Even though massage chairs are a bit of a luxury, they are a luxury that everyone needs. Today's world is very hectic and everyone deserves to be pampered a little, and massage chairs can make that happen.

However, deciding to buy a massage chair is only half the struggle; getting the right one is the other half. There are so many different types to choose from, and making a choice can get complicated. That’s why in this guide, we'll go over five things you need to look out for when choosing a massage chair.

They are:

1. The kind of massage
   
2. The size
3. The warranty
4. Additional features
5. The ease of maintenance

1. The warranty

It should go without saying, but it's always better to say these things. You should never buy a massage chair that doesn’t come with a warranty. In fact, the major reason people buy from name brands is that they come with a promise or assurance of quality from the manufacturer. If your chair doesn't have one, it means they can't guarantee that your product is authentic.

You should look out for a reasonable long warranty, like 5 years. It's more than enough to test the functions of the product and see if it delivers up to expectation. Because massage chairs are such significant investments, you can't afford to buy one without a warranty.

1. The size

You obviously want a chair that is large enough to accommodate you. But, you also want one that’s not so large that you sink into it. Additionally, you want to check out the space available in your home or wherever you intend to keep the chair. It's going to be sad to get a massage chair only to cram it into a small room with other things.

1. The kind of massage

There are different kinds of massage techniques. Some of them include:

1. Shiatsu
2. Tapping
3. Knocking
4. Kneading
5. Rolling

When you buy massage chair, the kind of massage you get from the chair is very important because each of these techniques have different effects. Kneading, for example, works its way into the muscles and causes relaxation. If you're looking for that kind of deep effect, ensure that your chair can deliver to your expectations.

Additionally, massage chairs have settings that allow you to control the intensity of the massage you're receiving. The point here is that you should try to get a chair that can give you several kinds of massages and intensities.

1. Additional features

Besides the basic massage functions, some chairs have additional benefits as well. For example, some chairs have heaters. The seat and back area basically heat up as you seat on it. This heating is supposed to help relive back pain and muscle aches. The heating feature is particularly perfect for individuals who experience long days of sitting in a spot.

Other features you might find in massage chairs include:

1. Music
2. Automatic/pre-programmed massage protocols
3. Zero-gravity positions

These features can really improve your experience, and so, it's best to get a chair that has as many of them as possible.

1. The ease of maintenance

Unless you're a trained and fully licensed technician, you need a massage chair that’s fairly easy to maintain. Many companies will offer one year in-home service warranties. But, since you intend to use the chair for much longer, you definitely want one that's easy to service. Especially after the 1 year ends.

One of the things to look out for in this regard is the design of the chair. You want a chair with parts that can be easily removed and replaced. That way, you can do some of the servicing yourself.