Where is it Made?
Underlying that question are three important, secondary questions:
· Where was it designed?
· Where were the parts made?
· Where was it assembled?
Different massage chair brands answer the basic question in different ways, and it helps to understand the strategies that each company deploys.
Many companies locate the entire process—design, engineering, and assembly of their chairs —in China. Made-in-China chairs tend to be less expensive because the costs of manufacture are much lower there. The catch: proper, dependable quality control. Chairs made in China may cost less up front, but be more expensive to maintain, with a shorter lifespan.
Other companies follow a hybrid strategy, choosing to design and engineer their chairs in one location—Japan and the US, usually, produce vital components in those same advanced countries, and then assemble product in China—cutting their costs at the end.
Finally, some do the majority of their production—design, engineering and assembly—in Japan or the US, but outsource less critical components in China. These tend to be the luxury brands with more dependable, durable products.
Knowing all that, it falls to you to decide what you want in your massage chair.
What Are You Looking For?
If price is a concern, then the massage chair brands you may want to consider will be the ones where all the work is done in China. But remember: Cost isn’t a one-shot deal. If you choose a cheaper chair but it breaks down or doesn’t last, you haven’t saved money. In fact, you may have spent more, with less satisfaction along the way. And why do you purchase a massage chair in the first place if not for dependable, quality relaxation?
If you’re more interested in quality and support and you’re willing to pay a bit more, then you should consider brands made with only the non-critical components sourced from China.
What Else to Keep in Mind
Beware a development process that occurs outside the confines of the actual factory that produces the chairs. The vast majority of the branded product you see is bought off the shelf at an Asian factory. The brand owner then has to simply stencil their name on the product. 95% of what you see in the market fits this description.
What kind of warranty does the brand offer? Companies tell you how much they think of their own quality by the warranty they offer. A good warranty is long, comprehensive, and offers a long at-home service period. Avoid any brand that offers less than a 3-year, in-home service period for their premium products. It’s that simple. And read the fine print. Even those brands that offer 5-year warranties often times cover only major medical and/or refuse to offer in-home service, requiring the customer to bear massive shipping costs to send the chair to an offsite service center
A warranty also tells you what a brand thinks of you, the customer. A good warranty treats you with dignity and respect. If a brand won’t invest in you, don’t invest in them.
Look for a promise to support the product with parts even AFTER the warranty expires. A brand with any pride in their line will maintain the ability to service massage chairs at least 5 years after they discontinue the product. The benefits of this go without saying.
Pay attention, as well, to commitment to after-sale service. A warranty signals an intention to do this. But look for friendly people who are helpful upfront. That also tells you that the company will invest in you.
Our Line
Brands offered from Furniture For Life meet all of the above requirements. They measure up to what it takes to be one of the best massage chair brands. Given that, what else?
The brands that we carry will likely suit your needs and preferences, but carry unique options and features that will influence your choice. All are respected, well-established massage chair brands made primarily in Japan and in the US. They are the work of some of the leading designers in the industry. And they will function reliably for years.
OHCO
OHCO massage chairs are the premium, top-of-the-line brand in the massage chair industry today, world-wide—the culmination of artistry in design (physical appearance) and artistry in massage experience/choreography. OHCO’s approach is to engage prominent figures in each of these spaces, who, working together, produce the ultimate luxury massage chair. With a look inspired by the most famous living Japanese designer, Ken Okuyama, and the massage expertise of renowned shiatsu master, sensei Okabayashi, OHCO brings beauty, luxury, and supreme massage comfort into your home.
No other massage chairs in the world are crafted with the care and attention to detail that you find in the OHCO massage chair lineup. The M-Series (comprised of the OHCO M.8LE, OHCO M.8, and OHCO M.DX) took almost three years of intense development to bring to market. The moment you sit in an OHCO massage chair, all the time and attention of the development process will become clear. Others have seen its virtues and showered the M-Series with more rewards and accolades than any other massage chair ever made. The OHCO M.8 is the winner of the CES 2019 Innovation Award, Good Design Award, and European Product Design Award.
The technology at the core of all OHCO massage chairs and the thought behind that technology will transform your entire state of being, set your mind adrift, slow your breath, and take you to a place of the deepest peace and transcendent relaxation.
In addition to basic movements you find in premium chairs—tapping, kneading, rolling—the OHCO’s back massage mechanisms use advanced massage algorithms to mimic the hands of a skilled shiatsu massage therapist, with motor speeds varying from fast to ultra-slow, deepening the human qualities of all OHCO massage chairs.
Herein lies the quiet magic and majesty of OHCO massage chairs.
Panasonic
The Panasonic name is known as one of the best engineering companies and manufacturers in the world, dedicated to improving people’s lives through creating goods needed for society or through providing wholehearted services. This ethos is embodied in every component of a Panasonic massage chair. If engineering virtuosity is what you seek, Panasonic delivers the goods!
“Zengineering™” is the heart and soul of all Japanese-designed Panasonic massage chairs, combining the power of modern, state-of-the-art technology with the ancient craft of healing massage. In this nexus, shiatsu meets body-scanning sensors, hot stone massage meets soothing infrared technology, and acupressure meets advanced 3D massage therapy to knead tense muscles like an expert masseuse.
Panasonic massage chairs let you choose from an array of expertly choreographed automatic sessions as well as a wide array of manual massage options featuring heated rollers, ultra-kneading, and full-body air cell coverage all working in concert to provide a luxury massage experience.
Panasonic has been around for more than 100 years, making it the oldest company in the world making massage chairs. Their massage chairs own a dominant share of the Japanese domestic massage chair market. They created the first hand-held electromagnetic massager in 1935, and since then, Panasonic has been an innovator in inventing and refining home massage. If you are shopping for the best massage chair experience, you need to check out our Panasonic models.
Positive Posture
Positive Posture massage chairs offer premium, professional massage in the comfort of home, while in “stay-cation” mode. With three models of the popular Brio massage chair available, you can find the perfect massage chair for your needs. The original Brio massage chair, Brio Sport massage chair, and the new Brio+ massage chair each provide superior therapeutic treatment, targeted for different needs.
The Positive Posture team spent over two years developing the Brio massage experience, focused squarely on making products that work best for you. At its price, The Brio series is the best value in the industry.
The entire trio of Positive Posture Brio Massage Chair recliners provides a True Zero Gravity® full-body, head-to-toe massage which delivers relaxation and relief to areas often missed by other massage chairs. The proprietary Intelligent 4D Massage system adapts the depth of massage constantly from soft to firm during each programmed session. Groundbreaking L-Track massage technology means that Brio provides a true full-body massage from head to toe, offering coverage from your neck to your glutes, while not missing any of the spots in between. Soft-to-the-touch massage rollers recreate the sensation of human thumbs soothing your back, neck, hips, and your glutes. Finally, low back and calf heat to add to your relaxation experience.
Experience rejuvenation for your body and mind, coupled with distinctive styling for your home with massage chairs from Positive Posture: created to enhance well-being and make your world a more comfortable place every day. We stand behind our products with the best warranties in the business. Our products are designed and developed in the Happiest City in the USA — Boulder, Colorado
D.Core
In D.Core massage chairs, modern science meets traditional Japanese style and beauty. D.Core (short for “deep core”) offers superior design and function, combining the experience of renowned Japanese massage therapist Dr. Takehiro Izawa with innovative engineering and harmonious, nature-inspired Japanese design found nowhere else on the market.
In today’s world, the relentless pursuit of perfection in all things often leads to stress, anxiety, and depression. The Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi invites a pause— encourages us to focus on the blessings in our daily lives—celebrating the way things are rather than how they should be. D.Core’s chairman Soschu Inada reinterprets modern technology to create luxurious traditional beauty based on the classic and sensuous mood unique to Japan: the Wabi Sabi design
D.Core chairs deliver a more life-like and uniquely therapeutic massage therapeutic massage than any other chair on the market—penetrating deep into muscles to release fascia tissue stuck to muscle fibers, forming painful nodules. D.Core massage chair models apply beautifully executed massage movements to your entire body, while their harmoniously clean lines and real black walnut trim evoke a traditional Japanese sense of beauty that blends artfully into any modern home. Experience D.Core today!
Inada:
In 1962 in Osaka, Japan, the Inada created one of the earliest massage chair models. Now, more than a half century later, Inada continues to offer innovative and effective massage chairs.
When Inada released the Sogno DreamWave in 2008, it made a big splash here in the United States. The Sogno Dreamwave, designed in collaboration with product designer Toshiyuki Kita, boasted full arm massage, seat airbag technology, 3-D back massage, iliotibial band airbag massage, trapezia massage, award-winning body design and style, and a unique neck massage feature that delivers gentle neck traction. In that moment in 2008, Inada massage chairs redefined what a premium massage chair could be.
As one of three key massage chair makers that served the Japanese massage chair market, they contributed some of the groundbreaking technologies that are common in the massage chair industry.
Today, our Inada massage chairs offer choreographed massage sessions featuring the patented Shiatsu Point Locator body-scanning technology, which customizes each session to your unique body profile. It detects specific pressure points and provides a customized shiatsu massage for any one of 106 body types over 1,000 square inches of body coverage, simulating the touch of human hands.
We invite you to discover the relaxation that an Inada massage chair can bring to your home.
Final Thoughts: Your Marching Orders
Any of our brands has the potential to be “the one” for you. Each represents the kind of quality, both in visual design and function, that we would desire in our own home. The choice, ultimately, is yours. Take the opportunity to “test-drive” any of these premium massages chairs in a showroom near you. The proof, after all, is in the experience you have in the chair, deciding the best fit for you.