I’ve considered visiting a masseuse in the past but I never seem to find the time in my busy day, and that’s why the idea of a full-body massage chair is so appealing. Some may argue that it’s not as effective as a real massage, but it’s certainly the next best thing – not to mention that it’s available in your own home any time you need it. Instead of having to fight through traffic trying to get to your massage appointment you can simply head on home and let your own massage chair melt the stress away.
The problem with most massage chairs is that you can expect to spend thousands of dollars on a good one – that’s always been a little bit too rich for my blood, but in recent years they have become a little more affordable. One model that really intrigued me is the BestMassage EC-06C Massage Chair that’s currently available for under $900. This chair features many of the functions of a chair that’s a lot more expensive.
A Little Heat Therapy
It’s almost become expected these days that a decent massage chair will also include a heat function and this model doesn’t disappoint in that area. It has built-in heat which can be operated from the Control Panel built into the right arm of you chair with the simple tap of a button. A massage by itself is a great thing, but when you add heat to those tired and sore muscles it makes a world of difference.
Tons of Choices
With the onboard Control Panel built into the chair’s right arm you have a lot of different options for choosing what type of massage you want and which area of the body you want to concentrate on. You can choose between a kneading massage, a Shiatsu massage which vibrates through the whole body, and a rolling massage which gently rolls over your body like a wave. This Control Panel is probably one of the most impressive things about this machine as it really does allow you to customize your massage just about any way you want to. I have a very basic massage chair right now myself – it only has about two or three different functions – it would be nice to have these kinds of options.
Airbags Everywhere
The main knock on a lot of massage chairs is that they don’t do a great job of focusing on areas of your body other than your back – this chair has over 30 airbags including 20 designed to target your lower body such as your legs, thighs, and feet. While some customers have complained that it’s still ineffective in addressing these areas the overwhelming majority of customers seem to disagree.
It’s Flexible
The human body comes in all different shapes and sizes and that makes it difficult for a manufacturer to build one chair that will fit all, but this one is actually designed to be flexible so that it can conform to the contours and shape of your own body. If you’ve ever slept on a mattress with memory foam it’s a similar type of experience, only this chair is actually designed to adjust to your body within a very short time frame. The intention is to create an experience which will work just as well for any family member in your home.
There are a few customers that are quite adamant in arguing that this chair does not in fact work well for everybody and that it’s not really appropriate for anyone that’s over 5’9. Apparently the foot rest does have a little give in it which will allow you to extend a bit, but customers that have complained about its usefulness for taller individuals have not been impressed by this feature.
It Reaches Everywhere
While we’ve already mentioned that this chair does better than others at addressing the lower extremities of your body it’s interesting to note that it’s even designed to reach the lower portions of your back right down to your tailbone. There’s a massage chair at my local gym which has a similar type of functionality, and I have to say it’s a pretty relaxing feeling. I’m surprised that this function is available in a chair at such a reasonable price.
The Warranty’s a Little Worrying
The one thing that really did set off warning bells for me about this particular product was its very limited warranty. The manufacturer only offers a one-year warranty, which for a product like this is simply inadequate. In fact, several customers that have purchased this particular model of massage chair have complained that it began to have problems almost immediately after the one-year warranty ran out. That’s definitely something to be concerned about.
Not Enough Support
What may be even more troubling than the warranty are the numerous complaints about poor customer support. I can only speak for myself, but when you’re buying a product with this many moving parts I’d expect good customer support; if that’s not available I simply wouldn’t consider buying this product. While there are certainly plenty of customers that have had a very positive experience after purchasing this chair, the numerous complaints about poor customer service don’t exactly give you the warm fuzzies.
Seems like a Gamble
While this chair may be affordable when compared to other similar products, its limited one-year warranty is just a little bit too troubling for my liking. It certainly has a lot of great functions and there are many customers that seem to be quite satisfied with how it operates, but there are some things that are simply too difficult to overlook. It wouldn’t be so bad if the company had a reputation for great customer support, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. I think I’d give this one a pass.
