Choosing the Right Portable Massage Chair

Portable massage chairs are devices that have become very popular with massage therapists over the last 30 years now, due to their convenience and ability to allow the massage therapist to take their office with them on the road. It’s probably easy to assume that if you’ve seen one portable massage chair you’ve seen them all, but that simply isn’t the case. There are very different qualities of chairs out there and it’s important to recognize the difference.

In this article we take a closer look at those differences and try to explain what you should be looking for in a quality portable massage chair for your own practice. A portable massage chair really is a great option for the massage therapist that’s just getting started and doesn’t really have an established practice; it allows you to offer the convenience of a massage in your client’s own home.

A Face Cradle

One feature that’s an essential part of any quality portable massage chair is a face cradle. This allows you to immobilize your client in a position that’s comfortable for them and leaves them feeling relaxed and ready for you to do your job. A good quality face cradle should be well-padded so that it doesn’t irritate your client’s face and it should allow them to clearly see through to the other side. The idea is to leave your client feeling as comfortable as possible and the face cradle is simply another tool that allows you to do this.

Lots of Padding

While sitting your clients in a portable massage chair doesn’t really put them in a natural position it can still be quite comfortable. This is assisted by the use of lots of padding, and the best portable massage chairs actually have memory foam technology built into the padding for extra comfort and to ensure that the padding doesn’t become less effective over time.

Armrests

If you’ve ever sat on a chair without armrests you’ll know how annoying it can be wondering what you’re supposed to do with your arms; the same is true for someone sitting in a massage chair. The best massage chairs usually include armrests that are in front of the face cradle to give your client a convenient place to rest their arms while you perform the massage. Almost all portable massage chairs do include this feature, but there are one or two that don’t so it’s definitely something to watch for.

Leg Rests

It’s also essential that a portable massage chair has a well-padded area so your clients can rest their legs. Normally when seated in a portable massage chair your clients will be in a kneeling position and if you’ve ever kneeled on something with limited padding you’ll know how uncomfortable that can be. It’s very important to ensure that the massage chair you purchase has extra padding in this leg rest area to ensure your clients their optimal comfort.

Lightweight Construction

How ironic would it be if as a massage therapist you threw your back out lugging around a heavy portable massage chair that was simply too heavy for you? The best portable massage chairs are quite lightweight and generally weigh less than 20 pounds. This is another feature that deserves your careful consideration.

Portability

If there’s one main thing you need to consider when purchasing a portable massage chair it is, of course, how easy it is to pack up the chair and transport it when it’s time to move on to the next client. Almost all portable massage chairs are easily foldable and generally most of them come with a convenient carrying case as well. If the chair you’re looking at doesn’t have a carrying case, I’d probably keep looking.

Choosing a Chair

In summary, the best portable massage chairs have a face cradle, include both armrests and leg rests, are lightweight in nature, and of course are easy to pack up and take with you when you’re on the go. If you keep all of these things in mind when you’re looking for your portable massage chair you should have no problem finding the right one.