A good friend of mine is a massage therapist and he recently told me a story of what a horrible time he was having at his previous place of employment because the owner of the clinic refused to purchase new equipment. It’s great to save a few dollars, but making sure you have the right equipment to perform your job well isn’t where anybody should be taking shortcuts. It seems to me this would be especially true for a massage therapist, as the comfort of his client can’t be taken for granted if he wants to keep them coming back. These days he’s working for himself and most of this work is done at his clients’ homes, which means he relies on portable equipment as an essential part of his daily routine.
A portable massage chair is a great option for someone like this and one particular choice that caught my attention recently was the Master Massage Professional Portable Massage Chair, as it’s definitely designed with the comfort of the client in mind. Some people might not like the price tag as it will generally cost you somewhere between $200 and $300, but the right equipment can result in a lot of repeat business for a massage therapist; this is actually a smart investment that will pay for itself in no time.
Memory Foam
When you’re sitting in a massage chair waiting for your therapist to perform miracles with their touch you certainly don’t want to be bothered because of an uncomfortable seating arrangement – you won’t have to worry about that with this chair by Master Massage. The chair actually has a multilayer foam padding, or memory foam, which is designed to maximize the comfort of your clients. I don’t want to say it’s like floating on a cloud, but it’s not too far off.
Waterproof
While it may not be an essential feature for a massage, it’s comforting to know that this chair is also waterproof. That means if you want to head out on the deck and perform a little massage therapy while enjoying the sunshine you can do that without worrying about any sun showers damaging your equipment. It’s an extra added bonus.
Aircraft Strength Aluminum
The frame of this chair is reinforced with aircraft strength aluminum, which means you can sit your clients on it feeling comfortable that it will be able to handle their weight. In fact, it’s rated to be able to handle up to 1000 pounds, so just about anybody can sit in this chair comfortably without worrying about it collapsing on them. There are a few customers that have suggested that this chair actually isn’t all that strong, but most complaints about the chair’s quality have been directed at the adjustment knobs for the various parts and not with the actual frame itself.
No Need to Worry about Rust
We’ve already mentioned this chair is waterproof, but it also has an extra powder coating on it to prevent rust. That means you should be able to get many years of use out of this chair no matter whether you’re using it indoors or outdoors. It may be more common for a massage therapist to work indoors, but it’s certainly nice to have the option to get outside on a nice day.
Its Mobile
Another cool feature of this chair is really an accessory that comes with it. It’s equipped with a luggage-style wheeled carrying case that makes it easy to take from place to place. You will have to lift it out of your car’s trunk yourself, but that’s not a big deal as it weighs less than 20 pounds. Once you get it on the ground you can simply wheel it to your destination and you’re ready to go.
Adjustable Face Cradle
People come in all different shapes and sizes so if you’re purchasing a portable massage chair you need one that’s easily adjustable; this chair doesn’t disappoint in this regard either. The face cradle can be adjusted 6 different ways and the arm and leg rests are adjustable too. Some that have purchased this chair have expressed disappointment with how much you can adjust it, but the overwhelming majority of customers seem satisfied with the adjustability of this chair. If your clients have knee problems, though, you may be better off with a massage table – as a massage therapist you should be prepared to offer your clients a choice in this regard.
Session Pouch
This chair also has a session pouch which your clients can use to store items that might get in the way of a good massage such as glasses, jewelry, and watches. To be honest, it’s not something I would probably have deemed necessary, but when I found out that it was included it seemed like a pretty decent idea.
Where It Disappoints
Not surprisingly there are some customers that have purchased this chair that weren’t entirely satisfied. The main complaint that some customers had with this chair was that it wasn’t adjustable for all heights; suggesting that if you’re under 5’2” or over 6’0” the chair probably wouldn’t be all that comfortable for you. In other words, it seems to have its limitations.
One other complaint that we should mention that seems to pop up from time to time when people are rating this chair is that the adjustment knobs that are used to adjust the face cradle, armrests, and leg rests are poorly constructed and break easily. This is certainly a concern as the ability to adjust this chair is essential if it is to function properly.
A Chair with an Upside
While the complaints about the ability to adjust this chair and the problems with the adjustment knobs are things you should certainly concern a potential buyer, overall this chair seems to have a lot of great qualities and would serve a traveling massage therapist well. The fact that it’s constructed out of aircraft aluminum is certainly a great selling feature and I definitely liked the idea of the wheeled carrying case.
