There are certainly a lot of massage chairs to choose from on the market these days and we review a lot of them on this site, but finding one that can truly do everything that a real massage therapist can do isn’t an easy proposition. Human massage therapists bring that unique and intangible approach to working on the stress and tension in your body and leave you satisfied and ready to get back out there and take on whatever the world has to offer. For the most part a massage chair has always offered you a basic alternative in between visits to the masseuse – not a full replacement.
If you really want to break away from your weekly massage visits you’re going to have to pay a little more for a massage chair with all the bells and whistles. One that you might consider is the Osaki OS-4000. This chair has a lot of different options and can do just about anything your massage therapist can do. You should normally be able to find this one for under $4000, which is a lot of money, but if it can truly replace those visits to the massage therapist in time it will pay for itself.
Durable Materials
A common complaint I’ve run into a few times with massage chairs is that the material they’re made out of isn’t very durable and that the rollers sometimes have a tendency to push through the materials in a relatively short period of time. That’s not an issue with this Osaki chair. It’s made out of synthetic leather that’s almost as tough as the real thing. You should have no problem getting years of use of this chair without the material wearing away or anything poking through.
Easy Access Controls
To control the chair’s various functions you can use the attached LCD screen that has a nice large display with simple touch controls, or you can use the wireless remote that comes with it. Having these types of options for controlling your chair really impressed me; while some might think it’s overkill, I believe the whole idea of a massage chair is for relaxation and removing stress – there’s nothing more effective at removing stress than having easy access controls with your choice of how to access them.
Choose Your Speed
Sometimes you’re looking for a nice, gentle, slow massage that will simply take a little stress away, but other times you when you want something a little more vigorous the OS-4000 has you covered no matter what you prefer. This chair has five levels of speed intensity to satisfy just about any requirements you may have.
Intelligent Massage Robot
We are quickly approaching an age in which robots and artificial intelligence will become the norm. There are already lots of autonomous tools and appliances that are designed to make our lives easier – such as robot vacuum cleaners and refrigerators that can suggest a grocery list for us – so it’s not surprising to find a massage chair with a built-in robot. In order to provide you with the most effective massage possible the manufacturers of this chair have included an intelligent massage robot which learns as it goes.
Six Unique Auto Program Settings
If you like a little variety in your massage options then you’ll be happy to know that this chair also comes with six unique auto programs, including healthcare, relax, therapy, smart, circulation, and demo. There’s something here for everyone and every type of body. Without going into too much detail on what each one does, suffice it to say that each one is appropriate in different situations. For example, the healthcare option is great if you’ve suffered an injury and want to focus on that injury.
Six Massage Styles
There are many different types of massage techniques that are in use right across the globe and the Osaki OS-4000 includes some of the most popular ones today. In fact, there are also six different massage styles included with this chair – rolling, kneading, clapping, shiatsu, Swedish, and a combo. Each different style applies pressure differently to your sore points and potentially has a very different feel when it’s massaging away the stress.
Great Warranty
An important feature that we may often overlook is a good warranty. There are lots of chairs out there that offer very basic warranties that only last about 3 to 6 months – that’s not a long time. Most chairs are likely to break down some time after the first year, so these types of warranties aren’t really worth the paper they are written on. This chair, on the other hand, comes equipped with a full three-year warranty which is likely to protect you much more effectively – generally if your chair’s going to have any mechanical issues, as we’ve already suggested, they will happen within the first year.
Surprisingly Few Issues
While no product is perfect by any means, this one by Osaki seems to be overall a very sound and reliable product. I was hard-pressed to find any complaints about it, although one or two customers did complain that the calf massage function can actually be a bit too strong and cause bruising. Other than that the only other complaints I found about this chair were complaints about putting it together and not really about the actual functioning of the chair.
A Massage Made in Heaven
It may be a bit of an exaggeration to suggest that a massage is a little slice of heaven on earth, but it’s certainly an enjoyable experience; having a chair that actually functions as it’s supposed to will make that experience that much more pleasurable. This chair seems to work as advertised and I was particularly impressed with all of the different speed options, massage options, and auto program options it offers. If you don’t mind splashing out a couple thousand dollars on a massage chair, you can certainly do a lot worse than this one.
