With health care costs on the rise, everyone is looking to save money. Health care is looking to automation to help offset expenses. Most industries transition from labor intensive to capital intensive. Now we are seeing the potential of massage therapy transitioning to capital intensive or the use of machines/equipment. With the rise of massage chairs, many massage techniques can be delivered effectively with these chairs. How is money actually saved in this situation?

Have you ever gotten a massage at a day spa? If so, then you know that a time needs to be set with the massage therapist. We also need to go to and come back from the day spa. The massage therapist works for a fee. We need to pay the masseuse by the hour and also give a tip. Let us assume we go to the spa once a week for a year, then the massage therapy bill will be thousands of dollars.

Maybe you see a chiropractor. A chiropractor may adjust you and then put you through various therapies to stimulate and relax your muscles. You may need to do stretching and other activities to help you heal. Health insurance may cover some of these costs or if you are lucky all of these costs. The effectiveness of chiropractor visits is in the beginning. The chiropractor sets you on a course to recovery. In time, the effectiveness of the visits will start to diminish, but the cost is still the same or rising. Again, these bills can run you hundreds of dollars per month which turns into thousands of dollars per year.

Traditional massage therapy has been delivered by humans for centuries. Certainly this is a fantastic method to receive massage therapy. However, massage chairs now provide an alternative that delivers effective massage therapy. These therapeutic recliners range in price from $1,000 to $7,000.

People like to look at sticker prices and judge massage chairs as expensive. Of course anything that costs over a thousand dollars is expensive. On the other hand, they see seventy five dollars per hour for a masseuse and think that is cheap. But let us dig into the real economics of a masseuse versus a massage chair. If we pay $75 with a gratuity of ten dollars then each hours runs us $85.00. Now a good midrange massage chair runs $3,000. Let us suppose we get a weekly massage. How many weeks until we pay for the massage chair? It will take 35 weeks. The thirty five weeks means we received 35 hours of massage therapy.

If we look over the longer run, we find that paying for the massage by the hour will buy the massage chair after 48 sessions. OK, now let us look at this from the massage chair perspective. A $3,000 massage chair is designed to last 1,000 hours. How much do we need to pay per hour of massage therapy. Let us divide $3,000 by the 1,000 machine hours and we get $3.00. That is right, with a massage chair we are paying $3.00 for an hour of massage therapy. Compare that to the $85.00 we are paying our massage therapist!

The real economics of the massage recliner is that it is a vastly superior value to traditional massage therapy. Obviously, getting a massage from a masseuse has its advantages beyond just the economics. But massage chairs also have some major advantages of availability and accessibility. Not to mention the overwhelming economic advantage. There certainly is tremendous value over the long run with a massage chair.

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We are going to evaluate and review the HT-7120 massage recliner from Human Touch. Over the years, we have developed a 5 category review process to provide balance and consistency for our readers. We will review the HT 7120 in the following categories: warranty coverage and customer service, comfort and ergonomics, ease of use, key features and massage therapy. We score each category up to 20 points each and sum them up for an overall possible rating of 100 points. The Human Touch line is extensive and the HT 7120 is in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range.

Warranty Coverage and Customer Service: When purchasing a big ticket item such as a massage chair, you need to make sure you are comfortable with the warranty coverage. There is a wide range of warranty coverage with massage chairs. Human Touch provides you with 3 years for the structure, 1 year for parts and 90 days labor and parts shipping expenses. This is a rather light warranty compared to the industry. Customer service is very good and competent. We give Human Touch a 12 in this category.

Comfort and Ergonomics: With any massage chair design, ergonomics is an important aspect of design for comfort and relaxation. We like the ergonomics of the HT 7120. It has a very contemporary design, yet it fits the body well and is very comfortable to sit in. The controls are laid out well and positioned in good locations. The leg ottoman can be adjusted in the width of the wells, but you are unable to extend the leg ottoman. This recliner earns an 18 in this category.

Ease of Use: The massage chair industry is always adding features into chairs which is outstanding. The counterbalance to many features is ease of use. With so many new features, figuring out how to take advantage of them can be frustrating. The HT 7120 comes with a very well designed remote control. It is slim remote and has controls located on 2 sides of the remote. The remote is descriptive and fairly easy to use. There is no remote stand, so the remote tucks away in a pocket. The only cumbersome operation is flipping the leg ottoman, but other than that we give the HT 7120 a 19 in ease of use.

Key Features: The HT 7120 has some unique and innovative features. The calf massage width adjustment and the compression massage technique are the two key features we will point out. The leg ottoman comes with a width adjustment to better fit the feet or the calves. There are 6 different width settings to tailor to your specific needs. The compression massage emulates a sports type massage with deep tissue pressure. Two types of techniques are used which are alternating strokes and a rocking motion. The stroking spreads and applies pressure to deep muscle tissue. The rocking motion helps to loosen the spinal joints. This can help with overall posture and improve mobility. We give this massage recliner an 18 in key features.

Massage Therapy: You get a virtual arsenal of massage therapies with the HT-7120 recliner. Select from 3 pre-set programs, 5 manual massage techniques and 3 height adjustments for the back. The 3 pre-set programs include sore muscle relief, energy rejuvenate and auto-demo. The 5 manual massage techniques include rolling, kneading, compression, percussion and vibration. The height adjustment enables you to set where you want the massage on your back. Additionally, you can stretch your lower body, or add heat to your lumbar area as well as massage your feet and calves. This recliner gets a 19 in this category.

The overall rating we give the HT 7120 is an 86 points out of 100. We like the contemporary design of this classic massage chair recliner. The massage therapies are thorough and invigorating. We are concerned with the light warranty with this recliner. The HT 7120 comes with some advanced features and has an easy to use remote. If you are shopping for a mid range model, then the HT 7120 is a massage chair recliner worthy of your attention.

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We know how important it is to find good information regarding a given product. For this reason we have developed a systematic and comprehensive review process. This process helps take out the bias. Our system consists of a 5 category system to evaluate a massage chair. Each category has equal weight and the value of each category is between 0 to 20 points. All the scores of each category are added up to give an overall rating. Our categories include Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. This systematic approach forces us to a disciplined method of evaluating a massage chair to help guide anyone looking at massage chairs. In this review we evaluate the Omega M-2 Orion Massage Chair which is in the entry level price range of $1,500 and under.

Warranty & Customer Service: This category is about the consumer being protected and taking less risk in the transaction. The product is covered by the warranty and customer service is how well the company supports its customers. Omega Massage, manufacturer of the M-2, covers it with the following: 1 year on the frame, 6 months on parts, and 6 months labor and 6 months shipping. This is strong warranty coverage at this price range. What about the customer service side? Our experience has been very positive with Omega. They diagnose quickly, and turn things around in minimal times. We rate the Omega M-2 Orion an 18 in Warranty & Customer.

Comfort & Ergonomics: This category is about how well the massage chair is designed with comfort and fit to your body. These elements are important keys to relaxing while in the chair. The Orion is fairly ergonomic in design. The side arm pads are fully padded and plush. They provide a back pad and a shoulder pillow which is detachable. The chair?s angle of recliner is from 115 degrees to 170 degrees. This is a great range for an entry level chair. The leg rest has a 4 inches extension range. This is good to accommodate taller people and to position the calf massager anywhere on your legs. We give the M-2 a 17 in this category.

Ease of Use: A product needs to be intuitive and easy to use for consumers. The remote control is simple. It has full controls for the back, seat and leg rest. The remote also controls the calf massage, seat vibration and seat massage. Select from 3 timed auto programs and 3 back courses. The M-2 has a manual leg rest and backrest adjustments. The manual levers are in places that are easy to access, but it takes a time or two to get used to. The good thing is the hydraulics on the manual leg rest and backrest raise them, so the user only has to lean them back. Our rating for this massage chair recliner is 19 in this category.

Key Features: What are the key features of the Orion M-2 massage chair? This chair comes with the very relaxing sway massage which is based on Hawaiian massage. Hawaiian massage is known for its flowing strokes and swaying motion. There is thorough back coverage with the back massage. The Sway massage penetrates deeper and deeper around the back. This massage chair recliner comes with an eight massage head system for the buttocks and thighs. These eight massage heads provide an invigorating massage. An extra seat cushion is provided to moderate the penetration of the seat massage. Coupled with vibration therapy in the seat, the M-2 has a very good seat massage. The Omega M-2 Orion earns an 18 for key features.

Massage Therapy: Just how good is the massage therapy delivered by the massage chair? The M-2 comes with 3 automatic massages. These are timed massages of 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Select from 3 manual massages and select a region of your back with 3 back courses. The M2 has strong manual massages including Kneading, Swaying and Finger Press. The seat massage is very invigorating. It has eight rotary massage heads and a vibration system for the seat. The leg rest has a mechanical kneading system to soothe the legs. With the extendable leg rest, target your thighs, knees or calves. This is a very effective massage chair for its price category. This massage recliner earns an 18 for massage therapy.

The Omega M-2 Orion does very well in our evaluation. The total score for the M-2 Orion is a 90/100. We are impressed with the massage therapy for this price range. Omega has concentrated on getting the massage therapy effective and still hit the price point for an entry level massage chair. There is strong warrant protection for the consumer. The feature set of this chair makes for a versatile and invigorating massage lounger. This is the best value in its class. The M-2 Orion delivers an effective full body massage at a great price point.

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Sanyo has developed a full line of massage chairs. The entry level Sanyo massage chair is their model SR 1000K. The SR-1000K has some very unique features. It also comes with some features that Sanyo has in some of its luxury models. We will point out some of the more important features and functions and touch on the warranty of the SR1000K massage chair by Sanyo.

The warranty coverage is similar to an insurance policy. You get insurance so that you are not affected by a catastrophe. You want sufficient warranty coverage to protect you from defects in components or workmanship of the massage chair. The warranty for this massage recliner is from Sanyo. Sanyo gives the following coverage for the SR-1000K recliner: 3 years for the roller mechanism, 1 year labor, 1 year parts and 1 year in home service. The Sanyo warranty is the same for all their models. However, for this price range, the warranty is very good.

There are two automatic programs designed in the SR 1000K massage chair. The first program is called Relax and as the name implies, it provides a softer, soothing massage. The second program is named Recovery and it is more like a warm down type of massage. Both of these auto-programs work with the touch of one button.

An intriguing and innovative feature is called the Stiffness Detector. This system using readings of your pulse rate and perspiration levels and correlates those to areas of the body having more tension. The massage chair then focuses the massage treatment to those areas detected. This is a fascinating technology integrated into the SR 1000 massage chair.

Would you enjoy a good leg stretch now and then? In addition to the manual massage techniques, Sanyo has built two different stretches into the chair. You can select the manual massage technique and then select stretch 1 or stretch 2 and the chair will seamlessly integrate the stretching into the massage program.

The SR1000K also comes with a unique leg rest massager. The leg rest can be used to target the following areas: calves, back of the knees, sole of the foot and the Achilles tendon/heal. The leg rest contains a roller mechanism that massages the calves and the back of the knees. You can flip down the unit and then put your feet on it. This allows you to target the soles of your feet for a nice soothing massage. You can vary the speed of the massage and also the direction of the rollers.

There is a remote that runs all the functions of the SR1000. The design is fairly simple and intuitive for first time users. The buttons are a good size and easy for the average user to push. There are little lights that are used to show the level of intensity of the massage and also the roller width.

The SR-1000 massage chair has some very good features for an entry level massage chair. It contains some of the electronics from Sanyo's high end chairs like the stiffness detector and the physical shape sensor. The warranty for this recliner is also good for this level of chair. The design is a little funky and unfortunately Sanyo located a power box on the side of the chair which takes away from its attractiveness. We also wished they had more than 2 automatic massage programs in the recliner. But, if you are looking for a solid massage chair with some fairly contemporary styling, the SR-1000K is a nice massage chair.

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We will present a systematic review of the Sanyo DR-6700 massage chair recliner. This is one of the higher end Sanyo massage chairs. Sanyo is known for integrating many advanced features into their recliners. This review will cover five main categories ranging from warranty coverage to massage therapy. See how this high end massage chair is rated.

Warranty & Customer Service: Warranty is your protection from defects due to materials and workmanship. However, these warranties vary substantially from manufacturer and also by model. Here is the breakdown for the HEC-DR6700K massage chair: 3 years on the roller mechanism. The rollers give you the massage in the chair back. 1 year parts. 1 year labor. 1 year technician field service. We like the 1 year field service, but the parts and labor is rather short. Customer service is pretty good for Sanyo. Overall, the DR 6700 earns an 18.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Believe it or not some massage chairs are only comfortable to sit in when they are running. A massage chair needs to double as a recliner in our humble opinion. The DR-6700 cradles the body when you sit in it. The padding makes for a plush seat. The adjustable head pillow can be positioned to support your head well. The main functions of the chair are ran from the remote and it is in an accessible location. We give the DR6700 an 18 for comfort and ergonomics.

Ease of Use: One concern we have with the massage chairs is that the dramatic increase in functions could cause the chair to be difficult to use. The manufacturer must innovate with new features, but balance it with a simple and easy to use chair. We like the use of one touch buttons for the automatic programs. When selecting the manual techniques, there are more things to remember to get the chair to do what you want. We do like the layout of the control and the use of LED to show incremental settings. We give it a 17.

Key Features: There are two electronic features integrated into the DR-6700 that are both worth pointing out. These are the physical shape sensor and the stiffness detector. The physical shape sensor memorizes the position of your body. If you move in the massage chair, then the sensor detect such movement. It then adjusts the massage program to your new position. The stiffness detector is based on Sanyo's lie detector technology. It works by measuring your pulse rate and your level of perspiration. From there correlations have been made to areas of your body originating this increased stress and the chair will then target those areas. We rate these interesting features an 18.

Massage Therapy: You get a choice of 9 massage treatments in the HEC-DR6700. Choose from the five manual massage techniques. These manual techniques include Kneading, Tapping, Kneading/Tapping Combo, Shiatsu and Grip. After selecting the manual massage technique, you can select an area of focus. There are 4 back massage courses that target different areas of your back. You can also run the entire chair with the one-touch automatic programs. The four automatic programs have a particular theme and they range from Fine, Stiffness, Recovery and Relax. The Sanyo 6700 massage chair does a fantastic job and gets a 19 for massage therapy.

We rate this massage chair recliner 90 points out of 100. Sanyo has integrated some unique electronic functions into the DR-6700. The physical shape sensor and the stiffness detector are unique to Sanyo. We are somewhat concerned with the warranty coverage only having 1 year parts and labor for a high end massage chair. The massage therapy programs are well designed and effective. This is a very good massage chair and the DR6700 should be one for you to check into further.

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