Review of Massage Chairs at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show

Posted on | March 26, 2009 |

I was lucky enough to take some time to go to Las Vegas for the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show or CES. The CES has every conceivable electronic device imaginable. I was interested in checking out the latest and greatest in the world of massage chairs. I was able to try a number of massage chairs and share my findings here.

There was a Japanese manufacturer of massage chairs called Family Inada. This company won the 2009 CES innovation award for their product the Dream Wave Sogno. The Dream Wave Sogno is a very advanced massage recliner with a pretty far out design.

The Sogno has more airbags than any massage chair that I have ever tried. There are airbags that surround the neck and also ones that can massage your entire arm. The air massage was impressive around the neck area and was effective in relieving tension in the neck area. The arm massage was not as effective and did not provide the level of compression I was expecting.

The Sogno has an advanced seat that actually rocks in place. The seat will pivot and provide ergonomic support of your back and buttocks. This was a relaxing position for the spine. The look of the Sogno is a little egg-shaped in design which may limit where it can be placed. It was also priced at $6,000 making it a very high end chair.

I did get to try the most expensive massage chair at the CES Show. The $8,000 Fujiiryoki massage chair was by far the most expensive. The Fujiiryoki massage chair has an FDA device listing and was being billed as a medical chair. This massage recliner comes with a shoulder press massage. The shoulder press is powered by an air compressor which activates airbags to squeeze both shoulders with a compression massage.

The Fujiiryoki chair also has an air massage for the lower body and for the arms as well. The high end Fujiiryoki chair has been out for 2 years and is by far the most expensive at $8,500. The massage was fairly thorough, but the chair was a bit hard when you are just seated in it.

Omega Massage had the Montage Premier on display. This high end massage recliner has full body massage capabilities and an array of supplemental therapies. I found the Montage Premier gave a firmer and stronger massage than the Sogno or Fujiiryoki chairs. The other interesting differences I found was the Montage Premier had heat, music and traction which the others didn’t.

The Montage Premier also can fit taller people like me better. I am 6 2 and I have trouble finding a massage chair that really fits my frame. The leg rest of the Montage Premier can be extended an extra 4 inches. The chair back is also longer than the other chairs and was more comfortable to sit in. At $4,500, the Montage Premier was a deal.

I wanted to try both Sanyo and Panasonic, but they were not displaying massage chairs in their exhibits this year. They did have some fantastic LCD and Plasma screen TVs though. However, my mission was massage chairs, so I was disappointed not to get a chance to try them.

I also tried a variety of massage chairs form all sorts of companies. I tell you this is hard work. Some of these chairs are poorly designed or have ineffective massage therapies, so I won’t name any names here. There are always companies that are out for a quick buck. I always ask the company if they sell to retailers. If they don’t then I am always concerned with warranty problems down the road.

I tell you the CES 2009 was an amazing show with every conceivable and unique electronic devices all under one roof. I was fortunate to try many massage chairs from some great companies. The most impressive were the Montage Premier, Fujiiryoki and the Dream Wave. These are certainly impressive pieces of technology and will provide years of excellent massage therapy at the touch of a button. If you have a chance, check them out and see which is best for you.

You will find the Consumer Electronics show or CES is in early January each year in Las Vegas. This massive show brings you almost 3,000 vendors of every gadget in the electronic world. The technology is amazing as you can find big screens, to cell phones to security systems. The massage chairs are amazing as well. It is something to see and experience the cutting edge of technology.

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