| Many companies claim to make shiatsu massage | | | | genuine article and retails for around $4,300. It's a |
| chairs but in reality the chairs offer nothing of the | | | | lot of money, I know, but you really are getting |
| sort. At best, most offer a general type of | | | | something that is in the top tier. It's a very stylish |
| massage. Genuine shiatsu is the application of | | | | chair but more importantly, it comes with physical |
| pressure with fingers and thumbs on energetic | | | | body shape detectors that will automatically |
| pathways, called meridians to improve the flow of | | | | adjust the massage rollers to your body shape to |
| energy. Quite frankly, most chairs lack the | | | | deliver a perfect massage. You get a leg |
| technology needed. However, some do. Here's a | | | | massager but no arm massagers with this model. |
| review of some of the best shiatsu massage | | | | Retailing for a thousand dollars less - and in my |
| chairs currently available. | | | | opinion, a better chair - is the OSIM iSymphonic |
| The HoMedics Shiatsu massage chair and others, | | | | Massage Chair. Now, this chair is packed with the |
| like the iJoy, are often touted as giving a genuine, | | | | latest technology. It uses optical sensors to |
| human-like shiatsu massage. But they really don't. | | | | detect your body shape and to automatically align |
| The problem is that in order to get a genuine | | | | the rollers to deliver a stress relieving massage. |
| shiatsu, the chair has to be intelligent enough to | | | | There are also 5 Healthcare programs and you |
| know your body shape, just as a professional | | | | can customize them to create your own unique |
| massager takes into account each persons height, | | | | massage. But, what's really impressive about this |
| weight and so forth. Chairs like HoMedics and iJoy | | | | chair is the music therapy system. Unlike the |
| are cheap and lack the technology required. Don't | | | | Fujikura chair (mentioned above), it just doesn't |
| get me wrong, they're good chairs, but you | | | | play music, rather the massage given is directly |
| simply can't find a shiatsu chair for under $1,500. | | | | orchestrated by the music of your choice; if you |
| So, how much do you need to spend? Well, if you | | | | decide on hard rock, you'll get a pounding, but if |
| want a chair that does deliver, then you're talking | | | | you listen to soothing classical, you'll get an |
| around $1,800. | | | | altogether gentler massage. |
| The Fujikura 2000 massage chair retails for this | | | | The Inada i.2 Massage Chair (HCP-i.2A) retails for |
| price and comes with an intelligent 4 roller system | | | | around $3,300 and is cheaper then either the |
| that conforms to the contour of your spine and a | | | | Sanyo or OSIM but I believe offers the best |
| special neck massage function that directly | | | | value for money. Like the OSIM massage chair, it |
| targets stress relieving "tsubo points" on your | | | | uses optical sensors to detect body shape and |
| neck. It also has other features such as 26 air | | | | automatically adjusts the chair rollers. Also, like the |
| bags - 20 of which are in the foot and calf | | | | OSIM, it has no arm massagers but it does come |
| massager - as well as arm massagers. The | | | | with vibration in the armrest. The overall design of |
| massage modes include: rolling, kneading, shiatsu | | | | the chair is very contemporary and stylish. |
| results, compression and percussion, chop action | | | | For its cost and feature list, the Inada is certainly |
| and flapping. As an added bonus, the chair comes | | | | a shiatsu massage chair I would recommend. |
| with a music therapy system. | | | | However, it's worth trying to test the others out |
| Fujikura is a Japanese company and if you really | | | | if you possibly can, especially the OSIM and Sanyo |
| want the best shiatsu massage chair you should | | | | massage chairs, so you can be absolutely sure |
| buy one designed by a Japanese company. The | | | | which one is best for you. |
| Sanyo HEC-SA5000K Massage Chair is the | | | | |