If you want to boost your physical recovery and mental health at home, a massage chair is a great way to do that. Along with offering the ultimate full-body relaxation, massage chairs are a research-backed1 way to reduce stress and relieve sore muscles. This study even showed massage chairs to be beneficial in decreasing pain caused by arthritis. While you can totally enlist a partner or give yourself a massage, these at-home chairs do the work for you. When choosing which massage chair is best for you, there are a ton of options and features to evaluate, including body scan technology for personalized sessions, massage pads for on-the-go relief, compression boots for recovery from intense workouts, and zero-gravity chairs with voice control so you literally don’t have to move a muscle. Keep scrolling to learn how massage therapy can benefit your overall well-being and to find the best massage chair for your personal needs. A standard massage chair will look pretty similar to your typical living room furniture, but there are a ton of different makes and models on the market today, including zero-gravity chairs, portable massage chairs, ergonomic chairs, compression boots, massage pads, and more. The Official Journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine2 discovered that massage chair therapy can effectively treat pain. After a workout, many people benefit from using a massage chair to perform myofascial release. Keep in mind, this should supplement your cool-down instead of replacing it. Even the best massage chairs should not replace a professional massage therapist, who can apply personalized knowledge to tailor each session to your specific needs. If you’re seeking lower-body relief after an intense training session, compression boots may do the job better than a massage chair. On that note, not everyone should use compression therapy. “Compression therapy is contraindicated in an array of patients,” she adds. If you’re unsure of what type of massage is best for you, you might start by looking for a massage chair with an array of styles like shiatsu, deep tissue, kneading, knocking, and vibration. While there are not a ton of reviews for this chair yet, customers are writing home about the sleek design and range of intensities it offers. That said, if you don’t like a super-deep massage, this might not be the chair for you. One customer writes, “The pressure is pretty darn strong as I haven’t figured out just yet how to adjust. It’s fine for me because I like deep tissue massage, my wife however can’t handle the low back deep pressure. I own an $800 chair as well and it will be getting shipped to my son as there is no comparison in quality.” There aren’t many reviews on the brand’s website yet because this is a newer model, but the existing feedback (58 reviews) is overwhelmingly positive. The boots have a 4.8 out of 5-star rating overall. One reviewer says, “What I like about this product is the customization it offers on the recovery boots. The handheld controller has a few settings—pressure level, zone booster, and time selection, but the app offers a few extra settings which I found extremely helpful to target my sore calf muscles. This feature specifically allows you to target sore muscles post-workout. Also, the app has specific routines that you can pick from—warm-up, post-workout recovery, sore muscle treatment, etc. Now I use the recovery boots to warm up before my endurance runs and noticed my recovery time has dropped with this routine!” This massage chair has two sets of rollers that mimic a two-handed, professional massage, plus three levels of heat, and compression airbags from head to toe. In addition to a standard compression massage setting, it also offers shiatsu, kneading, and knocking, and three levels of intensity and heat—all of which can be controlled and customized using your voice or the chair’s LCD monitor. It also has a Bluetooth-compatible speaker so you can listen to your favorite playlist or podcast while you’re relaxing. Plus, it’s less expensive than a lot of other zero-gravity massage chairs. With six different modes and eight massage heads, meant to target your neck, back, and waist, it can definitely help you slip into that much-needed relaxation mode. With nearly 100 reviews on the Walmart website, this massage chair has earned a 4.7 out of 5-star rating. One satisfied customer raves, “Let me tell you, it can really squeeze and dig into all the right areas if you want it to. It has intensity levels you can adjust. I love it FULL INTENSITY!” Most people commented on its ease of installation, comfort, and value for the price. As Jamison puts it, “The chair should fit your body shape, offer the modality you desire, and be used wisely.” It’s important to note that standard massage chairs are typically built around average-sized male figures, so you’ll want to pay attention to sizing as well, to make sure it will be a fit for your body type. Another cause for consideration is budget. It’s true that most high-quality, full-body massage chairs cost thousands of dollars. If that price range is out of reach, focus on the body parts you want to treat. For example, the best compression boots will benefit your arms, legs, and feet, and the best portable massage chair will do wonders for your neck and back. Even Jamison confirms, “You don’t need the most expensive chair to get the job done.” To get the most bang for your buck, she advises being mindful of how you feel when you sit in the chair. “Do you relax when you get into the chair? Does the chair offer you significant support and fit so your body can come into ease?” Once you’ve found something that meets those standards, you can expect to reap the benefits of relaxation.
