What are the best shiatsu massage chairs available on the planet today? This article will highlight the top three shiatsu massage recliners. Shiatsu evolved through the centuries in Japan as a derivative of acupuncture from ancient China. Massage chairs first started in Japan, but have now been picked up by manufacturers around the world. The technology to replicate the subtle shiatsu techniques is nothing short of extraordinary.

The best shiatsu massage chairs are not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. They are a long term investment in your health and stress management. The massage recliners that we will perform the best shiatsu massages will range between $4,000 and $5,000 in price. These provide full body massage capabilities for many years to come.

The shiatsu massage techniques use a variety of specialized hand movements to provide its therapeutic relief. Additionally, it makes use of the body’s natural trigger points based on acupuncture. Shiatsu stimulates these trigger points to help induce total body relaxation. Applying advanced technology and software programs has been the only successful way to realistically replicate these techniques and their corresponding benefits.

If you are looking for the best of the best, then you should go with a name brand massage chair like Omega, Sanyo or Panasonic. These companies have solidly manufactured massage chairs and reliable warranty coverage. These companies have developed excellent technology and incorported it into their top chairs. Let us take a look at some of the top models offered by these top firms.

The Sanyo HEC DR7700 is the top of the line for Sanyo. This massage chair has a specialized roller mechanism called the GK roller system. The GK roller system can come over the top of the shoulders and thus provides an excellent neck and shoulder massage. This massage lounger is also zero gravity which takes the pressure off your spinal column. The DR 7700 can detect trouble areas and zero in on those areas automatically.

Another shiatsu lounger is the Montage Premier by Omega Massage. This high end, luxury recliner is packed full of great massage therapy functions. The Montage Premier comes with a body scan technology that identifies your shiatsu trigger points. The Montage Premier then targets these areas to stimulate to induce full body relaxation. This is a massage chair that comes with other important features such as an MP3 player, full body heat therapy and a lower body traction system.

Panasonic has been a leader in shiatsu massage chairs and with their Real Pro Ultra series they continue this tradition. One of the best models from the Real Pro Ultra series is the EP-30004 shiatsu massage chair. This model has a unique shiatsu massage that performs ultra fine kneading. This is also called Junetsu in Japanese. This massage applies firm pressure while making a circle movement that penetrates deeply through the muscle tissue. This is a very effective massage and wonderful for taking knots out of your muscles.

These 3 massage chair companies have excellent shiatsu massage recliners. Panasonic, Sanyo and Omega are the top shiatsu massage chair brands available today. You can find almost every conceivable function has been masterfully integrated into this massage recliners. If you are looking at massage chairs, then you really owe it to yourself to check out these name brand massage chairs.

Looking for the best Shiatsu Massage Chair for your health? We have the premier Shiatsu Massage Chairs from Panasonic, Sanyo, Omega and others. Our recliners have a vast array of features and functions. Browse our product reviews.

Product reviews need to be informative. Usually a structured approach to evaluation provides better consistency. We employ a 5 category equal weight system to evaluate a massage chair. A category can earn between 0 to 20 points. The points earned in each category are added together giving a total score. The massage chair is evaluated in the following categories: Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. The discipline of systematic approach balances the review and provides for more facts. We take a close look at the M-2 Orion Massage Chair by Omega that comes in the price range of $1,500 and under.

Warranty & Customer Service: Warranty and customer service comes from the manufacturer of the massage chair. Warranty is important, since it protects the customer in the workmanship of the product. The other side of this is customer service. Customer service must solve issues one may have. With the M-2 Orion, Omega Massage covers 1 year on the frame, 6 months on parts, and 6 months labor and shipping for 6 months. For an entry level massage chair, Omega provides the most comprehensive warranty and exceeds the other manufacturers in this category. With the M-2 Orion, Omega provides strong warranty coverage. Now on the customer service side, Omega overall is responsive and competent. They have quick turnaround times when issues do arise. The M-2 Orion is an 18 in Warranty & Customer.

Comfort & Ergonomics: A massage chair needs to be designed to fit the body and provide comfort. The chair is a place of relaxation. One does not want to be pre-occupied with non-intuitive functions. Let us take a look at the Orion. The Orion has a remote control holder under the armrest which is very convenient. You can recline the chair from 115 degrees to 170 degrees. There is the calf massage built into the footrest. The leg rest can be extended 4 extra inches. This allows the calf massager to be adjusted to where you like. The Orion is pretty comfortable with fully padded side armrests, extra seat cushion. You also get a plush back pad with a detachable shoulder pillow. The M-2 earns 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: The key features of the Orion M-2 massage chair are the swaying massage technique and the seat massage. The Hawaiian or Swaying massage uses gentle flowing strokes to ease and elongate the back muscles. The Swaying massage starts to penetrate deeper into the muscles as it works up and down the spine. This is an effective massage to relax tight muscles. The seat massage has both vibration therapy and an eight massage head system. These rotary massage heads target the buttocks and thighs with a very invigorating massage. Add the vibration therapy and watch the aches and pains melt away from your buttocks and thighs. We give the M-2 Orion an 18 for key features.

Massage Therapy: The massage therapy is what a massage chair is all about. How does the M-2 Orion rate? Let us find out. There are both automatic and manual massages to choose from. Select from 3 timed automatic massages of 5, 10 or 15 minutes in duration. There are 3 back course and 3 manual massages for your back. Manual massages performed by the Orion are Kneading, Swaying and Finger Press. The seat with its eight rotary massage heads really delivers thorough massage to the thighs and buttocks. If you do a lot of sitting, this chair relieves those aches and pains. The adjustable leg rest allows great targeting of the legs with the mechanical rollers. Adjust them to exactly where you need relief. We rate the M-2 an 18 for its massage therapy.

Overall, we are very impressed with the Omega M-2 Orion. Let us sum up all the categories. The M-2 scores an impressive 90/100. Some unique features are the Sway Massage and the full seat therapy. These are therapeutic and relieving massages that can penetrate deeply to relieve soreness. The manual controls are good. The hydraulic assist that omega uses to lift the leg rest and chair back work effectively. With Omega, the M-2 has terrific warranty coverage. If you are looking for a great entry level massage chair, the M-2 is one of your best bets. The Orion gives a full body massage that is thorough and invigorating.

If you are looking for a massage chair, then finding relevant information regarding potential shiatsu chair candidates is important. Reviews and evaluations can point out the relevant aspects of each product. To assist potential purchaser researching massage chairs, we evaluate 5 key categories which include Warranty & Customer Service, Comfort/Ergonomics, Ease of Use, Features and Massage Therapy. Each category is worth up to 20 points. All points are added up to give a total score based on the 5 categories. A disciplined, systematic approach takes out bias and presents facts. We review the Luxury range of $4,000 to $5,000 and feature the Omega Montage Elite massage chair.

Warranty & Customer Service: Warranty and customer service come from the company that makes the massage chair. A warranty protects the customer and customer service must rectify issues one may have. With the Montage Elite, Omega Massage covers 5 years on the frame, 3 years on parts, 3 years labor and 90 days in-home service. Additionally, Omega has 1 year covering shipping. Omega provides a more comprehensive warranty well above the other manufacturers in this category. Omega only covers 90 days in-home versus others with 1 year. With this exception, Omega provides strong warranty coverage. On the customer service side, Omega overall is responsive and competent with minimal turnaround times. The Montage Elite is an 18 in Warranty & Customer.

Comfort & Ergonomics: Massage chair recliners need to be comfortable and fit the body well. The Omega Montage Elite is designed for comfort, luxury and relaxation. The massage recliner is comfortable to sit in. Omega has the first wireless remote to control most massage functions. The foot rest can be extended another 4 inches for taller individuals. In fact, people up to 6′ 6″ can fit in this chair very comfortably, certainly a first for massage chairs. Omega has made some important advances from a comfort and ergonomic standpoint. Overall Rating for Omega Montage Elite comfort and ergonomics and customer service is 19.

East of Use: Massage Chair manufacturers are building in more technology and features into their chairs. Users need to be able to quickly, easily and intuitively understand how to use of a product. The Montage Elite has many advanced features and many manual options. The main remote control has 5 auto programs and a wheel button for adjusting the footrest and chair back. This remote is fairly intuitive. The wireless remote is a distilled version of the main remote and is simple in design and allows for virtually all the controls of the massage. The only significant exception is the air pressure on the lower body can only be adjusted from the main remote. Like most main remotes, a side panel contains many manual controls including manual massages and adjustments to the lower body air system. The wireless remote is compact, convenient and now a must have. The Montage Elite is a 19 in Ease of Use.

Key Features: The most prominent features of the Omega Montage Elite are the Lower Body Traction and Footflex Reflexology foot massage. Omega built in a traction function to gently stretch out your lower back, hips, knees and ankles. The footrest is raised horizontally; the airside activates to hold your ankles and then lowers successively to 3 positions. As the footrest lowers your muscles and tendons are stretched throughout the lower body. The Footflex reflexology uses airbags to hold and gently squeeze your foot at the arch and the heel at your reflexology points. Omega has brought the lower body air massages up to par with the back massage technology. Omega has a thorough array of massage for the back, neck, shoulders and base of the skull. The Montage Elite is a 19 in Key Features.

Massage Therapy: The Montage Elite has both automatic and manual massage settings. Omega incorporates 5 full body automatic courses, 4 manual massage courses, and 4 massage speed settings for a total combination of 64 manual massage courses. The manual massage techniques include Kneading, Tapping, Finger Press, and Kneading & Tapping (Shiatsu). The kneading and tapping speeds can be individually control in the shiatsu technique. For instance, you can have slow kneading combined with fast tapping or vice versa in 8 combinations. The lower body massage of this shiatsu massage chair is thorough and invigorating. Activating the lower body traction with the full lower body massage and full back massage can only be topped with the music-massage synchronization function. The Montage Elite is a full body therapy and relaxation machine providing a full sensory experience. The Montage Elite massage chair is a 20 in Massage Therapy.

How does the Omega Massage Montage Elite rate? Overall, our rating of the Montage Elite is an 95/100. The technology, intuitiveness and simplicity of this massage chair recliner is what the luxury category is all about. With Omega, the . Montage Elite has the best manufacturer’s warranty without the added expense of an extended warranty. The massage chair is easy to use, has advanced features, a wireless remote and thorough massage therapy. This shiatsu massage chair can accommodate both short and tall people alike. The Montage Elite was built for the American market. This is as good as it gets!