Archives

December 2005 - April 2006

Massage Chairs Boom in India
Singapore company Osim, which claims a 97% share of the Indian massage chair market, expects sales there to soar more than five times over the coming three years. Purchasers include Bollywood stars and politicians, as well as major corporations, "as stress levels keep rising at the workplace."
April 4th, 2006

A Massage for the Prof
First comes a report (below) - published around the world - that the Malaysian government is introducing massage parlours, equipped with massage chairs, on the nation's busiest highways. Now we learn that "Universities Use High-Tech Massage Chairs To Help Their Faculty Unwind".
April 1st, 2006

A Massage for the Road
Concerned about traffic accidents on the country's highways, the Malaysian government has opened a massage parlour on the busy North-South Highway, equipped with massage chairs to help drivers relax.
March 28th, 2006

Human Touch Technology
A press release from Interactive Health says that the World Federation of Chiropractic - an association of professional chiropractors in 85 countries - has endorsed the company's massage chair technology.

Interactive Health markets massage chairs under the Human Touch Technology and iJoy labels. According to the press release:

Developed in cooperation with the medical community, Human Touch Technology emulates the techniques used by chiropractors, massage therapists and other professionals for the treatment and care of the back, spine and feet. Human Touch Technology starts with a multi-patented robotic mechanism that works like one's "wrists," "arms" and "hands." The mechanism follows the natural curves of the spine so as a result, delivers a massage that feels remarkably human.
March 21st, 2006

You Didn't Know You Needed It...
Here's a UPI report on the latest chair massager from Homedics:

The best thing about walking the aisles at the International Housewares Show in Chicago is all the stuff you didn't know you needed.

Take Homedics i-Cush for example. The chair massager comes equipped with a pair of speakers at the head and syncs the massage action with an iPod, another MP3 player or a game system.
March 15th, 2006

Premier Massage Chairs Expand in Europe
Premier Health Products has announced that it is expanding its massage chair distribution network in Europe. In a statement, the company said:

This introduction of the PHP2027CE by Premier Health CE AS will be able to accommodate the ever-growing international demand, and provide the health benefits of massage to an even wider audience. This European model will be a modified version of the extremely popular North American PHP 2027 offering 3D body scanning, contour mechanics, seat and thigh massage [and] a reflexology foot massage.
March 10th, 2006

Coming over All Meg Ryan and Gasping...
The Homedics shiatsu massage cushion continues to get a run in the British press. First it was the Daily Telegraph (scroll down). Now The Independent reports:

This device looks like a seat covered in black leather, with a soft panel you can lift up for extra-deep massage. It straps on to the back of your chair and plugs into the mains. Though fairly bulky, it is easy to set up and use. It has three modes: upper back, lower back and full back.

In tests, it gave a pretty decent massage - often bordering on the deep tissue rather than the light touch of shiatsu. It tended to work best using either the lower back or upper back mode, and not the full massage. And don't lift up the panel, unless you are a masochist, as the massaging is strong enough without it.

The sensation induced by the machine is a little weird at first, and the motor makes a slight whirring noise, which might draw the attention of colleagues in an open-plan office, though maybe not as much attention as coming over all Meg Ryan and gasping: "Oooh, that's the spot" as the massager gets to work.
February 27th, 2006

These Things Confuse Me
A columnist at Britain's CoolSmartPhone.com website has an issue - with massage chairs:

I'm sure you've seen these things dotted around in Motorway Services, Airports and shopping malls around the world. It's a massage chair. If you've got aches and pains from all the walking/shopping then it's just a matter of plonking a few coins in the slot and sitting down for a bit. The chair itself will massage and sooth your pain away and you'll get up feeling revived.

Now.. these things confuse me. I have several problems with them...

1 - It robs you of £2
2 - They don't live up to those "massage parlours" your mates keep telling you about.
3 - You get stared at by passing shoppers
4 - You can get more fun by putting 20p into the Postman Pat van ride and lying on the top...
February 14th, 2006

Massage Chair Slump Continues
The Sharper Image retail chain has reported a 13% drop in year-on-year sales in January, with declining massage chair demand a key factor. The same thing happened in December.
February 3rd, 2006

Shiatsu Massage Cushion - An Acquired Taste
Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper provides harried business executives with a pick-me-up:

Homedics has just the thing for you - an electronic shiatsu massage cushion.

If you don't know your shiatsu from your elbow, it involves deep kneading in a circular motion up and down your back.

The cushion, which can be strapped to most chairs, does just that. But the massage motion is an acquired taste.

One colleague said she found it "a bit hard and pokey".

Another, though, said the cushion hit the spot and refused to give it back. Go on, put your feet up.

Gadget Rating: 4/5
January 24th, 2006

Massage Chairs - Hot in Asia
Malaysian retailer Healthy World Lifestyle is seeing booming demand for its Koibito range of massage chairs, and is expanding rapidly throughout Asia. A report on The Edge Daily website says the company is contemplating a stock market listing.
January 20th, 2006

Home Theater Massage Chairs
Trendwatching.com has published its January 2006 newsletter, with forecasts for the trends of 2006. Among them - home theater massage chairs.

No home theater is complete without theater style seating: Hawaiian Lomi peddles the Ultimate Home Theater Series, a line of massage chairs and accessories. Think E-Motion massage chairs and center tables with built-in cup holders and storage space.
January 19th, 2006

iJoy iPod
iPod accessories are everywhere, according to the TMC.net website. The latest is the iJoy massage chair with built in speakers and subwoofer. You can view it here.
January 14th, 2006

Premier's New Massage Chair
Premier Health Products has introduced a new massage chair, the PHP 2025 Stretch. A corporate PR statement says:

The PHP 2025 offers a unique stretch feature. The compression technology leg massager actually grasps the user’s calves and pulls to give a feeling of elongation. It also employs the new BioFit technology where an individual user can customize the length of the rolling stroke to fit their specific height.

The statement also makes some interesting points about the company:

Doubling in growth every year for the last 4 years Premier Health has gone from a fledgling company to a major player in the massage chair market giving Panasonic and Human Touch models sold by Brookstone and Sharper Image a real run for their money.

...Rather than competing in the mall market Premier Health has gone local with their models being carried by hundreds of Relax The Back Stores across the country. Just recently they have also gone global with the introduction of PHP Norway, selling a modified version of the incredibly popular PHP 2027 for the 230 volt European market.

...Premier Health Products plans to introduce several new massage chairs this year with the PHP 2025 being just the first. In the works is a new zero gravity micro fiber chair and a massage chair with the first ever 8 roller mechanical calf, leg and foot massage unit.

You can read my report on Premier massage chairs here.
January 13th, 2006

The $9,000 Massage Chair
Singapore massage chair maker OSIM International, owner of America's Brookstone retail chain, says it plans a new line of deluxe massage chairs, priced at S$10,000-15,000 (US$6,100-9,150).
January 7th, 2006

"Not a Torture Device" - New Massage Chair for Computer Users
Check this out - the $2,500 Nethrone, an ergonomic work station for computer users, incorporating a massage chair. It comes from Las Vegas company EMA Innovation and is attracting attention at the Consumer Electronics Show.

According to Gizmodo:

This is not a torture device. You have to trust us on this one as much as you are tempted not to. The Nethrone is a crazy-looking ergonomic device that looks like a dentist’s chair designed for comfortable computing. Leaning back in the comfy leather seat and looking up at the screen keeps you from straining your neck as much as you normally would using a computer. Designer Eran Baruhe wants you to have complete comfort and control over your experience in the Nethrone, so nearly every part of the thing is adjustable to make you relaxed and comfortable.
January 6th, 2006

Massage Chair Sales Slump
The US business press is reporting that sales at specialty retailer Sharper Image dropped 15% in December, with declining massage chair sales one of the main factors. Store management do not expect a recovery this year.
January 6th, 2006

Turning Japanese
I posted a report on the Interactive Health iJoy 130 Therapeutic Robotic Massage Chair, and have just read an article in Wired News by a blogger lauding the joys of the Japanese bath house. The writer says that a previous post of his on a similar theme led a reader to go out and buy all the equipment he needed to "Japanize" his tiny apartment. Among the purchases - an iJoy massage chair.
January 4th, 2006

Review of Premier Massage Chairs
I've just posted a report on Premier massage chairs, including an excerpt from a review in the Los Angeles Times. The chairs aren't cheap - expect to pay a few thousand dollars - but they get rave reviews from customers at various websites. They are also apparently favored by quite a few top sports teams.
December 30th, 2005

Buyers Guide to Massage Chairs
I've posted here a short "Buyers Guide" to finding the best massage chairs and cushions. Unfortunately, as expected, not a lot of objective comparative information is available online. I'm finding it's the same with most personal health devices, such as pedometers, heart rate monitors, etc, about which I also write.

The main "review" I found was a May 2003 article from the Los Angeles Times. The writer toured several stores and tried out their most popular massage chairs, then he wrote a short summary of what he learned. But it was hardly an in-depth report.

I also found a couple of highly favorable reviews of the popular iJoy 300 massage chair, one of them written by no fewer than three people.
December 29th, 2005