8 Best Massage Chairs of 2022 - Good Housekeeping

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Comfort: A great massage chair should always be comfortable. If you have the chance, spend as much time as you can sitting in a chair you like before purchasing it and ask yourself if you like the way it feels. Is the headrest supportive? Is the material soft and sleek? Is the chair the right size for your body? Is it easy to get in and out of the chair?

Massage tracks: All massage chairs hit your entire back, but an S-track chair stops right above your buttocks. An L-track chair, on the other hand, reaches your glutes, hamstrings and calves. "If you're spending the money, you should invest in a chair that hits your buttock and hamstring muscles, since these affect back pain," says Sinett, who advises spending a bit more for an L-track chair. "The farther down the massager goes, the better for your body." You can also choose an SL-track massage chair, which focuses on your entire spine and lower muscles.

Massage types: "Initial massage chairs were rollers, but now we're seeing various levels of compression and angles, like 1D, 2D, 3D and 4D," Sinett says. "The highest level is the more interactive and will have better angle support, like hitting you from the sides and impacting all muscles." He suggests opting for a 4D massager, which will be much closer to a manual massage than 2D; 2D rollers move only up and down, while 3D rollers move up, down and diagonally; 4D rollers are similar to 3D rollers, with the added bonus of being able to produce various speeds and motions.

Settings: Make sure you purchase a massage chair with several massage modes, like kneading, compression, rolling and more. Also check whether you can adjust settings like the chair's massage intensity, target zones and duration. Most massage chairs will let you customize (and sometimes save!) favorite settings, so you can create the ideal massage for you.

Extra features: Today's massage chairs offer unique features like Bluetooth-enabled built-in speakers that play the music of your choice, charging ports, mood lighting, heat settings, cupholders and footrest extensions. Some massage chairs even have a zero-gravity reclining feature that tilts your chair back for a more profound experience, like feeling weightless.

Warranty: In addition to purchasing a massage chair with a good return policy, you should also double-check whether it comes with a warranty. A massage chair is pricey, and you'll want to make sure you're covered should something break.