portable massage table advice - ebay

[Mabel B]

Hi all im new to this website and also to massage, im presently studying itec swedish massage and need a table ASAP.

im on a tight budget and have been searching loads of websites which has left me confused. I have seen some on ebay , in particular one from home with bargin priced at under £100 (NEW PORTABLE LIGHTWEIGHT MASSAGE, REIKI TABLE PLUS WHEELED CASE). I'm more drawn to this as it comes with a wheeled case, which i will need if i am massaging clients at home.

Does anyone have any advice or has bought tables using ebay??

thanks

 

[aq n]

I bought mine off Ebay, and would certainly do so again. I set myself an upper limit of what I'd like to pay and just kept bidding until I got one at the price I was willing to pay.

 

[bhtapkwo]

Hi dont think that there is always anything against buying from e-bay...make sure that there is a returns policy..ask questions about the item look at the sellers feedback if you are not sure ,ask the seller to explain the feed back if they are cosher they will not mind you asking the questions.
you are covered for purchases by paypal.the only thing i dont do is buy from abroad.what colour is there star how many transactions have they done..athough this is the same as feed back. hope you find what you want xx

 

[Tit for Tat]

Hello themis and welcome to Healthypages

I've moved your post over to the Massage forum, where you should get further replies, and if you use the Search This Forum link top right of the index page, you will find a number of previous threads on massage tables etc

Holistic
Healthypages Moderator

 

[Dude...]

there is nothing wrong with buying off ebay as such but there is something wrong with buying a poor quality table, and there are a lot of them on ebay.

Just think about a table that costs £100 on ebay. their ebay and paypal fees are going to be £5-£10 surely. they need to send it by courier which probably costs £5-£10. if they are a reputable long term business they will be registered for vat which takes 15% of the sale.So lets say they are left with £70. the need to import the tables from china and pay shipping/container costs. they need to make a profit themselves, i would imagine anywhere from 30-100%. So that leaves the cost price of the table at maybe £30.

I don't see how you can put good quality wood/materials into a £30 table?

If you are into therapy as a part time thing or just for friends and family then maybe it will be fine, but in my opinion if you are a professional, you need professional equipment. You can get an excellent quality table for around £200 nowadays. I spent £250 and know I will have it for life.

The extra £100 can be made up in 2-3 extra treatments and you will have a top quality table for life.

I was on holidays in torquay last summer and went for a massage, i got on the table and it was shaky, i really couldn't get relaxed. if i was heavy i could see myself going through the baseboard had i leant on it with an elbow or a knee or something. I asked the therapist where she got it and she said it was a present from her aunt but she got it on ebay for £80. If i was a local I would not have went back to her based on that one experience.

I think one of the most important parts of the table is the baseboard, a lot of cheaper ones just have a 5cm thick ply wood base under the foam. they quote a high working weight but the crack easily if the weight is anyway not distributed evenly.

if you do end up buying one come back and let us know what its like, test the baseboard strength by leaning on it with your knee. and check lateral stability by pushing on the sides and corners of the table, it shouldn't move.

 

[warrior]

Thanks for all your advice guys, much appreciated. Lucky G, i never thought about the breakdown of costs before.

I have seen a few, has anyone bought from these companies or have any comments on the the following:
http://taobook.com/acatalog/Massage_Tables_Flat.html MTW1110.

http://www.injuryprevention.org.uk/product.php?xProd=327&xSec=38


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-LIGHTWEIGHT-MASSAGE-REIKI-TREATMENT-TABLE-LILAC_W0QQitemZ270487598674QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Health_Massage_RL?hash=item3efa513652

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ALU-LITE-Portable-Massage-Couch-Reiki-Table-Beauty-np_W0QQitemZ110473498337QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Health_Massage_RL?hash=item19b8bbcee1

The most important factor for me has to be a lightweight portable one, i have checked out about 10-15 websites and my brain is now in overload!! Right now i need a couch to carry out my case studies and treatments for my course, i dont want to spend £ on an expensive couch, until i pass the course.

Thanks again, and hope you all had a nice xmas.

 

[Shazam]

Having looked at your links, 2 are over priced for what they are. I wouldn't go for one with rounded corners because couch covers won't fit correctly.

I don't use the face cradle, side supports or need a back lift, all things that add to the weight.

I've used tables with both wooden and aluminium legs, and have found the aluminium legs easier to adjust.

The weights quoted are without attachments, so they need to be added. From my experience cheap couches will always feel heavy and will start falling apart quickly with use.

If you're going to be earning a living from massage, then buy the best you can get, i.e. Affinity or Marsh, because they will pay for themselves in the long term.

HTH,
Myarka.

 

[Aland]

Hi,

I agree with Myarka, get the best you can afford, it will pay for itself many times over during its working life, i have still got my original i started out with 13years ago, still works fine, although it is a spare these days. Bought my last one from http://www.massagetablestore.com/ ,i bought an Oakworks, little bit expensive, but well worth it.

You could also place an ad "Market Place" on this site, a therapist may have one to sell, it is always worth ago.

Therapist1960uk

 

[rteezuybimuiugegm]

Thanks guys, im back to square one again! I'm going to have to max out the old credit card again. Ive seen a some on massagetables, i have emailed them as they are not showing the colour i want, and i would like to order before the vat increase.

Has any one heard of masterhome? apparently costco sell massage tables i thinlk about £147 + vat.

Regards

 

[Pompal 09.]

I believe that Costco sell the Master range of massage tables. Tao Trading sells Master couches so you can look at their website to see what they look like. The company I do my advanced massage courses with use Master Light massage tables.

 

[bobthebulider]

Thanks for all the advice guys. Im going to wait until feb, as thats when massage warehouse have a re stocked ther supply, i figure if im going to spend £££ on a table, im better of waiting for the one of my choice, rather than settling for what they have left.

Hope you all have a great New year

 

[kaye r]

I wouldn't get too excited about the couch cases with wheels on as I they aren't very good. When I bought my last massage couch I went for a nice lightweight couch but then once it's in the wheeled couch case it weighs a tonne - the case has a wooden base to it to make it sturdy and for the wheels to be attached to. It's no good using the wheels to wheel the couch as they don't steer and it makes it even harder to manouvre in my experience. Mine's lost a wheel already!

When I was training i bought the cheapest massage couch I could find from Sally's - it was a basic couch and it did the job. It isn't the most comfortable couch and isn't very wide. I now have a nice wide couch, with rounded edges (never found the couch covers fitting a problem) and a face craddle and it is a lot thicker making it so much more comfortable than the last. All my clients comment on how comfortable the couch is. I bought mine from massage table store.