After researching massage chairs again, I’ve revised my opinion. Previously they seemed like over-priced repair projects. Now I consider them to be logical, reliable and the perfect accoutrement to a nice home. Of course not all of them, I am specifically impressed with the Inada Dreamwave.
It was my own faulty logic that confused me. I came across Inada several years ago at the CES event in Las Vegas. There are multiple models, but the one I liked was about $8500, and since a human massage runs about $100 with tip, I concluded the break-even point was unreasonable, and moved-on.
A massage chair is not the same as a masseuse - it’s better and I can explain why. Years ago I had a massage-a-month membership, Those twelve massages were the most I ever had in a year. Sure I’d like more, but there’s several barriers that get in the way. Massages take at least an hour on the table and another in to/from activities. I find that massages are difficult to schedule because no one (esp family) likes to hear they were preempted by a massage.
With the DreamWave, a full massage takes as little as 15 minutes. That might sound suspicious, but remember a masseuse only has two hands. The DreamWave works the neck, shoulder, arms, hands, hips, thighs, calves and feet (including soles) in as little as 15 minutes (longer programs available). These are deep tissue, exhausting programs that knead and stretch.
Another barrier to human massages is the justification hurtle. Each massage is a treat, and that also causes (me) stress. Do I have time? Is it the best use of the money? Sure, the chair itself is an expense, but it’s a fixed cost but that means the cost per massage drops with each use.
Add up shorter (effective) massages, without a commute (in my home), at any time you get a lot of massages. I can easily use it daily, but let’s be reasonable and say 3 times a week. That’s 156 massages a year or 13 times more than my previous record. Plus, there are four people in my home, so if we all average two massages a week it totals 416 massages a year.
How many massages are too many? Still researching, but it’s a high number. Plus the Inada is useful all day. There is a “Morning” program that invigorates and a “Night” program that (deeply) relaxes - 16 programs in total. Night is perfect after a long, late night at the computer. I have not found a human masseuse willing to work under these conditions.
I had no problem justifying my spa which gets used less frequently and costs a lot more to maintain. We don’t use the spa much in the hotter months, yet it consumes power and chemicals year-round. Conversely, the DreamWave will get used year-round with minor usage costs and zero non-usage costs.
The DreamWave has 13 motors, 100 air cells, rollers, and vibration. It offers long, deep strokes, acupressure, and heat. It just takes one press of the remote control to start a routine, and intensity is easily adjusted.
Most massage chairs are made in China (even Japanese brands). Massage chairs (and modern quality) were invented in Japan, and Inada has been making them there since 1962. The DreamWave comes with a three year warranty (upgradeable to five) of factory-direct in-home service. The other chairs I evaluated came with a one year warranty. The Dreamwave documentation states a 24 year expected lifespan.
This is a high-end luxury purchase. It has 1200 square inches of surface, more than any other that I could find. It requires plenty of room (seven feet of clear space when fully reclined) and you will want it in a reasonably quiet area (it’s quiet too). It is one of the most logical luxury purchases for the home that I’ve come across.
The Dreamwave is available at furniture, back-store, and spa retailers as well as Amazon .
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