Are you banging your head against the desk, trying to find the right massage chair? Do the various terminologies surrounding massage chairs leave you feeling overwhelmed?
If you answered yes to either of those questions, especially when it comes to comparing 2d vs 3d vs 4d massage chairs, this article is for you.
Below, we’ll explore exactly what those terms mean and, more importantly, what they mean in terms of the kind of massage you can expect from each of those types of chairs.
If that sounds like it would help make your search easier, buckle up, and let’s go!
2D vs 3D vs 4D Massage Chairs — What’s All The Fuss About, Anyway?
If you’ve spent any time at all looking at or trying to research different models, you’ve probably run across some that are listed as “2D”, others that are listed as “3D”, and maybe even a few that are listed as “4D.”
Is it all marketing hype, or do those designations mean anything in particular? And more importantly, how big of a difference do they make in terms of what kind of massage you can expect out of a given chair?
For example, when comparing a massage chair that’s 2D vs. 3D, how big of a difference does it really make?
Let’s take a closer look.
The 3D vs 2D Massage Chair Comparison
This is really the big comparison, and the differences between these two types of chairs have everything to do with the design of the track.
We’re not really talking about the length of the track or whether it’s listed as an S or an L track. Generally speaking, L-tracks are regarded as superior to S-Tracks simply because they allow the rollers to massage more of your body.
No, specifically, what the 2D and 3D designations are talking about is the range of motion within the track, whatever shape it takes.
There are three ways a massage roller can move: along the X-axis (left and right), along the Y-axis (up and down), or along the Z-axis (“in” and “out”, either pressing more or less firmly against the seatback and thus, against your back).
A 2D massage chair only allows the rollers to move along the X- and Y-axis. There is no Z-axis movement, and because there’s not, 2D massage chairs cannot give you a massage that’s as deep as the one you’ll get from a 3D massage chair. They’re just literally not designed for that.
In order to provide a deep, penetrating massage, the rollers have to be able to move along the Z-axis, or they can’t really dig into those aching muscles and provide relief.
That doesn’t mean that in a head-to-head 2d vs 3d massage chair comparison, the 2D chair always loses.
But it does mean that if you’re interested in buying a chair because you have a therapeutic need and you want to stop paying your chiropractor for deep tissue massages and start enjoying them from the comfort of your home, you’re going to want to look specifically at 3D models.
What if you’re a hobbyist user, though? Sure, your back hurts from time to time, but really, you’re just looking for a chair that will help you relax after a long day’s work.
In that case, you’re probably not going to get a lot out of a deep tissue massage (except maybe on rare occasions), and the 2D chair will work just fine for you, which means you’ll save money because 2D chairs tend to be less expensive.
Before we close out this section, we have to mention Zero-G seating because, believe it or not; it does play a role in the discussion!
True, a 2D massage chair can’t give you a massage that’s as deep as the one you’ll get from a 3D chair, but…
If the 2D chair also offers Zero-G seating, it can come pretty close!
That’s because Zero-G seating reclines you in such a way that your knees are elevated slightly above your heart, and it really does leave you feeling weightless.
The cool thing, though, is that when you’re in the Zero-G position, your own body weight is pressing you more firmly against the seatback, which is a limited proxy for Z-axis movement.
Since you’re pressed more firmly against the rollers, they can dig a little deeper, even if the track itself isn’t designed to allow for Z-axis movement. So if you’re on a budget and interested in deep tissue massage, you may be able to find a happy medium by getting a 2D massage chair with at least one Zero-G seating position.
Of course, it should also be said that if you get a 3D massage chair and it has Zero-G seating options available, then when you put the chair into that seating position and crank the massage intensity up to max, you’ll get the deepest massage that chair is capable of giving.
The 3D vs 4D Massage Chair Comparison
The 2D vs. 3D comparison is pretty straightforward, but this one isn’t.
The main reason that it isn’t is that while every company in the massage chair industry uses the 2D and 3D designation in exactly the same way, there is no standard where the 4D descriptor is used.
Some companies simply use it to denote that their chair has a massage timer, while others use it to denote the fact that the rollers on their chairs have controls that allow you to adjust the speed on the fly.
Where the timer is concerned, that’s mostly a marketing ploy because, sure, time is the 4th dimension, but a lot of chairs have massage timers, after all, and they don’t feel any special need to designate themselves as “4D” chairs.
Where the adjustable speed feature is concerned, again, it’s not nothing. Still, it’s not a lot either because almost every chair on the market offers a few different speed or intensity settings, and they’re not lining up to call themselves “4D” chairs.
The main point is, while 2D and 3D have very well-established meanings, that’s much less the case with 4D, so you’ll want to do some digging to see exactly what each company means when they trot that term out.
There are companies who are really pushing into new territory and have attached the 4D descriptor to their advancements, and in those cases, the 4D descriptor is important.
Take Bodyfriend, for example. A well-respected company in the industry. Their Pharaoh II chair is billed as a 4D chair, and in their case, they’ve invented a new kind of roller technology to pair with that designation.
Their chair sports quad rollers, which is the current industry standard, but you can put the chair in “XD” mode, which causes two of the four rollers to retract, leaving you with two rollers to press against your back.
Why would you want to do that?
Because XD mode has five different levels of intensity, and with only two rollers to contend with, the massage motors can put more power into those two, which means that the deep tissue massage you get from their 4D massage chairs blows the deep tissue massage you get from a 3D chair right out of the water.
To be clear, this isn’t a feature that you’re going to need or especially care about unless you’re a chronic pain sufferer and you’re buying a massage chair for therapeutic reasons.
If you’re a hobbyist user, it’s neat but probably not something you’ll be willing to spend a ton of money on. But if you’re in pain all the time and those deep tissue massages really help break up those knots on your back and make you feel better, oh yeah.
In those cases, the 4d vs 3d massage chair comparison is a big deal, and you want the deepest, most intense massage you can get.
2D vs 3D vs 4D Massage Chair Conclusion
If you’re comparing 2d vs 3d vs 4d massage chairs, you’re mostly comparing massage strength—how deep of a massage can each chair give you. Here’s how we’d break that down:
Ultimately, which type of massage chair you want will come down to having an honest conversation with yourself about what you’re buying the chair for. Answer that, and you’ve gone most of the distance toward narrowing your search for the perfect massage chair for you.
References & Resources:
- Cortisol Decreases and Serotonin and Dopamine Increase Following Massage Therapy, National Center for Biotechnology Information.
- What Does the Research Say about Massage Therapy?, University of Minnesota.
- Muscle Knots, Canadian Chiropractic Association.
